Sending an Ontario High School Transcript to US Colleges

Two Ways an Official Transcript Reaches a US College

A US college needs your transcript sent directly from your school, not forwarded by you, for it to count as official. Ontario schools generally use one of two methods: a sealed paper transcript mailed by the registrar straight to the college, or an electronic transcript sent through a service like Parchment directly to the college's admissions system. Ask your school's registrar or guidance office which method your board uses before you assume either one.

Ordering Through Parchment

Many Ontario school boards and private schools have set up an account with Parchment, letting students order transcripts through Parchment's own site rather than requesting one on paper from the office. You create a free Parchment account, verify your identity as a student at your school, then request delivery straight to each college on your list. Parchment sends the transcript electronically, and most receiving colleges, including those using Common App, accept this as an official document since it comes straight from the school's verified account rather than through you. Check with your registrar whether your specific school has an active Parchment account before you try to order through it, since not every Ontario school has set one up.

What Ordering Through Parchment Costs

Parchment charges a small per-transcript fee for electronic delivery, on top of whatever your school itself charges, if anything. Check the exact fee at checkout on Parchment's own site before you order, since it varies by school and destination, and budget for one fee per college on your list rather than a single flat cost for your whole application.

Ordering a Sealed Paper Transcript

If your school has no electronic transcript service set up, ask the registrar for a sealed, signed transcript addressed to each college. The registrar seals the envelope and signs across the seal, and either the school mails it directly or hands it to you sealed to mail yourself, depending on school policy. A transcript you open yourself, even to check it, usually stops counting as official, so leave the seal intact and let the college open it. Confirm with your school which method they use, since policies differ between boards.

Sending It Through Common App

Common App lets your school's counselor upload a transcript directly as part of the School Report, using the same recommender system that handles your Counselor Recommendation. If your school works with a platform like Maia Learning, Scoir, or Naviance, or has a Parchment account, that platform usually connects straight to Common App, so the counselor sends your transcript without printing or mailing anything. This is generally the fastest and most reliable route, since it removes the mail delivery step entirely.

If You Attended School in More Than One Province or Board

If you moved schools partway through high school, request a transcript from every school you attended for credit, not just your graduating school, since US colleges generally want your complete academic record starting from grade 9. Contact each previous school's registrar directly, since a Parchment account or sealed transcript policy at one school does not carry over to another school you attended earlier.

What Can Slow This Down

A first-time request from a school that rarely sends transcripts to US colleges can take longer than a routine request for an Ontario university application, since the registrar may need to set up a new Parchment account, confirm a CEEB code, or work out the right format for a US college for the first time. Order your transcript weeks before your earliest deadline, not days before, and follow up with your registrar if you do not see it marked as received on your Common App checklist within a couple of weeks.

Confirming It Arrived

Check your Common App dashboard for each college, where a received transcript usually shows as a checked item within a few weeks of sending. If a college's checklist still shows a missing transcript close to your deadline, contact your registrar to confirm it was sent, and contact the college's admissions office directly to ask whether they have simply not processed it yet.