Will grad schools look at updated transcripts?

Post Reply
vs
Posts: 4
Joined: Mon Dec 27, 2010 6:59 pm

Will grad schools look at updated transcripts?

Post by vs » Wed Apr 27, 2011 8:48 am

Grad schools would be able to get my fall 2011 transcript around January 1st 2012. Will they actually look at this? Or will they have already made decisions by then?

User avatar
grae313
Posts: 2296
Joined: Tue May 29, 2007 8:46 pm

Re: Will grad schools look at updated transcripts?

Post by grae313 » Wed Apr 27, 2011 12:54 pm

Grad schools with deadlines in January and later will expect your fall grades to be included in your most recent transcript with your application. Programs with earlier deadlines will not expect your fall grades to be included in your application, however you are free to update your application with your fall transcripts once they become available if you want. You don't have to though. Most decisions are made in February.

vs
Posts: 4
Joined: Mon Dec 27, 2010 6:59 pm

Re: Will grad schools look at updated transcripts?

Post by vs » Wed Apr 27, 2011 1:04 pm

I'm aware of this. I'm just wondering whether the schools with December deadlines will actually look at my fall transcripts if I do send them in even though decisions are not made until early February. I would send my regular transcript before the december deadline and then send the updated fall transcripts after the deadline.

User avatar
HappyQuark
Posts: 762
Joined: Thu Apr 16, 2009 2:08 am

Re: Will grad schools look at updated transcripts?

Post by HappyQuark » Wed Apr 27, 2011 2:48 pm

vs wrote:I'm aware of this. I'm just wondering whether the schools with December deadlines will actually look at my fall transcripts if I do send them in even though decisions are not made until early February. I would send my regular transcript before the december deadline and then send the updated fall transcripts after the deadline.
Most schools, regardless of whether they have deadlines in Early December or Late January don't typically start making offers until February at the earliest. For this reason, you can and probably should send updated transcripts to any school for which you think it could make a difference. With that said, I've found that a lot of schools are seriously difficult to interact with, get help from or have your application information altered. The primary objective should always be to get your application in the form you want them to see it in and if you have to add to it later, that is an unfortunate and painful event.

User avatar
grae313
Posts: 2296
Joined: Tue May 29, 2007 8:46 pm

Re: Will grad schools look at updated transcripts?

Post by grae313 » Wed Apr 27, 2011 10:14 pm

vs wrote:I'm aware of this. I'm just wondering whether the schools with December deadlines will actually look at my fall transcripts if I do send them in even though decisions are not made until early February. I would send my regular transcript before the december deadline and then send the updated fall transcripts after the deadline.
Ah, your original post was not clear. For many programs the deadline is late enough that one could request a transcript after the conclusion of the fall term. Anyway, yes, they will look at your fall grades if you get them there in time.

User avatar
grae313
Posts: 2296
Joined: Tue May 29, 2007 8:46 pm

Re: Will grad schools look at updated transcripts?

Post by grae313 » Wed Apr 27, 2011 10:16 pm

HappyQuark wrote:... if you have to add to it later, that is an unfortunate and painful event.
I was able to update applications without much hassle.

User avatar
WhoaNonstop
Posts: 853
Joined: Mon Sep 21, 2009 1:31 am

Re: Will grad schools look at updated transcripts?

Post by WhoaNonstop » Wed Apr 27, 2011 11:03 pm

HappyQuark wrote:With that said, I've found that a lot of schools are seriously difficult to interact with, get help from or have your application information altered.
In general, I agree. I think that if the deadline is before your final grades are posted I wouldn't worry about it, unless you feel your grades will be significant in the process. For most schools you should be able to wait until final grades are posted to send the transcript. Some schools are easier to communicate with than others. Many of them have a lot of applications to deal with and it can be troublesome contacting them.

-Riley

vesperlynd
Posts: 194
Joined: Thu Aug 06, 2009 9:28 am

Re: Will grad schools look at updated transcripts?

Post by vesperlynd » Thu Apr 28, 2011 1:47 am

An anecdote: MIT strongly recommends people submit their fall grades as soon as they are posted. I never submitted mine and was still admitted. In fact, I never sent updated transcripts to any of the schools. You should check with each school you apply to, but my guess is that you can get away with not sending anything in.

User avatar
HappyQuark
Posts: 762
Joined: Thu Apr 16, 2009 2:08 am

Re: Will grad schools look at updated transcripts?

Post by HappyQuark » Thu Apr 28, 2011 1:08 pm

grae313 wrote:
HappyQuark wrote:... if you have to add to it later, that is an unfortunate and painful event.
I was able to update applications without much hassle.
To be fair, you have consistently been the exception to every graduate student rule.

User avatar
grae313
Posts: 2296
Joined: Tue May 29, 2007 8:46 pm

Re: Will grad schools look at updated transcripts?

Post by grae313 » Thu Apr 28, 2011 1:39 pm

To be fair, that's not true.

bfollinprm
Posts: 1203
Joined: Sat Nov 07, 2009 11:44 am

Re: Will grad schools look at updated transcripts?

Post by bfollinprm » Thu Apr 28, 2011 2:47 pm

HappyQuark wrote:
grae313 wrote:
HappyQuark wrote:... if you have to add to it later, that is an unfortunate and painful event.
I was able to update applications without much hassle.
To be fair, you have consistently been the exception to every graduate student rule.
There are no rules to graduate applications. There is only the will of negru.

User avatar
HappyQuark
Posts: 762
Joined: Thu Apr 16, 2009 2:08 am

Re: Will grad schools look at updated transcripts?

Post by HappyQuark » Thu Apr 28, 2011 4:17 pm

grae313 wrote:To be fair, that's not true.
It so is true.

Most of us are familiar with the fact that grad students, in general, live on relatively meager wages. You, on the other hand, responded to a discussion on living expenses with
grae313 wrote:You will be able to live just fine on what they pay you, but you won't be saving any money or have a lot to spend on toys. In Ithaca, I bought all new furniture, a 52" plasma TV, etc etc, put about $10,000 into my IRA, and bought a house within the first year and a half. You won't do that in Palo Alto :)
Please note that, in your own words, you don't believe the person you were responding to could do what you did.

In your PGRE forum blog you wrote about how you went to "Nowhere State University", struggled to put in the effort and dropped out only to come back and be accepted to a handful of the most prestigious universities in the world. You even acknowledge, rightfully so, what an amazing feat this was. And correct me if I'm wrong but did you or did you not successfully solve/circumvent the famous two body relationship problem?

I'm sorry, but you are an exceptional person for whom the grace of god(s) doth shine upon and we mortals can not compete. Deal with it!

negru
Posts: 307
Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2010 3:49 pm

Re: Will grad schools look at updated transcripts?

Post by negru » Thu Apr 28, 2011 4:24 pm

HappyQuark wrote:
grae313 wrote:To be fair, that's not true.
It so is true.

Most of us are familiar with the fact that grad students, in general, live on relatively meager wages. You, on the other hand, responded to a discussion on living expenses with
grae313 wrote:You will be able to live just fine on what they pay you, but you won't be saving any money or have a lot to spend on toys. In Ithaca, I bought all new furniture, a 52" plasma TV, etc etc, put about $10,000 into my IRA, and bought a house within the first year and a half. You won't do that in Palo Alto :)
Please note that, in your own words, you don't believe the person you were responding to could do what you did.

In your PGRE forum blog you wrote about how you went to "Nowhere State University", struggled to put in the effort and dropped out only to come back and be accepted to a handful of the most prestigious universities in the world. You even acknowledge, rightfully so, what an amazing feat this was. And correct me if I'm wrong but did you or did you not successfully solve/circumvent the famous two body relationship problem?

I'm sorry, but you are an exceptional person for whom the grace of god(s) doth shine upon and we mortals can not compete. Deal with it!
Yeah I was in good mood

User avatar
quizivex
Posts: 1031
Joined: Tue Jan 09, 2007 6:13 am

Re: Will grad schools look at updated transcripts?

Post by quizivex » Thu Apr 28, 2011 4:26 pm

HappyQuark dishes out the pwnage... nice post haha!



Post Reply