Parents can maintain records of their students entire homeschool education with a homeschool portfolio. Colleges and universities have full autonomy when it comes to deciding which credits they will accept and which they will not. A homeschool portfolio that keeps accurate homeschool records will assist parents in providing evidential support that the classes taken and materials utilized where consistent with those provided in a traditional education setting. In addition, it is a good way to showcase your students work, even if it is not needed for the assessment.

A homeschool portfolio should consist of a variety of materials, representing the best examples of each subject. It may include a list of books your student read, field trips that provided educational experiences, outside classes they took, transcripts, extracurricular activities, and projects. If projects or other activities are too large to compile in the portfolio, include a picture instead. This might mean holding onto a large amount of work. However, it is a good idea to keep everything your homeschool student does, in case you need to verify completion later. In addition, you may want to photo copy the covers of text and workbooks that your student uses throughout their education.

On an annual basis, portfolios can be kept in a binder with dividers that are labeled for each subject of study. Page protectors can be used to preserve the work in good condition, so it can be used later. During your students senior year, you should work with them to create a senior portfolio that will go to the admissions board with their college or university application. Senior portfolios should be an eclectic collection of the materials from previous portfolios. Plus, they need to include a formal transcript, resume, testing scores, and any other information deemed pertinent to an admission board. Senior portfolios are best presented in a more formal format than a binder. Plus, you will want to retain several copies for future endeavors.