High School Transcripts for Homeschoolers

Homeschooling high schoolers and preparing them for college can be overwhelming, but creating their homeschool transcripts doesn't have to be. Yes, you need to do your homework to find out what prospective colleges want to see, but with the help of our free template and the Web you'll find a variety of resources to help. If your child plans to go to college after high school, there's a good chance you will need to provide post-secondary institutions with a high school transcript documenting courses taken and grades and credits earned. Even if your child isn't planning on going to college, it's a good idea to document their coursework in case they later change their mind.

Preparing a high school transcript can be time consuming, so keeping good records from the start is the key. Begin preparing your child's transcript at the beginning of ninth grade. Transcript formats and layouts differ, but there is certain information transcripts typically include.

What to Include

Personal Information

  • Include your child's full name, address, and date of birth.
  • Some parents include their child's Social Security Number, as most post-secondary institutions will want this number anyway, but including it on your child's transcript is generally optional.

School Information (If Any)

  • Include the name, address, and phone number of your child's home school if your state required you to enroll in a homeschool program or cover school.
  • In a separate area on your child's transcript, include the names and addresses of any other schools where your child earned high school credits. (Colleges will most likely want copies of their transcripts, too.)

Course Information

Include course names, course numbers, grades and credits earned, and yearly and cumulative grade point averages.

  • A good place to find course names and numbers (as well as what courses are required for a standard high school diploma) is at your state's Department of Education. You can also find them on your state's virtual school's course catalog. If your child is taking dual enrollment courses, you can get course names and numbers from the college's course catalog.
  • If your child's courses are not taken at a traditional school, you will want to include course descriptions. To keep your child's transcript easy to read, you may want to create a separate page for course descriptions. You can find course descriptions at the same place you get course names and numbers. Alternatively, you can make copies of the Table of Contents, Scope and Sequence, and/or state correlations found in your child's textbooks.
  • Use your grade scale (see sample scales below) to calculate your child's GPA. Award 4 points for A's, 3 points for B's, 2 point's for C's, 1 point for D's, and no points for F's. Total your child's points then calculate the average. Your child's GPA should be calculated yearly and cumulatively.
  • Typically, a one credit course requires one school year to complete, and a one-half credit course requires one-half of a school year to complete. Some states will define this by a set number of hours. Alternatively, you can calculate course credits based on the number of class hours spent on a course over the school year (a Carnegie Unit).

Standardized Achievement Test Scores

Colleges typically only accept test scores that are sent to them directly, but you can also include them on your child's transcript if desired.

  • These include SAT, ACT, and other relevant nationally normed, standardized achievement test scores.
  • Only include your child's best scores.

Achievements, Awards, Extracurricular Activities

  • Include academic achievements, certificates, and awards
  • Include relevant extracurricular activities
  • Include volunteer/community service hours here, too.

Grade Scale

Your grade scale can be anything you like. Here are a few examples:

90–100=A
80–89=B
70–79=C
60–69=D
Below 60=F
92–100=A
83–91=B
74–82=C
65–73=D
Below 65=F
94–100=A
86–93=B
77–85=C
70–76=D
Below 70=F

Class Attendance

Not a necessity, but some homeschool transcripts include a section documenting class attendance.

Graduation Date

Many colleges need to know the date your child graduated from their home education program.

Sign and Date

Lastly, remember to sign and date your child's transcript.

  • Published 20 May 2012
  • Updated 09 January 2022

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