Preparing a transcript to submit to colleges can be tedious and time-consuming,
but integral to the success of college admission. This is the first
impression most colleges get of your student, and it is not only lasting,
but may be the deciding factor. The transcript should be professional,
printed on quality paper and free of typographical errors. In addition,
abbreviations should be kept to a minimum.
Student Name
School Information
Courses, listed chronologically by school year completed (9th Grade,
10th Grade…) Indicate if course is Honors, AP, or dual credit.
Grade for course – can be done by semester with a cumulative
grade, only cumulative grade, letter grade or percentage
Credit for course
Grading scale used
GPA
Breakdown of credits by subject area
Test Scores: proficiency examinations, college entrance exams
Graduation date (actual or projected)
Signature and date of "school administrator" or parent
In addition to the
items above, you might want to include a section of accomplishments
and awards your high school student has received. Colleges look at the
whole student, both academically and personally. You may also want to
list extracurrucular activities and community involvement. For example:
Football 1998 - 2002, Captian 2002; Jr. Volunteer, Avista Hospital 2002-current.
A number of homeschool
recordkeeping computer programs have transcripts included. These are
usually automated with the information being provided by the data entered
into the program as part of the daily routine. Such software packages
will save much time and trouble and present a professional transcript.
If you prefer a
do-it-yourself approach, Homeschooling High School: Planning Ahead
for College Admission, by Jeanne Gowen Dennis (ISBN 1-932096-11-6)
has detailed information on developing a transcript.
