An applicant should verify the secondary or high school responsible for issuing a transcript, whether the document is an original or a certified copy, and whether the school sent it. EducationUSA states that an original transcript or certified copy sent by the secondary or high school is generally required for each institution in its undergraduate application guidance. When a website supports the document check, the exact URL and date of the website visit should also be recorded.
How to check each detail
| Detail | What needs verification | Evidence boundary |
|---|---|---|
| Issuing school | The identity of the secondary or high school that issued the transcript | This identifies the source responsible for the transcript. The cited EducationUSA guidance does not describe an authentication procedure. |
| Document form | Whether the submitted document is an original transcript or a certified copy | EducationUSA explicitly includes both forms in its general requirement. |
| Delivery route | Whether the secondary or high school sent the transcript | EducationUSA says the transcript is generally required to be sent by the school. This does not by itself establish that a receiving institution received or accepted it. |
| Receiving institution’s rule | Whether the intended institution currently accepts the document in that form and through that delivery route | The cited guidance uses the qualifier “generally” and does not provide institution-specific exceptions. |
| Supporting web source | The exact URL and date of the website visit | FAU Libraries lists both details as information to record for web sources. |
A filename, screenshot, or uploaded scan may show what a file depicts, but it does not establish that the document is an original or certified copy, or that the issuing school sent it. Those points require separate confirmation.
What the applicant must still confirm
The applicant remains responsible for confirming several matters that the cited guidance does not settle:
- Whether the particular transcript is genuinely an original or a certified copy.
- Whether the issuing school sent the relevant document and can confirm the sending details.
- Whether the intended institution accepts the stated document form and delivery method under its current instructions.
- Whether an electronic upload is sufficient in a particular case; the cited EducationUSA statement does not address this.
- Any institution-specific exception, seal or signature requirement, or other document condition; neither cited source provides such a list.
For a transcript, the issuing school is the relevant source for document status and delivery. For the receiving institution’s requirements, the applicant must check that institution separately. For supporting web evidence, retaining the URL and website visit date makes the reference traceable without implying that the cited pages answer questions they do not address.