Setting the Records Straight: How to Craft Homeschool Transcripts and Course Descriptions for College Admission and Scholarships Paperback – March 17, 2010

I didn't realize I needed this book. When I saw that it pertained to homeschooling and that it had such a high star rating, I just had to know what all the hoopla was about. I ordered the book, glanced through it and threw it on my "some day" pile. Yesterday, I got a phone call and all of the sudden I needed a transcript for my 10th grader. (My first response was to once again curse the money that I wasted on a computer program called Edutrack. The pain of struggling with that program for hours on end will always haunt me.) I grabbed a cup of coffee and prepared myself for the agony of reading yet another hyped up homeschool book. (I'm a bit of a cynical and have found very few homeschooling books that are actually practical.) To my delight I completely finished reading the entire book in just a few hours and by the end of the evening I had used my computer spread sheet to create a VERY professional transcript for my child. Don't get me wrong, I don't suggest waiting until the last minute to buy and use this book. It worked out for me because we use a very traditional approach to schooling, so it's pretty easy to identify our courses. The book did give me some great ideas in regards to claiming elective credits. If I had to do it all over again, I would have stuck to my original intention of beginning the transcript process a few years ago, but I wouldn't have numbed my mind, and wasted my money by purchasing expensive software that promised to make it simple. It doesn't come any easier or any cheaper than using this book. Usually I read and resell, but this is one of the few books that will stay on my shelf until I am done homeschooling.

This book is a must read for those of you who are thinking of homeschooling through high school. Lee Binz goes through the process of making a homeschool transcript step by step and makes what to some is an overwhelming job seem easy. The book is full of real-life examples of homeschool transcripts that her children and others used to get into the colleges of their choice. She breaks down the whole process of making a transcript into very easy steps.One of the most important things I realized as I read this book is that I need to start working on my son's high school transcript as soon as he starts high school and not wait until he is almost finished.On a side note, I found Lee's children's transcripts a bit intimidating, not in the sense of actually writing one, but more of, "Oh my, is my son up to those standards?" Luckily, she also presents examples of other homeschooler's transcripts which made me not feel so inadequate! Plus, it was actually good to see what other homeschoolers who made it into college did during high school to get into college. It's definitely better to find these things out now, before my son is in high school, than to find out later when it would be harder to catch up.I found Lee's book very informative and highly recommend it.By Susan Kilbride, author of "Science Unit Studies for Homeschoolers and Teachers" and the "Our America" history chapter books.

I loved this book. Loved. I wouldn't say that it's the most comprehensive book out there, but the areas that it does tackle are done impeccably, and leave the reader feeling confident about their ability to see their homeschooler through to graduation and beyond. This book doesn't try to be all things to all people; it focuses on documentation and transcript writing and does it well. Lee Binz (the Homescholar) uses the transcripts and documents from her own children's records as examples, as well as those of numerous other students. It's helpful to see exactly what a good transcript looks like, especially one that doesn't require an umbrella school or an expensive computer program (she uses Microsoft Word for all her documents). Her writing is engaging (lots of exclamation points, which made me laugh) and she drives her point home: you can do this! If you've made the decision to homeschool through high school, this book will give you the tools you need to document it properly. If you're on the fence, Setting the Records Straight may give you the confidence you need to take the leap with your student.

I began homeschooling my child from her 6th grade year and didn't get concerned until her 9th grade year and especially when she expressed a desire to go to college, perhaps. I had her when I was 30 yrs old so I have been out of school almost 28 yrs. Well, needless to say I was worried because I have been learning from her and she is already reached in the 10th grade what I was learning in the 12th grade. So, what was I to do? Where could I go and many of the homeschooling parents of teenagers either have gone on their own, so I don't see them much, they were an ex-teacher or they sent their child to public school, the child quite schooling or they sought help from a current teacher.Here it is, in a nutshell exactly how to help yourself and your student. No college degree of your own needed. This book will assist you in properly describing a course(s), typing out the transcript with actual ones in the book and other resources you can use without paying anyone for it. All you need is in this book!