Old uni transcripts??!

[AlbertBridge]

Yikes - I graduated in 1994. I know I got a degree certificate as Dad got it framed, but I don't know where it is. Also I have also lost any transcripts.

Applying for an MA, I have to upload the certificate and the transcripts. Will my old uni still gave these, sooooo long afterwards?

Yes, there should be no problem with the degree certs in any case. You will have to pay a fee, though. Transcripts I’m not so sure about.

Yes. I had to request copies of my undergrad transcripts from the 80s a gainful of years ago. No problem.

One thing - it can take A Long Time for the university to respond and retrieve. So best done well ahead of the point where they’re needed.

‘handful’ not gainful.

Yes they will.

I started a MSc last year and graduated in 1995. The uni will still have an academic transcript but will charge you to send it out. I got mine free, but only because I am doing my MSc at the same place as I did my undergrad. I think the cost of getting one sent out was about £15.

I graduated in 1992, and my uni were able to send transcripts about 10 years ago.

Thank you! My university has actually changed its name in the meantime but I think I've found it online. I'll call them today.

THANK YOU.

This sort of thing causes so much worry. And even with reassurance that certificates and transcripts can be retrieved it’s still a minefield.

I remember going to an open day a few years ago where the first thing the course leader said was “Make sure you start gathering transcripts and other evidential material several months before you need them.” I’m always inclined to leave things to the last minute, and submitted my MA application two hours before the deadline, so without that crucial bit of information (from a place I didn’t apply to) I would have completely scuppered any chance of successfully applying to the place I did eventually choose.

I graduated 1994 and by university had to confirm they had no transcript for me.

So that's one option.

Thank you!

Does anyone know if there's a standard deadline for MA applications? When they're done through the university, not UCAS?

It's not on the website anywhere.

When I worked in Admissions in various universities, generally there isn’t a deadline at PG level. Generally you’d be recruiting until term starts, unless the course has strict numbers like something medical.

It's not on the website anywhere.

Don’t believe you! Look again.

Bumping this because it’s an issue that causes so much stress when one first thinks about returning to academic study.

Sorry if this is a stupid question, but what exactly are transcripts? I am thinking about applying to do an MA, and I do have my BA certificate from the 90s, but would I need additional info from my old uni?

That’s significantly cheaper than what I paid for my Maths GCSE certificate (that I’d done 16 years prior!) that I had to provide to Uni

Transcripts are a record of your marks and exam results throughout university, @writingabout. I graduated in the 90s and mine is entirely blank except for my degree classification Not all universities kept those records back then.

Thanks for this chesirecat99. I've just googled my old uni and found info on how to request a transcript, so at least I can ask. I'd be surprised if they do have records going back that far. I'm not even sure if their records were computerised then. Hopefully an official 'we have no records' transcript will be enough to apply for an MA.

It will be fine if the university doesn't have records, @writingabout, but if you have been out of education for some time, some courses ask you to write something as part of the application.

Thanks cheshire. I'm thinking of doing a creative writing MA, so I will have to send in examples of my writing anyway. It's something I've been wanting to do for a few years and now seems like a good time, but I'll probably spend a few months dithering about whether or not to go ahead and apply.

writingabout, I was able, a very few years ago, to order my university transcript from the 80s’ - so don’t be so sure yours won’t materialise!

You must, however, be sure to request them well in advance of any application deadline. While some places might respond immediately, I gather it can sometimes take months.

Oh, and they’ll probably charge you for the privilege, too.

Do you feel like sharing which institutions you might apply to?

(In thread name change, btw,)

Thanks LiterallyKnowsBest I've looked at my old uni's website and it seems they don't charge for a transcript, so I emailed a request earlier this afternoon. Looking forward to finding out if they have any info. It will be interesting to be reminded of what courses I did and my grades.

I think I want to do a fairly broad part-time MA that covers novel and genre writing as well as scriptwriting. The ones that seem to fit my criteria best are either the OU or Birkbeck, so I'm thinking about whether I'd prefer online or face to face. The Oxford Uni course also looks great, but is probably too competitive for me!

Is that the MSt, or …?

Don’t know about the others you mention but - and I’ve been trying to find the right phrase - as far as I’m aware, Oxford will want to see some evidence of achievement and … engagement. Which I’m sure you have.

Yes, the MSt. I've been shortlisted for a couple of things and had some good feedback, but not had anything published/performed. Anyway, I think Oxford is out of my range and is also a longer journey, so it will probably be one of the others. OU actually appeals to me because I'm not the most sociable person, so distance learning is more in my comfort zone.