It’s a rainy day, and I’m in the middle of packing for a move to a new town a couple of hours north. After what feels like an eternity of boxing up belongings, I decide to take a break and check my emails. As I scroll through, I stumble upon an article from 2021 by Dr. Patrick O’Connor titled Transcript Frustration? Tell the Colleges. Reading it brings a chuckle—because every year, like clockwork, transcript issues create waves of frustration for students, parents, and yes, school counselors.
Each fall and spring, without fail, a concerned parent calls the principal, upset that their child’s transcript hasn’t been sent. A student might stop me in a coffee shop, anxious that a missing transcript will jeopardize their college acceptance. And every year, I start senior meetings by reassuring families: At some point, a college will say they haven’t received your transcript—even if it has been sent. Not might happen—it will happen. I send out emails warning them. I explain the process. But do they always listen? No.
The Student Perspective
From a student’s point of view, I understand the frustration. They submit their applications, and shortly after, receive an email stating their transcript is missing. Naturally, their first assumption is that the school counselor didn’t send it. What they don’t see is the overwhelming volume of transcripts colleges receive and the time it takes to process them. It’s often easier for an admissions office to notify the student than to check whether the transcript is sitting in a queue waiting to be matched to their application.
This sets off a chain reaction—students panic, parents get involved, and sometimes administrators step in. Fortunately, many transcript exchange platforms like Naviance, Parchment, Slate, the Common Application, or state systems allow us to track when a transcript has been sent. However, some colleges and/or schools don’t use these systems, leading to inevitable delays.
The Reality of the Process
Here’s a real example of a student inquiry I received:
Student Email:
"Can you submit my transcript to College B? Their registrar's email is registrar@xxx.edu. Let me know if I need to do anything else."
My Response:
"The good news is, I’ve already sent it by mail. I asked the admissions office if I could submit it electronically, but they don’t accept digital transcripts. Unfortunately, we don’t use an electronic system they recognize, so mailing it was the only option. I let them know it was on the way, but processing takes time."
A few days later, the student followed up:
Student Email:
"Do you know when it was mailed? The enrollment manager says they can’t find it. College A was much quicker about this process. College B has the program I want, but this delay is frustrating."
My Response:
"I’m 100% sure it was mailed, along with transcripts for other students heading to College B. Processing transcripts takes time, and this happens at all colleges, not just yours. Since they won’t allow me to email it, it slows the process down further. I don’t mind resending it, but the same delay may happen again. I know it’s frustrating, and I’m sorry—I wish I had a faster solution."
Another student had a similar concern:
Student Email:
"I sent my request in May, but my college is saying they never received my final transcript. Can you check?"
My Response:
"I had another student ask the same thing. I checked with admissions, and they confirmed they received your transcript on June 6—it just hasn’t been processed yet. I know this causes anxiety, but rest assured, they have it."
The Social Media Factor
Every now and then, students take to social media to air their grievances about counselors not doing their job. Case in point: a recent Reddit post where a frustrated student questioned whether their counselor was intentionally withholding transcripts and getting kickbacks from the college admissions offices to not send transcripts to other colleges. While some users sympathized, most people defended the counselor and pointed out the flaws in the student’s assumption.
The reality is that this issue isn’t about negligence—it’s a systemic challenge in college admissions.
How Counselors Can Stay Ahead
Since transcript delays are inevitable, how can we maintain our sanity? Here are some strategies:
Educate Students on the Process
- Teach students how to request transcripts and emphasize using preferred platforms like Common App, Slate, or Parchment.
Communicate Responsibilities Clearly
- Regularly post information about transcript requests, deadlines, and what students should expect.
- Creating an old school paper or electronic transcript request form can be really helpful. See an example of a free form on TPT.
Set Expectations About Processing Delays
- Remind students and parents that colleges receive thousands of transcripts, and that processing takes time.
Advocate for Change
- Instead of venting online, Dr. O’Connor suggests that counselors reach out to college admissions officers. Research shows that just ten counselors contacting a college can lead to meaningful change.
Here’s a sample email you might consider sending:
Subject: Improving Transcript Processing Communication
Dear [Admissions Officer’s Name],
I’m writing to bring up a recurring challenge in the college application process: the immediate notification students receive stating that transcripts are missing—sometimes within 1-3 days of applying.
At my school, students typically request transcripts after submitting their applications, and we send them promptly. However, because your system generates these alerts so quickly, it often causes unnecessary panic for students and parents.
Would you consider modifying this process? Perhaps an automated reminder could be sent to high schools first, with students only receiving a notification if their transcript remains missing after ten days. This small change could alleviate stress while ensuring a smooth admissions process.
I’d love to discuss this further. Thank you for your time and for all you do to support students.
Best,
[Your Name]
[Your School]
While transcript issues will never fully disappear, better communication and proactive planning can make the process smoother for everyone involved. By educating students, staying transparent with families, and advocating for change, we can help reduce the yearly transcript panic cycle.
And for my fellow counselors—hang in there. We see it coming a mile away, and somehow, we survive it every year.
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