Omitted transcript on application

Let me first say that I feel TERRIBLE about what happened. I omitted a transcript on my application to grad school. I got into the school. Now I’m constantly worried that they’ll find out somehow. Is it realistic that they’ll find out about it? How would they?

Let them know ASAP. Better to be rejected on good terms than to have your degree revoked a few years down the line, after you’ve done a ton of work for it. I don’t know that they will reject you, and I hope they don’t, but it’s really in your best interests to clear it up now. It’s realistic that they’ll find out, as the National Student Clearinghouse keeps records of the schools everyone’s attended, and if they do an audit, well, there you go.

Get it sorted out! Good luck!

But if they find out surely they will kick me out, intentional or not? Maybe it would just be better to put a FERPA block on the information.

If you feel terrible…just send it on in. It shouldn’t make any difference on your admission.

UNLESS

the real reason it was not received is because it was not sent, because you did not want the school to see it. (poor grades/ withdrawal from classes? disciplinary incident?).

Why do you have two threads on this going simultaneously?

I can’t believe I skipped over the word “omitted” when I responded last time.

FERPA block? That’s not going to work; they’ll see that you attended a school, not the grades or courses you took. Then they’ll know you omitted something, and act on that basis. I hope you do get caught if you fail to submit it. Report it. Now.

So what should I say to the admissions people? That I accidentally left out a school but will send all the information along?

Yes. Exactly that, and your apologies, and that you hope that they will still admit you given your transgression. I don’t hope for you to get booted from the program if it was an honest mistake, so do the right thing.

But wouldn’t they have found out already, if they were going to find out at all? My acceptance came in on March 1. I accepted a couple of weeks later. Wouldn’t they have conducted a check of my past enrollment either while I was still an applicant or right after I accepted? Why would they wait till now to check my past credentials?

No, they do periodic audits, so it could happen at any time. Stop putting yourself at risk, and submit the transcript.