Need information!

[Phollis1993]

Dear Marines,

I have spoke to a (now three) Recruiters at the Vestavia Hills Recruiting Station here in Birmingham, Al. I have decided that I want to become one of "The Few, The Proud." I have already passed the moral and physical screening test and even took a practice AFQT (ASVAB) test. Now here's the catch. I was home schooled throughout Junior and Senior High School's and my Diploma was not accredited. So I may have to get 15 College credit hours. However before I decided I wanted to join the Marines I spoke to an Army Recruiter and the Army deemed me qualified to join without the credits as long as I score a 50 or higher. Now I realize that its not the same in the Marines but I've been having it extremely rough when trying to enlist and the Marines is something I really want to do to become something in my life. I just don't see why I'm being punished because of being home schooled. I didn't actually have the choice or even know what credits were when I started. I have the utmost respect for the military I'm just getting the feeling that the Marines don't want me because of my home school diploma even though I have a transcript. Any help with this issue would be much appreciated!

Also I have been trying to find medical history paperwork for my recruiter, but the hospital I went to is no longer in business and has been shut down for nearly 10 years. Is there any way for my to get that paperwork or am I just messed up now?

[Phollis1993]

I was supposed to find paperwork for my recruiter (Sgt. Bowen) but I don't know what paperwork he wants. (For my homeschooling.)


Again,

Thanks for any help!
Phillip

[Omegaham]

What has your recruiter said about the schooling issue? Sometimes they waive it, sometimes they don't. Right now, since the Corps is downsizing and a lot of people still want to get in, the recruiters can be really selective about what they want. You might have to bite the bullet and take a hard semester's worth of classes.

As for medical documentation - do your parents have insurance? Even if the hospital isn't around anymore, your insurance company should keep all of those medical records on file; after all, they were the ones who paid for it. If not, then, well, you have no documented medical problems. Congratulations.

Good luck!

[lamanognr86]

Well, you gotta think of this in a business aspect. Would the Marine Corps select a kid who was shacked up in a house and pretended to learn during high school, or a kid who actually changed out of his PJs and was not taught by his Mommy? It's either that, or the more popular saying, "It's politics."

[MOS4429]

Well, you gotta think of this in a business aspect. Would the Marine Corps select a kid who was shacked up in a house and pretended to learn during high school, or a kid who actually changed out of his PJs and was not taught by his Mommy? It's either that, or the more popular saying, "It's politics."

That is a sterotype that is based on a total lack of knowledge, information, or awareness.

Are there home schooled children who do not get out of the home and "pretend to learn?" No doubt. Just as there is a huge percentage of children who are in the public school who "pretend to learn" or worse yet, simply do not learn. America's public school system is a disgrace in comparison to the rest of the world, and private schools are only one small step ahead.

Having home schooled my children with my wife for the past 21 years, I am keenly aware of children from a multitude of families who are home educated. We have belonged to a nationwide group of home schooled families, attended conferences with over 10,000 in attendance, and I can tell you that I personally am aware of one family that falls into the lazy category you have described.

On the other side of the coin, in our local schools, there is a huge percentage of children who do nothing and fall through the cracks with no education at all.

Having four children attend college, they do not advertise they are home educated, but they are dismayed at the inability of young people coming from America's school system who cannot handle the work load, have grammar and reading skills of a 2nd grader, and cannot communicate with adults. It is called peer dependence. Not all are like this, lest I do the same stereotyping. Oh, and grades? When my daughter was getting straight A's and the valedictorian from a local high school was struggling, he asked where she went to school? It was a total blow to his ego to learn he was being outsmarted by a home schooler.

While the Marine Corps has not come up to speed with the quality of education received via home schooling, I coached and sent to Arizona a young man on full ride educational scholarship with a small amount also for athletics. I sent to a private university the same year a young lady on 50% scholarship. I presently have a young lady who when she graduages high school with her "nonaccredited" diploma, will also have an AA degree and is contemplating four scholarship offers. Three years ago I coached a young man who is attending a UC university on academic scholarship. The list goes on.

Their SAT scores are outstanding and their work ethic cannot be surpassed, so be careful when you make blanket statements about home schoolers who sit at home in their PJ's with their momma teaching them. That is total bunk!

[Zulu 36]

Well, you gotta think of this in a business aspect. Would the Marine Corps select a kid who was shacked up in a house and pretended to learn during high school, or a kid who actually changed out of his PJs and was not taught by his Mommy? It's either that, or the more popular saying, "It's politics."


I have to agree totally with MOS4429. Most home-schooled kids I've known beat most of their public school contemporaries hands down.

[MOS4429]

Now here's the catch. I was home schooled throughout Junior and Senior High School's and my Diploma was not accredited. So I may have to get 15 College credit hours. However before I decided I wanted to join the Marines I spoke to an Army Recruiter and the Army deemed me qualified to join without the credits as long as I score a 50 or higher. Now I realize that its not the same in the Marines but I've been having it extremely rough when trying to enlist and the Marines is something I really want to do to become something in my life. I just don't see why I'm being punished because of being home schooled. I didn't actually have the choice or even know what credits were when I started.

YOU are not being punished for an educational choice. The problem is in the word "accredidation." Kids who go to private schools that are nonaccredited I believe run into the same situation, and a recruiter can correct me if I am wrong about that, but they receive a diploma and it is not accepted unless it has that magic stamp of approval of accredidation. We home school under the auspices of a private school, but the private school does not dictate our curriculum and we have the freedom to choose what curriculum to teach our children rather than many of the dumb-down and factually inaccurate cirriculum being shoved into the minds of America's children.

There was a time I believe that home schooled kids could not even join the military, but that has changed. There is a provision in which you can join, and the best thing you can do is get out there and comply. You can get 15 credits in one semester.

Until the Marine Corps changes its policy, you will have to jump through the hoops.

[lamanognr86]

MOS4429, you make a wonderful point. It is just the world we live in. Businesses and employers do not know there applicants personally. They only look to see what's good on paper. Having a diploma or degree shows more reliant than someone who actually retained everything they learned.

For example, when there are two applicants to choose from. A high school graduate who is gifted and talented, but couldn't afford college. Or, you have a college graduate who has completely no work ethic. This person fininshed school doing bare minimum, but his/her grades were average. In the bigger picture, the business or employer will see that one of them has a degree. That piece of paper will be the deciding factor.

I could see this happening for military applicants. The deciding factor between a high school diploma or a home school diploma.