Transcript

[ana3a]

I'm applying to a PhD program in stats. I have 2 transcripts, one from one semester of economics study a long time ago, one from 4 years of math/stats study (going on right now).

There is a dumb blemish on the short, old transcript due to a finance class (portfolio theory). I forgot for months that I had registered for the exam, didn't show up. Now the exam shows up on my transcript as "NP" (not passed). The rest of the transcript looks like this:

Macroecon 1: A

Macroecon 2: A-

Time series analysis: A

Multivariate statistics: A-

Should send the transcript, or forget it?

Reason to send it: the two statistics courses were later credited to my current degree. However, after accreditation, they appear on my math/stats transcript under the lame title "Elective module: applied mathematics" (which is so misleading). So without the blemished transcript, there is no record that I really studied time series and multivariate statistics (which is a plus, I think, for my application).

On the other hand, people might notice the "NP" (not passed), and wonder why I flunked this course?

Thanks for your comments.

[acup313]

I am pretty sure that no matter what you will have to send both transcripts as most schools want all of your transcripts from any school attended.

[socialcomm]

Ditto PP -- they want you to send ALL your transcripts.

[KieBelle]

I agree with the two previous posters- you'll have to send them both. But I really don't think that the NP is going to matter at all. The rest of the grades are excellent, and if your last 4 years have produced good grades as well, who would care about one class a long time ago? I don't even think it's worth mentioning in a SOP.

[rogue]

You could always send a short note (separate from the SOP) explaining the NP. I had an anomalous quarter in grad school and profs I've spoken with suggested doing this to explain my sub-par performance.

[ana3a]

Ok, thanks for your thoughts so far.

I know I am required to send ALL transcripts. But if I don't send the messed up transcript, I thought ... how would they know?

[acup313]

There is a small chance that they would not find out. However, I know on my official transcripts from the school where I got my degrees it lists other institutions attended (I took three classes at a community college in high school). So, if I didn't send in the transcripts from the first college I attended they would know. Also, if you didn't send them in, and they did find out that you attended another school and you were trying to hide it, that would look really bad on your part.

[rising_star]

Also, if you didn't send them in, and they did find out that you attended another school and you were trying to hide it, that would look really bad on your part.

Actually, it'd constitute falsifying part of your application, the penalties for which are often spelled out in the application materials somewhere. At some schools, this can be grounds for revoking your admissions and/or funding.