Transcript advice from the veterans ??

Pre-College Issues Home Schooling and College
1

Would appreciate your experiences on the amount of detail some of you put in your kids transcripts for more competitive college applications.

I called several homeschool liaison persons in various admissions offices and although I’ve gotten reassuring comments that “it doesn’t have to be long” or “that detailed”, our in state schools (NY) seem to be rather “demanding”. I have separate Transcript by subject and Transcript by grade done up to current but the the individual course descriptions, resource lists, detailed grading and criteria will easily eat up over 20 pages alone.

Adding a portfolio of graded work, essays, artwork, creative portfolios, recommendations and this is getting nuts.

How much is too much ? I know admins aren’t flush with time for these applications either…

Unfortunately my son won’t have AP scores available in time (this fall), but will have 5 SAT IIs, the SAT, and probably 3 college courses and some good outside teacher recommendations. I’m hoping the testing and college stuff will be some verification of his homeschool grades. Also has nice ECs, a few unusual talents - and areas of study.

College wish list at this early stage includes:

CUNY Hunter, SUNY Stony Brook,

Macaulay Honors, Wesleyan, Williams

Princeton, Brown, Columbia, University of Chicago

This threatens to annihilate my tuna fishing this year…

2

I never did a portfolio for the selective schools. My oldest son submitted a violin arts supplement and my middle son submitted two arts supplements (cello and mostly animation). You might want to have your child submit the arts supplement rather than you. Both boys submitted music resumes.

Your list is about what I did. My transcripts were by subject. My oldest son’s course descriptions were about 15-17 pages long and my just graduated son’s course descriptions were about 12-13 pages long. I also submitted reading lists in some form or another.

Each had three subject tests. Each had about 4-5 letters of recommendation (including music LORs). Both had a considerable amount of community college classes and sent official transcripts. Oldest had 5 AP exams. Just graduated middle son submitted zero AP exams.

Oldest was admitted to all his schools including two Ivies and five other highly selective schools, and is currently a rising senior at MIT. Just graduated son was admitted to 16 out of 23 schools (!) and will be attending University of Pennsylvania after a gap year. He was a much weaker applicant than my oldest son.

Since NY is rather “demanding” (I live in California, and I don’t have any requirements as a private school), more is better, apparently, and that will serve your child well at the selective schools, IMO.

3

Thank you so much for sharing your experiences. I think I can get a second wind now, as this year has been a tough one for both of us.

4

We just finished the process and didn’t do a portfolio or work samples either. My d submitted visual arts supplements, but she would have done that as a conventionally schooled kid. She was accepted to both state schools and selective privates, including one Ivy, which she will be attending. We have a one-page transcript, with courses grouped by subject and indicating the year, with high school work done before the high school years asterisked. About 15 pages of course descriptions and a two-page school profile. No reading list; book titles were included in the course descriptions. Three teacher rec letters and one supplemental from the advisor to one of her main ECs.

5

another good post, thanks . This is now looking more manageable.