Every great cooking project requires great ingredients. And homeschool records are the same way. You want to start with a great ingredient list!
You know how a Thanksgiving dinner usually includes a turkey, and Easter may always mean lamb? Well there are common ingredients in homeschool records too.
There are 5 major ingredients for comprehensive homeschool records.
1. Official Transcript
- This provides a one page overview of all the educational stuff, using words and numbers that colleges understand, in an easy to read format.
2. Course Descriptions
- Each course description should be no more than one page long per class. It should include three things: a description of what you did, a list of what you used, and some sort of explanation for how you evaluated your child.
3. Reading List
- This is a list normally self-reported by teenagers that includes the books they read for fun & school, but it does not include textbooks.
4. Activities and Awards List
- This is similar to an adult resume. On a transcipt there may be a small mention of groups and clubs, but this list is longer and more detailed – like a course description for activities.
5. Work Samples
- Some college may ask for something specific, which is why I recommend keeping samples from every class in high school. For most kids, though, it’s just helpful to provide some excellent writing samples.
Together, all of these things are GREAT outside documentation that prove you completed your calling of educating your child.
Lee – I took this advice (and used your book extensively) when I wrote up my daughter’s portfolio last year. Not only did she get in to her first choice college, she received the largest scholarship they offer. We COULD NOT have done it without your wisdom. If I may brag a bit, the admissions counselor said they had never seen a better, more complete homeschool transcript package. And it’s all down to you, and 27 pages of my own creation (wink). THANK YOU!
Plus, of course, my daughter’s hard work, which was, of course, most important of all. Thanks to you though, for showing me how to present it correctly. I an ever grateful… and I’ll have another in 4 years…. 🙂
Penny,
Thank you for the kind words! Lee loves helping other homeschool families get BIG money for college!
Way to go Penny, and daughter! 🙂
Blessings,
Anita
Assistant to The HomeScholar