Scrambling at the last minute to create a high school transcript for your child isn’t the best choice. Believe me! I know from experience.
My daughter was applying to a college and she needed her high school transcript. Since we homeschool privately, it was my responsibility to produce one for her. The problem was, I had dropped the ball on four things that could have saved me a lot of time and sanity when it was time to prepare her transcript.
I’ve learned my lesson. I won’t neglect these 4 things with my next six children. Let’s take a look at four things you can do now for a great high school transcript later.
(This post contains affiliate links. Read my full disclosure here.)
4 Things To Do Now
Spending an hour at the end of each high school year to jot these four things down will make creating a transcript a lot easier. You could type them into a file on your computer or write them out on a piece of paper. Either way, make sure to store them in a safe place so you can quickly access them when needed.
Here’s what you need to keep track of:
- course titles
- course descriptions
- credits
- grades
Let’s take a closer look at each of these things.
Course Titles
When you are preparing your child’s transcript, you will need to list all the courses your child took. This is where a course title comes in. A course title is the name you give to each class your child completed in high school.
Examples of course titles would be: English 100, Biology, Algebra 1, and so on. Notice that these are not the names of the curriculum your child used. You don’t want to write “Exploring Creation with Biology“. Instead, simply write “Biology” or “Biology with Lab”.
Course Descriptions
Next, you will need to write a course description. This is a short paragraph about what was covered in the class and what curriculum and resources were used.
It can also be helpful to include what measurements were used to determine your child’s grade. Did they write essays, take tests, do presentations or other assignments? Write this all down so you don’t forget it at the end of your child’s high school years.
Credits
You will need to record how many credits each course was worth. A one year course, which counts for 1 credit, usually consists of 120 to 180 hours of instruction and work. A semester course would receive a half credit (.5) and usually consists of 60 to 90 hours of instruction and work.
Grades
At the end of each school year, record your child’s letter grade and percentage next to the course title. This will make it a cinch to transfer the information over when it’s time to create a transcript.
Need More Help?
If you need more help for the high school years then check out the FREE webinars below. I took one of Lee’s webinars just weeks before my daughter’s transcript had to be sent in. I learned so much that I ended up purchasing her Comprehensive Record Solution and Total Transcript Solution. They offered the guidance I needed to create a winning transcript for my daughter.
Free Webinars by Lee Binz (The Home Scholar)
- The 12 Keys to High School Success
- How to Avoid the 5 Biggest Mistakes Parents Make Homeschooling High School
- A Homeschool Parent’s Guide to Grades, Credits and Transcripts
A little effort up front will save you a lot of frustration in the end. Trust me… I know!
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