Easy Homeschool Transcripts and 4 More High School How Tos

Are you considering the monumental task of teaching a high school student at home? Maybe you are already homeschooling, but the thought of tackling subjects such as chemistry, economics, or calculus has you seriously doubting your ability to continue homeschooling through high school.

Teaching high school courses, creating a transcript, graduating your senior, and navigating the college application process are milestones just like the many others you have already successfully achieved! Those milestones always look daunting from a distance, and even more challenging as the time grows closer.

But think back to how worried you were about teaching your child to read, to multiply, or to write cursive. Now that your child is proficient, the fear seems small and far away, doesn’t it? You may realize that those scary milestones weren’t nearly as scary as you made them out to be.

In many ways, homeschooling high school is the same situation. You simply need to be armed with facts, resources, and a healthy dose of courage. You can do this! Here’s help.

1. The 4-Year High School Plan

When it comes to homeschooling high school, you don’t have to worry about everything at once. Make a plan and then take one year at a time.

When you start making your 4-year plan, first take a look at what colleges and universities want to see in their incoming freshmen. Start with nearby schools or schools you expect your teen to have an interest in.

Then make a grid with 4 columns across the top, one for each year of high school. Put the academic subjects along the left side (science, English, foreign language, math, etc.) and start penciling in the courses the colleges require. Leave room for electives and anything you’re unsure of. Voila! You almost instantly have a basic plan for 4 years of high school!

As opportunities come up (such as swim team), add those to the grid under the category where they best fit. At the end of each semester and homeschool year, update the grid to reflect what you did. This four-year plan and record becomes the base of your transcript.

2. A High School Curriculum

When choosing a high school curriculum, consider Sonlight. It teaches teens to read, think, and communicate at a level not often seen in incoming freshmen. A Sonlight education absolutely prepares teens for the reading, writing, discussing, and science they will encounter in college.

Bonus: learning how to be an independent learner in high school sets your teen head and shoulders above the average college freshman who has poor to mediocre time management skills. If your teen tends to dawdle, now is the time to drill down on good work habits and learn to stick with a plan. And because your teen’s high school education should be tailored especially for them, look for a mix and match curriculum that lets you build a unique 4-year plan versus a one-size-fits-all program.

3. High School Electives

Homeschooling through high school opens the door to so many extra opportunities for your student. The flexibility of a homeschool schedule allows for job shadowing, volunteering, a part-time job, and electives that your teens are passionate about.

Because you are creating the transcript, you have loads of flexibility for elective credits in unique subjects.

4. A High School Transcript

A transcript is simply a record or resume of what your child has done for four years of high school. If creating one scares you, remember there is no single, right way to make a transcript. Every school has its own design and format, so an admissions officer sees literally hundreds, perhaps thousands, of transcripts a year. Yours will not look any different to the admissions officer than the wide variety of styles the admissions counselor already encounters.

The high school transcript needs just a few parts:

• your grading scale
• the total credits earned for a course
• the courses taken each year
• the student’s name
• your signature

Download this free guide to learn exactly how to create a high school transcript.

5. College & Career Preparation

Ever wondered how college professors can spot a homeschooled student?

They can’t!

In general, homeschoolers blend in well at college, performing at least as well as their peers and often much better. In fact, colleges and universities are actively recruiting homeschoolers because they know homeschool graduates tend to be excellent college students.

Sonlight’s College and Career Planning Program is a great tool to begin using as early as junior high school. Whether college or the work world is your child’s destination, this product is a valuable resource.

You’ll get sample transcripts, pointers on the college admissions process, and testimonies from other homeschoolers who have successfully homeschooled through high school.

Don’t let lack of confidence or fear about transcripts stand in your way of finishing the course and homeschooling through high school to graduation. There are so many resources out there to help with difficult subjects, offer suggestions for high school plans, and encourage you along the way.

You can do it. You can homeschool through high school. Just take it one year at a time, keeping your eye on your 4-year plan.

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