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Can one legitimately put honors on a transcript if


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impression that an "Honors" designation for homeschooled students is pretty much disregarded by the college

 

So, for those who don't want to give up hope, any thoughts on how to make the "honors" case on a course description (or footnote or title)?

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So, for those who don't want to give up hope, any thoughts on how to make the "honors" case on a course description (or footnote or title)?

 

Here's my current thinking:

 

There are two courses I'm planning for my son for next year that I'd like to call "honors" on his transcript. I want to do this for a variety of reasons, mostly giving him something to shoot for, as well as something to tell his traditionally-schooled friends who are all taking honors and AP and for some other reasons, too.

 

I don't actually care terribly much whether the theoretical college of his choice will give credit for that honors designation. He is unlikely to be aiming at a highly selective school and will most probably have at least a year of community college before he applies to a four-year university. So, he won't be needing to compete with applicants who have lots of extras on their transcripts.

 

Consequently, we've decided to go ahead and plan honors courses for American History and American Government. To back up the honors label, we're doing two things:

 

1. I bought the syllabi from Hewitt Homeschooling and am planning courses that meet or exceed their requirements. The history syllabus is already designated for honors. For the government one, I'm adding what I think is enough to justify the extra credit. For example, he'll be doing supplemental readings from college-level text and will be doing extra assignments every week over and above what the syllabus says.

 

2. He will take the CLEP test for each subject.

 

And then, assuming he does well on the exam, I'll call those courses "honors" on his transcript. If some future college wants to ignore that, it won't bother me. I think my son will enjoy the challenge and the knowledge that he's aiming high.

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We use an umbrella school so this is all taking care of. However can't you just look up the course code for the class and put that on your transcript???? Most schools look at the course code and the class taken. That is what I was told when I contacted MIT.

 

Susan Khan

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We use an umbrella school so this is all taking care of. However can't you just look up the course code for the class and put that on your transcript???? Most schools look at the course code and the class taken. That is what I was told when I contacted MIT.

 

Susan Khan

 

What course code? Is this something from your state? Or from MIT?

 

ETA: I'm guessing that the codes refer to Secondary School Course Classification System: School Codes for the Exchange of Data. Interesting.

Edited by Sebastian (a lady)
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What course code? Is this something from your state? Or from MIT?

 

ETA: I'm guessing that the codes refer to Secondary School Course Classification System: School Codes for the Exchange of Data. Interesting.

 

So reading through this, the concern I have is that I would have a different understanding of the course code/description and its implications than those who deal with the codes all the time. (And I don't think that teachers are dealing with these so much as district administrators who set the guidelines for various courses.)

 

I think I might choose a code, thinking that it covers what we're doing, without realizing that there is an understanding among professionals that this is a remedial or at least not the most challenging course of study.

 

ETA: The linked document is a huge cache of terms to use in writing course descriptions.

Edited by Sebastian (a lady)
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We use an umbrella school so this is all taking care of. However can't you just look up the course code for the class and put that on your transcript???? Most schools look at the course code and the class taken. That is what I was told when I contacted MIT.

 

Susan Khan

 

Course codes are absolutely not needed for admission to MIT. I've had two kids admitted there (and plenty of other colleges) wiithout them.:)

Edited by Kathy in Richmond
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Here is more info on the course codes we are using in Florida. Here is a sample of the website. http://www.floridastandards.org/Courses/CourseDescriptionSearch.aspx This is for math. So you would choose the correct course code. We chose honors algebra 1 and then we send the info over to the umbrella school and this goes on her transcript. Not sure if this is offered in other states :(

 

Most of my daughters class work is done with FLVS as they offer so many AP courses.

 

Hope this helps a little :O

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On another note I find it of great importance to contact the colleges your child has and interest in and ask them. When I called the colleges they were so helpful. My daughter is ending grade 9 but she has a pretty good idea where she would like to go. I know that for many students this is not the case. However talking to the colleges directly will help.

 

Susan Khan

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Honors is usually a designation an institution gives to distinguish a regular course from a more advanced course. Admissions offices at colleges always say they want to see that a student has taken the most rigorous courses available to them, and for most kids in high school this matters as there are regular, honors and AP courses. As a homeschool kid it isn't like there is a choice in what they take. We assign it or enroll them in something outside. It may be honors compared to what another kid is doing, but you do not have any solid evidence to compare courses. The be brutally honest, it seems silly and pretentious to use an "honors" designation on a mommy transcript.

 

As an independent homeschooler the application packet you send will include course descriptions, including lists of materials used, titles of books read. That should clue the admissions committee as to the kind of work your child has done. You could send a small portfolio, too. On top of that, scores from CLEP or AP or SAT II exams, or community college course grades will help distinguish your student as capable of handling and excelling at rigorous studies.

 

If you are under an umbrella or public charter school, this is a different matter as they often do have different levels of courses. (I've graduated one with an umbrella transcript and one with a mommy transcript, so I know of what I speak.)

 

My ds with the mommy transcript was accepted into some very good Liberal Arts colleges without any "honors" designations on his transcript (and I design a mean course, let me tell you!) and without any AP or CLEP scores. His outside validation came from courses taken at our local and excellent community college. He and I worked on creating an application that highlighted what made him unique, how he took advantage the opportunities available to him outside of a traditional school, and colleges were thrilled to offer him admissions. At interviews with admissions officers he had a chance to describe the kind of work he did as a homeschooler.

 

So relax already!! Homeschooling and college admissions are stressful enough without making new hoops to jump through. Design your courses, keep lists of books and notes of what you did, and trust that it will all work out.

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So relax already!! Homeschooling and college admissions are stressful enough without making new hoops to jump through. Design your courses, keep lists of books and notes of what you did, and trust that it will all work out.

 

As I said, in our case, the honors designation has little to do with college applications. It's something I think my son will find meaningful, and he's interested in the challenge of CLEP. He's also the only one of his friends still homeschooling (although all of his closest buddies did at one time), and he hears them talking about their honors and AP classes all the time. So, he'd like to give it a try.

 

In the case of the two courses we're going to label honors for next year, we are basing them on purchased syllabi (with honors tracks) and will go above and beyond those requirements. If whatever college he decides to apply to doesn't care or accept the honors thing, it's no skin off my nose. This is for his personal benefit (as I believe all education should be, actually), not to impress anyone else.

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In the case of the two courses we're going to label honors for next year, we are basing them on purchased syllabi (with honors tracks) and will go above and beyond those requirements. If whatever college he decides to apply to doesn't care or accept the honors thing, it's no skin off my nose. This is for his personal benefit (as I believe all education should be, actually), not to impress anyone else.

 

I feel this way, too. TOG suggests putting "honors" on the transcript if you complete their requirements for it, and that's what I'm going to do. Most other classes will not be honors, but there will be some AP courses thrown in, as well as CC classes. We are mostly looking at State U's, not selective schools, but I'm not at all worried if they don't count it.

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