Transferring high school transcripts to college

I'm about to apply to colleges and I've heard transcripts are important. How do I officially send my high school transcripts to the colleges I'm applying to?

The process of sending high school transcripts to colleges can be fairly straightforward, depending on your high school's policies and the application requirements of the colleges you're applying to. Please remember that each high school and college might have their own specific procedures, so confirm with your school counseling office and the admissions office of the colleges you're applying to.

First, you'll want to talk to your school's counseling or registrar's office. They will have the specific procedures for your high school and be able to guide you through the process. Many high schools have partnerships with electronic transcript services like Naviance or Parchment, which digitally process and send your transcripts to colleges.

If your high school uses one of these services, you'll likely have to create an account (if you don't have one already), and from there you can request that your transcript be sent to the colleges on your list. There is often a small fee associated with sending transcripts this way.

If your high school does not use an electronic service, they will usually mail your transcript directly to the colleges you're applying to. You will need to provide them with a list of every college you're applying to, including the correct mailing address for each admissions office. They might have a form for you to fill out with this information, or you might need to provide it in a format they specify.

Some colleges allow for self-reported grades during the initial application process and only require the official transcript if you're accepted and decide to attend. However, many colleges still require an official transcript for initial evaluation, so it's important you check and adhere to each college's policies.

Remember to request your transcripts well in advance of application deadlines, as it can take some time to process and send them, particularly if they're being sent by mail.

Good luck in the college application process!