A Tale of Two Transcripts
I have a story to tell of a tale of two transcripts. One family completed a transcript that
included the names of their student’s course work and no explanation about the course itself that the student took in high school. Their student did very well on
the ACT and submitted his scores, transcript, essays, and application to a
local university. That student was
accepted and given a small amount of aid. They felt like they probably should
have received more. Why didn't they?
Student number two also applied to the same local
university. This student had a transcript
with course names, but also included course descriptions in their
transcript. The student scored several
points lower on the ACT than the first student, but still did well. Student number two received a higher
scholarship than student number one, and was also was given more money later in
the year to entice them to attend the university. Why
did this happen?
Well, I am guessing it was due to course descriptions. But, what is so special about course
descriptions?
The reality is no two courses are created equal. For instance, we know that Geometry looks different at a public
suburban school versus an inner city public school versus a private school
versus an exclusive private school. It
is the same course, but students will have a very different experience
depending on what type of school they attend.
Each of these schools will have course descriptions on their web sites,
or the admission officers at most colleges know of the
rigor of that course from that high school's reputation or state ranking.
As homeschoolers, no one really knows what is happening in your Geometry course. There are all types of
homeschoolers, and there is no standard to apply to your student’s coursework. Course descriptions are an incredible
opportunity for your homeschooled student to shine and share what they learned. Course descriptions allow you to share with a college what your student has
accomplished and how that learning took place.
Well, student number one did complete
course descriptions when he reapplied the next year. He was admitted to the
college of his dreams and is very happy. Student number
two choose a different college and she received many outside scholarships from
organizations who appreciated seeing the course descriptions. They thanked her for the details of her coursework that helped them when making their decisions on scholarships. So, they both did get a happily ever after.
If you would like some help planning curriculum, completing a transcript, and/or working on course descriptions please contact me or click here to make an appointment. I would
love for your student to have a happily ever after and work with your family!
