Welcome to our second post in the Homeschooling in High School series. Don’t miss the first post where we talked about Grading & Planning.

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Creating a high school transcript can be overwhelming. It definitely was for me. The thought of trying to organize what we’d done into an acceptable format on paper made me cringe. . .and put it off.

Mistake #1 – don’t put it off. Planning in advance will make this part of homeschool life much easier.

As I mentioned in High School Grading & Planning, in order to plan well for high school, it’s good to know what’s expected first. We found HSLDA’s sample high school plans invaluable. They give invaluable examples of how to plan your student’s high school years. (You can find these forms as well as more great information in HSLDA’s downloadable booklet, A Guide for Homeschooling Through High School.)

What’s a High School Transcript?

A transcript is a record of all the high school courses your student has taken written in a specific format. Most students start high school courses in 9th grade, but if your student took them earlier, say in 8th grade, you can record those as well.

Colleges look over your student’s transcripts as a part of the application process – and like it or not, they already have an idea what they want to see. Plan ahead and request the college’s catalog, from the school of your student’s choice, so you can find their requirements for admission.

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Typical 4-Year Plan

The plan below is a guideline to what a typical college looks for on a student’s transcript.

English – 4 credits

• Examples of courses to take during high school: Grade 9 English, Grade 10 English, Composition, Literature, American Lit, World Lit, British Lit, Rhetoric, Creative Writing, Speech/Communications, Journalism, Debate, Research Writing, Business Writing

Math – 3-4 credits

• Examples of courses to take during high school: Algebra 1 & 2, Geometry, Trigonometry, Pre-Calculus, Calculus, Statistics, Consumer Math, Business Math

History/Social Studies – 3-4 credits

Examples of courses to take during high school:

• Essentials: U.S. History, World History, American History, American Government
• Consider: Economics, Geography, Constitutional Law, World Religions, Psychology, Sociology

Science – 3-4 credits

• Examples of courses to take during high school: Physical Science, Chemistry, Physics, Astronomy, Environmental Science, Biology, Green Technology/Renewable Energy

Second Language – 2-4 credits

• Examples of courses to take during high school: French, Spanish, Latin, German, Russian, etc. (at least two years of the same language is preferred)

Physical Education – 1-2 credits

• Think outside the box here. This doesn’t mean JUST physical activity. It also includes physical education. Learn about muscular movement, the effects exercise has on the heart and lungs. Then have a weekly date at the local gym to play basketball, kickball, or to run laps with some friends, set up relay races and obstacle courses in the yard, have your kids join you when you workout to DVD’s even my teens enjoy. . .

Computer Technology/Fine Arts – 1-2 credits

• Art, Art History, Music, Theater Arts, Media or Theater Production, Photography, Graphic Design, Computer Technology, etc.

Electives – 4 credits

• Practical Arts, Home Economics, Life Skills, Critical Thinking, Career Development, Bible, Church History, Auto Mechanics, Drafting, Webpage Design. . .the list is endless.

Explaining High School Credits

Depending on which state you’re from, your student needs a set number of high school credits by the time they graduate. Here in Minnesota public school students need 24 credits, but home schools are not required to have a set amount. As parents/instructors we choose how many credits our students need in order to graduate. (Check your state homeschool requirements to know what your state says about this.)

Still, as I mentioned before, most colleges know what they want to see on a transcript – be sure to check with your student’s college as soon as you can to create a transcript they’ll ooh and ahh over. 🙂

Or, if you need a little help (I won’t lie – I did!), be sure to connect with Cheri Frame at Credits Before College. Our two high schoolers and Travis and I made an appointment with her last spring, and just a few weeks ago I spent an hour with her on the phone. She totally changed the way we look at college, earning credits, and how to write a transcript. I would give her 5 stars out of 5! Her website is a treasure trove!

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How to Earn High School Credits

There are several ways to determine how a credit is earned:

1.) 1 credit = a finished textbook (about 75% – 100%) by a known publisher (i.e. Saxon,  Abeka). Finishing a book will typically takes 1 year to complete.

2.) 1 credit = 120-180 hours spent on a particular subject. A good rule of thumb is 50 min/day, 5 days/wk for 36 weeks. This is especially useful when giving credit to electives. 

3.) 1 credit = 1 successfully passed CLEP test (more on this in a future post).

4.) 1 credit = 1 semester college class taken during high school (a.k.a. PSEO {more on that in a future post}). 1 college credits is not equal to 1 high school credit. Typically a one-semester college course is equal to that of a one-year high school course. If you’re not sure how your student’s college of choice determines their credits, be sure to check with them

Option #1 is fairly easy to figure out. For example, when your student finishes Advanced Mathematics by Saxon, they’ve earned one credit. But fine arts and electives are a bit harder to determine. That’s when you start logging hours as explained in Option #2. (We’ll talk about Options #3 and #4 in coming posts.)

What are fine arts? Does weaving or needlepoint count? What’s an elective and how do you know whether to classify something as an elective or an extra curricular activity?

Join us for the next post in this series to answer these questions and more!

Homeschooling in High School Series:
Part 1: Grading & Planning
Part 2: Explaining High School Credits
Part 3: Defining Fine Arts, Electives & Extra Curricular Activities
Part 4: How to Prepare A High School Transcript
Part 5: High School Testing
Part 6: Earn Credits with CLEP
Part 7: Earn Credits with DSST/DANTES
Part 8: Earn Credits with Advanced Placement (AP)
Part 9: Earn Credits with PSEO + HSLDA Transcript Service Giveaway!

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Paula Miller, CHS, Metabolic Nutrition Consultant

Hi, I'm Paula - wife and homeschooling mom of six. Several family health issues, including candida and Lyme disease, has created a passion to take care of the bodies God's given us. My husband Travis and I are now free of the candida overgrowth that once caused bloating, brain fog, joint pain, and much more. I love helping clients from around the world to do the same with our Kicking Candida Program. Join our community on Facebook and via weekly newsletter where I share recipes, articles, and insight on living healthy.