What makes a transcript unofficial or official? | Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies

What makes a transcript unofficial or official?

Unofficial transcripts: All transcripts uploaded to WebAdvisor are unofficial. An unofficial transcript is also one that:

  • Has been opened by the student;

  • Is a photocopy of the original;

  • Was not produced by the school/university;

  • Was translated by the student or a non-professional translation service;

  • If the original seal of the University envelope is broken, the transcript is no longer considered official.

Official Transcripts: Official transcripts are only required if the applicant is presented an offer of admission. Transcripts are official if:

  • They are sent directly to the University of Guelph in a sealed University envelope (the applicant can request that the University send us the official documents directly or the student can receive the document and forward it to the University of Guelph unopened);

  • If the original seal of the University envelope is not broken (the transcript is no longer considered official and will not be accepted as official if it is broken);

  • They must bear an official signature of the appropriate official at your institution, such as the registrar;

  • They must bear the institutional seal;

  • Certified true copies must be stamped and signed by the institution;

  • Digital copies can also be considered official and final if sent directly by the institute to gradapps@uoguelph.ca from an institution email address.