Home-Schooled Applicants

Seattle University welcomes applicants who have received their education through homeschooling experiences. We recognize that traditional high school may not be ideal for every student. In order to maintain consistency in how we read applications from all students, homeschool students must supply the additional information.

Seattle University Admissions requires the following application requirements in order to thoroughly evaluate whether homeschool applicants have met the necessary foundation of skills and academic credentials to be successful students at Seattle University.

Required Materials for all First-Year Applicants

All first-year applicants, regardless of homeschool status, are required to submit the following:

  • Completed Common Application with essay, application fee, and writing supplements
  • Official transcripts for all completed or in-progress coursework
  • One teacher recommendation
  • One counselor recommendation/secondary school report
  • Seattle University is test optional. If you would like your ACT or SAT results to be considered as part of your application you will note this on your Common Application and will be required to submit official test scores from the testing agency 

In addition to the general application requirements listed above, first-year homeschool applicants are also required to submit the following additional information by the application deadline in order to have the application considered complete:

Additional Required Materials for First-Year Homeschooled Applicants

1. Home School Questions

The Home School questions on the School Report form of the Common Application completed by the homeschool supervisor (the person responsible for education plan and overseeing instruction).

2. Official Transcripts

All official transcripts, including a detailed official homeschool transcript signed by the homeschool supervisor. The homeschool transcript should include detailed course descriptions, texts used, and the minimum number of hours per week of instruction. 

Official transcripts are also required for any additional coursework completed or in progress in a non-home school setting, including traditional secondary schools, colleges, universities, or any other type of school where credit was or will be received. Official transcripts of all completed or in-progress coursework are required from all original sources even if the homeschool transcript includes them. 

Note: This fulfills the "official transcript" requirement of first-year applicants. Please also be aware of the minimum secondary school course requirements for all first-year applicants, found under "Admission Requirements" on the Undergraduate Admissions website. 

3. Letter of recommendation

One additionalletter of recommendation from a non-relative (including requirements for all first-year applicants, this means that you will be submitting a minimum of 3 letters of recommendation). This is a total of two letters from non-relatives and one School Report from the counselor. Preferably this additional recommendation will be from a teacher who has taught the student within the last three years in an academic subject. If the homeschool supervisor is the only teacher and counselor, two additional letters of recommendation are still required from non-relative sources familiar with the student's academic quality, work ethic, and/or character. 

4. Assessments

Homeschool applicants are required to show additional non-home-school-setting assessments in three academic areas: English, mathematics and laboratory science. The following options note the methods through which these assessments may be displayed.  

If the student took the SAT as part of the standard admissions requirements, they must show additional assessments in English, mathematics, and laboratory science (laboratory science constitutes natural sciences such as biology or chemistry but does not include social sciences such as psychology). This can be completed through one of these options:  

  • ACT results (writing portion recommended). 
  • AP test results in math, lab science and either English literature or English language. 
  • IB test results in math, lab science, and English. 
  • CLEP exam results in math, lab science and either English literature or English composition. 
  • At least one course in each area - math, lab science, and English - completed with an official transcript from a traditional, accredited secondary school. 
  • At least one course in each area - math, lab science, and English - completed with official transcripts from a regionally accredited college or university (includes Running Start credits at Washington State community colleges). 
  • A sufficient combination of options above showing assessments in English, math, and lab science. For example, an appropriate display of assessments could include an AP test score in English Language and Calc AB, and an official college transcript with credits in a 100-level Biology course. 

If the student took the ACT (writing portion recommended) as part of the standard first year admissions requirements, they must show additional assessment in English and mathematics. This can be completed through one of these options: 

  • SAT results. 
  • AP test results in math and either English literature or English language. 
  • IB test results in math and English. 
  • CLEP exam results in math and either English literature or English composition 
  • At least one course in each area - math and English - completed with an official transcript from a traditional, accredited secondary school. 
  • At least one course in each area - math and English - completed with an official transcript from a regionally accredited college or university (includes Running Start credits at Washington State community colleges). 
  • A sufficient combination of options above showing assessments in English, math, and lab science. For example, an appropriate display of assessments could include an AP score in Calculus I and an official college transcript with credits in a 100-level English course. 

Note: While taking both the SAT and ACT fulfills the above requirement for additional, taking either the SAT or ACT multiple times will not alone fulfill this requirement. 

 

For students who are applying test-optional to Seattle University and have been home-schooled for the majority of their high school career we will need to see: 

AP test results in math, laboratory science and either English literature or English language. 

  • IB test results in math, lab science and English. 
  • CLEP exam results in math, laboratory science and either English literature or English composition. 
  • At least one course in each area – math, laboratory science and English - completed with an official transcript from a traditional, accredited secondary school. 
  • At least one course in each area – math, laboratory science and English - completed with an official transcript from a regionally accredited college or university (includes Running Start credits at Washington State community colleges). 
  • A sufficient combination of options above showing assessments in English, math, and lab science.  

Merit Scholarships and Additional Information

For all students without a traditional numerical GPA, academic merit scholarship consideration will rely heavily upon other aspects of the holistic application review for the determination of merit scholarships.  

Homeschool students with grades from multiple institutions or school settings must submit official transcripts from all sources (see above). The calculated cumulative GPA will include all academic coursework.