Homeschool High School Transcripts – Anything But Typical

It’s that time of year again when graduation and high school transcripts can be on your mind.

Whether you have to carefully craft a homeschool transcript this year or need to prepare one soon, keep these tips in mind that will make preparing a homeschool transcript a cinch. Really!

Typical Homeschool High School Transcript?

When Mr. Senior 2013 entered the middle school years, I too started my search for typical samples of high school transcripts to use.

Soon, you realize that there are quite a few factors that make each homeschool transcript unique.

Homeschool transcripts are anything but typical. Each one reflects not only the values of each family, but the strengths of each child and the child’s future plans.

A homeschool transcript does not have to be complicated but it can be complex if you don’t have a direction in mind when preparing one.

From Complicated to Clear Homeschool High School Transcripts

Look at these 5 questions that will help you to determine what type of information (content) you want to keep up with during the high school years and how you want to present that information (form).

1. Do you want to use the standard 4 year approach? Instead of listing each year and the subjects covered, you may want to just list the subjects covered. This works well sometimes for a child that is done with high school in a few years or one that may have gotten behind because of sickness or just because they need to plod along at a different pace.
2.  Do you have extra classes you want to list? To vary classes in high school because it really is the time to investigate strengths and weakness of your child, some kids will take one type of class for one semester and a different one for the second semester. They may have several ½ credit classes during the course of their high school. This takes room to describe the course. What this means is that you may have more classes to list than what some forms have allowed you space or lines to write on. If your child is taking several ½ credit classes, look for a form that gives you flexibility for adding more classes.
3. If your child will attend college, have you checked with the college to see what type of transcript is needed? Some college requirements may state they want a transcript from an accredited school. Though more and more colleges recognize the power of the momma transcript, some colleges are stickler for their policy. First, be sure you are not wasting record keeping for four years to only find out that the college your child wants to attend has a hard and fast rule about transcripts from an accredited school.
4. Do you want or need to include your grading system on your transcript? Most transcripts do but the system varies from family to family.
5. How will you keep a progressive transcript? When Mr. Senior 2013 started to drive, our insurance company needed his progressive transcript to that date. They ended up accepting a progress report which I was able to whip out in a minute because I had been keeping our information in a Word document. If you are an excel spreadsheet type of gal, you might like that method. I don’t care for spread sheets but preferred more of a diary entry journal method when tracking high school. So I just added entries in a Word document each week. Either way, you need to determine how you will track information informally and progressively so that at any time you can prepare a formal document. Do not wait until the end of 4 years or so and try to recall what your teen has accomplished at the end of high school.

Also, look at my YouTube video How to Easily Create the Homeschool High School Transcript to give you a great start.

Look at these samples and links for places to get started.

Homeschool Transcripts – There is a free version here that may suit your needs just fine.
How to Homeschool Today – Sweet! This is a free online transcript generator, which you save as a pdf.
Let’s Homeschool High School – Nice! Has some free editable templates.
Homeschool Curriculum Savings – If you love spreadsheets, then here is a free one in a spreadsheet.
HSLDA – Has free transcripts, detailed or simple in Word and Pdf.
Cindy Downes – More free forms here.
HSLDA – Free 30 day trial on software if you want to try it out.

How to Prepare THE Homeschool High School Transcript

Research is the foundation of a well-prepared transcript.

Be sure and check out my post about how to prepare your homeschool transcript Homeschool High School – How to Prepare THE Transcript (Editable).  Also, I have an editable form that may be of help to you.

Preparing the homeschool high school transcript is anything but typical and normal because your journey was unique.

There are some things that I explain in my post Homeschool High School – How to Prepare THE Transcript that you want to keep streamlined to give your transcript some uniformity.   However, there is much flexibility with each transcript too.

It is an art to both follow guidelines so that your transcript meets some of the norm, but so that it accurately reflects the unique goals of your family.

Do you have to prepare a homeschool high school transcript soon? Are you dreading it or dreaming about it? (or am I dreaming that you are dreaming about it,okay,okay)

Hugs and love ya,

Here are some more links to start your research. Don’t get overwhelmed, get informed.

10 Days of Planning a High School Homeschool Graduation
Creative Solution for High School When Life Happens
Accreditation Removing the Shroud of Mystery
Homeschool – How to Log Hours for High School

Also, listed below are resources that I have read and used