I am trying to compile a list of textbooks and grading methods that colleges request I was just wondering if anyone has experience with this as well as what format colleges prefer?
Should I include ever single thing or just the textbooks and how it was graded. Or do they want me to say what everything was worth, for example:
test and quizzes 70%
homework and assignments 30%.
You have to get grades?
From what I understand/know, you either write up detailed course descriptions OR assign grades based on tests/quizzes.
Just starting my first homeschooled classes now, not writing down any grading methods. I’ll just write course descriptions, note lectures I watched, and give myself an A as long as I cover all of the material. I don’t see why that’s unreasonable since in grade9/10 I was in public/private/online schools and always had straight A’s (save Spanish).
Where did you get this info?
College request a list of applying students curriculum. Here are a few of the many colleges that request these.
https://admission.princeton.edu/applyingforadmission/tips-home-schooled-students
http://admissions.yale.edu/home-schooled-applicants
https://undergrad.admissions.columbia.edu/apply/first-year/home-schooled
Exactly… Almost all colleges request an outline of high school curriculum for homeschoolers… Almost none require grades to be given to homeschoolers on any type of scale… An outline can very well consist of course descriptions with an A attached for material completion
From link 1:
“Please provide us with detailed information about the academic program you have pursued. If you aren’t able to provide a traditional transcript of course grades, include an outline of your high school curriculum.”
“We understand that for many home schooled students there is not as clear a distinction between academic and non-academic activities as there might be for students in a traditional high school. The more you can document for us and describe what you have done during your high school years, academically and otherwise, the better.”
From link 2:
Nothing about that at all, but obviously you want to list your cirriculum to all colleges. I’m just saying you don’t NEED to have a grading scale or grades at all. In my case, after Junior year I will only have 3-4 classes without official grades, so I will just give myself A’s for those and submit official transcripts for the rest. If I was home schooled from the start, I would simply not list any grades, they are meaningless.
From link 3:
“Home-schooled students must send a copy of their curriculum for the past four years.”
Yup. Which can be course descriptions, or a transcript, or a combination of the two (depending on what courses you took where). Again, you don’t need grades or a grading scale
If you have taken 0 classes outside of homeschooling, I would personally not put any grades, they have no value, how can they be validated? Just write course descriptions and focus on SATIIs, ACT, etc, as those links suggest.
If you took some classes outside of homeschooling, I would just put As for completion for those courses, and include 2 GPAs (one including homeschooled grades, one excluding them). I would write course descritptions for the classes you homeschooled, and just send transcripts for the courses you didn’t
If you took all your classes outside of homeschooling, just send transcripts.
Anyways, that’s coming from me, someone who just started homeschooling, so if anyone can correct me in any way that would be great.
“Grading methods” does not mean you give the college your grade book. Just what the student did to earn a grade.
Was the class reading and writing based, or were there labs, projects, etc.? Were there exams or quizzes? Did you require mastery?
Do you think colleges would count class at a co-op ( with teachers who actually teach regular classes)? And, my co-op is kind of a hybrid. Because, if I act up they can suspend me and put it on my record. Also, I have to show this lady my work once every few months, and she is form the county and she awards credit, (per COMAR 13A.10.01B(2) and .05a). – I just found that link on the website, it would be easier just to attach it, but that would not be appropriate.
This comment more than like makes no sense and is not grammatically correct, but I’m trying to multi task.
Oh, I forgot to say, Thanks for the advice and clarification.
@TheSour I give my kids grades. I create their transcripts. I write their course descriptions. So, yes, homeschoolers do get grades. My sr takes all courses at home except for foreign language. I do not think schools are going to question the validity of her transcript or her grades.
If you don’t have grades, some schools will automatically convert all passes to Cs. Grades do matter, and they can matter a lot. (It helps to have subject tests, CLEPs or APs, or outside awards that validate some of your accomplishments. You don’t need them for everything, but at least a few of them.)
@cj5555 I don’t know your state law and have no idea what you are referencing in terms of showing work to a lady. You need to have your parent or you yourself need to understand the law under which your homeschool is operating. Fwiw, in terms of coops, schools are not going to see classes by an unaccredited source as more valid than any other course taken at home. You can have those outside teachers write you LOR and ask them for course descriptions, but they aren’t going to validate your transcript. If the coop is an accredited charter or something along those lines, then it would be different.
Would you mind listing some of the schools that convert passes to C’s? That’s obviously unreasonable if the student has gotten straight A’s in most/all courses outside of a homeschool environment. Also, what stops my parents from putting an A/B/C/D/F on my transcript after I comple the material and ensure that I understand it? My parents don’t have to label the course pass or fail, they can assign a letter grade based on my understanding at the end of the year. Where is there a rule that states there must be grades assigned throughout the year, or let alone a grading scale/final examination? Do you actually give your kids quizzes/tests, or do you just assign a grade you think is reasonable?
In my case, I will have about 18 official courses (public/private/FLVS) and 4 homeschooled courses at the end of my junior year (this year). I just started those 4 courses, do you really think it’s beneficial/necessary to assign grades and let alone have a grading scale? Seems like a waste of time to me, especially since NONE of those 4 courses (3 AP’s and Russian) are required for graduation and I am just doing them to learn, but I digress.
I believe that the schools would just like to see something like an sat II for one of those courses (RIP no sat II Russian), and In general they would likely just focus more on the official courses taken. I’ve seen multiple people on this forum just write course descriptions for the courses they homeschooled. Homeschooling is supposed to be a way to focus on learning, not get caught up on scales and grades of which there are already plenty.
My bad OP if I’m somewhat hijacking your thread, but Its definitely possible that someone will have similar questions/claims/concerns, and since the topic is relevant It would be great to see mom2aphysicsgeek’s response here.
Well, that was a full blown rant.
I suggest you join the hs2coll yahoo group and read and attempt to absorb information that those informed parents can share. I suggest not telling them what they should know and try asking questions about how adcoms and scholarship committees view grades.
@cj5555 Unfortunately, there isn’t a one-size fits all answer to your question. The course descriptions I wrote gave a brief description of the course and a list of the textbook/material used. I assigned grades, but I did not give a break down (like the example in the OP) indicating how that grade was assigned.
Many colleges do not want course descriptions at all - all that is requested is a transcript and test scores. The colleges that do request course descriptions (as a general rule) are the highly selective schools.
I personally would not consider that a rant. I simply asked a few questions and made a few statements. I’m not going to go crazy over 4 courses and the method used to grade them, but was interested in your opinion. If you don’t want to respond - that’s fine. Quite frankly, if a school is going to reject me or anyone else due to lack of a grading scale for ~4/22 courses, it’s not one worth attending.
@thesour Considering over 1/2 your post was informing me what you thought about why grades are a waste of time bc of homeschooling, it doesn’t seem like you really want an answer but an affirmation of your opinion. Your approach is an option, but it is not without possible negative consequences bc the vast majority of universities want a standard transcript with grades. Adcoms don’t want to have to spend time trying to figure out what to do with your application. They want it concise, readable, and easily understood. And yes, there are heartbreaking stories where applications were submitted based on principles of teaching to mastery without assigning grades and even with top test scores and outstanding ECs, LOR, etc, the student was rejected. When the parents inquired, they were told the lack of assigned grades was the problem.
Fwiw, I am currently working through college apps with my 5th homeschooled sr. 3 of them have been significantly advanced students with the majority of their classes taken at home with grades assigned by me. Their transcripts have not been questioned nor have their grades been ignored. My current college jr is attending on full scholarship. (1 of his scholarships is based solely on test scores and GPA --which requires grades to calculate.)
@Mom2aphysicsgeek is correct. Homeschoolers get grades, and they matter to some colleges. What families report to their districts, if reporting is required in their state, may or may not resemble what colleges want from them.
In NYS homeschoolers are required to submit yearly Home Instruction Plans to the local high school that describe the courses that we’re teaching, but while the state specifies a few required courses foreign languages aren’t among them. However, our 4-year colleges require at least 2 years of foreign language for admission. So high school requirements or policies of a particular co-op may not be relevant to college admissions.
I gave my kids grades. They were on all the report cards I filed with the district. The paperwork I submitted with my son’s college apps (and in most cases, it was all required by the colleges) included: the Letters of Intent to homeschool for GR 9-12 (that had to include a course list), quarterly report cards (I gave # grades; if I hadn’t, I wouldn’t have been able to add them later because if colleges requested copies from our district they wouldn’t match), a (35 page) school profile (that included info. about our community, homeschool philosophy, resource/book list, and grading scale/method). Our grading scale is the one I found on the college board website (A=93-100, etc). If I described how I graded it would have been something simple such as, " if there are 20 questions, each one is worth 5 points." Assigning yourself all A’s an option, but not one I’d recommend.
Thanks for the information and clarification!