High School Transcripts
Parents are often a bit anxious about transcripts for their high schooler. Praise the Lord, putting together a transcript is actually the easy part of high school records –especially if you have been keeping up with grading and assigning credits each year. Let’s walk through the process …
Transcripts – What and Why
A transcript is a one page summary of your student’s academic performance during the high school years, 9th through 12th grade. It includes the courses taught by you, the parent, as well as courses taught by other instructors.
Most people are aware that transcripts are necessary for college admission. The information provided on the document informs the prospective college that your high schooler is prepared for college level work.
Transcripts are also requested for scholarships, technical or trade schools, employment, apprenticeship programs, military recruitment, and more.
What’s included on a transcript
- Student information – name, address, phone, email, birth date, parents’ names
- School information – name, address, phone number, email, contact, graduation date
- Academic record – usually by grade level
- course title, credit earned, and final grade
- Total credits and yearly and cumulative grade point average
- Grading scale (optional)
- Parent’s signature (certifying courses are completed) and date
The back page of the transcript should also include
- Tests scores and dates (PSAT, SAT, an/or ACT)
- A brief list of your student’s awards, honors, volunteer experience, and leadership positions, etc.
Transcript Templates
You can design your own high school transcript or search for transcript templates on Google.
If you are a member of Home School Legal Defense Association, you can access a free high school transcript template on their member portal.
CHOH also has a template available here.
Some Helpful Tips
Complete your student’s transcript as he/she completes each high school year. Give your transcript a clean and organized look by typing in the information.
Consider listing the academic subjects first, i.e. English, math, science, history, foreign language followed by the electives.
If your student has taken college courses, place an * next to the course and make a note at the bottom of the transcripts.
Colleges may request course descriptions along with the transcript; be prepared by having that information up to date.
If you are considering certain colleges, check with the college (admissions counselor for homeschoolers) on what information is required on the transcript, including any documentation on the courses, test scores, etc.
When a prospective college requests your high schooler’s transcripts, include the 12th grade courses and indicate with “IP” (in progress) in the grade column. You can inform the college that a competed transcript will be submitted upon graduation.
If an electronic version of the transcript is requested, send it in PDF format to insure the information is not altered.
The graduation date indicates when all the courses are completed. The graduation date (month, day, and year) should be the same as the date on the high school diploma. But it can be different from the graduation ceremony.
An original copy of the transcript should be sent each time it is requested. It should be dated each time the document is signed.
If you have any questions, email CHOH at info@christianhomeshoolersofhawaii.org We are here to serve you!
CHOH
High School – Next Step: Highschool Opportunities
