Navigating high school transcripts, college entrance exams, and college scholarships can be a tall order for any parent. But if you’re homeschooling, you may find a few added challenges. However, we’ve got good news. There are multiple ways to help your child-almost-adult aim high and soar.
If you are homeschooling solo, you’ll have to make accurate record-keeping a priority while your child is in high school. Keep in mind that many students take high school-level courses before they reach their freshman year, so these records also count.
What Records Do I Need for a High School Transcript?
Before we explain the difference between an official transcript and an unofficial one, here are the basic elements of all high school transcripts. Demographic information, such as your student’s name, address, date of birth and school are first. If your school isn’t affiliated with a hybrid or umbrella school (depending on which state or country you’re located in), you will need to name your child’s high school. It can be as simple as “Smith Family Homeschool.”
Aside from demographics, you’ll also need course information, including the course codes, which are easily accessible by Googling your state Department of Education and “List of K-8 Subjects and 9-12 Courses,” or checking with your state’s finance commission office to see if they operate a student dashboard or matching program. For example, Georgia hosts Georgia Futures, which any high school senior in Georgia can enroll in–it’s helpful for applying to college because it matches your eligibility with universities that accept you based on your test scores. You can also find a course list for many universities that shows what they consider to be courses of rigor.
While codes are not imperative for an unofficial transcript, knowing what’s required in each course for your state is important so that you can write effective course descriptions on your child’s high school transcript. Before your child begins taking courses for high school credit, we recommend researching what your state requires for high school graduation.
Another terrific source of information are local colleges and universities. If your child, for example, wants to attend the University of North Georgia, call their registrar’s or admissions office to ask about transcript requirements for homeschool students. Some schools require families to complete their own transcript and a college-specific form from that university.
Even if your child is in the beginning of eighth grade and has no idea where he or she may want to attend college, choose a few to check with before high school starts. That way, you’re armed with some knowledge about next steps. If you’ve got a senior and are further in the process, you’ll need to check the university requirements against what coursework your child has already done.
Many parents find that writing a detailed course description that includes the curriculum title, ISBN number, book and course topics will suffice for unofficial transcripts. Of course, it’s always a good idea to take notes of these as your child completes each course rather than saving it up for the college application season.
What About Test Scores?
If you’re concerned about your child’s SAT or ACT scores, you can look for free SAT prep courses on your Department of Education website, Khan Academy, or try tutoring centers or local colleges and universities near you.
If your child has taken the SAT or ACT, you can include those scores on a transcript in addition to the course descriptions, grades from each course, how those courses were weighted and any accompanying AP test scores. Academic achievements are also recommended – anything that would give an admissions team the overview they need to see what kind of rigor a student’s high school career has included.
What Is An Official Transcript, and How Do I Get One?
If a college asks for an official transcript, just know that your signature makes the transcript official. Sometimes, the term will be used to apply to transcripts with a raised seal or imprint, but these are typically awarded by colleges and requested during a career interview process after your child has completed their college degree.
For clarity in high school, an official transcript can be what you create at home.
Homeschooling Can Be Advantageous for Scholarships
One myth about college scholarships is that a student has to have already applied to college, taken the SAT, or be in their senior year of high school before applying for them. Research shows that there are plenty of scholarships available to students starting as early as ninth grade.
Once accepted, any awarded scholarship money is held for your student and applied to the school of their choice when they’ve completed the university acceptance process. You’ll need to learn about your child’s chosen university to see if scholarship stacking is allowed, but that shouldn’t hinder you from being able to apply and accept scholarships; in some cases, it can impact where your child chooses to attend college, depending on the college’s displacement practices.
As you research scholarships, look for ones where your child’s homeschool status may be a benefit.
Research scholarships that prioritize entrepreneurship, service, and overcoming obstacles. These are often facets of a homeschooled student’s life that simply become “normal” to a parent but that stand out on a scholarship application, primarily because homeschooled students tend to have more time to devote to extracurricular pursuits such as service or startups.
Don’t forget to include enrichment experiences your child has taken advantage of, such as shadowing on a film set, being mentored by a working musician, assisting in a production suite like Learnwell’s StoryLab or other unique opportunities. These will make your child’s scholarship application stand out, and they’re also great material to use in college application essays.
Students don’t have to be enrolled in a public or private high school to join FastWeb, a free scholarship service that helps students find scholarships that meet their criteria, are personalized to them, and help them gain access to funding for college or trade school. You can also pay to join scholarship-finding membership organizations, but you shouldn’t need to if you’re willing to be patient, consistent, and work hard. Some of the most reputable ways to research scholarships are to use the following resources:
Learnwell prioritizes helping families find the right post-high school plans for their children, keeping students engaged in knowing themselves, learning business best practices, and discovering what they enjoy and are passionate about through their high school journey. If you live within the North Georgia or greater metro Atlanta area and would like to join us for the next Discover Learnwell parent information session, we’re happy to share more about this school model that allows for greater exploration and individualized learning inside and outside of the classroom.
If you live outside of northern metro Atlanta and its surrounding suburbs, we’d still love to help. We can recommend homeschooling resources and ala carte offerings to look for in your local community. If you have a student in K-7th grade, our Learnwell Navigator Program may be a good fit.