Transcript questions - "Honors" courses, "P" grades, Weighting honors/AP/"college" or dual enrolled, etc.

[lewelma]

super helpful.  Happy to have comments, big or small. Still drafting so I'm sure there will be more errors! 

[lewelma]

6) It might look cleaner/simpler to just list all the Texts/Resources in a single list like below than to separate out different resources (textbook/texts/novels/films/etc) into separate lists?  But, there might be advantages to multiple lists.

 

Texts:           

• Dubliners, by James Joyce
•  

 

I had it that way at first, I'm happy to put it back.  It was the documentaries that threw me.  How do you show in a long list, that some are books and some are docos?

 

So you are doing title and full name.  I was thinking title and last name only.  but I like how you have it. Right now, all of my references are last name, first name. title. date. Kind of shortened standard version.  But I can see if they are only scanning it that the titles stand out better as you breeze down the list.

 

And now everyone knows why I am agonizing over Common App documents. Who is even going to read these things?!   I just hope my tombstone doesn't say, "Gone before she could hit 'Submit.'"

 

seriously! I was doing fine on my timeline until I found out one of the universities has rolling admissions and the scholarships are often gone by Nov 1. eeek! We plan to submit in a week to the common app.

[lewelma]

Adding in more clarity in how I taught critical thinking.  And adding in that he did write some papers.  Are these better?

 

Contemporary World Problems. 1.0 Credit

This course covered political, economic, social, and environmental problems and sought to understand current events from a historical perspective. The course explored relationships between events, evaluated competing beliefs and goals, and identified bias. Scientific and technological advancements were also studied to better understand the part they play in solving some of the world’s most difficult problems. These periodicals were read year-round throughout high and represented 800 hours of study. The course included reading assignments, participation in discussions, short essays, and a research paper.

Texts: The Economist, National Geographic, Scientific American.

 

The History of Western Thought. 1.0 Credit

This course examined the development of the western intellectual tradition from the Greeks through to 20th-century thinkers. Topics included metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, and political philosophy. The course examined the rational basis of belief in all areas of inquiry, and taught critical and creative thinking and how to construct a cogent argument.  In addition to studying the great thinkers of each era, philosophical novels by classic authors were read and discussed including Voltaire, Faust, Dostoyevsky, Borges, Camu, Hemingway, and Vonnegut. The course also took a detour into the philosophy of consciousness and how it can be analytically modelled. The course included reading assignments, participation in discussions, and short essays.

Textbooks:    Blackburn. Think: A Compelling Introduction to Philosophy. 1999.

Garvey. The Twenty Greatest Philosophy Books. 2006.

Hofstadter. Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid. 1979.

Lecture Series: Justice. EdX. Harvard University

 

[yvonne]

I had it that way at first, I'm happy to put it back.  It was the documentaries that threw me.  How do you show in a long list, that some are books and some are docos?

 

Don't put it back the way it was originally!  Go with Title, author. 

 

Why does it matter that some are books and some are documentaries? 

 

 

[mirabillis]

Silly question yvonne &  lewelma - what font size & font are you going with?

[Corraleno]

And now everyone knows why I am agonizing over Common App documents. Who is even going to read these things?!   I just hope my tombstone doesn't say, "Gone before she could hit 'Submit.'"

:lol:  :lol:  :lol:

 

 

[lewelma]

Haven't decided on font yet. Doing 11 point.

[yvonne]

Silly question yvonne &  lewelma - what font size & font are you going with?

 

Please don't say it's a silly question!  I'd been wanting to ask the exact same question!  It would have saved me a lot of time in formatting, re-formatting, re-re-formatting.... ad nauseum... experimenting with different layouts/looks.  I would never make it as a graphic designer.

 

I'm sure there are better ways to do it, but, bec. I know it helps me to get details from others and then modify to my needs, here's what I ended up doing.....

 

Subject headings - Times New Roman 16 bold  (English, Mathematics...)

 

Class titles - Times New Roman 12 bold  ("A-G English 9: Literature Survey - Honors", "AP English Literature and Composition")

 

Course descriptions - Times New Roman 11

Under each course description, I listed the texts and the Instructor. I used Times New Roman 11 bold for the headings "Texts:" and "Instructor:"  but did not bold the list of texts or the instructor.

 

I used a bullet list for the texts, just bec it looks cleaner and easier to scan to me than a list in paragraph form.  I put the instructor's name, organization and then the instructor's degrees/credentials or a one sentence bio if the instructor's degree was not in the subject.

[regentrude]

Silly question yvonne &  lewelma - what font size & font are you going with?

 

I'm not yvonne or lewelma, but I've written course descriptions, too.

 

I've used 12 pt Times New Roman. Course titles in bold.

 

Serifed font like TNR is easier to read than a sans serif one. 

12 pt is the standard font size for academic writing. I would find it inconsiderate to submit an extended document in smaller, less legligible font. (I did use a smaller sans serif font on the transcript which has no consecutive text)

Edited September 23, 2017 by regentrude

[mirabillis]

I'm not yvonne or lewelma, but I've written course descriptions, too.

 

 

thanks! and thanks yvonne - very helpful to get me started. 

[yvonne]

Speaking of trivialities....

 

On my boys' transcripts, for "School:"  I put the name I've used on the paperwork I file to home school in CA...

 

<Our City> Classical Academy

 

At the bottom, under the signature, in 8pt font so it fits, I have "This signature certifies that the information on this transcript is true, correct, and complete, and that this home school operates in accordance with CA state law."

 

 

Should I do something w/ the "School" name at the top to indicate that we home school?  I could either file the home school paperwork with a different name like "<Our City> Homeschool Academy"  or I could just modify the transcript to add "(home school)" under "<Our City > Classical Academy." 

 

On one hand, I'd like to keep "home school" out of the "official" name of the high school the boys will have to write down on job apps, etc.  On the other hand, I don't want the college admissions to think I'm trying to hide the fact that it's a homeschool.  The rest of the doc (counselor letter, "school profile, course descriptions) will make it clear we home school so maybe I don't need to worry about that.

 

Thanks for any thoughts/suggestions!
yvonne

Edited September 23, 2017 by yvonne

[mirabillis]

I'm sure there are better ways to do it, but, bec. I know it helps me to get details from others and then modify to my needs, here's what I ended up doing.....

 

 

would you mind posting a sample description? you were so succinct with your edit suggestions for lewelma - and very exact with how you're setting yours up. would you mind sharing one? maybe one with a bulleted text list? here or PM...

[Corraleno]

Speaking of trivialities....

 

On my boys' transcripts, for "School:"  I put the name I've used on the paperwork I file to home school in CA...

 

<Our City> Classical Academy

 

At the bottom, under the signature, in 8pt font so it fits, I have "This signature certifies that the information on this transcript is true, correct, and complete, and that this home school operates in accordance with CA state law."

 

 

Should I do something w/ the "School" name at the top to indicate that we home school?  I could either file the home school paperwork with a different name like "<Our City> Homeschool Academy"  or I could just modify the transcript to add "(home school)" under "<Our City > Classical Academy." 

 

On one hand, I'd like to keep "home school" out of the "official" name of the high school the boys will have to write down on job apps, etc.  On the other hand, I don't want the college admissions to think I'm trying to hide the fact that it's a homeschool.  The rest of the doc (counselor letter, "school profile, course descriptions) will make it clear we home school so maybe I don't need to worry about that.

 

Thanks for any thoughts/suggestions!

yvonne

 

I did it the same way you did – school name at the top, and a small blurb at the bottom (with similar wording) right above my signature. I don't worry that adcoms might think we're trying to hide homeschooling, since it's addressed in detail in the school profile and counselor letter.

[JumpedIntoTheDeepEndFirst]

If it matters to you that some items in your list are documentaries I'd just include   (film)    at the end of the citation.  You could also use video or any other synonym that makes sense in the context.  I wouldn't bother to annotate texts in this fashion. 

 

 

As a side note--if you are going to include the author's first and last name be sure to do so universally.  I noticed one list above had "Chaucer" and "William Shakespeare" -- Chaucer has a first name too.  Obviously there are some single name exceptions, Homer leaps to mind.  I realize I may have simply caught this in mid-edit,  if so, apologies.

[yvonne]

 Chaucer has a first name too. 

 

Thanks for catching that & taking the time to mention it.  There's always something that slips through.

[regentrude]

Speaking of trivialities....

 

On my boys' transcripts, for "School:"  I put the name I've used on the paperwork I file to home school in CA...

 

<Our City> Classical Academy

 

At the bottom, under the signature, in 8pt font so it fits, I have "This signature certifies that the information on this transcript is true, correct, and complete, and that this home school operates in accordance with CA state law."

 

Should I do something w/ the "School" name at the top to indicate that we home school?  I could either file the home school paperwork with a different name like "<Our City> Homeschool Academy"  or I could just modify the transcript to add "(home school)" under "<Our City > Classical Academy." 

 

On one hand, I'd like to keep "home school" out of the "official" name of the high school the boys will have to write down on job apps, etc.  On the other hand, I don't want the college admissions to think I'm trying to hide the fact that it's a homeschool.  The rest of the doc (counselor letter, "school profile, course descriptions) will make it clear we home school so maybe I don't need to worry about that.

 

 

My school name is Streetname Academy. It is on the diploma.

My transcripts say "Official homeschool highschool transcript" on top.

[snowbeltmom]

Speaking of trivialities....

 

On my boys' transcripts, for "School:"  I put the name I've used on the paperwork I file to home school in CA...

 

<Our City> Classical Academy

 

At the bottom, under the signature, in 8pt font so it fits, I have "This signature certifies that the information on this transcript is true, correct, and complete, and that this home school operates in accordance with CA state law."

 

 

Should I do something w/ the "School" name at the top to indicate that we home school?  I could either file the home school paperwork with a different name like "<Our City> Homeschool Academy"  or I could just modify the transcript to add "(home school)" under "<Our City > Classical Academy." 

 

On one hand, I'd like to keep "home school" out of the "official" name of the high school the boys will have to write down on job apps, etc.  On the other hand, I don't want the college admissions to think I'm trying to hide the fact that it's a homeschool.  The rest of the doc (counselor letter, "school profile, course descriptions) will make it clear we home school so maybe I don't need to worry about that.

 

Thanks for any thoughts/suggestions!

yvonne

 

I used the same name on the transcript as is written on the diploma. Our school name does not include the word "homeschool."  However, it was obvious from looking at the transcript that we homeschool: I had the field "homeschool address" and the blurb at the bottom of the transcript that the homeschool operates in accordance with state law, yada yada. 

 

 

[lewelma]

Finally able to talk to homeschool reader at a flagship public.  They do not weight for rigor, so ds's 4.0 is the highest it can go even for scholarships.  However, they absolutely want to know which of his classes were at a university level, even if self studied. 

 

[lewelma]

I have a question about listing testing record on transcript.  I would like to put the SAT exam marks on my transcript under 'testing record' (something most of the example transcripts people have sent me have done along with including AP scores).  Should I list only math and critical reading but keep them separate? or combine them into one total score?  or should I also also include his score for the essay?  If I do list the essay score, do I keep it as a single number (19) or as 3 numbers 7,6,6?  

 

[regentrude]

I have a question about listing testing record on transcript.  I would like to put the SAT exam marks on my transcript under 'testing record' (something most of the example transcripts people have sent me have done along with including AP scores).  Should I list only math and critical reading but keep them separate? or combine them into one total score?  or should I also also include his score for the essay?  If I do list the essay score, do I keep it as a single number (19) or as 3 numbers 7,6,6?  

 

If you list the SAT scores, I would either list the total only, or the total and all subscores, with one score for the essay.

 

Since they will receive an official score report anyway, I'd just put the total score on the transcript. It's the most important thing IMO.

Edited October 1, 2017 by regentrude

[lewelma]

Why the total AND subscores?  I was just doing Math and reading/writing. DS's 2 scores are pretty easy to add up.  :001_smile:

[regentrude]

Why the total AND subscores?  I was just doing Math and reading/writing. DS's 2 scores are pretty easy to add up.  :001_smile:

 

Because I want to make it easy for admissions people to see at one glance what they are looking for.

I would imagine most schools look at the total first and care less how the points are divided between the subscores.

 

ETA: I like to keep in mind that the schools have to wade through thousands of applications. It must be a tedious job. I don't think  anybody wants to add numbers in their head, even if it's easy.

Edited October 1, 2017 by regentrude

[lewelma]

Ok, so the total score is the way people think about the exam?  interesting.  Will change it.  

[Sebastian (a lady)]

Ack. I wonder if it matters if the course has been labeled by an outside provider who would, presumably, have some basis for making that designation of "honors."

 

And if it doesn't mean anything, then is there any way at all of making it clear on a transcript that a course has used more advanced texts than any other course in that subject?  Yes, I know I can list specific texts in the course description, but 1) will they even read that, and 2) will they know the difference between texts?

 

I know it's not politically correct to say it, but there just doesn't seem to be any other method for determining any given student's level of work/ability than by standardized tests.

 

What I did was say that it was difficult to label home based courses as honors, but that additional weight was given to Advanced Placement, college dual enrollment and outside courses labeled as honors or advanced by the provider.  Then I listed a few examples of courses I gave extra weight to.

 

I used the simplistic system of 1 extra point for any weighted course. The second page of my transcript was a worksheet showing the gpa calculation and the reason why any given course was weighted (ex. Advanced Placement, College Course, Labeled Honors by Outside Source).  This worksheet was in chronological order and the main page of the transcript was ordered by subject (with the year and grade of completion labeled).  So colleges that wanted chronological could see that, but it was easy to see that my kids had completed what they needed in each content area.

[Sebastian (a lady)]

I'm sure you've already got these, but I just can't help myself. I know I would so appreciate if someone else would help me with things like this.

 

 

The course "also studied how people’s interpretation of historical events can differ, how to critically evaluate them, and why these interpretations can change over time. The power of the language in shaping perception was studied by critically analyzing the writing and speeches of Martin Luther King and John F Kennedy."

 

1) First sentence - What's the antecedent for "them"-- Were you critically evaluating people's interpretations or historical events? I initially assumed you meant actual events, but the third item in the list goes back to interpretations. ("...why these interpretations...")

 

2) "The power of the language...."  Might be more powerful to say "the power of rhetoric in shaping..."

 

3) The names should read:  "....Martin Luther King, Jr., and John F. Kennedy....."

 

 

4) Make sure the list of texts is completely uniform, whether you opt for title, author or author, title.

 

 

5)   "Letter from Birmingham Jail, MLK

       Inaugural Address, JFK"

 

I would not abbreviate MLK and JFK, or anything other than standard abbreviations (Jr., Mr., Dr., Ph.D., M.A., etc.)

 

 

6) It might look cleaner/simpler to just list all the Texts/Resources in a single list like below than to separate out different resources (textbook/texts/novels/films/etc) into separate lists?  But, there might be advantages to multiple lists.

 

Texts:           

• The Norton Anthology of English Literature: Major Writers 9^th Edition
• Beowulf
• Canterbury Tales, by Chaucer
• King Lear, by William Shakespeare
• A Midsummer Night’s Dream, by William Shakespeare
• Piers Plowman: A New Translation of the B-Text, by William Langland
• Paradise Lost, by John Milton
• The Mayor of Casterbridge (Norton Critical Edition) by Thomas Hardy
• Dubliners, by James Joyce
• MLA Handbook, 8^th Edition

 

 

And now everyone knows why I am agonizing over Common App documents. Who is even going to read these things?!   I just hope my tombstone doesn't say, "Gone before she could hit 'Submit.'"

 

I like your edits.  I did a list of texts.  In my case I did author then title, but I do like how your example looks above.

 

FWIW, the admissions counselor for our state came to the admitted students social.  He made a point of telling me that he really appreciated the transcript and course descriptions, because it was easy for him to understand what we had done.

 

Not every class was a home run, AP level course.  We only made it through mechanics in physics freshman year, and that is what went on the transcript.  Biology was Kolbe Academy with a selection of paper and wet labs.  Other classes were AP level or dual enrollment or really awesome online classes.  I just made it clear what each class had included and let the AdCons decide if my kids were students they wanted.  In a good number of cases the answer was yes.

 

ETA:  In some course descriptions I said that the course included primary documents, but didn't attempt to list them all, unless we'd used an anthology.  I had various headings for the texts, including Textbooks, Selected Texts, Workshops (for Lukeion Workshops that I included in the Fine Arts Survey course), and the unimaginative Texts.

Edited October 1, 2017 by Sebastian (a lady)

[Sebastian (a lady)]

Adding in more clarity in how I taught critical thinking.  And adding in that he did write some papers.  Are these better?

 

Contemporary World Problems. 1.0 Credit

This course covered political, economic, social, and environmental problems and sought to understand current events from a historical perspective. The course explored relationships between events, evaluated competing beliefs and goals, and identified bias. Scientific and technological advancements were also studied to better understand the part they play in solving some of the world’s most difficult problems. These periodicals were read year-round throughout high and represented 800 hours of study. The course included reading assignments, participation in discussions, short essays, and a research paper.

Texts: The Economist, National Geographic, Scientific American.

 

The History of Western Thought. 1.0 Credit

This course examined the development of the western intellectual tradition from the Greeks through to 20th-century thinkers. Topics included metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, and political philosophy. The course examined the rational basis of belief in all areas of inquiry, and taught critical and creative thinking and how to construct a cogent argument.  In addition to studying the great thinkers of each era, philosophical novels by classic authors were read and discussed including Voltaire, Faust, Dostoyevsky, Borges, Camu, Hemingway, and Vonnegut. The course also took a detour into the philosophy of consciousness and how it can be analytically modelled. The course included reading assignments, participation in discussions, and short essays.

Textbooks:    Blackburn. Think: A Compelling Introduction to Philosophy. 1999.

Garvey. The Twenty Greatest Philosophy Books. 2006.

Hofstadter. Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid. 1979.

Lecture Series: Justice. EdX. Harvard University

 

I would go Title, Author.  I would drop the dates (I just don't think it matters in most cases).  For a documentary or video series you could do something like The Vietnam War, PBS (video).  

 

I would italicize the EdX series title as if it were a book or movie title.

[Sebastian (a lady)]

Font & Size.  I tended to use Candara in a 10 pt with spacing set at Multiple 1.15.  This font converted to a pdf better than some others and seemed easier on the eyes to me.  

 

For test scores on the transcript, I gave the separate subscores.  I suspect for most schools it doesn't really matter which way it is presented on the transcript.  I think that most schools probably download scores directly from CB or ACT into their student profiles.  

[lewelma]

Thanks, Sebastian. I appreciate your thoughts. I'm almost done!

[regentrude]

Speaking of font:

if the colleges are using the common app, there is a limit to the file size you can upload. It often happens that people end up with files too big because they choose a font from  that is not one of the standard fonts for pdf (Times, Couried, Helvetica, and their bold/italic variants). Other fonts have to be specifically embedded in the pdf which greatly increases the file size.

I recommend using a font that is part of the standard family because that also guarantees the pdf displays on the reader's computer the way it looked on yours.

[yvonne]

What I did was say that it was difficult to label home based courses as honors, but that additional weight was given to Advanced Placement, college dual enrollment and outside courses labeled as honors or advanced by the provider.  Then I listed a few examples of courses I gave extra weight to.

 

I used the simplistic system of 1 extra point for any weighted course. The second page of my transcript was a worksheet showing the gpa calculation and the reason why any given course was weighted (ex. Advanced Placement, College Course, Labeled Honors by Outside Source).  This worksheet was in chronological order and the main page of the transcript was ordered by subject (with the year and grade of completion labeled).  So colleges that wanted chronological could see that, but it was easy to see that my kids had completed what they needed in each content area.

 

Thanks for these details, Sebastian. This is a great idea. I think I'll add a short blurb to the school profile section on "Grading" to do the same, explain that courses designated as "honors" were so designated by the provider or, as someone else mentioned they used standard college texts.

 

I had settled on weighting "honors" courses with 0.5 point and AP/College with 1.0 point, but I don't know what the best solution is there.

[yvonne]

 

 

 

I recommend using a font that is part of the standard family because that also guarantees the pdf displays on the reader's computer the way it looked on yours.

 

Thanks for mentioning this. I had thought that a pdf was like a picture and wouldn't be dependent on the reader having a specific font in order for it to display correctly.  (I am sooo behind the technology curve. Kind of embarrassing being in Silicon Valley. LOL)  Guess I'll stick w/ Times New Roman.

[RootAnn]

Speaking of font:

if the colleges are using the common app, there is a limit to the file size you can upload. 

 

I've read a couple of posts this year saying that the file limit size doesn't seem to be in place this year - or, at least, that no one had run into it yet. That doesn't mean it might not be back in the future, however.

 

I agree with the rest of your post.  :coolgleamA:

[lewelma]

Down to details.  I think a lot of this has been answered before but I can't seem to find it.

 

Transcript

1) Transcript title: Can't figure out how to label this document.  DS has an official NZ high school diploma, and transcript will show that.  It represents only 1/3rd of course work which is why I'm creating a separate document (Plus the NZ one is close to impossible for an american audience to read). This document integrates all outside classes including NZ school, university, AoPS, homeschool, etc.  Do I call it "Official Homeschool Transcript"? 

 

2) Signature: I can't upload a little file into the slot as I have made that part of the transcript grey, so matching the background colors would be difficult. Do I have to have a signature? I can print it, sign it, scan it and dh (IT guy) says he can make it the right size, but that would require an extra drive into work for dh.

 

3) Font: how small can the text be on transcript?  Mine is one page so it is smallish.

 

4) One school has requested the AoPS transcript, I upload this as a separate transcript, right? not in one file with mine.   

 

Counselor letter

5) Is this formatted like a business letter?

 

6) Do I need to identify myself as homeschool mom in first paragraph and my credentials? 

 

7) Who do I address it to?  To Admissions Committee?

 

Common App and other online apps

8) Awards: When you have more awards than spaces, is it better to show lower level awards in a variety of fields, or just the highest level awards even if they area all in one field? 

 

I'm sure I'll have more questions before the day is out....

Edited October 12, 2017 by lewelma

[regentrude]

Down to details.  I think a lot of this has been answered before but I can't seem to find it.

 

Transcript

1) Transcript title: Can't figure out how to label this document.  DS has an official NZ high school diploma, and transcript will show that.  It represents only 1/3rd of course work which is why I'm creating a separate document (Plus the NZ one is close to impossible for an american audience to read). This document integrates all outside classes including NZ school, university, AoPS, homeschool, etc.  Do I call it "Official Homeschool Transcript"? 

 

2) Signature: I can't upload a little file into the slot as I have made that part of the transcript grey, so matching the background colors would be difficult. Do I have to have a signature? I can print it, sign it, scan it and dh (IT guy) says he can make it the right size, but that would require an extra drive into work for dh.

 

3) Font: how small can the text be on transcript?  Mine is one page so it is smallish.

 

4) One school has requested the AoPS transcript, I upload this as a separate transcript, right? not in one file with mine.   

 

Counselor letter

5) Is this formatted like a business letter?

 

6) Do I need to identify myself as homeschool mom in first paragraph and my credentials? 

 

7) Who do I address it to?  To Admissions Committee?

 

Common App and other online apps

4) Awards: When you have more awards than spaces, is it better to show lower level awards in a variety of fields, or just the highest level awards even if they area all in one field? 

 

I'm sure I'll have more questions before the day is out....

 

1) "Official Homeschool Highschool Transcript"

2) I typed my name. A scanned handwritten signature is not any more official. No college had any issue with my typed name.

3) I would not make it smaller than 8 pt.

5) No, I did not format it like a business letter, because you have no address to whom to address it. I simply wrote the text. My document had a footer "College application Jane Doe - Counselor Letter" or something like that.

6) No, I did not identify myself as a homeschool parent nor as a parent at all, nor did I state any credentials. This information is obvious through the school profile.

7) No address - the same letter will be used by different institutions and should be generic

 

 

[lewelma]

Thanks Regentrude.  Very helpful as always.

 

Do you have an opinion on awards?

 

8) Awards: When you have more awards than spaces, is it better to show lower level awards in a variety of fields, or just the highest level awards even if they area all in one field? 

 

Don't quote but I'm talking about switching out Honorable Mention in the Asia Pacific Math Olympiad and instead putting in district final for chamber music.  The honorable mention is his lowest math award.  Obviously the district final for chamber music is no where near the level of the APMO, but how many math awards do you need?  And the music shows breadth.  Thoughts?

 

[RootAnn]

8) I'd do the music vs. the HM for APMO in order to show breadth if this is for Common App & you have to pick only a few.

[regentrude]

If you have high level math awards, I would drop a lower level math award to fit in the music award. The top level award speaks for itself and would be impossible without sustained effort, so the lower math awards would not give any new information. Adding music shows breadth.

[lewelma]

Got it.  Thanks!

Edited October 13, 2017 by lewelma

[daijobu]

1) "Official Homeschool Highschool Transcript"

2) I typed my name. A scanned handwritten signature is not any more official. No college had any issue with my typed name.

 

 

 

Silly question:  did you bother to change the font to make it look italicized and cursive-y?  

[PinkyandtheBrains.]

Above someone mentioned the courses and grades section, as the counselor I have not seen that? Am I missing something?

[regentrude]

Silly question:  did you bother to change the font to make it look italicized and cursive-y?  

 

No. I used the same font as I used for the rest of the transcript.

[regentrude]

Above someone mentioned the courses and grades section, as the counselor I have not seen that? Am I missing something?

 

No,  that is something the student self reports in the student portion of the CA.

[PinkyandtheBrains.]

No,  that is something the student self reports in the student portion of the CA.

 

 

Thank you, we'll watch for it on his section.

[lewelma]

What about schools that ask for a textbook list from homeschoolers? The textbooks are on my course descriptions inside each course. Do I have to make a separate 1-page list ? If so, does it goes in the common app or sent directly to only those schools?

[regentrude]

What about schools that ask for a textbook list from homeschoolers? The textbooks are on my course descriptions inside each course. Do I have to make a separate 1-page list ? If so, does it goes in the common app or sent directly to only those schools?

 

We did not encounter any such school. I would contact them and ask whether providing detailed course descriptions that list the textbook plus additional information satisfies their requirement, or whether they prefer to see a separate list of texts. If so, I would attach this list to the course description file.

[RootAnn]

So, this is technically more of a Course Description question than a Transcript question, but I don't think yvonne will mind me tagging on another question on this helpful thread. . . 

 

When you submit your Course Description document at this time of year, do you include a description of Senior Year's courses? What about the spring semester ones that you aren't sure about yet? 

 

I'll be facing this next fall & so far, I've only written them after the classes are done because then I know what we did & used. (Outsourced classes are easier since there is usually a description already.) I'm wondering if I'll have to write her junior year descriptions & then also make an attempt to guess at a good description of what we've only just started doing next fall (or haven't started - if I'm writing them in the summer).  :leaving:  This just occurred to me. Also, if she's doing DE next year, spring courses will be a guess!  :svengo:

 

Or do you just include Freshman-Junior year classes in the Course Descriptions & list the classes "in progress" or "planned" on the Transcript?

[daijobu]

S

 

Or do you just include Freshman-Junior year classes in the Course Descriptions & list the classes "in progress" or "planned" on the Transcript?

 

Yes, this.  But if you end up making changes to senior year classes, at some point you'll need to inform your colleges, even after you submit the CA if necessary.  I'm not sure if it's best to do it by mail or email or whether you need to provide a reason.  

[regentrude]

When you submit your Course Description document at this time of year, do you include a description of Senior Year's courses? What about the spring semester ones that you aren't sure about yet? 

 

I included descriptions for the courses we had already in progress in fall of senior year. I did not include descriptions for the courses that were planned for the spring of senior year.

[regentrude]

Yes, this.  But if you end up making changes to senior year classes, at some point you'll need to inform your colleges, even after you submit the CA if necessary.  I'm not sure if it's best to do it by mail or email or whether you need to provide a reason.  

 

I do not think it is necessary to specifically inform the school. The colleges will see the Mid-year transcript report and the Final transcript that you have to submit to the Common App, and those will reflect any changes. 

 

I think it is fairly normal to have some small changes, and those won't be questioned. I would imagine colleges will question major changes, like dropping a class in a core subject. But I can't imagine a changing title of an English course or a different elective to raise any red flags.

Edited October 14, 2017 by regentrude

[yvonne]

I included descriptions for the courses we had already in progress in fall of senior year. I did not include descriptions for the courses that were planned for the spring of senior year.

I did this, too— included course descriptions of the courses they’re taking this fall (of senior year.)