Colleges are realizing that homeschoolers have a lot to offer in higher education but it’s still a good idea to have a winning high school transcript.
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You want to “wow” the college admissions office with your teen’s accomplishments. A great transcript is the way to do that. Taking time to create a winning homeschool high school transcript can help set your child apart from other college applicants.
4 Keys for a Winning Homeschool High School Transcript
Let’s take a look at four things you should include in your child’s high school transcript.
- Official transcript
- Course descriptions
- Reading list
- Awards and activity list
Optional: Work Samples
Official High School Transcript
You will be the one responsible for creating a high school transcript for your child if you are homeschooling privately. Official transcripts include the following:
- name of student
- gender
- date of birth
- parents names
- name and address of school (This would be the name of your homeschool.)
- courses taken
- credits and grades for each course
- grade point average
- graduation date
I know this might seem overwhelming. Don’t worry. There are some great resources available to help you prepare your student’s transcript.
Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) has some great resources regarding transcripts. They include:
- Sample transcripts for you to look at.
- Informative videos about transcripts and homeschooling high school.
- eBook to help you simplify high school record keeping and transcript.
- High School Transcript Service that generates an official transcript for you.
Course Descriptions
Many colleges will want to know what was covered in the high school courses listed on your student’s transcript. This is where a course description comes in. A course description is a short paragraph that summarizes what was covered in a particular course. Along with the description, it may also include the name of the course, how many credits the course was worth, curriculum used and how the grade was determined.
Reading List
Colleges probably aren’t going to ask for a reading list from your student, however including one can set your student apart from the crowd. If your student is a voracious reader, including a reading list can highlight your student’s interests and abilities.
A reading list only needs to include the title and author of each book. It can be helpful to alphabetize the list and make sure to include books that were read for school and for leisure.
Awards and Activity List
This can look similar to a resume where activities and awards are listed to show your child’s abilities and achievements. List your student’s jobs, extra-curricular activities, volunteer work, awards and skills. This list highlights your students strengths outside of traditional school courses.
Optional Work Samples
Some colleges ask for samples of work from homeschoolers. It might be a good idea to hold onto a few samples of your student’s best work.
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