Howdy folks! How is your study abroad journey progressing? We hope you are making pacy progress towards your perfect test scores and also performing school research. Another important thing you can get done in the background is your academic transcript, a key element in your application. This post will cover all there is to know about transcripts!

What is a transcript?

As the name suggests, transcripts are a record of your academic performance. Transcripts are produced by your school/university, are printed on official stationery, and must document coursework and your performance in detail. They are similar to marksheets but may require additional information.

How are transcripts issued and used?

Official transcripts are issued in two forms: either as a hard copy, which is officially signed and stamped by your academic institute and placed in a sealed envelope, or as a soft copy, which is an electronic version of the hard copy without the sealed envelope.

Transcripts are to be directly sent to the institute where you are applying. This can be done by your school or, in most cases, by the applicant himself.

What must a transcript contain?

There is no standard format for a transcript but certain pieces of information must appear in them.

• Your full name
• Full name of your school, with its address and contact information
• Board of Education your school is affiliated to
• Name of the Course/Degree/Qualification and course duration and dates
• Subject-wise marks/score in a tabular format for all semesters/terms
• Overall grade and its equivalence in terms of Grade Point Average, if available
• Your position in the class/school – Top 1%, Top 5% etc

If you are still in school and your course/degree is not entirely complete, you can get partial transcripts for the purpose of the application. You will be required to submit a full transcript at a later date, in that case.

Why is all of the above information required?

When you are in a particular institute, all the students in your class study the same material and take the same tests. It is easy to compare students’ performance in such an environment. But how does your target university compare your scores from India, to another candidate from another country? To create a level playing field, the target university would like to know the basis of evaluation, syllabus covered, and your standing in the larger population of your school.

How to obtain a transcript?

Franky, the is no direct answer to this question. While large universities that deal with hundreds of transcripts requests for study abroad purposes have an established transcript application process, smaller universities or individual schools may not have such a mechanism. The best way to check what applies to your case is to ask your school registrar or faculty, or another student from your institute that has gone through the process earlier. Be ready to explain what this entire business is all about, because your school may not be well aware of it.

When to apply for transcripts?

Getting transcripts may take a bit of time and efforts, so you must get them while you are preparing for your tests. This will ensure that you are not dependent on your school until the eleventh hour and can directly get into the application work when your test score arrives.

What if you cannot obtain a transcript?

No matter how well you plan things, it is possible that you do not get your transcripts and your application date is fast approaching. Do not worry. You can always write to your target universities and explain your case. It is possible that they provide you an extension for getting your transcripts in. Remember, they will only help you if you have have been active in getting your transcripts and have been delayed due to factors beyond your control. They will most certainly not grant your request if it does not appear to be a genuine concern. Either way, your application, even if accepted, will not be evaluated until your transcripts are in, so your best course of action is to get them at the earliest.

What’s Next?

Action is the backbone of Beyond Consultant‘s approach! So get up and apply for your own transcript today. Let us know how it went. For any questions, shoot us a comment below.

At Beyond Consultant, we help you bring your dreams to life, by guiding in your overseas education journey. For a free consultation, please get in touch with us here.