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sending transcripts from outside providers


lewelma
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Hi guys,

 

I'm having some trouble figuring out how to send all ds's transcripts to the seven schools he is applying to.  5 are on the common app, 2 are not. Specifically ds has:

 

1) A transcript from the local university

2) his high school transcript from the NZ qualification authority (this represents 1/3 of his course work and is all his exams scores). This is separate from my homeschool transcript which I have made very clear in his application.

3) Grades from other educational partners that are accredited but don't confer degrees.  

4) A diploma from ABRSM Royal School of Music that he will earn in December.

 

If I'm the counselor on the common app (and for the other 2 universities), do I collect all these documents and attach them to the transcript section?  Or do the different schools send the transcripts directly to the universities ds is applying to?  Or is there some place in the common app that I have missed where these schools upload them directly there (and then send them to the 2 other schools also)?

 

Feeling like these answers should be obvious, but they don't seem to be. Thanks for the advice,

 

Ruth in NZ

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Ok. Local uni sends them directly to all 7 schools.

 

What about the other high school level providers? One of which produces a NZ official high school diploma? Doesn't seem like they can upload it into the common app because I'm the counselor. Send directly?

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Hi guys,

 

I'm having some trouble figuring out how to send all ds's transcripts to the seven schools he is applying to.  5 are on the common app, 2 are not. Specifically ds has:

 

1) A transcript from the local university

2) his high school transcript from the NZ qualification authority (this represents 1/3 of his course work and is all his exams scores). This is separate from my homeschool transcript which I have made very clear in his application.

3) Grades from other educational partners that are accredited but don't confer degrees.  

4) A diploma from ABRSM Royal School of Music that he will earn in December.

 

If I'm the counselor on the common app (and for the other 2 universities), do I collect all these documents and attach them to the transcript section?  Or do the different schools send the transcripts directly to the universities ds is applying to?  Or is there some place in the common app that I have missed where these schools upload them directly there (and then send them to the 2 other schools also)?

 

Feeling like these answers should be obvious, but they don't seem to be. Thanks for the advice,

 

Ruth in NZ

Fwiw, I didn't have transcripts sent from educational partners that were accredited but didn't confer degrees.  All of the grades from these entities were listed on the homeschool transcript.  This approach has not been an issue for either of my boys, and no adcom has ever requested to see the transcripts from these educational partners. 

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No idea. What did the colleges say when you talked to admissions?

What do providers say? Do they customarily send transcripts places? Or do they always just provide to the homeschool?

 

Still gathering information as I'm going to call all the providers today. 

 

But basically, you guys are saying I'm not missing some extra slot on the common app for extra transcripts beyond what the counselor uploads?

 

I just have heard on this board for quite some time that universities like to see verification of mommy grades.  I always assumed that the universities would want transcripts from these outside providers for this verification. I'm surprised to hear it is good enough for me to say xxx provider gave ds an A without some sort of written proof sent directly from the provider.

 

 Is it useful to gather these transcripts and then attach them to my own transcript? 

 

DS has a NZ highschool diploma from NZ qualifications authority.  I assume this transcript would be sent directly, even through it is only 1/3 of ds's coursework (It is the equivalent of 5 AP exams, so he got it done pretty quickly).  I am not issuing a homeschool diploma because he has an official diploma from NZ.

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I would definitely provide outside documentation and substantiation for mommy grades!

In the US, any school the applicant has attended during high school sends an official transcript to the college. But you can have outside providers that just supply the homeschooling parents with a grade suggestion, and the parent is free to use that on the transcript how she sees fit.

Edited by regentrude
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OK, 2 schools I think - one university + one high school. They send the transcripts directly to the 7 universities. I upload the homeschool transcript with the common app in the counselor's section.

 

Does this mean that I should only list these 2 schools in the additional schools section on the common app?  Currently I have put NZ school and AoPS in the school section, and local uni and Royal School of Music in the university section.  Should I only put local uni and NZ school, so the 2 that send transcripts?  All 4 are listed on my homeschool transcript with superscripts and footnotes as providing external grades. 

 

DS will earn a diploma from Royal School of Music in November. This is a degree bearing program, but not a school. How do I handle them?

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On the counselor section, you will have a mid-year report that mostly asks about any changes to coursework/grades. At that time, you could easily upload a Royal School of Music diploma. However decision making will most likely already be in progress so I'd make sure that it is known that he is expected to get it in November.

 

For any schools that are NOT sending transcripts directly, I would attach all the "extra" transcripts to mine in one big pdf file. I'd be tempted to go ahead and provide unofficial copies of outside university/school transcripts as well, just so that everything is all in one place in the common app. 

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Personally, I would collect all of them and upload copies to the school report. This ensures that everything gets there. Then, follow up with the schools, tell them the unofficial copies are uploaded and your plan is to send official copies after accepting admission. Ask which ones (if any) they need official copies of before acceptance and send additional copies of those.

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Decision making and music diploma: The deadline is Jan 1 for five of his schools.  One is Nov 1 (which doesn't use the common app) and one is rolling admission starting now (which uses the common app).  Wouldn't the five schools see the music diploma?  Can I upload it into the counselor section after he gets it?  Or does the counselor section lock down because of the rolling admission school using the common app?

 

unofficial transcripts: this is what I was thinking of doing.  Getting all the transcripts and making a single PDF of the lot with mine on top. Alternatively, I could just merge mine with his AoPS transcript (7 courses on it) and his ABRSM grade 8 certificate (no transcript, just certificate).  That would make 3 pages of transcripts.  His NZ school transcript is 5 pages long, so may want to keep it separate (sent by them) just because it is big!  Why would it be good to have everything in one place?  Do universities lose documents?  

 

I'm having a small panic as I did not realize that one of the universities was rolling admissions!

 

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I only sent transcripts from degree-granting institutions. I did not worry about transcripts from places like AP Homeschoolers.

 

Keep in mind, he is applying to places that get thousands of applications. You don't want to send unnecessary pieces of paper/documentation. He has a fair amount of standardized test results, correct? That provides a lot of validation for grades.

Edited by Gr8lander
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Decision making and music diploma: The deadline is Jan 1 for five of his schools.  One is Nov 1 (which doesn't use the common app) and one is rolling admission starting now (which uses the common app).  Wouldn't the five schools see the music diploma?  Can I upload it into the counselor section after he gets it?  Or does the counselor section lock down because of the rolling admission school using the common app?

 

unofficial transcripts: this is what I was thinking of doing.  Getting all the transcripts and making a single PDF of the lot with mine on top. Alternatively, I could just merge mine with his AoPS transcript (7 courses on it) and his ABRSM grade 8 certificate (no transcript, just certificate).  That would make 3 pages of transcripts.  His NZ school transcript is 5 pages long, so may want to keep it separate (sent by them) just because it is big!  Why would it be good to have everything in one place?  Do universities lose documents?

 

Where is the music diploma for the schools to see?

 

I don't remember whether you can change the school portion of the CA, but you will be able, and required, to submit a mid year report with semester grades, and you could upload the diploma then.

 

You can upload multiple transcripts as separate files.  That's what I would do. There is a size limit for uploads, so one huge pdf would exceed the limit. I would upload the other transcripts as secondary, tertiary etc transcript. You can choose a number.

The Common App merges all documents that have been uploaded into one huge file. They can't lose a part of it,

 

Now, yes, universities do lose documents. One college lost DD's application; we know they had downloaded it from the CA since she got an email with login for the uni portal. Took a while to sort that out. 

 

ETA: If he gets a music diploma, why bother with the ABRSM cert? I would just list this.

Edited by regentrude
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Personally, I would collect all of them and upload copies to the school report. This ensures that everything gets there. Then, follow up with the schools, tell them the unofficial copies are uploaded and your plan is to send official copies after accepting admission. Ask which ones (if any) they need official copies of before acceptance and send additional copies of those.

 

We were writing at the same time.  

 

So schools will give acceptance without official copies?!?!?  So I need to call each school and ask how they want me to handle it? yikes. crazy time delay right now (16 hours), I might be up all night!

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So schools will give acceptance without official copies?!?!? 

 

They will want to see official transcripts from any schools and colleges. But not from other providers.

His electronic application portal will show which items have been received by the college and which are still required.

 

ETA: My kids' college applications had status "incomplete" until the official college transcripts had been received. I do not believe the schools process incomplete applications.

Edited by regentrude
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Standardized test results: yes, SAT, 2 subject tests, plus the equivalent of 5 APs that are the NZ national exams. All of these tests scores are outstanding. So skip the AoPS transcript? He did get 9th in the Australian Math Olympiad in April, so maybe I don't need outside verification that has gotten As in math throughout highschool.

 

Music diploma - this seems important to me to the overall picture of ds as a student. After math, he spends the most time on music, and has leadership and extracurricular in the area.  This diploma is not easy to come by.  We are actually paying to fly an assessor out from the UK.  If it only goes in as mid-year report, then they won't be using it.  If I delay locking down the counselor section so I can upload it before the January 1 deadline, then ds would have to apply later to the one university with rolling admission, and they said that it gets more and more competitive as the season wears on and the class fills.  Do I have this right? ug.

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Standardized test results: yes, SAT, 2 subject tests, plus the equivalent of 5 APs that are the NZ national exams. All of these tests scores are outstanding. So skip the AoPS transcript? He did get 9th in the Australian Math Olympiad in April, so maybe I don't need outside verification that has gotten As in math throughout highschool.

 

Music diploma - this seems important to me to the overall picture of ds as a student. After math, he spends the most time on music, and has leadership and extracurricular in the area.  This diploma is not easy to come by.  We are actually paying to fly an assessor out from the UK.  If it only goes in as mid-year report, then they won't be using it.  If I delay locking down the counselor section so I can upload it before the January 1 deadline, then ds would have to apply later to the one university with rolling admission, and they said that it gets more and more competitive as the season wears on and the class fills.  Do I have this right? ug.

 

If AoPS only substantiates the A's on your homeschool transcript (or where else are the math grades listed?) then yes, skip.

You do not need validation for every single thing - grades just need to be comensurate with test scores. For a math olympiad kid, math A's are to be expected. Also, he has university grades as well!

 

Talk about the music diploma in the school profile and/or counselor letter. He should talk about his music pursuits in the extracurriculars section and mention it there.

he should absolutely apply early for the school with rolling admission and not wait for the music diploma.

Edited by regentrude
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ETA: If he gets a music diploma, why bother with the ABRSM cert? I would just list this.

 

Grade 8 ABRSM is equivalent to AP.  DipABRSM is a diploma that gives ds letters after his name.  ABRSM does not send out transcripts. Verification is in the form of cerfificates.

 

I was simply thinking they would need verification of my grades in the form of transcripts or certificates.  But sounds like I just say that ABRSM gave him the grade, I'm reporting it, and I'm not sending anything official for the Grade 8 exam. 

 

Not clear on whether they will require documentation for the diploma, as it is post-secondary, is a diploma, but is not a school but rather an examining body.  thoughts?

 

eta: writing at the same time again.  I will not wait on the university with rolling admission, so will lock down the counselor materials. However, thoughts on the documentation for the diploma?

Edited by lewelma
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At the university I work for (in admissions), we would want an official university transcript (mailed directly from them), an official high school transcript, and your "mommy" transcript. Everything else could be listed out on a resume and that would make it all a lot easier to read than sorting through all the different certificates. I wouldn't think the music diploma is necessary unless he's going into a music program and wants transfer credit or advanced placement. Then the university would have to tell you what sort of documentation they need to evaluate. 

 

 

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Ok: summary of what you guys are saying.  

 

University and NZ school to send official transcripts to all 7 schools.  I will not put unofficial copies in the counselor section of the common app.

NZ school will also send mid-year grades officially.  I will also send my mid-year grades in counselor section of common app.

AoPS transcript not needed

ABRSM diploma listed in application. Informal certificate can be sent as an mid-year grade in counselor section of common app.

 

is this right?

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Once you hit submit a student's data in the counselor report in the Common App, it is final and cannot be edited for a different college. However, you can submit additional reports, including the optional report, midterm report, and final report. Each report is submitted only once.

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Ok: summary of what you guys are saying.  

 

University and NZ school to send official transcripts to all 7 schools.  I will not put unofficial copies in the counselor section of the common app.

NZ school will also send mid-year grades officially.  I will also send my mid-year grades in counselor section of common app.

AoPS transcript not needed

ABRSM diploma listed in application. Informal certificate can be sent as an mid-year grade in counselor section of common app.

 

is this right?

 

Sounds good to me, though I am not sure that you really need to send a copy of the ABRSM informal certificate. Just listing the achievement is enough, IMO.

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So how do I make sure these transcripts will end up in my ds's file at each school?. One of the schools (that doesn't use the college application) has a portal, so I'll know when they show up. For the other schools, do I have to finish the collage app for a file to be made so these transcripts have a place to go? I've already sent SAT scores back in June, so does that mean they already have a file? How does this work? Is there an order of events?

Edited by lewelma
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So how do I make sure these transcripts will end up in my ds's file at each school?. One of the schools (that doesn't use the college application) has a portal, so I'll know when they show up. For the other schools, do I have to finish the collage app for a file to be made so these transcripts have a place to go? I've already sent SAT scores back in June, so does that mean they already have a file? How does this work? Is there an order of events?

 

I would finish the application so a file is generated. Otherwise, papers that are sent are floating around in limbo; one would hope they get filed in a  way they can be retrieved when an application is created, but I would not hold my breath.

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I've got a problem, then.  There is one university with rolling admissions which uses the common app.  The transcripts will take 2 weeks to process and a week to arrive.  In 3 weeks, we will have the common app done, but I don't really want a 3 week delay at that point for the transcripts. Is it worth a call?

 

So in general, you submit the common app and the supplemental before sending transcripts to universities?  It is $25 per transcript I send, unless I bulk send them (then only $15 after the first one), so I don't really want to be sending them one at a time as ds finishes the supplementals. Plus, I'm a bit nervous about the transcripts, because the registrar was kind of confused as to why a high schooler would have taken classes at a university, as it is just not done here. So I think I should get this done early in case they muck it up.  So I don't really want to wait until we get the common app done.

 

What about the SAT scores we have already sent?  Are universities pretty good about matching documents to applications that come later? 

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Just called the university again, and there is a bigger problem. The university can email a pdf of the transcript to the universities or they can send us a paper copy.  They do not mail paper copies and they are not apart of secure delivery service like Parchment. They simply don't mail transcript hardly ever.  High schoolers don't take university classes here.  I'm not sure how I'm going to get an 'official' transcript from an American point of view.  Suggestions.

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Just called the university again, and there is a bigger problem. The university can email a pdf of the transcript to the universities or they can send us a paper copy.  They do not mail paper copies and they are not apart of secure delivery service like Parchment. They simply don't mail transcript hardly ever.  High schoolers don't take university classes here.  I'm not sure how I'm going to get an 'official' transcript from an American point of view.  Suggestions.

 

Contact the universities to which he is applying (or e mail. I know some of these schools do not offer an easy way to contact them directly) and ask for guidance.

 

We received official transcripts in the mail at our house for various reasons that we could forward on to others. The university sending them usually marks the envelope "official transcript" and has a seal on the back where the envelope closes (so it is obvious if the envelope is opened/tampered with.) I suspect that sort of thing would be fine.

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ok, I'll call again.  I doubt they have an official transcript stamp or fancy seal given they don't do this, but would a signature over the sealed envelop work? 

 

I wonder if I should clarify in my counselor letter that there is no dual enrolment in NZ, and that high school kids just don't take university classes. 

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Universities have a way of managing documents received before they have an application from the student. As long as it's clear from the info on the transcript that it is the same student as the student they get an application from in the future, they should get matched up. Of course, errors always happen. You're probably fine having already sent the transcripts, but after a few weeks it doesn't hurt to call or email Admissions and ask if they have received it.

 

Also contact Admissions at each university to ask what to do about the NZ university that won't mail a transcript straight to them. At my university, we don't accept a transcript that's been delivered by the student as a official, even if it is still sealed. But other universities might. And if not, the international admissions office is probably familiar with how different countries work. So they'd probably say, "Oh, yeah, we know NZ is like that. So go ahead and do it this way...". Or they might say, "we've gotten transcripts from this university before. Call again and this time ask for...". 

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Ok, I'm still confused (and feeling a bit like an idiot).  *Where* am I supposed to get my local university to send transcripts?  I called U of M and they gave me an e-mail address, but I don't want to call each university especially since the time zone difference is currently 16 hours!  Where do they list the physical address or e-mail address to send stuff?  It seems like it should be really obvious since so many students do DE, especially at the top universities, and I have a hard time believing that they want every single applicant to call them. 

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Ok, I'm still confused (and feeling a bit like an idiot).  *Where* am I supposed to get my local university to send transcripts?  I called U of M and they gave me an e-mail address, but I don't want to call each university especially since the time zone difference is currently 16 hours!  Where do they list the physical address or e-mail address to send stuff?  It seems like it should be really obvious since so many students do DE, especially at the top universities, and I have a hard time believing that they want every single applicant to call them. 

 

They should send it to the admissions office. They will have the contact information on the university website under admissions.

 

ETA: It may be all the way at the bottom of the web page.

Edited by regentrude
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Ok, I'm still confused (and feeling a bit like an idiot).  *Where* am I supposed to get my local university to send transcripts?  I called U of M and they gave me an e-mail address, but I don't want to call each university especially since the time zone difference is currently 16 hours!  Where do they list the physical address or e-mail address to send stuff?  It seems like it should be really obvious since so many students do DE, especially at the top universities, and I have a hard time believing that they want every single applicant to call them. 

 

Yes, look for the admissions office address on the website. It really can get complicated! Hang in there.

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