Congratulations! You've accepted an offer of admission for college in the fall and put down a deposit. Finally, the college admission process is over, and you can breathe a sigh of relief….
Not so fast.
There are actually a few more things to do even after you put down a deposit to hold your place at the college you will be attending in the fall. The school will still need several items from you even after you accept an offer of admission and pay your deposit.
One of the most important items your college will need is your final high school transcript after high school graduation.
“This [a final high school transcript] is by far the most important and frequently overlooked item," says Charlie Hungerford, director of admissions for the Mercy College of Nursing & Health Sciences at Southwest Baptist University in Springfield, Mo. “I can't overstress how important it is for the student to take responsibility for getting all transcripts to us. It's really the one thing we can't help manage for a student and it's crucial for maintaining access to financial aid, for completing the admission requirements, etc."
Most high schools take care of sending high school transcripts in the middle of summer, so you should ensure that your school counseling office is informed on where your transcript should go once you have selected a school.
If you took college courses during high school, be sure to also submit those transcripts documenting college coursework to the school you will be attending.
According to Megan Abernathy, director of admissions for The Hartt School at the University of Hartford in Hartford, Conn., many students don't realize that the transcripts from colleges that granted credit for college coursework taken in high school need to be sent to the college they will be attending.
“If the student is looking to transfer this early college credit to the college or university they have selected to attend, they need to request an official transcript from the school which awarded the early college credit -- it isn't enough that it is on their high school transcript," says Abernathy. “If those courses are taken senior year and an official transcript won't arrive to their college/university before orientation, the student should bring an unofficial transcript with them to assist their advisor in the course registration process."
While each college and university has their own unique list of required documents, the list of most required forms to send to the college you will be attending include the following:
- Final transcripts: Make sure to submit these from the high school and those colleges and/or universities where the student received college credit while in high school.
- Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate Program test scores
- Immunization records/health form
- Release forms (FERPA, photo release, etc.)
- Housing selection form
- Course registration confirmation form
Some colleges will also require additional documents, depending on the institution or program you will be attending. For example, Hungerford says that students studying health sciences at Southwest Baptist University also need to provide the following documents:
- Copy of driver's license or other official ID
- Background check release
- Drug screening
- Proof of CPR training
Make sure to check with the college you will be attending to find out the exact documents you'll need to submit you after you accept an offer of admission. You are almost at the finish line, but you have to make sure you finish the race.
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