A high school transcript is a formal document that records every course you took, the grades you earned, the credits you accumulated, and your cumulative grade point average. It serves as the primary academic record colleges, employers, and scholarship committees use to evaluate your high school performance. Beyond grades, transcripts often carry additional details that paint a fuller picture of your academic career.
Courses, Grades, and Credits
The backbone of any transcript is a semester-by-semester or year-by-year list of every course you completed. Each entry typically shows the course title, the final grade you received, and the number of credits earned. This means your transcript won’t just say “English” four times. It will distinguish between English 9, Honors English 10, AP English Language, and so on, giving readers a clear view of the rigor you pursued.
Grades appear as letter grades, percentages, or both, depending on the school. If you took a course on a pass/fail basis or audited it, that will be noted, but it won’t count toward your GPA. Concurrent enrollment courses, where you earned college credit while still in high school, also appear with the grade you received.
How GPA Appears on a Transcript
Your cumulative GPA is calculated by dividing total grade points earned by total credits attempted. On the standard four-point scale, an A equals 4.0, a B equals 3.0, a C equals 2.0, a D equals 1.0, and an F equals 0.0. Schools that use numeric grades typically convert them: 90 to 100 maps to an A, 80 to 89 to a B, 70 to 79 to a C, and 60 to 69 to a D.
Many transcripts show both a weighted and an unweighted GPA. An unweighted GPA treats every class equally on the 4.0 scale. A weighted GPA adds extra points for honors, AP, or IB courses, often on a 5.0 scale, so an A in AP Chemistry might count as 5.0 instead of 4.0. If your school calculates class rank, that number (and your class size) may appear on the transcript as well, though some schools have moved away from reporting rank.
Test Scores and Assessments
Whether standardized test scores show up on your transcript depends on the school and the type of test. Some states require results from annual state assessments to appear on the official record. Certain districts also include ACT or SAT scores.
However, the College Board specifically recommends that schools not place SAT scores on transcripts. The reasoning is practical: if scores are embedded in the transcript, they get sent to every college that receives the transcript, even if you didn’t want a particular school to see them. If your school does include SAT scores, they should get written consent from you or your parent first. AP exam scores are generally sent separately through the College Board rather than listed on the transcript itself. The safest assumption is that you’ll need to send standardized test scores directly through the testing organization, regardless of what your transcript shows.
Personal and Enrollment Information
Every transcript includes identifying details: your full legal name, date of birth, and a student ID number. You’ll also find the school’s name and address, your enrollment dates, your expected or actual graduation date, and the type of diploma awarded if you’ve already graduated. If you transferred between schools, the transcript may list coursework from your previous school or note that transfer credits were accepted.
Attendance and Extracurricular Notes
Some transcripts include an attendance summary showing total days present and absent for each school year. This varies by district. A handful of schools and districts also note participation in community service, service learning hours, or other district-approved activities directly on the transcript, though this is far from universal. Check with your school’s registrar or counselor to find out what your district includes beyond coursework.
What Transcripts Do Not Include
Disciplinary records, such as suspensions or behavioral incidents, are maintained in your student file but are not part of the academic transcript. These are separate records protected under federal privacy law (FERPA), and schools cannot release them without parental consent except in limited safety-related situations. Health records, counselor notes, and IEP or 504 plan details are similarly kept out of the transcript. Colleges reviewing your application will see your academic performance, not your discipline history, unless a separate question on the application asks about it.
Official vs. Unofficial Transcripts
Transcripts come in two forms. An official transcript is sent directly from your high school to the requesting institution, typically through a secure electronic system or in a sealed envelope. It carries the school’s seal or the registrar’s signature and is considered tamper-proof because you never handle it yourself. Colleges almost always require official transcripts for this reason.
An unofficial transcript contains the same information but is handed directly to you, usually as a printed copy or a PDF. It’s useful for your own reference, for job applications that ask about your education, or for getting a quick look at your record before applying to colleges. Because you could theoretically alter an unofficial copy, it won’t satisfy a college’s admission requirements.
How to Request Your Transcript
If you’re currently enrolled, your school counselor or registrar’s office handles transcript requests. Many schools use online platforms like Parchment or Naviance to send official transcripts electronically. If you’ve already graduated, you’ll typically contact your former school’s records office or the district’s central office. Some districts charge a small fee per copy, while others provide a set number for free. Processing times range from a few days to a couple of weeks, so request transcripts well before any application deadlines.
If your school has closed, your state’s department of education can usually direct you to wherever the records were transferred. Most states require that student records be preserved even after a school shuts down.