Do all schools accept electronic transcripts?

[jazzrap]

Guys,

 

I am having troubles scanning transcripts. The PDF the scanner emailed me always displayed my transcripts sideways. Meanwhile, I have a really neat official electronic transcript. Should I upload the electronic transcript instead of the manually scanned transcript (which is of course "electronic" too)? While some schools claim that they accept "electronic transcript", many others require only "scanned" transcripts" (they did not mention anything about "electronic transcript"). I wonder if these other schools would accept electronic transcripts as well. 

 

Of course, there are tools to rotate your PDF and save it. However, the rotated PDF will appear as "modified". I don't want those who read my stuff to have an impression that my transcripts have been "modified". 

 

So many unnecessary troubles. I wish this process could end right now.

 

 

 

 

[TheGnome]

I imagine this would be a trivial issue, but to me, the safest way to go is to use scanned copies

[eponine997]

Your scanned transcripts are just as official as electronic transcripts you send - which is to say unofficial.  As long as the electronic transcripts indicate that they are clearly from the school and have your coursework, grades and other relevant notes in a readable format, it shouldn't be a problem.  

Any school that admits you will require your official (signed and sealed) transcripts before you matriculate, so there is no advantage to lying/altering/forging transcripts.  (I know that's not what you're doing, but it is the reason why they won't care if it appears as "modified")

[jazzrap]

Your scanned transcripts are just as official as electronic transcripts you send - which is to say unofficial.  As long as the electronic transcripts indicate that they are clearly from the school and have your coursework, grades and other relevant notes in a readable format, it shouldn't be a problem.  

Any school that admits you will require your official (signed and sealed) transcripts before you matriculate, so there is no advantage to lying/altering/forging transcripts.  (I know that's not what you're doing, but it is the reason why they won't care if it appears as "modified")

Thank you:) But now I realized that after I rotated it it would not appear as modified. I rotated on a website called rotate PDF or something like that. 

So I was really wondering if they have an detector that can immediately screen the PDF and be like "BEEP!! MODIFICATION DETECTED" And then they would just throw the profiles into trash can. I am too paranoid. 

[jazzrap]

I imagine this would be a trivial issue, but to me, the safest way to go is to use scanned copies

Yes. I will send the rotated scanned copies instead of the neat electronic copies which look much better. Although another response to this post suggests that electronic copies are fine, I just don't want to take risks. Hope schools in the future will all adopt the policy of accepting electronic transcripts. It will make life much easier for paranoid people like me.

[TakeruK]

Some of my schools even said that screenshots of your "grades" page in your online student account is fine. I really wouldn't worry about rotated scanned transcripts vs. electronic transcripts. You can even black out parts of a scanned transcript and it should still be fine (e.g. if you want to remove some personal information that you don't need to submit). But if you have already done to the work to get the scanned transcripts and you feel happier that way, then that's much better. I think keeping sane during the process is the most important!!

Edited November 23, 2013 by TakeruK

[TheGnome]

 It will make life much easier for paranoid people like me.

 

I feel you, though I think "paranoid applicant" is a tautology. 

[jazzrap]

I feel you, though I think "paranoid applicant" is a tautology. 

LOL

[jazzrap]

Some of my schools even said that screenshots of your "grades" page in your online student account is fine. I really wouldn't worry about rotated scanned transcripts vs. electronic transcripts. You can even black out parts of a scanned transcript and it should still be fine (e.g. if you want to remove some personal information that you don't need to submit). But if you have already done to the work to get the scanned transcripts and you feel happier that way, then that's much better. I think keeping sane during the process is the most important!!

Yes. Thank you