All about College Transcripts
Understanding your College Transcript
Understanding what a college transcript is and how you can use it in your educational
journey is important because it’s the key to unlock the door based on your choices
now and in the future.
Let’s explore three fundamental aspects of transcripts. What is a college transcript and how do you read it How do I order one? How will my credits transfer?
Let’s explore three fundamental aspects of transcripts. What is a college transcript and how do you read it How do I order one? How will my credits transfer?
A college transcript is a document that shows the classes you took in college, the
grades you earned, your GPA, and how many credits you received. Schools and employers
use it to see your academic progress and achievements. Colleges also use your transcript
when determining what dual enrollment credit can be awarded.
Below are 7 things you should look for on your transcript. Those items are marked
on the sample transcript provided.
- Subject No.: This is the abbreviation for your class. Current Vincennes courses have a 4-letter abbreviation for the subject and a 3-digit number for the course number.
- Course Title: This is the name of the class you took.
- CRED: How many credit hours the class is worth. Unlike in high school, where most courses are 1 credit hour, many college courses are 3 credit hours. This number can change based on the class itself.
- GRD: This column shows the grade that was earned in the course. Vincennes uses the A-F scale for grades.
- GPA: This shows the grade point average for the semester. This is computed by averaging out the credit hours taken and the grade earned. For a student that earned all "A's" for the semester, their GPA would be 4.0.
- Overall GPA: This shows your grade point average for all of your classes on the transcript.
- Academic Honors: If you achieve academic honors for a semester, including dean's list, that will be indicated below your semester GPA.
You must send an official transcript to the college you are going to attend for them to award credit for your dual enrollment classes.
https://www.parchment.com/u/registration/35178/institution
Step 1: Go to the Vincennes University Parchment link above. You will see a screen like the one pictured below.
Step 2: Scroll down until you see where you should enter your email address. Enter your preferred email address and click continue.
Step 3: Fill out your personal information. Any box with a red asterisk MUST be filled out. You will have to verify your email address and then complete enrollment and A# questions.
Step 4: Once your account is created you will be able to order your Vincennes University Transcripts. Start this process by clicking the “Order Button”
Step 5: After clicking the “Order Button, type in the name of the university where you want your transcripts sent. (You can also send your transcripts to an individual by using their email address.)
Step 6: You will be brought to an “Item Details” page to review your order. All official Vincennes University transcripts cost $5.
Step 7: On the confirmation page you will be asked to provide your Vincennes Student ID. This may also be referred to as your “A number”. If you do not have your Vincennes student ID, you can click on the link that says “I do not know or remember my student ID”. Once you click the link, you can provide your Social Security Number instead. You will then sign your name.
Step 8: Finally, type your full name into the space provided, click the “I consent” box and hit continue. You will then be brought to a confirmation page. Print or save the confirmation for your records.
To determine what credits, you can expect to receive at your new university, there are a couple of tools you can use.
If you plan to attend a public university in the state of Indiana, you can start by reviewing the core transfer library database with the dual credit classes that you have earned. This is a great tool to see what dual credits will transfer for your general education courses, those courses that all students must take in college regardless of major.
Step 1: Review the Core Transfer Library
Step 2: Scroll down and you will see a link to “Search the Core Transfer Library (CTL) Now” Click that link.
Step 3: You will then see an area to select the institution and CTL name. Select Vincennes University as your institution and “Public Speaking, Fundamentals of” to see Vincennes University COMM 143 Speech class. Note, the CTL name may NOT match up with the course name as it shows on your transcript.
In this example, COMM 143 at Vincennes is equivalent to Purdue University’s COM 114, Indiana State University’s COMM 101 and Ball State University's COMM 210.
The core transfer library can be a great tool when looking at how general education credits will transfer to in-state Indiana schools.
If you are taking program specific courses, courses that fulfill your specific college major OR you are planning to go out of state, the Core Transfer Library will not be the best tool for you. Instead, you will want to check with your school directly to see how classes may transfer.
Many colleges now have their own dual credit transfer tool that can be used. An example is Purdue University’s credit evaluation tool is below. If the college or university you plan to attend DOES NOT have a similar tool available, you should contact either your college academic advisor or the universities registrar for help in determining what dual enrollment classes you can expect to receive credit for.
Example: Purdue University
Step 1: Visit myPurdue Self-Service
Step 2: Scroll down until you see the “Create a Report by Transfer School Course”
Step 3: Fill out the required information.
Step 4: Click “Display Results” to see how your course will transfer
In this example, Vincennes University’s CULN 110 course is the equivalent of Purdue University’s HTM 291 course. As the total credits for the classes do not match, Purdue chooses to award students 1 undistributed credit.