High School Transcripts

High School Transcripts

A high school transcript is a brief one-page (or at most two-page) summary of a high school student's education. A transcript may be used as proof of a student's educational record for admission to a  school or college. Some potential employers will ask to see a high school transcript--I was asked to show my high school transcript to an employer even though I'd graduated college more than a decade earlier and had graduate school credits, too. So, while parents are not required by Florida law to prepare a transcript for their high school student, wise parents will make sure their children have a high school transcript.

Parents who create a set of course descriptions will be able to take the information needed for the transcripts directly from the course descriptions they've written.

Many samples of transcripts can be found online. They come in different styles and formats because schools don't have a standard format, but use a variety of styles and formats. Any that a homeschool family chooses should work.

The key, in my experience, to getting homeschool transcripts accepted is to make them look professional. Using standard course titles, consistent formatting, correct spelling, etc. is important. Putting the words "Official Transcript" on a transcript can be important as officials may view it as unofficial without those key words.

When a college asks for an official transcript from a public or private school, the transcript is either sent to them via an electronic clearinghouse or delivered to them in a sealed envelope with a signature or seal stamped across the flap and then sealed in another envelope; the outer envelope is addressed to the school. When a college official asks a homeschool parent for an official transcript, delivering it one of these ways makes acceptance much more likely. Notarizing the transcript can also make  acceptance of a paper version more likely and was required for one of our children who entered the U.S. Marine Corps' Delayed Entry Program before officially graduating high school as a homeschooled student. Use of a service that provides templates and access to an electronic clearinghouse is another way to add to the professional appearance.

Note: If your child will be transferring to a Florida public school after homeschooling, the school is required to accept the documents--such as a transcript--that you, the parents, give them--as long the student passes the first grading period in their school.

Cheryl Trzasko
[email protected]