Counselor transcript errors discovered after REA discussion (next path, advice?)

Applying to College
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Hi! so I applied to Yale REA, I was confident in my application, my essays, stats, ecs were all relatively solid, and my teachers offered to write my recommendations without me even having to ask, so I think they were probably good! not like I was an admit, but I thought I may have a small chance.

I got rejected anyways! it’s okay, I wasn’t too sad about it - but the day before, I had asked my counselor to send a copy of my transcript, because I just wanted to be aware of how my application was looking. turns out there were many errors!

- first, he neglected to put in the grades of a couple of classes in my freshmen and sophomore year.

- second, he didn’t update my final grades for my junior year (only from the penultimate progress check?).

- third, some inputted grades were straight up wrong - for example, I earned A’s in AP Bio and AP Chem, but they were inputted as a B and a C - keep in mind, biochem is my major..

so my gpa from those numbers is a 3.4, but when my correct stats are put in, my gpa is a 3.8! and the difference between a 3.4 and 3.8 are NOT trivial (0.4 point difference).

I know Yale has a no appeals policy, but I had no way of seeing or correcting this before submission, as transcripts are handled by counselors; is there any way I could (with my counselor) notify the admissions office of these factual errors (even just for record keeping), or has there been any experience with trying to navigate something like this? I don’t expect them to reconsider in any way, but it would be helpful to know. Any insight appreciated!

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If there was an error in the transcript, the school should submit a corrected one and should personally reach out to Yale. For Yale, it may not have made the difference, but they need to also ensure that the corrected transcript goes out to all universities where you have outstanding applications.

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Please take your transcript to your college guidance office and ask that the errors be corrected.

Move on to your RD applications. Right now…getting accurate info to them is what is important.

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I would have the school district submit a corrected one and have the guidance counselor personally reach out to Yale , with the hope they will re-evaluate you. Rejected is fine but you want a fair shake.

That’s egregious - I haven’t heard of that one, like not having grades included. Is it a very small school?

Perhaps this is reason for all kids to get a copy of their transcript b4 applying.

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That’s really terrible. I’m sorry for the added stress in an already stressful situation. Did you apply to any other schools early? Either to meet scholarship deadlines or public EAs? That would be my top priority to be 100% sure everyone has the correct information.

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That is AWFUL.

I am agreeing with others mainly.

  1. Make sure the transcript is fixed, and anywhere you have already applied, gets the proper one from school with a note.
  2. While it likely doesn’t change Yale’s answer (being that it is just so competitive!), I don’t think they consider this an “appeal” since the school screwed up, and you aren’t asking them to reconsider what you sent them already. And yes, some might say you should have checked the transcript first, but I think that is a lot to assume a 17-year-old should know, especially since at some (most?) schools there is a portal w/ grades distinct from transcripts. I know my kids’ schools are both like that - and who would assume that what is on the transcript looks different? I wouldn’t have until someone told me…and I am a grown, educated adult. You might as well ask counselor to reach out to Yale admissions.
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I know this is what happens at my daughter’s school. Senior year, the counselors visit classes and do short presentations on college applications where they provide each student with a copy of their transcript, explaining that what they enter on the Common App/UC App/Other apps must match that transcript exactly, so they should keep that copy handy. I think there is also an online portal students can access to view they transcript, in case they lose it. I am actually quite surprised that other schools do not give seniors access to these records prior to filling out applications.

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My daughter also had her official transcript before the common app opened, and kids were told to make sure that what they were entering directly matched the transcript. I’m not sure how a student would report grades without it.

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I think this should be done for kids at all schools, but certainly isn’t done as the norm everywhere, I don’t think. I also don’t think it is something most 16-17 year olds would know to do, even very smart ones. Not all kids have engaged parents, either.

I will add, at neither of my kids schools can parents or kids see, online, the actual transcript view of things.

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Most colleges do not require grades entered on the application. But the transcript does have, if it’s the policy of the school, rank and GPA, which is a required field - even if to check “school doesn’t provide” - on the application

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Same here. In order to get an unofficial copy of their transcript at our HS, the student must go to a counselor and request one. (We have 2 counselors for a school with about 900 students per grade.) The only reason my kids got a copy of their transcript before filling out their college applications was that I bugged them to do it.

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This won’t help the OP but students should ALSO get a copy of the school/district report (not the transcript) which has general data about the HS to help adcom’s evaluate the students in context.

I’ve heard reports of VERY out of date descriptions. The report states that the school offers 14 AP’s, but you are a senior and you know that this year and last year there were only 8. The AP Physics teacher retired and wasn’t replaced; the AP history teacher is out on parental leave and the substitute is teaching college prep history, not AP. Etc.

The report states that the district has 8% of students on free or reduced lunch but that was ten years ago- the correct number is now 25%. Etc.

If your GC doesn’t have access to it, there will be someone in the district’s superintendent’s office who is in charge of collecting and compiling data who WILL have it- and is likely the only person in the school system who can correct obvious errors.

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agree with this, too, I think most parents don’t even know these documents exist, honestly. I am lucky that both my kids’ schools have/had them on the websites, easily accessible but that is definitely not always the case at all…

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Kids may also use input grades from their online gradebook not realizing it isn’t their transcript. If their transcript has errorts, which sounds like there were in OPs case, there will be a discrepancy. I know in my kids’ school case the names of courses are listed differently in online gradebook (PowerSchool) than on the transcript. (though grades were always accurate). Also gradebook has quarter grades, transcript only has year-end.

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And parents could rightly assume that these statistics will be accurate and updated in real time. Which is not the case. They get trotted out for contentious board of ed meetings– “see? We have a gazillion AP exams, our kids are doing great, the superintendent deserves a 20% raise for gutting the costly G&T program for elementary school but look- our HS is serving those G&T kids so nicely”.

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hi, thanks for all the input! i do have access to an unofficial transcript, the problem is that my unofficial and official transcripts do not line up, which is already concerning in itself. I think our unofficial transcripts are automatically pulled from the student portal, so that could be why? i just am very unsure with how to move forward, and what i can do next as there are many discrepancies, it isn’t just a small mistake..

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Exactly…many students need their transcript for apps at the many schools that require a student self input their grades…thru CA courses and grades, or STARS (formerly SRAR), or schools that have their own system like UIUC.

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Have you spoken with your HS counselor? They are the one who can fix this/spearhead getting this fixed.

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