Understanding Unofficial versus Official Documents

You've applied for admission and now are asked to submit specific documents. The following blog outlines the differences in required documents the Admission Office needs to begin to review and finalize your offer of admission

Once you’ve applied to the University of Calgary, you will be asked to submit specific documentation. About 24 hours after you submit your application, a list of to-do items will appear in your Student Centre. Your to-do list items will be specific to your academic history and the program(s) you applied to. Each to-do item will have a specific due date and include detailed information on how to submit. Documents must be submitted by the due date for your application to be evaluated for admission – but we recommend submitting as early as possible.

Fall undergraduate admission transcript submission deadlines are additionally found here:

*regardless of the deadline, we encourage students to submit transcripts as soon as they become available.

An academic transcript is a record of your academic history and needs to include your full name, the full name of the school attended, dates of attendance, all courses and credit hours taken (including transfer credit (if applicable) and the date of issue. There are two kinds of academic transcripts, unofficial transcripts and official:

• Unofficial transcripts are academic transcripts that an applicant has access to that have not come directly from the issuing institution to the admission office. Unofficial transcripts can be used for your application evaluation and many can be uploaded in your to-do list in your my.UCalgary Student Centre. Unofficial transcripts should be uploaded as a PDF and should not be screenshots from your student portal. If you’re admitted using unofficial transcripts, your offer will be conditional on receipt of official transcripts.  
• Official transcripts are academic transcripts that have been sent from your school, governing body or ministry of education directly to the Admissions Office. Official transcripts should arrive at the Admissions Office before the final transcript deadline to be used in an evaluation, or to finalize your offer of admission. Official transcripts can be mailed or sent electronically through certain secure electronic delivery services, such as Parchment, e-Script-Safe, MyCreds or National Student Clearinghouse. Official transcripts can also be emailed to transcripts@ucalgary.ca when sent by official school or institutional emails. Transcripts received by the admissions office become the property of the University of Calgary and cannot be returned.

Official vs. original transcripts for international applicants

Original transcripts are the copies you receive upon completion of your studies. Please do not send us original documents. UCalgary considers any document received by the applicant as unofficial (unless it is received in a sealed envelope) – including original transcripts. To be considered official, the transcript must be received by the Admissions office direction from the institution's governing body or Ministry of Education. If the only transcript you have access to is an original copy, please connect with us for assistance.

Transcripts can be submitted each time grades are updated on your transcript. 

International applicants seeking admission on the basis of documents which are in a language other than English must submit official documents in the original language as well as English translations prepared by a certified translator.

For the following transcripts, an applicant does not need to upload an unofficial transcript as they can be received electronically:

Students applying from within Alberta

If you have attended a high school or post-secondary institution in Alberta that participates in ApplyAlberta, the University of Calgary will obtain your transcripts on your behalf. There is no need to send them to us, as long as you apply through ApplyAlberta.

If you are attending a non-semester/linear school, submit your interim transcripts with your mid-year assessment or marks after January 1. Interim transcripts should be uploaded via the Student Centre by March 15. Please ensure documents include your full name.

Students applying from high schools in British Columbia and Saskatchewan

If you have attended a high school in British Columbia or Saskatchewan the University of Calgary will receive your high school transcripts electronically when you follow the guidelines below:

British Columbia High Schools

If you have attended a high school in British Columbia, transcripts must be requested through the BC Ministry of Education and Child Care’s Student Transcript Service to be sent electronically using the option that allows the post-secondary institution to request updates until September 1. For more support on applying as a BC student, check out this blog!

If you are attending a non-semester/linear school, submit your interim transcripts with your mid year assessment or marks after January 1. Interim transcripts should be uploaded via the Student Centre by March 15. Please ensure documents include your full name.

Saskatchewan High Schools

If you have attended a high school in Saskatchewan, transcripts must be requested through the Saskatchewan Ministry of Education to be sent electronically. Please request one transcript as soon as possible, one transcript after the January exams and one transcript after the June exams so that your application will be evaluated after each term.

If you are attending a non-semester/linear school please also request a transcript through the Saskatchewan Ministry of Education with your mid-year assessment or marks after January 1. Interim transcripts should be uploaded via the Student Centre by March 15. Please ensure documents include your full name.

During the application cycle, it is important to always check your my.UCalgary Student Centre to see what documents are required under the to-do list. If you ever experience difficulties uploading required documents, please contact our team for support.

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