Submitting a Transcript for One Class?

[11Q13]

I took a class at a community college when I was a senior in high school. Are grad schools going to care about receiving a transcript for it? As it is I'm applying to 7 universities and went to 3 colleges altogether not including this one so I'm hoping they won't care.

[fuzzylogician]

They probably won't care. I'd even go as far as saying that there's no way they could know if you didn't send in the transcript, but that could be considered dishonest. Ask if you want to be sure...9/10 schools will tell you not to bother.

[cheesethunder]

actually

i did 1 class on LOP for some online course

and when i contacted grad school they said they needed transcripts from every school i attended even if it was just 1 class

[socialcomm]

actually

i did 1 class on LOP for some online course

and when i contacted grad school they said they needed transcripts from every school i attended even if it was just 1 class

I've heard this too. I'm in a similar situation, but it turned out that at the school I took the single class at they don't charge for transcripts. I really lucked out!

[a fragrant plant]

cheesethunder, don't risk it. it doesn't matter how many classes you took from a school, you need to order transcripts from every single post high school institutions that you have attended. i learned this from a graduate admission guidebook.

[glasses]

cheesethunder, don't risk it. it doesn't matter how many classes you took from a school, you need to order transcripts from every single post high school institutions that you have attended. i learned this from a graduate admission guidebook.

Yup.

[Dr._Robotnik's_Shadow]

Yup.

They do NOT need the transcript if you aren't planning to transfer it and if it doesn't show up on your undergrad or any other transcript. They will never know. No need. What they mean by "all schools" is any course you took that went on another transcript like your undergrad one or was somehow realted to your undergrad school or something. If you just took that class and never transferred the grade anywhere or whatever, you are fine. I've taken classes at JCs for fun many times and never told other schools. No need to. Didn't show up anywhere. I one time took a class at another college for fun but it showed up on my undergrad transcript and so now I have to send it in when applying.

[glasses]

They do NOT need the transcript if you aren't planning to transfer it and if it doesn't show up on your undergrad or any other transcript. They will never know. No need. What they mean by "all schools" is any course you took that went on another transcript like your undergrad one or was somehow realted to your undergrad school or something. If you just took that class and never transferred the grade anywhere or whatever, you are fine. I've taken classes at JCs for fun many times and never told other schools. No need to. Didn't show up anywhere. I one time took a class at another college for fun but it showed up on my undergrad transcript and so now I have to send it in when applying.

I don't have a personal anecdote to accompany this, but my advisors -- and my instinct -- say that "all transcripts" means "all transcripts." In general, I like to think that instructions mean exactly what they say they do. And, after all, why on earth would you want to risk the possibility of not doing what is asked?

[pea-jay]

My wife ordered a single class transcript for a class (remote campus location at that) related to the program, so yes it is done definitely something that has been done before.

[UnlikelyGrad]

I also had a single-class transcript, one class I took at the CC in my home town before heading off to the "big school". All 9 places I applied to required that stupid transcript. The CC was realllllly slow in mailing out the transcripts, and some adcomms wouldn't consider my grades until it arrived...

[naptown]

I'm in the same exact situation... it was in high school, so I didn't think it was needed.. but you all have me reconsidering, because the transfer credit does show up on my undergraduate transcript.

I also took 2-3 courses during high school at the school I ended up attending for my undergrad. Those make it look like I was in college for 5 years (2000-2005 instead of 2001-2005), so I did make a note on my online applications if there was space provided to explain irregularities or something out of the ordinary that needed to be known. ...I just didn't think the one class at the other school was a big deal. I'm wrong, right?

Edited October 27, 2009 by naptown

[Dr._Robotnik's_Shadow]

I'm in the same exact situation... it was in high school, so I didn't think it was needed.. but you all have me reconsidering, because the transfer credit does show up on my undergraduate transcript.

I also took 2-3 courses during high school at the school I ended up attending for my undergrad. Those make it look like I was in college for 5 years (2000-2005 instead of 2001-2005), so I did make a note on my online applications if there was space provided to explain irregularities or something out of the ordinary that needed to be known. ...I just didn't think the one class at the other school was a big deal. I'm wrong, right?

I don't think I made myself clear the first time so let me try again...

1. If you took any JC or whatever course and it DOES show up on any undergrad or grad transcript (for example the poster right above who I am quoting) and the school is requesting "all transcripts" you MUST send it in.

2. If the course shows up on a high school transcript and for some reason your grad school or undergrad school needs your high school transcript you MUST send it in. OR, if for some reason, your jc class you took in high school shows up on your high school transcript and THIS high school transcript shows up on your undergrad or grad transcript you MUST report it/send it in.

Here's the big one which I failed to mention last time...

2. If you report on you application that you attended a JC, regardless of wheter that course at the jc shows up on any transcript for any school, you must now SEND it to the school. If you don't report that you took this class anywhere on your ap AND it DOESN'T show up on ANY transcript anywhere, you DON'T have to send it even though they say "send ALL transcripts". If you call the school like some above posters did of course they will tell you "send everyting in" but they are lying to you and I'll tell you why in second but first...

If anyone is so concerned about it then mail “ALL” the transcripts anyway so you don't have to worry! It's only a few dollars!

I worked in undergrad admissions at Cal State Long Beach, New York University and Columbia University and that's why I'm confident. If you call admissions they will tell you that you must send in ALL transcripts not matter what. They say this to save their butts but in reality they DON'T need the transcripts that satisfy ALL the following conditions:

1. You don't report this course on your ap.

AND

2. The course doesn’t show up on any transcript of any kind (this means you took the class for fun***-finish reading this post to hear a horror story-, not for a pre req, you never did anything with the grade etc.)

Obviously schools don't need them because I took tons of classes at a jc in high school and undergrad and never did anything with those grades. There was no record I ever took those classes so therefore they didn't need the transcripts. But again, if you are worried then send it.

The reason I was always told as an admissions assistant to tell people to turn in “all transcripts” no matter what is because there is always some student, who every year gets mixed up and doesn't understand the difference between what transcripts should be turned in and what doesn'tneed to be and this student usually ends up not sending the right ones. Later these students will ty to press legal charges on us for not specifying what transcripts we needed (this has happened billions of times at all three schools I worked at) amd so, we just tell everyone to send everything so there is no confusion like the one of this thread.

***Here's the horror story: For example, a student attending Cal State #1 went to Cal State #2 for a summer camp thing. It was a fun event/retreat, not even a real class but because it was ran through the state system it actually appeared on his Cal State #1 Transcript as a course! This student thought he didn't need to send the transcript, he never did and he was screwed. Why? Because it showed up on his transcript and he didn’t turn it in when they asked for “all transcripts”.

Basically, if you didn't take this class for college credit (in my example above the guy didn't think he was taking it for credit but he was) and there's no paper trail, schools don't care. They want to know about what you took for credit so as to understand your college (I know some people took these courses while in HS) history. There's no way of them of ever finding out (unless you report on your app and you took it) and it's not dishonest because what we really mean to say is, “Only send us your transcripts with college course work you took for credit for a degree--maybe not directly for a degree but kinda” but again we don’t because that doesn't amke sense, we don't want to be sued as in the example above someone gets mixed up and screwed and blames it on us or worse-doesn't get into the school he was applyingt o because of a silly transcript thing. Again, they are doing this because it's too hard for those busy admissions people to explain what transcripts they really need so when you call and email them they will always say "send everyting: online stuff, whatever it is, send it." Admissions is anasty place but we protect ourselves by lying to you about stuff like this. It's sick and that's why I uit..I got tons of nasty admin stories...

Again, if there are concerns pay the 4 dollars and have your transcript sent. You’ll feel better and it can’t harm you but there’s no need to if you satisfy the requirements I wrote elsewhere in this message.

Good luck.

[11Q13]

update: I sent out a BCC email to the admission@____university at all the schools I'm applying and so far it's 1 send the transcript, 1 I don't need to send the transcript, and one person that appeared confused they received the email...

it may seem like im making a big deal out of chump change but I'm applying to 6 grad schools, and counting this JC, attended 4 colleges. Assuming all these transcripts will be so cheap that's 6x4x4 = $96 in transcripts!!! never mind that I have the GRE and apps for $50+ a pop!

[pea-jay]

Excellent information Sugarplum!

THanks