My Go-To High School Transcript Template: Download link below
About this template
The purpose of this template is to give you an idea of the basic pieces of information that should appear on a high school transcript. This template includes courses that are typically found on a high school transcript. The courses your child takes may be different.
How many credits are required to graduate?
Homeschools, depending on the state, may have the liberty to graduate students according to their own requirements. For reference though, locate the total course unit requirement to graduate on your state’s public education website. The minimum number varies from 13 (California) to 24 (many other states). The Education Commission of the United States has a helpful 50-State Comparison table. If your student is targeting freshman admission to a four-year college, the total number of course units should be higher than the state minimum.
What courses are required on a transcript?
Depending on the state in which you live, homeschoolers may or may not have the liberty to choose what courses their children take. If you have the liberty to choose, you may want to investigate the admission requirements at target colleges too. College websites post course requirements for admissions. If you can, start thinking about the courses you want on the high school transcript before your student begins high school, preferably during the 8th grade year; some homeschoolers choose to include 8th grade credits on the high school transcript. For ideas on how to begin the planning process, read The High School Transcript: A Targeted Approach.
Weighted or unweighted GPA?
You will need to check in with the target college to verify how they want the GPA to be represented. Our community college requires an unweighted GPA or a letter from the high school showing the adjusted GPA.
Courses in progress
Your student will most likely be taking courses when applying to a college so there will be no final grade for these courses. List these courses on the transcript and write “IP” in the grade column to indicate that the course is “in progress.”
Expected date of graduation
If your student has not completed all the courses to graduate high school, change the “graduation date” to “expected graduation date.”
More on Transcripts
Homeschool Transcript Checklist (Facts one college wants to see on a homeschool transcript)
The High School Transcript: A Targeted Approach (How many credits are needed? Which credits are needed?)
Transcripts: How to Calculate Course Credits (How to account for different types of credits.)
8th Grade Credits on the High School Transcript (Should you or should you not do this?)
Concluding Thoughts
Drafting a high school transcript is a breeze if you have a trusted template at your disposal. Start drafting a transcript in the 8th or 9th grade and update each year. It will help you avoid the stress of writing one from scratch at the very last minute! Maintaining a transcript will track progress and help with planning too. When it comes time to apply to a college or enroll in a traditional high school, your transcript will be ready to roll.
Before submitting the transcript, check out the school’s website to see if it provides transcript guidelines and then make necessary tweaks. This information can usually be found under application or admissions process. Try to submit the transcript as soon as possible in case the school wants you to modify the transcript. If the school kicks the transcript back, don’t stress too much about that. Put down the candy bar, make the suggested changes, and resubmit quickly. The college application process can be stressful for parents. To reduce the need to stress eat around application time, be proactive and keep a running transcript throughout high school. You will thank yourself!