William Jewell College, Liberty, MO

William Jewell is on a hill in the quiet Kansas City, MO, suburb of Liberty.  The college is marked by a serene campus, well laid out, with fantastic views - hilly Missouri rural to the east, and to the southwest on the horizon is the Kansas City skyline.  It is a small, private liberal arts college whose degree programs feature individualized course planning, particularly the one-of-a-kind Oxbridge program, which is as close to unschooling as a college ever could be.  The Oxbridge program has a student meeting with his own tutor who helps the student plan his own college education of independent study and research; the junior year is spent as a fully matriculated student of either Oxford or Cambridge.

Pros:  seems very suited for a kid who is accustomed to high-level interaction with peers, tutors, and coaches in small groups, who has been taught to apply more than memorize, and who prefers a safe, handpicked little world in which to be nurtured to a high standard of intellect and leadership. The college recognizes homeschoolers for the fantastic students they are.

Cons:  The college, like Liberty itself, is 95% white.  All students live on campus, which provides for deep networking that will be to one's advantage but also limits one's interactions and scope.

What should a homeschooled child do to prepare for a William Jewell education? Read.  Read widely, and think. Discuss what you read and apply what you read.  Write. Write widely, too.  Invest time in community service and leadership opportunities such as Scouting and American Legion Boys and Girls State. Take the ACT, aim for a score of at least 27 to qualify for merit scholarships.

The price of the college may seem high, but scholarships to students with the background to prove themselves and are generous, and grants for those who can verify true need are available to close the gap. Once the admissions office whittles your actual cost down to the lowest they can manage, then they will go one step further and divide the cost into 4 no-interest payments spread throughout the academic year.

And what did my (partially) homeschooled young man have to say about it?

College Review series:  as my own children start college visits, I will post reviews of campuses in relation to how the campus would work for a homeschooler. I also invite others to send me reviews of colleges they visit with their homeschoolers, which I will then guest-feature.