How to Send High School Transcripts to Colleges

PDF download Download Article
PDF download Download Article

When you start applying to college, you’ll likely be asked to send an official transcript from your high school. This is a document listing all of the classes you took as well the grades you got in those classes. Whether you’re still in high school or you’ve been out of school for a while, it’s easy to request your official transcript.

Method 1
Method 1 of 2:

Requesting Your Transcript If You’re Still in High School

PDF download Download Article
  1. Your guidance counselor is a valuable resource when you’re applying to college. Your counselor can help make sure you understand application requirements, help you narrow down your preferred schools, and may even write letters of recommendation to colleges on your behalf. Even if you haven’t been to the guidance office for application help already, stop by and request your transcript. [1]
  2. Some colleges will give you a form which you must take to your guidance counselor, but if you didn’t get one in your application packet, your high school counselor will likely have their own form for you to fill out. You may be expected to pay a small fee when you request your transcripts, so check with your counselor first. [2]
    • Some schools charge a one-time fee at the start of freshman year, while others require a small fee each time transcripts are requested.
    Advertisement
  3. Your guidance counselor is usually the one who is responsible for sending your transcript to the schools you’ve applied to. If you decide you want to deliver your transcripts yourself, request an official sealed copy. Make sure the envelope containing your transcripts stays sealed until you deliver it to the college registrar. [3]
    • Some schools will not accept transcripts that are delivered by students, even if they are sealed. Be sure to check with your school before choosing this option.
    • Some colleges accept transcripts which are sent electronically, but you'll need to ask your counselor if your high school has this option. Some high schools don't make their transcripts available to online services until after the student has graduated.
    4. Advertisement
Method 2
Method 2 of 2:

Sending Your Transcript If You Have Graduated

PDF download Download Article
  1. Many schools only keep records of current students in their offices. Records for students who have already graduated are often kept at the headquarters of the local school district or the Board of Education for your county. Contact them first to ask about getting copies of your transcript sent to a college. [4]
  2. If your local school district no longer has your school records, they may be stored at the state's Department of Education building. Each state has its own regulations on how long education records must be stored, but most states keep records for at least 50 years.
    • The state of Oregon keeps an original copy of student records for at least 75 years. [5]
  3. Use an online service to request your transcripts for added convenience. There are several respected online services like Parchment, Need My Transcript, or National Student Clearinghouse that allow you to request and send copies of your transcripts for a small fee. Before you pay to send your transcripts online, check with the school to see which electronic services the school will accept. [6]
    4. Advertisement

Expert Q&A

Search
Add New Question
  • Question
    How do I get a copy of my GED transcript?
    Alexander Ruiz, M.Ed.
    College Applications Consultant
    Alexander Ruiz is an Educational Consultant and the Educational Director of Link Educational Institute, a tutoring business based in Claremont, California that provides customizable educational plans, subject and test prep tutoring, and college application consulting. With over a decade and a half of experience in the education industry, Alexander coaches students to increase their self-awareness and emotional intelligence while achieving skills and the goal of achieving skills and higher education. He holds a BA in Psychology from Florida International University and an MA in Education from Georgia Southern University.
    Alexander Ruiz, M.Ed.
    College Applications Consultant
    Expert Answer
    You'll need your traditional ID, proof of identification, and transcripts of any places that you attended in the past. This includes the high school that you were at and anywhere you went from there, like an undergraduate or community college—essentially, anywhere you would have been prior to getting your degree and/or your GED.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 2 Helpful 3
  • Question
    How do you send duel enrollment transcripts to colleges?
    Alexander Ruiz, M.Ed.
    College Applications Consultant
    Alexander Ruiz is an Educational Consultant and the Educational Director of Link Educational Institute, a tutoring business based in Claremont, California that provides customizable educational plans, subject and test prep tutoring, and college application consulting. With over a decade and a half of experience in the education industry, Alexander coaches students to increase their self-awareness and emotional intelligence while achieving skills and the goal of achieving skills and higher education. He holds a BA in Psychology from Florida International University and an MA in Education from Georgia Southern University.
    Alexander Ruiz, M.Ed.
    College Applications Consultant
    Expert Answer
    The best way to do this is during your college application process. They'll have several different portals, one of which is called the Common Application. In this Common Application, they're going to have a section that will ask you for your transcripts from high school or any relevant schools that you've been to—that includes duel enrollment. Just make sure that you're putting the transcripts in the relevant spot within the actual portals of the application that the colleges are giving you.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 1 Helpful 1
  • Question
    Do I have to apply to the college in order to send my transcript?
    Tom De Backer
    Top Answerer
    Sending a transcript is usually in the context of a college application, but hey, if you have any other reason why to send your transcript to the college, go for it.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 14 Helpful 4
See more answers
Ask a Question
200 characters left
Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.
Submit
      Advertisement

      Tips

      • The best way to send your transcripts to the college is through the Common Application portal, which makes the process rather straightforward.
        Thanks
        Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0
      Submit a Tip
      All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published
      Name
      Please provide your name and last initial
      Submit
      Thanks for submitting a tip for review!
      Advertisement

      You Might Also Like

      How to
      Write a Statement of Purpose
      How to
      Apply for the NCLEX
      How to
      Withdraw a College Application
      How to
      Decline Admission to a College After Accepting
      How to
      Get into College
      How to
      Choose a College
      How to
      Apply for a PhD in the US
      How to
      Contact Professors As a Grad School Applicant
      How to
      Get Into an Ivy League School
      How to
      Get Into Law School
      Advertisement

      Expert Interview

      Thanks for reading our article! If you'd like to learn more about sending high school transcripts to colleges, check out our in-depth interview with Alexander Ruiz, M.Ed. .

      References

      1. ↑ https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/get-in/applying-101/applying-to-college-your-counselors-role
      2. ↑ https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/get-in/applying-101/applying-to-college-your-counselors-role
      3. ↑ https://www.cscc.edu/services/registrar/high-school-transcript.shtml
      4. ↑ http://mycollegeguide.org/guru/1/adults-going-back-to-school
      5. ↑ http://www.oregon.gov/ode/students-and-family/Documents/student_records_faq.pdf
      6. ↑ https://www.cscc.edu/services/registrar/high-school-transcript.shtml

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      If you're still in high school, visit your guidance counselor’s office to send your transcript to your preferred colleges. You may have to pay a small fee when you request your official transcripts. Depending on the college you're going to, your counselor will send the transcripts for you, or you can request that a sealed official copy be given directly to you. If you decide to take your transcripts to the college yourself, do not open them or they will not be accepted. For help requesting your high school transcripts if you are no longer in school, keep reading.

      Did this summary help you?
      Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 120,366 times.

      Did this article help you?

      Advertisement