Transcript from Community College?

[Thursday8]

I have taken community college classes since I was 15. The common app wants me to "have an official transcript sent as soon as possible." To where? Their office? The colleges?
I will have the classes I took listed on my high school transcript... if that makes any difference.

[entomom]

Send transcripts to the Admissions addresses for the colleges you're applying to. Generally they want official transcripts, but you could always call and ask schools if they'd accept the record on your HS transcript.

[OperaDad]

As I recall, when you list your Community College classes, there is a box "transcript available". That may be generating the prompt asking for a copy of the transcript. In my D's case, the class was taught as a HS class by the CC. Thus she could leave the box blank. If the class was a High School recognized class (either offered as a class by the HS, or an Options type class), then I think you can go either way. If you took it independent of your HS, then I think you need to have the Transcript sent.

For State Universities (that are not common app) it is standard operating procedure that they say they want to see the community college transcript. Whether they actually care or not if it is sent, I have no idea. My D ended up having them sent anyway.

For Common App schools, read each school's website carefully on whether they require the CC transcript. Most schools are silent, and as long as the classes are reported on your HS transcript, you should be ok without sending it.

Obviously, if you want college credit for the class, you will need to have the transcript sent to the school you enroll in.

[happymomof1]

Whenever you apply for admission to a degree program at an accredited college or university in the US, you are obligated to provide official copies of transcripts from all of the colleges, universities, etc. that you have attended in the past. Some places might not require the transcript from the CC at the time that you apply if the grades show up on your HS transcript, however, the place that you do actually end up attending will need an official copy for your file. Also, if/when you apply to grad school (or to transfer to another college/university) you are going to need to provide official transcripts from your CC. This has less to do with you as a person than it has to do with institutional recordkeeping and the colleges and universities all "playing nice" with each other. So don't lose the address of that CC, you will be asking for these transcripts for the rest of your life.

How much do these transcripts cost to send? If they are free, well then send them. If they aren't and the total bill adds up to some huge sum you don't want to have to pay, then pick up the phone and call each of the places that you are applying to and ask whether they need the transcripts as part of the application process. Then send them to the places that need them now, and skip the places that don't.

[Thursday8]

Do I have to send one to each UC campus? Or is it the same as SAT scores where you send them to one and they get sent to all of the UCs?