Transcripts & Grades
The purpose of this section is to explain how ISA Direct handles
the foreign university transcripts of North American students who
participate in our study abroad programs. ISA Direct students study
at fully accredited foreign universities and receive an official
transcript upon completion of the program. The transcripts are sent
to ISA from the foreign university. Because the American and overseas
university schedules differ, it may take as long as 3-4 months for
ISA to receive the official transcripts from the foreign university
after the completion of an ISA program. Most U.S. universities are
accustomed to this delay. Once the transcripts are sent to ISA, the
Academic Records Department automatically sends one official
transcript to the student's respective home (U.S.) university and one
unofficial photocopy to the student, unless there is an outstanding
balance on the student's account.
ISA sends official transcripts to students' home universities via
UPS, and the photocopy of the transcript that is sent to the
student's permanent address is sent via regular mail. This photocopy
will be accompanied by a letter containing the UPS tracking number so
that students may track their transcripts on the UPS website.
Students may also check the status of their program's transcripts at
one of the links to the left.
Each transcript that is sent to students' home universities is
accompanied by an ISA cover letter that contains valuable information
and is meant to facilitate the job of the transcript evaluator. The
accompanying letter includes a translation of course titles, the
number of hours of instruction for each course, the language level
for each course (if applicable), the language of instruction for each
course, and a note as to whether the courses were "regular"
university courses (with local students of the host country) or
"special" courses specifically designed for international
students. Finally, the cover letter offers a grading scale
recommendation. However, it is ultimately the responsibility of the
student's home university to determine the grade equivalencies and
decide how classes taken abroad will apply to each student's degree
program. Once the transcripts are received by the home university, it
then often takes up to 8 weeks for universities to evaluate transfer
credit and to update students' academic records. In order for credits
to be transferred, students must obtain course approval from their
home universities. ISA recommends that students get this approval
prior to departure.
At the end of an ISA Direct program, it greatly benefits students
to meet with their on-site professors to find out their grades BEFORE
departing their study abroad site. This may not always be a
possibility, but several of the programs will allow students to check
their grades before departure, and this will help avoid academic
disputes several months after their program has ended. ISA also
recommends that students save all coursework and syllabi from the
courses they complete at the host university. This may be beneficial
to students if they contest a grade after returning to the U.S. This
may also facilitate the transfer of credits from the host university
to students' home universities after the completion of the program.
Requesting Additional Transcripts
Should you need additional transcripts sent in the future (for
jobs, graduate school, etc.) you must complete an Additional
Transcript Request Form (ATRF) -- found in the list on the left --
and send it in with the required payment amount. Please read the
payment information on the form very carefully. Requests submitted
with a money order, cashier's check, or credit card will be processed
within 3 weeks. Requests submitted with a personal check will be held
during a 2-week clearing period in addition to the 3 week processing
period. To pay with a credit card, you must fill out the Credit Card
Authorization Form found in the column on the left and send it in
with your ATRF. Students should also include any additional required
forms with the ATRF: e.g., LSDAS. Unless the university/institution
has specified that it will accept an official copy from the student,
ISA recommends that the student not ask for official copies to be
sent to their home address. Upon receiving the ATRF and payment, ISA
will send an official copy of the foreign transcript to the location
designated on the student's ATRF. All transcripts are stored at the
ISA Austin office indefinitely. If you have any questions about
requesting additional transcripts, please contact Rachel
Rothermel (rrothermel@studiesabroad.com).
Contact Us
Remember that your home university will ultimately make the
decision about how classes taken abroad will apply to your degree
program. If you have any questions regarding transcripts, please
contact the Academic Records Department in the ISA Austin office:
Rachel Rothermel for
Additional Transcript Requests (rrothermel@studiesabroad.com)
Alonso De La Fuente for Spain,
Latin America, Italy, and England (alonso@studiesabroad.com)
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