How to Send High School Transcripts to Colleges

Co-authored by Alexander Ruiz, M.Ed. and Amy Bobinger, BA

Last Updated: April 13, 2023

When you start applying to college, you’ll likely be asked to send an official transcript from your high school. This is a document listing all of the classes you took as well the grades you got in those classes. Whether you’re still in high school or you’ve been out of school for a while, it’s easy to request your official transcript.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Requesting Your Transcript If You’re Still in High School

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Your guidance counselor is a valuable resource when you’re applying to college. Your counselor can help make sure you understand application requirements, help you narrow down your preferred schools, and may even write letters of recommendation to colleges on your behalf. Even if you haven’t been to the guidance office for application help already, stop by and request your transcript.^{[1]
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Fill out an official transcript request form and pay any required fees. Some colleges will give you a form which you must take to your guidance counselor, but if you didn’t get one in your application packet, your high school counselor will likely have their own form for you to fill out. You may be expected to pay a small fee when you request your transcripts, so check with your counselor first.^{[2]
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- Some schools charge a one-time fee at the start of freshman year, while others require a small fee each time transcripts are requested.
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Ask your counselor to send your official transcript for you. Your guidance counselor is usually the one who is responsible for sending your transcript to the schools you’ve applied to. If you decide you want to deliver your transcripts yourself, request an official sealed copy. Make sure the envelope containing your transcripts stays sealed until you deliver it to the college registrar.^{[3]
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- Some schools will not accept transcripts that are delivered by students, even if they are sealed. Be sure to check with your school before choosing this option.
- Some colleges accept transcripts which are sent electronically, but you'll need to ask your counselor if your high school has this option. Some high schools don't make their transcripts available to online services until after the student has graduated.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Sending Your Transcript If You Have Graduated

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Many schools only keep records of current students in their offices. Records for students who have already graduated are often kept at the headquarters of the local school district or the Board of Education for your county. Contact them first to ask about getting copies of your transcript sent to a college.^{[4]
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Check your state’s DoE if the school district doesn't have your records. If your local school district no longer has your school records, they may be stored at the state's Department of Education building. Each state has its own regulations on how long education records must be stored, but most states keep records for at least 50 years.
- The state of Oregon keeps an original copy of student records for at least 75 years.^{[5]
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Use an online service to request your transcripts for added convenience. There are several respected online services like Parchment, Need My Transcript, or National Student Clearinghouse that allow you to request and send copies of your transcripts for a small fee. Before you pay to send your transcripts online, check with the school to see which electronic services the school will accept.^{[6]
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How do I get a copy of my GED transcript?

Alexander Ruiz, M.Ed.
College Applications Consultant
Alexander Ruiz is an Educational Consultant and the Educational Director of Link Educational Institute, a tutoring business based in Claremont, California that provides customizable educational plans, subject and test prep tutoring, and college application consulting. With over a decade and a half of experience in the education industry, Alexander coaches students to increase their self-awareness and emotional intelligence while achieving skills and the goal of achieving skills and higher education. He holds a BA in Psychology from Florida International University and an MA in Education from Georgia Southern University.

Alexander Ruiz, M.Ed.

College Applications Consultant

Expert Answer

You'll need your traditional ID, proof of identification, and transcripts of any places that you attended in the past. This includes the high school that you were at and anywhere you went from there, like an undergraduate or community college—essentially, anywhere you would have been prior to getting your degree and/or your GED.

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How do you send duel enrollment transcripts to colleges?

Alexander Ruiz, M.Ed.
College Applications Consultant
Alexander Ruiz is an Educational Consultant and the Educational Director of Link Educational Institute, a tutoring business based in Claremont, California that provides customizable educational plans, subject and test prep tutoring, and college application consulting. With over a decade and a half of experience in the education industry, Alexander coaches students to increase their self-awareness and emotional intelligence while achieving skills and the goal of achieving skills and higher education. He holds a BA in Psychology from Florida International University and an MA in Education from Georgia Southern University.

Alexander Ruiz, M.Ed.

College Applications Consultant

Expert Answer

The best way to do this is during your college application process. They'll have several different portals, one of which is called the Common Application. In this Common Application, they're going to have a section that will ask you for your transcripts from high school or any relevant schools that you've been to—that includes duel enrollment. Just make sure that you're putting the transcripts in the relevant spot within the actual portals of the application that the colleges are giving you.

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Do I have to apply to the college in order to send my transcript?

Tom De Backer

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Sending a transcript is usually in the context of a college application, but hey, if you have any other reason why to send your transcript to the college, go for it.

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The best way to send your transcripts to the college is through the Common Application portal, which makes the process rather straightforward.

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