According to the data published by the Indian Ministry of Education, in 2022 more than 7 lakh students from India went for higher education to universities abroad. Canada reported that it admitted over 2 lakh Indian students in 2022, making India their top source for international students. The overall number of applicants is a lot more. Not everyone who applies gets accepted. In fact one of the top reasons for college application rejection is missing application materials including official documentation like academic transcripts, attested degree certificates and so on. It doesn’t have to be.
Let us do a deep dive into this critical piece of your application.
Table of Contents
What is an Academic Transcript?
An academic transcript is a certified record of a student throughout a course of study having a full enrollment history including all courses (or subjects) attempted, grades earned, and degrees and awards conferred.
Types of Academic Transcripts
There are 2 types of academic transcripts –
1. Official transcripts -
An official transcript is prepared and sent by the issuing university usually by the registrar with an original signature of a university official on the university letterhead and is sealed by the university. When students seek admission to a college or university, the official transcript is usually sent directly from the issuing university to the destination university.
2. Unofficial transcripts -
An unofficial transcript is nothing but a photocopy of the official transcript. Most universities accept unofficial transcripts that can be uploaded by the student online along with their application. It is used in the application review process. However if the student is offered admission, they are required to submit their official transcript in order to secure the admission.
Importance of Academic Transcripts to Study Abroad
Education transcripts allow educators to evaluate a candidate’s eligibility for college admission based on their academic record. They can provide all the information they need instead of verifying multiple unorganized documents. This can help in processing college applications faster. As mentioned earlier, students have lost out on admissions because their transcripts were faulty or did not reach the destination university on time.
How is an Academic Transcript Different from a Certificate, Marksheet, Diploma, and Degree?
Every University requires an official transcript of the school and undergraduate grades and marks. This is different from the typical mark sheets that the student receives after every semester or every term. A transcript is a summary of all the marks and grades obtained throughout the entire period of the course along with the details of the grading system and information about the college and University in India. Each university has their unique academic transcript format. A mark sheet usually contains only the marks obtained information for a particular year or semester.
A diploma or a degree are type of certificate that a student is awarded on successful completion of their coursework and passing the required examinations.
What Does an Academic Transcript Contain?
An academic transcript is a detailed record of your previous coursework. It includes:
• A list of all the classes you’ve taken: Depending on your university’s policies for dropping classes, it may also list classes you enrolled in but didn’t complete. It will include the scores you received for all classes. Most transcripts include a number and letter grade.
• A list of dates attended and majors: The transcript will also list the dates during which you took certain classes.
• Grade point average: The transcript may also list your GPA as of your last semester of enrollment, or itemize a GPA for each semester.
• Student information: The transcript will list your full name, date of birth, and student identification number.
• Other institutions: The transcript may list other colleges you attended, as well as transfer credits you received from those colleges.
• Official documentation: An official transcript also contains a seal, signature, or other official documentation indicating the document came from the registrar’s office.
When Does a Student Need Transcripts?
Whenever a student is applying for higher education overseas, they need to submit official transcripts as part of the supporting documentation along with the application. It is to be submitted typically once the student is offered admission by the University. Once the official transcript is submitted, the University verifies the records and only the is the admission secured.
Note – Academic transcripts are also known as transcripts of records or academic transcripts of records.
Summary
It is not always convenient or practical for a student to go back to their university and apply for their academic transcript. We help students solve this problem via our Electronic Transcripts service. The student only has to register online at www.electronictranscripts.com and we take care of the rest; transcript procurement, electronic transcripts delivery to overseas destination. Everything is done online and is a matter of one click. We ensure that the delivery is done on time so that students do not miss out on the deadline and thereby on their dream to study abroad.
