(Hannah Dear, don’t read this. You’ll find out soon enough.)
Did you hear the screaming? It was me. I was asked to review a diploma from HomeschoolDiploma.com, and I was so excited that I broke through my normally calm exterior (ahem) and got just a leeeeeetle bit loud. Their newest release is the Exclusive High School Diploma, which is beautiful, but I ordered one that was more suited to us, the Personalized High School Diploma. While I received a free diploma (technically, Hannah did), I did purchase a few items as well. All opinions are my own, unless someone effectively whispered their own opinions in my ear while I was sleeping–it could happen.
I’m almost embarrassed by how over-the-top excited I am about the diploma our Hannah Marie received from HomeschoolDiploma.com.
First, let me yammer a bit. We are often asked how our kids will get a high school diploma if they don’t go to a real school, and if they don’t go to a real school and don’t get a diploma, how will they ever get a job?! I think this is hilarious, because nobody has ever seen my high school diploma, and I have had more than my fair share of jobs.
It isn’t the diploma you need; it’s the education.
That said, a diploma is a nice–very nice–way to represent a major achievement, in this case, the completion of homeschool high school. True, you can make your own, which was our plan, but I’m off-the-wall happy that we went with this beauty from HomeschoolDiploma.com.
Why?
First, it’s finished. I would still be tweaking and researching and rewriting and tearing out my nose hairs over the whole thing. True story.
Second, look at it! It’s beautiful and very, very professional. I’m proud to give it to our Hannah.
We haven’t signed it yet, because I’m scared, but they do have a direction sheet for how to sign it, and there is a replacement diploma available at a fraction of the cost when if we mess this up.
What is the diploma-buying experience like?
There are several basic diplomas to choose from, and you build from there. You simply answer one question after another until you have a unique masterpiece. It’s all simple and self-explanatory, but there are info pop-ups available if you have questions. (I had questions–shocker!)
You can add honors stickers, seals, signatures, handwritten lettering, and all sorts of different alterations that make each diploma truly unique.
You can even create your own family’s embossing seal–very special! That is an excellent option if you do want to make your own diploma.
My favorite part of the one we chose (Personalized High School Diploma) is the choice wording. Since we are more concerned with preparing our children with a solid faith and real life skills than we are with knowing who was 15th in line to the throne of England, I felt this wording was perfect! I got choked up. (I know–I have issues.)
We even were able to add her confirmation verse.
And the owner of the company–she is a gem! I can’t remember why I was chatting with her, but she was helpful, informative, and as enthused as I am, the poor dear.
It’s not just diplomas!
We also ordered a mortar board (funny hat, as my kids describe it) and a tassel. You can order back dates like we did since Hannah technically graduated in 2015, and we had a baby instead of a party. They are the same quality you get from the “real” schools where they get “real” mortar boards and “real” diplomas that nobody ever sees.
Here it is modeled by the lovely and scholarly Emily Rose:
Actually, the hat itself was a better quality than our high school and college caps. The tassel is the thin kind–I prefer the thick kind, but the cost of the tassel versus the cost of the education that gave me the thick tassel and lots of debt–well, I’ll take the thinner tassel
The announcements are very high quality, and the wording is beautiful!
We are truly very pleased with our diploma from HomeschoolDiplomas.com. I can’t recommend them highly enough.
Additional thoughts for my fellow roadschoolers:
I have only heard of this happening one time, but a fellow full-time RV family was asked to prove that their children were homeschooled before being able to stay in an RV park. Really? Yes, really. In America?! Yes, America. Crazy I know. I don’t know what else out there is like that. Perhaps some jobs or RV parks or other places of repute actually will want to see a diploma…I dunno. Crazy world, crazy people, crazy requirements.
Anyway, HomeschoolDiplomas.com offers a duplicate version of the diploma you can keep in your important papers safe, as well as the wallet-sized laminated diploma seen here, which is what we bought. For a few dollars more, it gives you peace of mind against all the crazies. That and a Colt 22.
Go here to read reviews from homeschoolers who don’t get quite so emotional over a pretty piece of paper:
