How do I know if a college wants me to send a transcript via mail or via CommonApp?

Applying to College
1

This is probably a basic question, but I am super confused and stressed out.

The college I’m applying to says the official high school transcript “must be sent directly from school,” with no further detail, which I assume means that I must mail it. However, my counselor insists that the transcript can be sent through CommonApp.
I’ve noticed in CommonApp that there is no “transcript” in the checklist under my counselor’s name. I feel that it’s odd, if the transcript is a required document that the counselor must send, along with the others. She told me that we don’t use Parchment or anything like that.

Fee Waiver Not started
School Report Not started
Counselor Recommendation
Optional Report
Mid Year Report
Final Report

Thanks.

2

The counselor knows what to do. Your transcript would fall under “School Report”

Both a “Mid year” and “Final” reports will be also sent in Jan/Feb and June (to the school you eventually matriculate)

3

Gotcha. I thought the School Report and Transcript were completely separate. Thank you for clarifying.

4

Your Guidance Counselor is correct.

I am not aware of any college or university which accepts the common application that will also not accept the official transcript as uploaded by your guidance counselor to the Common Application website. When your GC gets around to submitting to the Common Application for you, each of those items above will move to “Started” and then “Submitted”. And then as each school downloads it, it will next move to “Downloaded”.

As a parent, I have observed this process a few times involving a total of 27 colleges and universities through the Common Application. None required a separate direct submission of their official transcript from the high school. All accepted the Common Application uploads from the high school.

Good Luck

5

Thank you ^^

6

As a parent, I will observe this process coming weekend. @WWWard, what happens if student submits before deadline but school submits Letters of Recommendation past deadline? Will colleges consider that late submission ?

7

@tintinhope Colleges are ecstatic to receive the application. Many docs to be submitted by the school typically are sent in after the student’s deadline. It’s not a concern

8

@tintinhope I concur with @T26E4 You can of course also respectfully remind GCs and teachers/other recommenders about when a deadline is, but it is also very common for certain supporting docs to arrive after the student’s applications deadline. If something remains missing and the critical decision-making deadline internal to the college is approaching, they will likely email the student a reminder. Absent such, I would not worry too much…

9

Thank you all !