Sending a Quebec CEGEP Transcript and Course Descriptions to US Colleges
By Muntasir Minhaz • Published Aug 19, 2026 • Canadians Studying Abroad
Your CEGEP registrar, not SRAM, SRACQ, or SRASL, issues the official releve de notes you send to US colleges. Since a releve de notes is usually in French only, request an official course description document too, since a US reader will not recognize course codes like 601-101-MQ on sight.
📩 Order your releve de notes directly from your CEGEP's registrar office, not the admission service that handled your CEGEP application.
Ask about an English version or certified translation if your CEGEP issues records only in French.
Request a course description sheet or program outline, since US readers need context for CEGEP course codes and credit weighting.
⏱️ Start months ahead. Registrar offices process outside requests slower than in-province ones.
SRAM handles admission, not your transcript
If you applied to CEGEP through SRAM in the Montreal area, or through SRACQ or SRASL elsewhere in Quebec, that platform only processed your CEGEP admission. None of these services issue an outgoing transcript for a US application. Your official releve de notes comes from your own CEGEP's registrar office, so contact that office directly rather than the admission service you used to get in.
Request the releve de notes
Ask your CEGEP registrar for an official releve de notes addressed to each US college, or one issued to you in a sealed envelope if your target school accepts that. Processing time varies by CEGEP, so request it well ahead of your earliest US deadline, especially during a busy registration period at your college.
Plan for the language gap
Most Quebec CEGEPs issue the releve de notes in French. English-language CEGEPs such as Dawson College, Vanier College, and John Abbott College issue records in English by default. If your CEGEP is French-language and your target college requires English documents, ask the registrar whether a bilingual or English version exists, or whether you need a certified translation from an outside translator.
Certified translation and credential evaluation services such as WES Canada handle this kind of document work for other purposes, such as immigration or licensing. Ask your target college first whether it needs a formal credential evaluation or simply an English translation, since requirements differ by school.
Why course descriptions matter
A CEGEP releve de notes lists course codes like 601-101-MQ or 360-300-RE, credit weightings, and grades that do not map directly onto a US high school transcript. A US admissions reader with little exposure to the Quebec system does not know what those codes cover or how many hours of instruction they represent.
Ask your CEGEP's registrar or your program department for an official course description document, sometimes called a cahier des cours or course outline, that explains what each code covers. Attach this alongside your transcript through your application portal, or send it as a supplementary document if the college allows one.
Releve de notes vs your DEC parchment
The releve de notes lists every course and grade across your CEGEP studies. Your Diploma of College Studies (DEC) parchment is a separate certificate confirming you completed the program, issued only after you finish all requirements.
Most US applications need the releve de notes for admission decisions, and ask for proof of the DEC itself only once you are further along or already graduated.
Steps to order
Contact your CEGEP's registrar office directly, by phone or through its student portal.
Request an official releve de notes addressed to each US college.
Ask whether an English version or certified translation is available if your CEGEP issues records in French.
Request a course description or program outline document for the same courses.
Confirm the delivery method, mail, sealed envelope, or electronic, that each college accepts.
Send an updated releve de notes once your final semester marks post.
Start earlier than you think
CEGEP registrar offices are set up to process releve de notes requests for Quebec university admission, not for a US application cycle with a November or January deadline. Build in extra weeks for your request to reach the front of the queue, especially if you ask during your CEGEP's own busy registration period at the start of a semester.
Explain the DEC on your application
Where the application asks about your school program, note that a CEGEP Diploma of College Studies is a pre-university credential, and that Quebec students finish high school after grade 11 rather than grade 12. Your counselor or CEGEP advisor adds this context in a recommendation letter if the application allows one.
Check what each college wants
Application platforms such as Common App do not collect or forward transcripts themselves, so confirm with each college's admissions office how it wants your releve de notes and course descriptions delivered, whether by mail from your CEGEP, a PDF you upload, or both.
Budget for more than one order
If you apply to several US colleges, plan for more than one round of releve de notes requests. Order a copy for each college on your list at your first submission, then a second update once your final semester marks post, so build this into your registrar request rather than treating it as a single one-time errand.
Keep a copy for your own records
Ask for one official copy addressed to yourself alongside the copies sent to colleges. Having your own copy on hand helps if a college later asks for a duplicate, or if a scholarship application needs proof of your CEGEP marks separate from your college file.
If you are still finishing your DEC
Many CEGEP students apply to US colleges before finishing their final semester. Note on your application that your DEC is in progress, and confirm with your CEGEP registrar how they document courses still underway on an interim releve de notes, so the college sees an accurate picture of what is complete and what is still ahead.