What is an Academic Transcript and how do you get one?

When applying to universities abroad, you must provide sufficient paperwork to support your application. One of these documents is a transcript of records. Managing so many documents may cause you to reflect on academic transcripts and how they differ from mark sheets, certificates, degrees, or diplomas. Transcripts of records are official documents that provide proof of education, containing student and institution information, as well as course information. Students frequently ask for clarification on what an academic transcript is concerning marksheets and other credentials. But don’t worry; we’ve got you covered. 

In this article, we answer some of the most prevalent queries about academic transcripts among overseas students: What is a transcript? Why are transcripts necessary? How do I receive a transcript certificate? How does one transmit official transcripts to universities? And continued.

What is an Academic Transcript in India?

Let us shed some light on what constitutes an academic transcript in India. In India, educational transcripts go by a variety of names, including: 

• Marksheets
• Academic Certificate
• Statement of Learning
• Cumulative Record File (CRF)
• Record of Achievement
• Transcript of Records (TOR)
• Grade Card
• Diploma Supplement
• Report Card
• Mark List

What Information Does an Academic Transcript Contain?

After we’ve answered the question “What is a transcript,” let us explain what an academic transcript comprises. An academic transcript for a degree usually includes the following: 

• Name of the Academic Universities/Institutions
• Accreditation
• Name of Student
• Name of Student’s parents
• Date of Birth
• Year of graduation
• Roll Number of Student
• Name of Degree
• Duration of Course Taken
• List of Courses
• Marks/grades obtained in all courses
• Total Aggregate of the Marks/Grades

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What is an Academic Transcript Certificate?

You’ve probably heard of mark sheets, report cards, academic certificates, accomplishment records, grade cards, and so on if not transcripts. This is what an academic transcript looks like.

Academic transcripts are official academic documents that include information on the disciplines studied as well as grades, marks, and notes. Whatever term you select, colleges are searching for the same information on your course transcript. 

Transcripts of records also contain information about the student, institution, course, subjects, and grading system, which is critical for admission evaluation. Now that we’ve covered the basics of what a transcript certificate is, let’s look at its significance and meaning in India:

What is a Transcript of Records (ToR)?

Now that you understand what an academic transcript means, let us introduce you to the Transcript of Records, or ToR. A ToR comprises information regarding a student’s courses, credits earned, and exams passed. The transcript of records also includes information about your grades and course durations.

Why is a Transcript of Records Needed?

Now that we understand what a transcript certificate is, let us look at why a transcript of records is required before we examine how to obtain one.

• Transcripts provide legitimate information regarding the student’s academic career.
• Transcripts also include facts about the grading scale, which varies greatly between countries.
• Universities use transcripts to transform your results into their educational system and process them for admission.

To further understand what an academic transcript is, consider the following aspects of a conventional transcript of a degree: 

Sample of an Academic Transcript

Now that we know what is an academic transcript, let us see what an academic transcript looks like and what information it consists of:

• Institution/College name
• Institution address, city, state, and country
• Address of the institution
• Accreditation held by the institution
• Name of the student
• Unique student ID number
• Name of the student’s parent
• Date of birth of the student
• Name of degree earned
• List of subjects taken
• Duration of the course
• Date and year of graduation
• Marks or grades earned in each subject
• Consolidated marks or grades earned in the course

Which Transcripts Are Needed for Different Courses?

If you understand what a transcript is and what academic transcripts mean, you won’t have to worry about providing the correct paperwork to universities for various courses. Because colleges state what they require, which is typically transcripts of the most recent qualifications received. Now that we’ve talked about why a transcript of records is necessary, here’s what transcripts are required for each course: 

• To apply for an undergraduate-level program such as a bachelor’s degree, diploma, certificate, etc., you must furnish universities with high school transcripts demonstrating academic records from secondary school.
• If you want to apply for graduate degrees such as a master’s degree or a graduate diploma, you’ll need transcripts from your college or institution.

How to Get a Transcript Certificate?

After we’ve covered what an academic transcript is, let’s look at how to obtain one.

• Educational transcripts are deemed official only if they bear the official signature, stamp, or seal of the institution, college, or university that issued them. You can obtain an academic transcript from the university where you completed your study. When the institution publishes transcripts, students are notified and asked to collect them from the institution.
• If you’re wondering how to send official transcripts to institutions, there are several options depending on which country you’re applying to.
• It can be transmitted to universities electronically via authorized means, uploaded online through the university’s website, or mailed. 

Students frequently struggle to understand the distinction between a transcript and a mark sheet. The distinctions between a transcript and mark sheet, certificate, diploma, and degree are explained below: 

How is a Transcript Different from a Marksheet, Certificate, Diploma, and Degree?

A frequently asked question among students applying for admission to universities outside India is whether transcripts and mark sheets are the same. Now that we understand what an academic transcript in India is, we can distinguish it from other academic record documents such as mark sheets, certificates, diplomas, and degrees. 

Difference Between Transcript and Marksheet

Marksheets are the most frequent term for transcripts in India. The difference between a transcript and a consolidated mark sheet is that you may have numerous mark sheets for different years of study, but all of the information from these mark sheets is recorded in a transcript along with the grading scale. To complete a transcript of records, you will need both mark sheets and a final degree transcript.

Difference Between Transcript and Certificate

University transcripts are not different from certificates. Certificates are part of the transcript because they contain compiled information about your previous degree. In India, students who complete a degree program are issued a certificate. A transcript of a degree differs from a certificate, and a degree certificate is not the same as a transcript. 

Difference Between Transcript and Diploma

While discussing what an academic transcript is, it was clarified that a transcript is an official document that contains all of the academic information about a student’s completed courses. In contrast, a diploma is an educational certification that is published on the transcript together with information about the courses studied, grades received course duration, and so on. This is the distinction between transcripts and diplomas.

Difference Between Transcript and Degree

The distinction between a transcript and a degree is that a degree certifies the completion of an academic program, whereas a transcript of a degree is proof of education that includes all information about the degree, such as subjects studied, tests taken, grades, institution, and so on. 

How Can Final Year Students Get Transcripts of Records?

As previously said, transcripts contain entire information about your education, including marks or grades achieved in your final exams. As a result, it is one of the last documents issued by the institutions. Let’s look at how final-year students might obtain their degree transcripts. 

• You can only request transcripts from your professor once the final examinations have been completed.
• Because admission deadlines differ between nations, it may not always be possible to present the resulting transcript in time for admission if only a short period has gone since the exam. In such instances, institutions will accept interim transcripts with results from your most recent tests.
• Students in their last year can ask for interim transcripts while they wait for final transcripts. Universities will accept provisional transcripts as proof of degree completion until final degrees are conferred.

Before we wrap off our examination of what college transcripts are, let us look at the documents required for admission, as well as the degree transcript

Documents Required Along with Academic Transcripts

A backlog certificate is another vital document that must be included with academic transcripts. You’ll need one to show records of subjects with cleared and uncleared backlogs. A transcript is just one of several documents that you must have on hand when applying to different institutions. Students who pass all topics will not earn a backlog certificate. However, certain institutions may need you to obtain a zero-backlog certificate.

After learning about what an academic transcript is and how to obtain a transcript certificate, let us look at the additional documents needed for the application process:

• Completed application form and application fee
• Transcript of records
• Backlog certificate
• English language proficiency test scores
• Entrance test scores such as SAT/ ACT/ GRE/ GMAT
• Statement of Purpose
• Letters of Recommendation
• CV
• Personal essay
• Copy of passport
• Financial documents

Conclusion

We hope this blog will help you understand what an academic transcript is, how it differs from other academic documents, how to obtain a transcript certificate and much more. The education system in other countries differs greatly from that in India, making it difficult to apply to universities overseas. Universities all over the world are looking for the same information, so all you have to worry about is getting accurate information to the university on time. One of the easiest methods to meet university deadlines is to organize all of your paperwork ahead of time and keep track of any missing information so that you can make the required arrangements. 

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