HomeschoolDiploma.com: Diplomas and More (A Schoolhouse Crew Review)

Luke is coming into the home stretch of his senior year. When I asked him if he wanted to take part in the ceremony that our local homeschool group is presenting, he declined. He didn't want to be the center of attention, and said what he'd really like is simply a cake and to told he was done for good. We compromised on having a small family dinner. The one thing I was really going to miss about not having an official graduation was the "conferring of the diploma." When we named Luke, we threw so many names around, and every name had to pass the "say it at graduation as he is handed his diploma" test. I'm happy that thanks to HomeschoolDiploma.com, he's still going to have his whole name said and get a diploma at dinner.

HomeschoolDiploma.com offers custom diplomas for homeschool students. All of their diplomas are beautifully made, and their premier offering is the Exclusive High School Diploma. This diploma can be fully customized for your student: you have your choice of FOUR wording options, two kinds of paper, and four engraved academic seals. What makes this diploma stand above all of the others are the extra touches that make this diploma as unique as your student. The graduate's name is printed in classic lettering (with hand calligraphy), and gilding of the school's name is avalable as well. The diploma also includes a beautiful leather-look cover imprinted with the school's name and (optional) your student's name.

Ultimately, however, we opted to design our diploma using their Personalized High School Diploma. It also can be fully customized with many of the same features as the Exclusive option, but also has a few less "bells and whistles." For example, instead of a full color seal, simple gold embossed foil or black ink seals are available. We chose from the four wording options that showcased Luke's college preparatory program, a Summa Cum Laude seal to acknowledge his hard work, and a personalized cover that reflects our homeschool's colors. Rather than the standard but slightly more ornate letter, we chose the hand calligraphy writing for Luke's name. This simpler diploma feels a better reflection of Luke's personality. We chose to sign Luke's diploma as "Mother" and "Father", but the signature customization for this diploma and ability for group purchases makes this a simple yet elegant option for co-op type groups.

If we had chosen a standard-print diploma, it would have shipped within three business days. Rush options for both production and shipping are available as well. (If it hadn't been for this review opportunity, I would probably be the week before Graduation dinner trying to get our act together, so it's good to know that there are options for other new-to-this-event parents out there!) Our diploma took a little extra time because of the calligraphy option, but we still received it within about a week. I have to admit that seeing a diploma with Luke's name on it made me realize that graduation is coming very quickly.

In addition to diplomas, Homeschool Diploma offers caps and gowns, class rings, and graduation announcements.  While we've decided to eschew most of these, Luke did agree to some cap-and-gown pictures. This is the only year I will naturally have two graduates: Luke from 12th grade and Damien from Kindergarten. He agreed that we could take some pictures of him "for the grandmothers" and a few of him and Damien. You know you're a homeschooler when you have a two hour debate choosing school colors. Luke ultimately decided he wanted to have a red cap and gown, the same as he would have worn had Sacred Heart remained open, with the official school colors being red and royal blue. We ordered him a cap and gown, red and blue tassel, and red and blue honor cords. Their options include caps and gowns and diplomas for elementary and kindergarten graduations as well.  We have a blue kindergarten-sized cap and gown already, but wanted a new tassel as a keepsake for Damien. In my check-listing for Luke, I only ordered one tassel! Ack! Rather than having to place another order, I was able to email Homeschool Diploma and have a matching "little brother" tassel added to the order. Whew!

I am very pleased with the cap and gown.  Though he generally wears larger hats, the "one size" elasticized cap fit Luke well, and the gown easily steamed smooth.  The tassel and honor cords are also nicely made and will become an enduring keepsake.  Instead of some "mall photos," Luke agreed to wearing the cap and gown for a session with a local photographer.  With cap, gown, and diploma, he looks ready to take on the world!

Photo Credit: Maria Kurmlavage
Luminous 5 Photography

It's hard to believe that my baby is quickly closing in on graduation! Between the emotions of this time and just simply never having done this before, I admit to feeling a bit overwhelmed about getting everything together.  Luke will have the low-key graduation he would prefer, while Mama still gets one last indulgence in Pomp and Circumstance, thanks to Homeschool Diploma.

Congratulations to Luke and the rest of the Crew Class of 2016! Follow Homeschool Diploma on social media, and check out the diplomas other future graduates will be receiving by clicking on the banner below.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HomeschoolDiploma
Twitter: https://twitter.com/HomeschlDiploma
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/cornerstonegrad/

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