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We know this is a time full of possibilities and plans, but also some pressure too. We are here to help you navigate a successful senior year. While we can’t guarantee a completely stress-free senior year, we will do whatever we can to assist you every step of the way.
Graduation Requirement
Please prioritize reviewing your student's graduation progress throughout senior year. Our High School Course of Study article offers guidance on this. If you have any questions or concerns about graduation progress, reach out to your advisor right away.
Grade Reporting
Please bear in mind, most of our seniors have similar needs and deadlines. Individual student records will not be expedited at the expense of others. We prioritize processing of senior grade portfolios, but your student cannot “skip the line” in the senior queue. Out of fairness, we process portfolios in the order they are received within the senior queue. You can expect to hear back from us with your senior’s updated transcript within 3 weeks of receipt. If you submit multiple years at once, you should anticipate a longer processing time.
We’re still accepting grade reports by mail, but please note that the portfolio will enter the queue on the date it’s received and opened in the office. This method does add some time to the process. If you decide to send your senior’s portfolio by mail, please write “Attn: Seniors” in the address. We strongly recommend digital submissions to [email protected].
Many colleges require mid-year reports. These reports include all first semester grades. Please keep this in mind and submit grades as soon as possible after the conclusion of first semester.
To transfer credits into Kolbe Academy from other schools or providers, please have signed official transcripts sent to [email protected]. You will receive an updated Kolbe transcript once the credits have been transferred. You may expect to hear from us within 2-3 weeks.
When you are ready to submit your portfolio of work for the homeschool courses your student has completed, we have created articles to assist you. We also have a handy visual aid to assist when sending in samples and completing the parent grade submission form. Please find all grade reporting documents in the Welcome Packet and use the following links for detailed guidance on grade reporting:
Senior Grade Reporting Guide
How to Scan Grade Portfolio Documents
Completing the Grade Submission Form and Checklist
Reporting Self-Paced Plus Courses-2023-2024
Commencement & Graduation
Receiving your diploma/graduating and participating in ceremonies are separate milestones with their own processes.
GRADUATION
Please note, we are unable to “rush” transcript or diploma processing to meet ceremony dates. Please see our High School Graduation Process article for more information. Parents are required to submit a Graduation Application after they have reviewed their student's completed high school transcript. Please do not submit this form until you have confirmed that your student's transcript is complete and correct.
COMMENCEMENT
Each year Kolbe Academy hosts a virtual and in-person commencement ceremony to celebrate our students. The event date can be found on School Calendar. Senior families will receive event information and registration information via email. You may expect a "save the date" near the beginning of the academic year with more details to come in late-January. Please keep a close eye on Kolbe's email communications during senior year.
Official Transcript Requests
- Not Always Required: Parchment orders are not always required. You will not need to make a request via parchment for college applications and mid-year reports using the Common Application, college portals, etc.
- Questions: Please take the time to read the FAQ. Most questions about Parchment orders are answered there.
- Transcript Self-View: The transcript on Parchment is not necessarily the most recent version. Click “update” at the bottom of the transcript window to request the updated version to be uploaded. Only do this after you have received an updated grade report or online grades have posted. We receive a request every time "update" is clicked. Rest assured, we only send out the most recent version, which may not match the version in your view if you haven’t updated after changes were made to your transcript.
- Hold for Grades: Select "Hold for Grades" if online grades that you want included have not yet posted to your student's transcript. Select "Hold for Grades" if you have not received an updated grade report after sending in your student's portfolio & you would like those grades included on a transcript. It is best to wait to request transcripts until you know the transcript is ready to go and avoid using the "Hold for Grades" option altogether.
- Student Account: Students should create an account of their own using a personal email address. We strongly recommend not using parent accounts, as this frequently causes ordering problems, including credentials being requested for the wrong student.
- Final Transcripts: You are required to use Parchment final official transcripts. A final official transcript will include your student's graduation date. If your student is going to college, their college will require a final transcript. All final official transcripts are sent using Parchment.
College Planning Resources
Please see our Help Center's College Planning Folder for support and guidance. Topics include everything from discerning among colleges, search resources, detailed application information, letters of recommendation, and more! After you have explored these resources, your best avenue for customized support is your Family Advisor. Please reach out well in advance of senior year to connect with your Family Advisor. We encourage Kolbe high schoolers to take an active part in advising appointments, and this is never more important than junior and senior year.
Career Guidance & Discernment
Please see our Help Center's Career Guidance & Discernment Folder for recommendation, tools, and support related to career guidance and discernment.
