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Greetings!

Deborah Wuehler  and family

Once upon a time, there was a little 5-year-old boy who loved to sing his ABCs, catch insects, and sit next to his mom while she read his favorite books. Suddenly one day, when his mom blinked, she realized he was going into high school! And all of a sudden, she was very nervous because she realized she needed to start something she'd never done before . . . a TRANSCRIPT! Just the thought made her want to eat some chocolate, drink diet soda (even though she knew it was bad for her), and procrastinate.

Well, that mom was me, and I now have three high school graduates for whom I have actually made those scary transcripts. I can tell you that once I started looking into all the helps for how to make a transcript, it really wasn't that hard. If I can do it--you certainly can, too! Here is some information to help you get started.   

With each transcript, they became easier. And, each was different as I learned new things. And I didn't have to buy anything expensive! You might want to check out our reviews on high school products including transcripts. And there are more homeschool helps here.

I don't know why I did it, but I just blinked again, and today, I started a new transcript for my current ninth grader. He was a cute little guy who liked to play in the mud, flush caterpillars down the toilet, and shepherd his little brother around. Now he towers over me, as I create the transcript for his first year in high school. I really need to stop all this blinking. So, instead of just blinking, I will close my eyes in prayer over this child and ask God for wisdom. God knows what He created this child to be and to do and will bring it to pass as I obey Him and keep this not so little boy Home Where He Belongs.

Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:6

~Deborah

TOS Senior Editor

 SeniorEditor@TheHomeschoolMagazine.com    

By the way: Are you a SchoolhouseTeachers.com member? If so, we are offering FREE transcript templates for you! (Members, go to this page!) If you are not a member yet, you might think about it--not only for this wonderful free resource, but we also offer a high school planner through ST.com and it has a huge load of forms and calendars and plans for your high school student. And, yes, the planners are also free with your paid membership. (You can read my daughter's review on the high school Schoolhouse planners in this archived Homeschool Minute--scroll down.) ST.com also has very convenient student checklists for the high school classes that are offered as part of your membership. I love these checklists! Really, ST.com offers a lot of help for nervous parents (like me) of high school students!

Diana Waring

Relational Homeschooling

www.DianaWaring.com 

Hal & Melanie Young

Raising Real Men

www.RaisingRealMen.com  

Want to see a homeschool mom have a panic attack? Just say, "high school transcript!" Melanie remembers feeling the same way. We worry for years about these, only to find out in the end that they're practically the easiest part of high school. Just a few hours organizing and formatting and you're good to go. Why do we panic so badly?

We panic because we know our children are going to be judged by that little piece of paper. To an extent that's true, but it's easy to meet the standard. Just keep records, keep it simple and understandable, and follow the rules.

It seems impossible when you're in the midst of a school year, but seriously, in a couple of years you may not even remember what courses you did--especially if you have several children. So, each year write down what courses each child does, the text they use and a word or two of description, if needed. When they finish it, give them a grade. I know, I know. We don't generally use yearly grades in the lower years either, but for many scholarships, having a certain GPA (grade point average) is a requirement. Don't disqualify your child by leaving the grades off.

We served on a scholarship committee for many years. We had rules about how many pages you can submit, but homeschoolers don't seem to think that rules apply to them. :) Unfortunately, since our judges were already reading about a thousand pages of applications, the extra pages were just discarded. Wouldn't you rather decide what information to weed out than a stranger? Keep it simple: one side of one page. You can include a resume or course descriptions separately, but the transcript itself should be short.

Speak in terms the readers can understand. Use course titles that sound like they are used to hearing. You can search college or high school catalogs online to find courses that sound like yours. Arrange your transcript like a typical transcript. Make it look professional. It's not hard; Melanie did ours in Word, yet we've had children admitted to some very prestigious schools.

Include test scores only if it helps, not hurts your student. If that's not your student's strength, well then, they can look for the information elsewhere. Be sure to have the school administrator, usually Dad, sign and date it.

A guidance counselor's letter or school profile is expected to accompany the transcript. Here's where you describe your philosophy of education, as well as what makes your student unique academically and in character.

Above all, remember the sovereignty of God. "The steps of a man are established by the Lord, and He delights in His way." We're seen our children providentially directed time and again. Do the best you can, then leave it in the Lord's more than capable hands. You've done a great job with your children, friends.

By the way, if you want to see just what a homeschool teen can accomplish, click on the banner for A Cry From Egypt above--we're the publishers and it is amazing what Hope and Mike (the homeschooled illustrator) have accomplished!

Yours in the battle,

Hal & Melanie Young

For more information, get our workshop CD or download, Homeschooling High School & Transcripts here, and get the handout and see our sample transcript here.  

Will we be in your area? Find out here--and let us know if you'd like us to come!