Common Homeschool Transcript Mistakes

In a previous post, I explained how to make your own parent-made transcript. Now, let’s take a closer look at some of the common homeschool transcript mistakes to avoid.
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As homeschool parents, we want the doors of opportunity to open for our students. If we want equal opportunities for our alternative education, then we need to demonstrate equivalent educational acheivements. The GED is a test score that represents an equivalent education. But, a homeschool transcript can too.

A homeschool transcript is an educational resume that demonstrates an equivalent education to the state issued high school diploma. It’s a forever document that your grad may need years later. It’s our responsiblity to translate what our grads have accomplished.

Since you are reading this post, you’re already on track to avoiding these common homeschool transcript mistakes. Bravo!

Homeschool Transcript Mistakes

Procrastination: The first mistake is procrastination. I am an expert procrastinator, so I get it. Making a transcript is a chore. I’ve seen many people procrastinate about it.

Waiting till Senior Year to make a transcript. This is a mistake because we all suffer from CRS (Can’t Remember Squat). It’s far too easy to forget small details…and even major elements.
Not making a homeschool transcript at all. Even if your child does not want to go to college, it’s a mistake to think that they will never need a transcript.

Since the homeschool law in South Carolina does not specify any requirement to produce a cummulative final document, I’ve seen many people procrastinate about it. But, the homeschool law in South Carolina says the parent is the official record-keeper. It’s part of our responsibility to finalize the necessary proof of graduation.

Click here for my free printable high school planning guide:

Details Matter: The rest of these mistakes are details. Remember that we are trying to translate our homeschool records into a format that is commonly understood. The homeschool transcript is an accurate reflection of the student’s abilities and accomplishments. Getting these details right presents a professional

Mistakes with course titles. We don’t want to list the course titles as Math, Math, Math, Math or Science, Science, Science, Science. The homeschool law states that our course of study should include these subjects: Math, Science, Social Studies, and English Language Arts (called Literature and Composition). However, college admissions need the course titles on the transcript to be more specific. For example. the math credits could be Algebra 1, Algebra 2, Geometry and Calculus.
- English Credits. Literature and Composition is stated in the law as if it is separate subjects. But, they should be included together in the course credit as an English. Grammar and Spelling may be separate textbooks or workbooks. But, grammar and spelling are not separate credits. You can specify what kind of literature was studied for the English credit, such as English 3: American Literature. But, it’s acceptable to just list the English credits as English 1, English 2, English 3, English 4.
- Science Credits. Some sciences are understood to be lab sciences. The Commission on Higher Ed recognizes Biology, Chemistry and Physics as lab sciences. If you state “with lab” on Physical Science, it still doesn’t make it a lab science. It can be a high school science credit, but not a lab science. Check your college admissions requirements for how many lab sciences are necessary. Include lab as part of the science grade, but not part of the course title. Also, do not list lab as a separate credit.

Mistakes with number of credits. We don’t list too many credits or not enough. If you don’t know where your student wants to go, I recommend the SC Diploma standard as your equivalent guideline. SC grads have a minimum of 24 high school credits. But, they can have up to 36, if they earned 8 credits per high school year, plus four high school credits in middle school.
- Not Enough Credits. If you stick to the minimum subjects stated in the law, then you’ll have 16 credits. Your student might not have enough credits to open the doors of opportunity. Some parents also get stuck listing only courses that had a traditional curriculum. Remember that real learning counts and you can create your own high school credits.
- Too Many Credits. Not everything has to be a credit. It’s okay to have some extra curricular activites and studies. Some things are just for the fun of it.

Mistakes with grade values. Transcripts use grade values as the commonly understood language. South Carolina has it’s own uniform grade scale that is spoken by all the colleges and universities in this state. If your student is aiming for a college or university in South Carolina, you need to use the SC Uniform Grade Scale (UGS). These mistakes can make a difference.
- Letter Grades only. You have to specify a number value for the grade, not just the letter value. An “A” is between 90-100. State the number value on your transcript.
- Pass/Fail. Again, you have to specify the number value for the grade earned. The way pass/fail grades are calculated usually makes it a lower score than you would have designated, if you had assigned a grade for it.
- GPA calculations. SC’s GPA is weighted, so the values are higher than the traditional 4.0 scale. There’s a chart to convert each grade value to the GPA value. Here’s more detailed explanation about calculating the GPA on the SC UGS.

As homeschool parents, we want to doors of opportunity to open for our students. If we want equal opportunities for our alternative education, then we need to demonstrate equivalent educational achievements. We can avoid some common transcript mistakes. A professional-quality transcript is the forever document our grads may need years from now.

Consider more about the doors of opportunity
with these Standardized Tests:

More resources for what’s next after High School: