We hear from independent homeschoolers – whether they use Oak Meadow or not – that applying to college can be stressful, especially when it comes to creating a homeschool transcript. We’re happy to help! You’ll find a transcript sample and template here. Additionally, Oak Meadow offers – twice each year – a FREE series of webinars about the college admissions process and also 1:1 college counseling, available for purchase through our Bookstore. Armed with good support and resources, the college admissions process can be a fulfilling (and even fun!) culmination of a high school experience.
What is a Transcript?
A transcript is an official record of your student’s high school coursework, including classes completed, credits earned, and final grades. This document may be requested by colleges, employers, or other educational institutions to review a student’s academic background and accomplishments.
Start Early: Gathering Materials
Long before you need to assemble a formal transcript, you should be gathering comprehensive documentation of your student’s education. Keep full records of the following:
- Courses: Track each subject or course your student has completed, whether it be through an outside provider (e.g., a community college or private instructor), using curriculum packages, fully independently, or some combination.
- Grades: Record final grades for each course, in a consistent manner. Note, also, what criteria went into the grades, as well as any observations beyond content mastery (e.g. skills development, engagement, etc.).
- Credits: Document how much credit each course is worth, which is a record of time spent. A typical U.S. high school assigns 1 credit for a full-year course (approximately 120 hours) and 0.5 credits for a semester/half-year course. Partial credit can be awarded.
- Activities: Keep a record of how the student spends their time, in formal and informal ways, both during ‘school’ periods and in-between. Include lessons, internships, community engagement, volunteer work, sports, paid work, travel, hobbies, etc.
Calculating a GPA
Once you’ve determined grades and credit values for each course, you can calculate your student’s Grade Point Average (GPA). While there are many GPA systems, we recommend using an unweighted GPA on a 4.0 scale (all courses are treated equally, regardless of difficulty). For most college applications, you will be calculating a GPA based on 3 years of HS work. A cumulative GPA reflects all HS coursework completed thus far.
The first step is to assign grade points for each course:
Grade Points, 4.0 scale
4.0 A (94–100)
3.7 A– (90–93)
3.3 B+ (87–89)
3.0 B (84–86)
2.7 B– (80–83)
2.3 C+ (77–79)
2.0 C (74–76)
1.7 C– ( 70–73)
1.3 D+ (67–69)
0 F ( 66 or below)
Then, for each course, multiply the grade points by the credit earned. Finally, divide the total grade points by the total number of credits to get your student’s GPA. Here’s a quick example:
- Course 1: A (4.0) × 1 credit = 4.0 grade points
- Course 2: B (3.0) × 0.5 credits = 1.5 grade points
- Course 3: A- (3.7) × 1 credit = 3.7 grade points
- Total Grade Points = 4.0 + 1.5 + 3.7 = 9.2
- Total Credits = 1 + 0.5 + 1 = 2.5
- GPA = 9.2 ÷ 2.5 = 3.68
Assembling Your Transcript
To help make your experience as smooth as possible, we’ve put together a sample transcript and a copyable, blank transcript you can use. Use the sample transcript as a descriptive guide, for the blank transcript go to File and click “Make a Copy” to copy the template to your own device and customize to fit your needs.
On your student’s transcript, enter the following, arranged in school years:
- Course Titles: Add completed courses, as well as in-progress courses (e.g. senior year)
- Credits and Grades: Input your calculated values
- Notes: Use the notes section to indicate special designations such as outside courses, curriculum packages, fieldwork, etc. Provide a key for your notes, such as:
- One asterisk (*) can be used to signify a course taken at a local college or through dual enrollment.
- Two asterisks (**) can indicate private instruction with a tutor or mentor.
- Three asterisks (***) can be used to signify a special annotation of your choice, such as experiential learning or internships.
There! You have a transcript! Feel free to customize as needed, but this will get you started. You can fill in a transcript as you go or wait until one is required, but if you have assembled the required material ahead of time, you’ll be in good shape. Remember, always, to check and double-check all information, so it is an honest and accurate record of your student’s work. Many college applications will require additional documentation (e.g. profile, counselor letter, etc.) from a homeschool; attend our “Especially for Homeschoolers” webinar for more advice. Note: colleges will also require an official final transcript, when all courses are completed.
Homeschooling can provide exceptional education for students, but the exact nature of that journey is different for each child. Only you can paint the full picture of that experience – you are the expert! Consult all of your resources, take a deep breath, and celebrate the unique adventure that has brought you to this point.
If you have any questions along the way, Oak Meadow is here to help. Register for a webinar or contact our college counselor; let us know how we can support you.
