Blog

I strongly recommend having an abbreviated activity list on a homeschool transcript. It gives a well-rounded picture of the student and can allow for more scholarships!

Organizing Your Homeschool Activities List for College 

There are two types of activities that are best to put at the beginning of the activities list: the most meaningful, four-year activities, and the most prestigious activities. After those items, include the less prestigious activities and the activities that didn't continue for all four years.

Put a period between each activity; this makes it easier for admissions counselors to read. List full activity name, then the grades during which it was completed (example: 9, 10), and any awards or achievements earned from that activity.

An abbreviated activity list on your homeschool transcript might look something like this:

Activities: Dual Enrollment Student at Renton Community College 12 - Dean's List. Search and Rescue 9, 10, 11, 12 - CPR and First Aid Certified, 9. Artistic Gymnastics 9, 10, 11, 12. High school junior varsity volleyball team 9, Varsity letter 10, 11, 12. Vacation Bible School volunteer 11.

You can see how this looks on a homeschool transcript in this free collection of Record Keeping Samples.

Homeschool Activities Lists Improve Scholarships 

I recommend that you include an activity list with your transcript because it helps to show the individuality of the child, which can improve admission and scholarship potential. Here's how!

Rotten test scores? Compensate for that with an activity list that will showcase your child's awesomeness all the time. Even if you don't have top test scores, each outside activity is additional outside documentation that backs up the content of character, work ethic, and interests.

Selective colleges? Adding the activities will demonstrate the passions of your child, what he or she is good at, and what makes your child unique. Demonstrating your child's passions and variety of interests can help them stand out from the crowd and gain admission (and often scholarships!) into very selective colleges.

What Can I Add to the Transcript Activity List?

Wondering what to add? Look at your calendar to help you remember the activities your child participated in. Scroll through your receipts to see what you have paid for! You can also look over the transcript itself for inspiration, but remember that it's very important to avoid double-dipping with high school credits. Only record each experience as one high school credit.You can, however, use your child's experiences as both an activity and a credit. My high school choir class was a high school credit class AND a high school activity. Learn more about how to avoid double-dipping in my post Double Dipping Explained for the Homeschool Transcript.

Include group experiences, individual activities, memberships, and dual enrollment on your activity list like this:

Activities: Dual enrollment at Highline Community College, 11, 12 - Dean's List 12. Highline Homeschool Orchestra, 9, 10, 11, 12. Martial Arts 9, 10, 11, 12 - Black Belt 12. Martial Arts Assistant Teacher 9, 10, 11, 12.

Read more about the activity list here: How to Create an Extraordinary Activity List for Perfectly Ordinary Teens

Create Comprehensive Homeschool Records 

You can also create a fuller, lengthy activity list that is separate from the transcript. It can look more like a resume would. An activity list is a key ingredient of comprehensive homeschool records that open doors for college admission and scholarships. Let me show you how to create all your records! Register for a free recorded class on Comprehensive Records here: Homeschool Records that Open Doors Webinar

Keep a separate page to list all the details about those activities. You know the difference between a class title and course description: a class title is just two or three words, but a course description is much longer. Imagine that same difference between an abbreviated activity list on the transcript, and a longer, more detailed activity list within the comprehensive records. The full length activity list might give details like the months or hours of work. It might show the activity took 4 months, or 120 hours, or May until October each year. It might mention that it was a volunteer position, that the student was mentioned in the newspaper, or that they became Vice Chair of the organization. While the abbreviated activity list on the transcript is just a few lines long, the detailed activity list in the comprehensive records can easily be a page or two long, giving a full picture of your child's experience.

Abbreviated Activities List Examples 

It's important to include an abbreviated activity list on your homeschool transcript to show the uniqueness of your child in a quick overview. Check out these examples ~ they're very easy to customize with your student's activities!

Activities: Soccer Team 9, 10,11. Swim Team 9,10, 11 - Coaches Award 10. Competitive Chess 9, 10, 11. Student Teacher 9,10, 11. Youth Mission Team 10. Youth Group 9, 10, 11. Worship 9,11.

Or it might look like this:

Activities: Dual Enrollment Student at Renton Community College 12 - Dean's List. Search and Rescue 9, 10, 11, 12 - CPR and First Aid Certified, 9. Artistic Gymnastics 9, 10, 11, 12. High school junior varsity volleyball team 9, Varsity letter 10, 11, 12. Vacation Bible School volunteer 11.

Or it might look like this:

Activities: Highline Homeschool Coop Member 9, 10, 11, 12. Church Youth Group 9, 10, 11, 12 – Vacation Bible School Assistant 11, 12. Crochet and Knitting, 9, 10, 11, 12 – Etsy Store 12. Homeschool Group Skate and Swim 9, 10, 11, 12.

When you give your homeschool transcript to a college, you are trying to convey on one piece of paper a three-dimensional teenager. You don't want to imply "academics only" but are trying to show a real person and their education. Adding a shortened activity list to your child's transcript can show interests and abilities beyond schoolwork.