What’s the difference between homeschool transcript electives and extracurriculars?
Difference Between Homeschool Transcript Electives and Extracurriculars
Between the 6 of us 7 Sisters we have almost 30 kids that we’ve homeschooled through high school. That’s a LOT of kids; and they are ALL different! That’s how we learned that there’s not ONE right way to homeschool!
We learned that there’s not ONE right way to earn elective credits for the homeschool transcript. There’s not ONE right way to choose the extracurriculars that show college admissions officers: HERE’s a student with SPARKLE! He/she is really going to add something great to our student body!
Before I give examples of the various thing our various homeschool high schoolers have done for electives and extracurriculars, perhaps I should explain the difference between the two.
Extracurriculars are activities that: 
- Are not part of the core credit curriculum
- Require commitment (not a one-time event)
- Show service-mindedness
- Show ability to work as part of a group or team (important “soft skill”)
- Show community-mindedness
- Show willingness to invest in a cause or interest
- Sometimes highlight leadership ability
Extracurriculars should be listed in a special section of the homeschool transcript. We list our homeschool high schoolers’ extracurriculars and the school year(s) they participated in a box at the bottom of the transcript.
Electives are learning activities:
- Are courses, in some fashion
- Can clearly count for credit
- In-depth learning in core subjects. For instance, students who finish Biology but want more in-depth learning for an elective may choose a course such as Marine Biology or Anatomy and Physiology.
- Learning that explores in-depth an interest area that is not part of the core subjects. My daughter earned Photography and Graphic Design credit at the community college.
- Any course you design that is not required for graduation: Some of our 7Sisters kids wanted to study Cinematography in high school. We couldn’t find a curriculum at the time, so we devised our own experiences. They logged hours, Carnegie unit style, and earned Cinematography credit for the transcript.
- Any activity that requires learning, rigorous work, and drive: Several of my homeschool high schoolers sang in a competition Madrigals choir with other homeschoolers. They logged hours and earned Fine Arts Elective credit.
Some extracurriculars CAN also be electives, if there is significant learning involved. Just don’t inflate the transcript. Showing it in one place is really sparkle enough.
- Choirs
- Sports Teams
- Drama Camps
A few of the electives our 7Sisters teens have done include:
- Career Exploration
- Early Childhood Education
- Human Development
- Psychology
- Sports Psychology
- Philosophy
- Cinematography
- Russian History and Geography
- History of Church Music
- Latin
- Cherokee
- Fitness and Nutrition
- Equestrian Science
- Acting and Directing
- Apologetics
A few of their extracurriculars that colleges have loved include:
- Speech and Debate Team
- Student Government
- Yearbook Staff
- Missions Trips
- Inner-city Mission Volunteer
- Girls’ Hockey
- Soccer Team
- Youth Group
- Church Praise Team
- Church Sound System Volunteer
- Drama Club
As you can see, much of 7Sisters’ curriculum was developed because there was a need within our community. Thus, our courses have been vetted by teens and used for years. Download some elective or extracurricular materials for your homeschool high schoolers!
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