Is this odd???

Is it odd for a master's program to ask you to provide undergrad transcripts from each institution you attended, even when those courses are already part of a completed DEGREE? Keep in mind, I am not asking about transferring in anything, and they are not evaluating any credits whatsoever to use in their program. This is from a box that was already checked!

Specifically, University of Illinois wants two transcripts from two institutions that gave me a total of 5 graded credits. (one class is almost 20 years old) These two classes are on my BA at TESC. The admission criteria asks for an RA bachelor degree, which I will have, so what's going on? I don't understand the reasoning here. Thoughts?

Also, it seems like a contradiction to me that they have not asked for my CLEP, DSST, or FEMA transcripts if they wanted to evaluate all of my undergrad credits, wouldn't they need those too?

They have had my full MA application (and $, and previous transcripts from degree granting institutions, and letters of rec, and resume, and essay, yada yada) since March, and I JUST got this transcript request "it's UI policy" email today from the advising center!?!?! I'm annoyed as you can tell. Thoughts?

 

It is standard operating procedure for schools to ask for copies of your transcripts from each school attended. I don't know how Thomas Edison State College goes about transcripting transfer credit, but my undergraduate alma mater, Western State College, transcripted my undergraduate transfer classes from Mesa State College, but did not indicate grades received from Mesa; hence, the need for transcripts from both schools.

 

From what I have seen, requiring transcripts from each undergrad. institution granting any credits to the applicant is fairly common. Even if the credits are on a transcript from the degree-granting school as transfer credit or were not even used as part of degree requirements and are stand-alone credits at another school, they would still be required.

 

This is standard practice so far as I can tell (and experienced).

 

I dont think it is odd, it sucks but not really odd.

 

When I first applied to Old Dominion University's MA in History program, they asked for transcripts from a community college that had granted me credit for a dual enrollment course I took in high school, even though it was on my BA transcript. And my undergrad transcript had the transferring institution, courses with grades, and term taken.

A little excessive... but now that I'm applying to Ed.S. programs, I've noticed they only care about transcripts from the last institution where I earned a masters degree. I suppose it varies from school to school and by level.

-Matt

 

Ok guys. Thanks. Sigh.........

 

The reason:

While your transfer credit is listed at the college that awarded the degree - there may be other courses on those transcripts from the other colleges attended that weren't transferred. It's common practice at Excelsior for example to not use all of your possible transfer credit.

The grad school wants to see all of your performance and not just what you transfered to a specific school.

Very common practice to require a transcript from every college attended.

 

>>

Ok, that makes sense. I wonder then why they wouldn't want to see my CLEP/DSST transcripts? I don't have any unused credit from the two colleges they are asking about- but I do have one unused (failed) DSST exam tucked away. Oh well, I'll send them what they are asking for. I'm glad I asked you guys first so I didn't make an a$$ out of myself to the admissions advisor. )

 

The college where I earned my B.A. didn't ask for transcripts for the CLEP exams I took while attending the two-year college I did, and I actually asked why since they were being sticklers about everything else. They told me they treated CLEP scores like transfer credit; if another RA school saw the CLEP transcripts and granted credit, that was good enough for them.

 

It's not odd, but standard operating procedure. With all the colleges/unis I've attended, I realized a few applications ago to keep some official, sealed transcripts on hand for universities I wouldn't ever be attending again. Now, whenever I need a transcript (for whatever reason), I have them on hand and only need to request a transcript from the most recent institution/s. And, yes, it's annoying to have to submit a transcript from a community college where I took an HTML course for fun, but c'est la vie!

 

People in a situation where they have units from multiple institutions may benefit from a credit bank, like the one offered by Excelsior, where all of your courses, credits by exam, etc. is compiled into a single transcript, making it less burdensome when employers or higher education institutions want to see all of the units that you have earned.

https://www.excelsior.edu/creditbank

 

I'm not sure about your particular grad program, but sometimes grad schools will ask for all of your undergrad transcripts to ensure you have met the prerequisites for entry. This is especially true if your undergrad is in something unrelated to business, but you've applied for entry to a MBA program.

 

Yup. It's normal. I took English 1A when I was a high-school senior at a community college more years ago than I care to mention. I had completely forgotten about it, but it was referenced on my AA transcript (also ancient), so I needed to provide it to get accepted into grad school. Thankfully, they still had my records.

What I'd like to know is if it's standard for doctoral programs also to require all those transcripts or whether they are satisified with post-grad transcripts and the transcript from the school that awarded the applicant's bachelor's degree.

Tricia

 

That is a great idea. I've been looking for a service like that. The one at Excelsior says that it's "designed for non-enrolled Excelsior students." Do you know of such a service that is available to the public? I have searched the Web but not come up with anything.

Tricia Schodowski

 

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Anthony, but all of my credits ARE on a single transcript....my bachelor's degree. In any event, I sent the additional transcripts Saturday.

 

I had all my undergrad credit listed on my B.A. transcript (which included transfer credit from the community college I attended), but UMass wanted a transcript from the community college I attended also.

I believe the reasoning is that many schools won't list transfer credit for courses which don't meet a certain grade. In other words, if you get a couple of "D" and "F" grades at City Community College, then Ginormous State University won't list those on their transcript as transfer credit because the grades weren't up to par.

Applying to graduate school is an academic colonoscopy!

 

How true you are. There are a few things I would've liked to sweep under the rug.

 

Thomas Edison State College Credit Bank
www.tesc.edu/files/NondegreeServiceApp(1).pdf

 

Ouch! The experience sounds painfully unpleasant.