<p>I have always wondered one thing: who creates the transcripts for homeschooled children?</p>
<p>If the parent creates it, then how can the college/scholarship people know that the transcript is legit if the parent creates it?</p>
<p>most homeschooled teens have taken some college or distance learning courses that involve grades, or take standardized tests like SAT II or AP in subjects they have self-studied, or get letters from mentors/tutors outside the family who have worked with them, or submit portfolios of their work. Some have awards in academic competitions that demonstrate their ability. The homeschooled parent generally creates a master transcript that includes all that stuff, but nobody expects colleges to admit homeschooled students based on a bunch of parent-assigned grades with nothing to back them up. My own child had 10 AP scores, 4 SAT II scores, 5 college grades, 2 letters from college profs, and lots of awards in well-known academic competitions. That was plenty of documentation. He got in everywhere he applied. I created a transcript that made it clear what he had done for high school, but there were no parent-assigned grades at all.</p>
<p>It's common for parents and student together to compile a homeschool transcript. My daughter had taken some distance courses and a few courses at the local high school. She had those transcripts sent to the college, and we compiled a master transcript including those courses, various others taken locally, and her home based courses. </p>
<p>In the master transcript we provided thorough information about what she covered in her home based courses, but did not assign grades, knowing they would not be particularly meaningful. </p>
<p>Letters of recommendation are another important part of a homeschool application, helping to establish legitimacy. Ultimately the admissions officers have to look at the whole package and decide. It's in the applicants interest to provide thorough, convincing and truthful material.</p>
<p>My sons took some classes at the local high school and some at the community college, as well as the courses done at home. As the other parents mentioned above, I created a master transcript listing all classes, with annotations as to where each class was taken. I did choose to give grades, but since my grades matched those they received in outside classes, they were accepted. I also wrote up short course descriptions for each class done at home, listing texts and other materials used for that course. I figured this would help colleges know how rigorous the course was, since some used college texts or advanced high school ones, whereas others tended to be more relaxed. When we sent transcripts, we also had the cc and high school send their transcripts.</p>
<p>My sons also did well on the SAT and had some SAT II scores to back up their transcripts, as well as one AP apiece.</p>
<p>Parents can make their own transcript. I think if the SAT/ACT scores match up with the grades, there will be no problem. I actually had a college admissions office call me-- "to see if this is an acredited school."
I figured my transcript must have looked pretty official! I did not include detailed course descriptions or book lists.</p>
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Parents can make their own transcript. I think if the SAT/ACT scores match up with the grades, there will be no problem.
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<p>atomom - (I assume you mean parent-assigned grades.) This might be true for some schools, but I would definitely not assume this for selective schools. </p>
<p>An SAT/ACT score is only one small piece of an app. I don't believe the Harvard's of the world are going to accept on face value a bunch of parent-assigned A's just because a student has the single objective thing of a high SAT I score. They reject plenty of school kids with high SAT scores and teacher assigned A's, and I'm sure that parent-assigned A's are taken much more skeptically. </p>
<p>I advise homeschooled kids interested in highly elite schools to have at least 12 objective "data points". Each conventional grade from an outside teacher, AP score, or SAT II subject score counts as one. The SAT I score counts as, at most, 2. If all 12 of these data points match up with parent assigned grades, then the parent-assigned grades might be taken by an admissions office as providing additional information worth considering. But I certainly wouldn't try to make parent-assigned grades fly based on an SAT or ACT score alone if a student is applying to very selective places.</p>
<p>Our homeschool community has had kids accepted to Harvard, Stanford, MIT, Caltech, Pomona. They have all had at least 12 data points, and some have had much more. We also had a couple of kids accepted at LACs (Reed & Earlham that I know of) based on a portfolio of work, without a bunch of data points. And we've had a bunch of kids attend the local state school basically based on an SAT score and nothing else. I don't think we have ever had a kid who got anywhere based heavily on parent-generated grades. </p>
<p>I am sure your transcript looked great. But it is possible that they called because the transcript looked like it might be from someplace other than an accredited school, which it was.</p>
<p>I wonder if I was misunderstood? To clarify, my homeschool has a "Catholic school" name. The caller wanted to see if it was a "school" or "homeschool." When she said, "Is this X Academy," I almost said, "Sorry, wrong number. . ." I thought it was pretty obviously a homeschool transcript--when the kid's rank is "1/1" that's the giveaway!
I thought it was funny that there was any question--that they actually checked on it.</p>
<p>However, I do think the transcript looked "official," and I would advise homeschoolers who are making their own transcripts to have them well laid out, easy to read, nicely printed, etc. If you are a homeschooler who doesn't belong to an umbrella school and your kid doesn't have other high school or college transcripts, you have no choice but to make your own transcript, so do the best job you can, and don't feel that your kid's work is any less "legit." Colleges do expect a certain format, and homeschoolers should try to conform to that. This was hard for me to do (I guess I'm a nonconformist--like most homeschoolers), but I felt that for my kid's sake, I could put him and his work into their "box" for the sake of his college applications.</p>
<p>It was easier for me to think about preparing the transcript for a busy overworked person to read, than it was to think about how we should conform. You have maybe ten minutes to impress the reader, and you don't want them to waste any of that time trying to figure things out. </p>
<p>The more you can put into their standard terms, the easier it will be for them, and the more time they will have to read the things you really want them to read. For example, we were able to calculate Carnegie units for my daughter's work. Was it necessary? Probably not, but we knew for sure the reader was not going to have to waste any time calculating just how much work she had done in which subjects in any given year. Was it worth it? We'll never know for sure, but she was accepted ED to her dream school. It took hours to sort it all out and do the calculations, but if it gave the reader an extra three minutes to focus on her resume, or recommendations, it was worth it.</p>
<p>My daughter's transcript was created by our umbrella school (which offers no courses; it is simply a substitute for school system review for homeschooling). I told the school each semester what coursework was done, the resources used, and the hours spent. It does not even accept parent-generated grades, because the director (a licensed teacher) thinks colleges discount them.</p>
<p>None of the colleges my dd applied to had a problem with the absence of grades. (The umbrella's director would have worked with me and assigned some if they had proved necessary. But with maybe a thousand graduates so far, he has only had to do this maybe once.) The only problem came this fall with the NCAA Clearinghouse. Although we had submitted ACT scores, the umbrella transcript, and the list of texts required of homeschoolers, the homeschool reg also mentions grades. The NCAA reviewer said there was no doubt in his mind that my daughter was academically eligible given my description of her coursework and her ACT scores; we just had to find some way to comply with the reg. It ended up I sent a fax certifying that everything on the transcript was passed. Duh ...</p>
<p>My daughter did not meet a minimum of a certain number of data points, but is currently attending Brown. Perhaps the ACT is like 8 points, due to the subscores? I know it is a substitute for both the SAT I and IIs at a number of schools. Other than that, she had grades from 2 courses taken at Brown one summer.</p>
<p>Everything else given to colleges was nonquantified. I explained the home study program in a great deal of depth (what, why, how, with what, the reason for the particular testing done, etc.). She had recommendations from Brown professors. She also had a recommendation from an Egyptologist she took three correspondence courses from, and I included a couple work samples with that professional's comments thereon (a short research paper and translation of a hieroglyph passage). Since my daughter was a prospective Egyptology major, she figured this work would be more relevant than other testing. And, of course, she had extracurriculars and some good essays.</p>
<p>Now her safety school didn't get all this. They got the almost grade-free transcript and the ACT scores. This was enough for admission and a scholarship.</p>
<p>Getting back to the original question, I think the colleges know that the transcripts are legit in light of test scores and other work, and the fact that homeschooled students have gone on and done well in college. There was one school that had deferred dd and the adcom guy ended up saying he wanted a weekly email explaining what she did. I don't know if this was because he wasn't sure about the transcript or the fact that he said he was considering homeschooling for his own child. Anyway, she complied, got into the school -- then decided to go elsewhere.</p>
<p>I've heard of a few instances where a school wants an explanation for how laboratory work was done.</p>
<p>There are a few schools that require extra documentation from homeschoolers, like extra SAT II scores. Mostly they seem to say, "Give us whatever you have that will explain the homeschooling and the applicant's academic potential." What any individual comes up with will vary since homeschooling differs so much from person to person. So even if nothing more is officially required for an application to be considered, getting admitted is still a question of making one's case.</p>
<p>My question for Diane is "how we find the correspondance courses for Egyptology?" We have done most of the Teaching Company's course and it has whetted our appetite for more!! As my younger daughter is only in 6th grade we want to have as many varied courses as possible. </p>
<p>My oldest daughter is now at college. She graduated from Indiana University High School, and I can't say enough about the quality of the education she received, and I am eternally greatful for the wonderful academic advising you get, with only the touch of a toll free number. She did most of the courses through there, but they also accepted other accredited experiences such as public school classes, and other classes through different university high school programs. They also offer university classes by correspondence. This worked well for the NCAA since the courses were preapproved and she got her clearance quickly. For her sport,practices start in August so they need to have the clearance by then.<br>
She was voted captain, most valuable, and most inspirational for the local high school sports team, in spite of being home schooled. The coach said the vote wasn't even close for anyone else else, something he had never seen before. (Our school district includes alternative schools, and cc students who can participate on your neighborhood team) The other athletes are happy to have them, maybe the other parents aren't. </p>
<p>The great thing about IUHS is that your grades are based mainly on 2 proctored comprehensive exams, each usually 2 hours long. The homework doesn't count for much. You take the test when you're ready, but you better be ready-no makeups.
She had the 2 hour essay tests starting in 9th grade, and also 14 page-no calculator- allowed math tests. You know it was very tough-keeping them motivated. Both of us wanted to quit just about every day!!! It was the toughest thing I'll ever do.... However now she is at a very good school, doing well, and is on a full scholarship. You know the best thing is that she has learned to be serious about education.(you have nightmares of kids going to college, losing interest, and just quitting) She goes to her teachers for extra help, she enjoys her classes--a quote, "Dad, well, at least I HAVE a calculus teacher, now." (ouch) So- anyway--check out Indiana University High School.</p>
<p>I did not mean to imply that test scores and grades were the only route, or that homeschooled students could not be successful w/o them. Some students submit a portfolio of work or other original documentation and have no data points at all. But not every college is going to be willing to take the time required to evaluate that type of documentation. 12 data points seems to be an adequate number for even the most numbers-driven school. Original documentation (work samples, letters, book lists) with no data points will only be adequate documentation for some schools.</p>
<p>Now, one could make the point that a homeschooler with a very non-traditional approach and an aversion to standardized tests might not want to be at a numbers-driven college anyway, in which case the colleges' willingness to consider whatever the student feels best reflects them can be viewed as an acid test of whether or not the student would even fit that college.</p>
<p>I compiled my "master transcript" basically on my own (with a lot of help editing from lovely hoomeschooling parents on this forum!) Afterwards, I also had my mother and another man who runs a homeschooling center near me sign it to verify its truth. He's been a really close mentor/teacher to me and wrote my counselor recommendation as well. I also had official transcripts from 4 institutions sent in separately.</p>
<p>lotsofbooks,</p>
<p>Sorry about taking so long to respond to your question about correspondence courses in Egyptology -- we were on vacation in Egypt!</p>
<p>I subscribe to the magazine KMT which is all about ancient Egypt (KMT, for the uninitiated, is what the ancient Egyptians called their country). In it, I saw an ad for the British Centre for Egyptian Studies. My daughter took three of their classes. They aren't accredited nor will they issue a transcript, but if ancient Egypt is one's passion (and you already have quite a library on the subject and don't mind adding to it -- there is some prepared material, but you need to find your own resources for many of the assignments) it is a nice program. It IS hard to get corrected work back in a timely fashion, but when you do, it is very useful.</p>
<p>KMT has a section of each issue that mentions courses available. I know that each year in the fall the Oriental Institute has a short course on hieroglyphs, but I don't know how extensive it is. My daughter took a course from them on ancient warfare and didn't think it was worth the money. I think I've seen that some universities in England have some correspondence work available, too, but I don't remember. When I was searching around, all I could find was BCES and so we stuck with them.</p>
<p>Texans have it made. As far as transcripts parents draw them up and have them notarized before submitting to the college. I make sure it looks professional and has all important information on it. We go to our local bank and they notarize it without questions.</p>
<p>I am homeschooled but I get my books and everything from Christian Liberty (a private school in IL). I do all my work, send it in, they grade it, and then I get a report card. So when I started applying for college I had a school code and a "official" transcript. I know that most people dont homeschool this way but it has worked for me. </p>
<p>:D</p>
<p>I created my kids transcript using an ongoing system that I have run for years. It allows me the ability to substantiate every single thing the transcript says. It also helps me quickly put together the transcript without much of a headache. I understand why colleges might not trust my objectivity, but I still put the grades down as I see them for this simple reason: my kids earned them.</p>
<p>The transcript for colleges likely serves to inform the colleges of the homeschoolers coursework. Test scores, rec. letters, and essays probably tell them more than what they need concerning whether a student has done the work and how well they have performed. </p>
<p>I also suspect that, unlike for public schoolers, the interview for homeschoolers carries a lot more weight. I mean, after all, if the interviewer writes this guy may become a real social misfit, his opinion will probably confirm the preconceived notions of many an admissions officer. Such a statement may not carry quite as much weight if it is made regarding a public schooler.</p>