The High School Transcript

The High School Transcript

One of the things that you will want to prepare now that you are in high school is a transcript of work done.  We have all heard the term ‘transcript’ and we’ve probably seen a few, but just what is it (and what is it not)?

You will find that most organizations ask you for a high school transcript rather than for a diploma, so you will want to spend some time in building this document.  A high school transcript is an overview of all of a student’s high school level work.  There is no official format but there are items you want to be sure to include and a few optional items that you may want to include.

Be sure to include these details:

*Student’s full name and contact information

*Parent/Guardian contact information

*List of high school courses (and indicate whether they are full or half credit courses)

*Grades earned

*Total number of credits

*Grade point averages (weighted and unweighted)

*Previous high schools attended

*Expected date of graduation

*Validating signature (in most states, this will be the parent or guardian’s signature)

 Items you may want to include:

*Social Security Number (wait until it’s required)

*Course numbers

*Number of volunteer hours

*College entrance test scores

*Test scores for any college-credit-by-exam assessments (CLEP, AP, SAT II, etc.)

*National Merit Scholar status

*A school name, if you have one

Don’t wait until your senior year to begin putting together your transcript.  I suggest that you sit down at the end of each year and make sure your paperwork is current.  Record all credits earned, update your GPA and be sure that your portfolio (see post on portfolios) reflects all the work done to date.  There will be times before your high school years are over when you are asked for a transcript, especially if you play sports, so having a current version available is beneficial.

And, oh yes, just how do you make it OFFICIAL?  Well, if you’ve been to one of my classes, you’ve heard my joke:   “You make the transcript official by writing the word ‘OFFICIAL’ on the top”.  But in all honesty, that’s pretty much how you do it.  Most states put the parent in charge of keeping track of homeschooling credits, therefore, their signature attests to the fact that all work has been done as recorded.  So, in order to have an official high school transcript, write ‘Official Transcript’ at the top and place the proper signature at the bottom.  Your signature and your student’s portfolio of work will attest to the work that was done.

Once your student has completed high school, you will want to add an official graduation date and a statement above your signature that states the student has satisfactorily completed a secondary course of education and is eligible for graduation.A transcript should be only one or two pages at the most.  A high school transcript is not a resume.  Items like jobs held, awards won, promotions earned, leadership roles, sports played etc. are best listed on a separate form.  In fact, you can call this form your high school resume.  This is a great way to show how well-rounded a student is, especially if the material doesn’t fit well into a high school credit situation.  It’s also a good place to keep track of contact information for bosses, coaches, mentors, etc. – anyone you may want to write you a letter of recommendation in the future.

Before I finish, I want to remind you that any time you are asked to send a transcript by e-mail, be sure to use a PDF format so that changes cannot be accidentally made on the other end.  You don’t want to lose any of the hard work that your student has done!

If this process still seems overwhelming, I offer a transcript building service.  Details are available HERE!

~to your success,

Joanne

Image courtesy of ponsulak at FreeDigitalPhotos.net.