Portfolios
A portfolio consists of descriptions and examples of the student’s work and accomplishments. In addition to work samples, it may include programs, articles, photos, letters of recommendation, and more. Usually the student or parents also write a letter describing the homeschooling program.

Homeschoolers submit the portfolio, together with the standardized test scores and basic application information (name, address, birth date, and other data required for all applications), instead of a transcript. For more details, read one family’s successful experience with this approach (College Admissions: A Guide for homeschoolers by Judy Gelner).

With the portfolio approach,
you are asking the school to understand and evaluate the student on your terms. Additionally, the portfolio acts as a screening device. The rationale here is, "If they can’t handle this type of application, this college is not the right place for our student." Admissions officers reviewing portfolios will be looking for evidence of superior achievement in one or more areas. They will not necessarily be attempting to fit the student’s accomplishments into their list of suggested high school studies.

Portfolio submissions do appear risky. However, some students will be better off with a portfolio than a transcript. A portfolio may best represent and depict the activities of unschoolers – those whose homeschooling is based on student-directed projects and on real world experiences. The unschooler who has pursued one or more interests in depth will have little trouble in making a good presentation.

In some cases the transcript
magnifies weaknesses and obscures strengths.
A student who has spent years developing and running a business can put his experience into transcript format; but his background will probably be more impressive as a portfolio presentation. An award-winning artist or a computer programmer who has successfully marketed his ideas may find himself in a similar position.

Some colleges and universities consider themselves highly innovative. They look for students with non-traditional backgrounds and non-traditional documentation. Examples would be Antioch College in Ohio and Colorado College in Colorado (see appendix G of the book). A portfolio submission usually impresses admissions officers at these non-traditional schools.

Portfolios do present difficulties.
Due to time constraints, some admissions officers have to do everything by the numbers (formulas applied to grade point averages and standardized test scores). This is particularly true at some large state colleges and universities. Portfolios can make the job of reviewing candidates so onerous that admissions officers at some larger institutions will simply suggest that the student apply elsewhere.

Additionally portfolios run the risk of being rejected by the occasional admissions officer who tries to ft the portfolio data into the list of recommended college preparatory high school courses. Reports also indicate that portfolios are more likely to baffle junior college admissions personnel.

Transcripts
The solution? Consider writing a home-brew master transcript. Put materials and documentation into a familiar format. List courses. Write course descriptions. Recount high school homeschooling on their terms. A transcript makes it easy for colleges to understand and categorize your student according to their criteria.

Homeschooled students who have used traditional and unit study materials, in whole o in part, will find that a transcript readily documents their work. A transcript also documents unschooling activities and projects, more easily than you might guess.

The benefits of writing a master transcript are many. For students applying to a large state college or university, a transcript provides admissions personnel with the numbers they need. Community college applicants will spend less time explaining homeschooling (although either way, junior colleges with open admissions policies will admit the student). Conservative colleges and universities are receptive to transcripts.

Furthermore, transcripts server other purposes. You may use them to obtain lower driver’s insurance rates. Some states require them to obtain student wok permits. A transcript can help your student gain admission to special program for high school students, programs like Aviation Challenge at Space Camp or Talent Search at various universities. Applications for scholarships not administered by college financial aid offices (local scholarships, ROTC scholarships) often require transcripts.

Now that we have done several transcripts and updates, I also have been pleasantly surprised by the motivation transcripts create. Students look at the finished product and realize just how much they have accomplished. Many students are spurred to greater efforts to have a more complete transcript.

As previously stated, writing a transcript does not commit the family to any one approach to homeschooling. A transcript format is compatible with all homeschooling approaches; unschoolers, those who use a unit study approach, traditionalists, and eclectics, like us.