Transcript and course number

[lacma]

Hello all,

Hope everyone has been enjoying the holiday so far.

I have a question about transcript and course numbers. I am doing my BA at a a top 10 private school in the US. While at other institutions, undergraduate courses are numbered 100-400 and graduate courses 500 and above (to the best of my understanding), my university up until this Fall (2012) number undergraduate courses from 1 to 199, and graduate courses 200 to 399. They switched to the new system recently. Thus someone who doesn't read the small denotation on the transcript about the old vs. new numbering system (a very small sentence, I might add) might be confused and think that I only took introductory courses up until Spring 2012, and then suddenly skipped to 300 and 400 level courses for this semester.

My question is, is the concern above valid? Should I personally contact the adcoms at every school I'm applying to just to tell them about this (some applications don't have room/space for me to explain)? My school is a big research university, very well-known, and probably have sent thousands to grad school.

Thanks!

[Bearcat1]

I don't know if anyone will look that closely at your transcripts, but if they do and see a discrepancy, they will most certainly look for a key. I don't think it's a cause for concern. Also, if you are at a top 10 university, that places thousands of students in grad programs, you probably won't be the only one with a "funky" transcript, and adcoms will probably notice (again, if they look this carefully) that something is amiss, since they will have seen many of your school's transcripts in the past. I wouldn't stress about it. I'm sure schools change things like that all the time, and adcoms are aware that these things take place. 

[TakeruK]

I think people in your field would be able to recognize the "upper level" courses by name. I would imagine that undergrad education in most fields would be mostly standard? For example, a physicist who sees "General Relativity" on a transcript would recognize it as a 400-level or even graduate level course.

 

Also, I wouldn't be too worried -- at the 3 schools I've been to, all 3 used different numbering systems. My current US school numbers undergrad courses from 1 to 99, lower level grad courses 100-199 and senior grad courses 200+. I think most adcoms are used to many different systems so if they wonder why the jump from 100s to 300s/400s, they might check the transcript more carefully and see that notation,.

 

But if it makes you feel better, I would suggest adding a note in the "Special Comments" or "other Comments" box, usually on the last page of your application. If you really really wanted to, I don't think it would hurt for you to contact the schools but it's not necessary and you might look silly for doing so. Still, if you are really stressing out about this, looking silly might be worth it for your peace of mind.

[blakeblake]

It's not at all unusual for schools to use nonstandard methods of numbering courses.  The adcoms have seen it before.  In fact, the profs will assume that anyone who is applying for their grad program (and paying for the privilege) has almost certainly taken the classes that she needs to earn her diploma within the next semester's time.  Anyone who is not convinced that you have taken the necessary classes will check your transcript key.