Records readiness
What records do I actually need?
Most people assume their situation is the one that disqualifies them. It usually is not. Find the row that matches you and start from there.
Find your situation
Seven situations, and what to do in each.
Open the one that fits. If two fit, open both — several of these overlap, and a name change on top of a closed school is an ordinary combination rather than a special case.
I have official transcripts Sealed or sent directly by the school
This is the strongest position to be in. An official transcript is one the issuing school sends directly, or hands over sealed.
Next step: Send them and ask for a credit review. This is the shortest route to a written answer about what transfers.
Send
- The official transcript, sealed or sent school-to-school
- Your full legal name as it appeared at that school
- The years you attended
Do not send
- Your Social Security number
- A passport or driver’s licence scan
- Bank or payment details
I only have unofficial records A copy, a photo, a student portal printout
Unofficial records are still useful. A portal screenshot, an old report card or a photocopy is enough to start a review, even though it will not be the final basis for a decision.
Next step: Send what you have now rather than waiting. We can tell you what it looks like, and request the official version in parallel.
Send
- Whatever copy you hold, however imperfect
- The school name and the years you attended
Do not send
- Anything you had to guess at — tell us it is uncertain instead
- Identity documents
I do not have my records Lost, never had them, or no idea where to start
Extremely common, and not a problem you have to solve alone before contacting us. Most people have not held their transcript in twenty years.
Next step: Start with the school district rather than the individual school — districts usually keep records long after a school stops holding them. If you do not know the district, tell us the school name and the years and we will help you work it out.
Send
- The school name, the city and roughly which years
- Any name you were enrolled under
Do not send
- Payment for a third-party “transcript finder” service before asking the district directly
My previous school closed The school no longer exists
Records do not disappear when a school does. When a school closes, its records are normally transferred to the district, to a successor school, or to the state education agency.
Next step: Contact the state department of education for the state where the school operated and ask who holds the closed-school records. If the school was in Florida, the Florida DOE is the place to start.
Send
- The school name, city and state
- The years you attended
- The approximate year it closed, if you know it
Do not send
- Identity documents to any third party claiming to hold the records
My name has changed Marriage, divorce, or a legal name change
Records are filed under the name you were enrolled with. A mismatch between that name and your name today is the single most common reason a transcript request comes back empty.
Next step: Request the transcript under your former name, and tell us both names so the record matches when it arrives.
Send
- The name you were enrolled under
- Your current name
- The years you attended
Do not send
- A marriage certificate or court order unless the issuing school specifically asks for it — and never by unencrypted email
I studied outside the United States Some or all of my schooling was abroad
International records can count. What they are worth against a US high school requirement is a judgement the academic team has to make by looking at them.
Next step: Send the records you have, with a translation if they are not in English. Tell us the country and the school system, because the same year number means different things in different systems.
Send
- The records themselves
- A translation if they are not in English
- The country and school system
Do not send
- Original documents you cannot replace — send copies
- Identity or immigration documents
I am not sure what counts Adult education, homeschool, GED attempts, partial years
Adult education programs, homeschool records, partial years, night school and coursework you never finished can all be worth sending. Some of it will count and some will not, and guessing which is which is not your job.
Next step: Send everything you can lay hands on and let the review sort it out. There is no cost to sending too much.
Send
- Anything documenting study you completed, however partial
- A note explaining what each item is
Do not send
- Identity documents
- Anything you are not comfortable sharing — ask first
Before you email anything
A word about what you send us.
Schools receive Social Security numbers, passport scans and bank details every week from people who were never asked for them and assumed they were needed. None of that is required to review your records, and email is not a secure channel for it.
If any organization asks you to email identity documents to establish which credits you earned, that is worth a second look before you comply. We ask for the name you studied under, the school, and the years. That is enough to start.
What we do with what you send is set out in the privacy policy.
Next step
Not sure which row is yours?
Describe the situation in your own words. A person reads it, and a wrong guess costs you nothing.