Home Schooling

Q: Can home schooling parents establish a UC-approved course list?

A: No. On November 22, 2002, the Board of Admissions and Relations with Schools (BOARS) committee of the UC Faculty Senate approved a policy that allows only WASC-accredited public or private schools to establish "a-g" course lists. However, in articulating this policy, the faculty stated their interest in receiving applications from well qualified, home-schooled students, and emphasized that alternative paths to UC eligibility and admissions are available to these students. For details about this, see the next two questions below.

UC Riverside has developed an admission program for homeschooled or other nontraditionally-educated students in recognition of the benefits of the education they have received, including the depth of learning, socialization, maturity, creativity, and vision.  For more details, visit MyUCR Paths to Admission and select the "Nontraditional Admission" tab.

Q: What are the requirements for my home schooled student to become Eligible by Examination Alone?

A: A student who does not follow a traditional path to UC eligibility or does not meet the Subject and Scholarship requirements may become Eligible by Examination Alone. If a student meets the eligibility criteria articulated below, he/she becomes statewide eligible (i.e., eligible to all UC campuses). However, eligibility simply means that the student is guaranteed a spot in the system, not necessarily at the campus of his/her choice.

Students may qualify for admission to the University by earning high scores on the ACT Assessment plus Writing or SAT Reasoning Test, and two SAT Subject Tests. To qualify this way, one must achieve a minimum UC Score Total--calculated according to the Eligibility Index instructions--of 410 (425 for nonresidents). In addition, the student must earn a minimum UC Score of 63 on each component of the ACT or SAT Reasoning Test and on each SAT Subject Test. Applicants may not use an SAT Subject Test to meet these requirements if they have completed a transferable college course in that subject with a grade of C or better.

A student cannot qualify for this path if she has completed 12 or more units of transferable coursework at a college or university after high school, or if she has taken transferable college courses in any subject covered by the SAT Subject Tests.

An applicant who is currently attending high school may qualify for admission to the University by examination alone without completing his or her high school program.

Q: What if my home schooled student does not meet the Eligibility by Examination Alone criteria? Is there another path to UC admissions?

A: Yes. Students who do not meet the Eligibility by Examination Alone criteria in order to become statewide eligible (to all UC campuses), may still apply to the University and hope to be admitted by exception. To do so, students should do everything possible to demonstrate subject matter competency in each of the "a-g" subject areas by taking SAT II subject area exams and/or community college courses. They should also take the SAT Reasoning or ACT exam. In their applications, students should demonstrate other skills and strengths, whether in leadership, community service, athletics, the arts, or other areas.