For Homeschoolers

Rapaport Consulting specializes in helping college-bound teens homeschool through high school.

Barbara Rapaport started homeschooling her own children in 1994 and homeschooled them all the way through high school. Since then, she has helped other families homeschool through high school and navigate the college search, selection, and application process.

Whether you are an unschooler, an eclectic homeschooler, or someone who favors a school-at-home approach, Rapaport Consulting provides personalized guidance and expertise on high school learning and college admissions. We’ve helped athletes, engineers, performing artists, and twice exceptional homeschoolers find their college match. Here are some of the ways we can help:

Early Planning

Tweens through Sophomore Year of High School

Performing artists, athletes, and those seeking admittance to the most selective colleges find that early planning is the best way to meet their long-term goals. Barbara provides the support and guidance families need to create and implement a personalized learning plan for their 8th, 9th, and 10th grade homeschoolers.

Our advising sessions may include:

  • In-depth interviews with students and parents regarding short and long term educational goals
  • Overview of post-secondary educational options: gap year, vo-tech schools, liberal arts colleges, professional schools, joint-degree programs
  • Overview of the college search, selection, and application process as it pertains to homeschoolers
  • Short and long term curriculum planning (what to study, when to study it, learning resources, what constitutes a “credit”)
  • Recommendations for extracurricular involvement, summer activities, and internships
  • Guidance on creating a transcript
  • Guidance on documenting learning
  • Guidance on summer program applications
  • Advice on standardized tests–PSAT, SAT, ACT, AP–which tests to take and when to take them

Comprehensive College Admission

Junior Year through 1st Semester of College

Beginning in the junior year when we help students articulate their post-secondary goals, and continuing through the first semester of college, our Comprehensive College Admission option supports your family along every step of the college search, application, admission, and transition process.

Junior Year

Our Comprehensive College Admission plan begins when we guide the high school junior through building a selected list of potential colleges that match their unique set of interests, skills, abilities, values, temperament, learning style, and goals. We are dedicated to matching the student to the college–we help students find schools where they will thrive academically and socially while staying within their budget.

Our advising sessions may include:

  • Overview of post-secondary educational options: gap year, vo-tech schools, liberal arts colleges, professional schools, joint-degree programs
  • Overview of the college search, selection, and application process as it pertains to homeschoolers
  • In-depth interviews with student and parents regarding short and long term educational goals
  • Guided assessments to help students identify their interests, abilities, study skills, values, temperament, and learning style
  • Guidance on documenting high school learning
  • Guidance on creating a transcript
  • Assistance creating a Reading List
  • Assistance creating an activities résumé
  • High School transcript review
  • Assistance with curriculum planning
  • Recommendations for non-academic learning: extracurricular involvement, summer activities, internships
  • Guidance on choice of college type and major
  • Personalized college application timeline and action plan to help you keep on track
  • Testing recommendations: which standardized tests to take and when to take them
  • Advice on making successful college visits
  • Overview of financial aid basics: FAFSA, PROFILE, Scholarship search, strategies for merit aid

College Application

Early Senior Year

Early in the senior year, it’s time to apply! We work with you to create a personalized college application timeline, an action plan to keep you on track, and application materials that will optimally communicate your unique qualities. As a homeschooler, your college applications include the added challenge of translating your learning into “education-ese.”

Our advising sessions may include:

  • Guidance on documenting your learning
  • Guidance on creating a transcript
  • Assistance with any homeschool supplements
  • Assistance with School Report Form on Common Application
  • Assistance updating your Reading List
  • Assistance updating your activities résumé
  • Tips for obtaining effective letters of recommendation
  • Interview techniques and mock college interviews
  • Essay help
    • Brainstorming
    • Developing story line
    • Editing: grammar, spelling, and elements of style

College Admission and Transition

Late Senior Year through 1st Semester of College

You’ve heard from the colleges and now the choice is yours. Rapaport Consulting supports your family all the way through college enrollment and transition.

Our advising sessions include:

  • Assistance with evaluating and comparing offers of admission and financial aid
  • Support for student and parent during college transition

Customized Service Blocks

For those who have already decided where to apply, we offer custom consultation packages to answer questions about the application process or assist with any of the components of the application, including:

  • School Report Form on Common Application
  • Reading List
  • Activities Résumé
  • Essays

Group Classes and Workshops

Looking for more general information? Barbara offers workshops to parent – and parent-teen – groups on the college application process for homeschooled students. Workshops will be geared to your group’s needs, and may include topics such as post-secondary options, application components, financial aid, and a mock admissions committee exercise.

To schedule an introductory meeting or learn more about our workshops call 609-731-9007.