Colleges use high school transcripts to determine whether or not a student should be offered admission. A transcript is a record of the final cumulative grade the student received for each year that, when averaged out, reveals their grade point average.
Most students have never even heard of a transcript much less know of its importance, until senior year of high school. Not only are the grades for core subjects considered, but so are elective courses such as foreign languages, art, music, and home economics. Each year of high school accounts for a quarter of the student’s GPA. High school transcripts are also necessary if you plan to transfer from one college to another.
Every aspect of academia, especially high school, is very important as it paves the way to college. They are not interested in strong starts and lukewarm finishes; they desire consistency, and a student that cares about what he or she is doing. Taking challenging courses is another sure way to show your potential college admissions board that you are serious about what you are doing, and how you will perform if you are admitted into their school. Keeping the grades up will guarantee admission to the best colleges.
In order for a student to do well throughout high school, they must have a plan. Guidance counselors and parents alike need to be a team working with the student. It is important that parents do not project their own wishes on the student because they will never succeed in a career they chose in order to please a loved one. Parents should be supportive of their children’s choices. Likewise, the student needs to be willing to listen to the people giving the advice since they have the life experience to give.