next »

[Save A Buck]

Ok, back to the topic at hand.

Despite the theoretical value of a trancripts contents discussed above, I'm more interested in whether or not a committee can derive an equivalent value from a photocopy vs the $15 original at least for the first stage.

[chica]

Save A Buck wrote:

> Ok, back to the topic at hand.
>
> Despite the theoretical value of a trancripts contents
> discussed above, I'm more interested in whether or not a
> committee can derive an equivalent value from a photocopy vs
> the $15 original at least for the first stage.


Precisely.  Thank you.  My God.  Getting off the topic and the self-justifying (whinge whinge whinge we neeeeed the paper piles whinge whinge whinge who caaaaaares if it's expensive for the application.... whinge whinge whinge....etc) does not address the big question: how come photocopies aren't sufficient to hold over an eager committee AT LEAST until the applicant makes the first cut?

No, there is no excuse for a demand for official records on the first round of application.  NONE.  I myself absolutely refuse to send official copies of anything until I get an on-campus.  And if I lose out, fine, because I am sure that there are enough fools out there who will pander to this craziness.  Not me, muchas gracias.

And schools that demand the application in triplicate PLUS official copies can kiss my butt.  (Yes, I have actually seen that...and no, I did not apply and I hope that few others did as well.)

[Another Boring Anon]

We're fine with photocopies and printouts.  The only official one we want is for verification when you are hired.

[Reilly]

One thing I found with my official trancripts is that my date of birth is included.  This is something I would really rather avoid as it could be used in a discriminatory way.  I usually send the unofficial and white out my birth date.  Not had any problems so far.  The latest school I visited said the official one would be required upon hiring.

I've talked to the registrars about why birth date is included when it could be used against someone, and they apparently follow some sort of "standards of practice" for transcript issuance that requires the birth date be there.

[melba]

"This is something I've never quite understood. Why would committees ask for transcripts? Does it really matter to them how you did in freshman statistics if you're applying for a TT English Lit job???"


Have you ever been ON a search committee?!

You would be shocked by the number of people who make false claims (or somehow misinterpret their own degree and coursework), even when it contradicts the transcript that they have put in their own application packet. I hate to imagine what people would try to pull off if the transcripts were not required.

[Another ABD]

Reilly raises an interesting point.  I don't think my birthdate is on any of my transcripts (although maybe I should check) but my high school graduation year is on my undergrad transcript.  I have applied for a few positions which asked for all transcripts.  Since my high school and PhD graduation dates are over thirty years apart, I've wondered if was noticed and considered.  I have no way of knowing, of course, but I've wondered.

[another student]

I'm currently finishing up my PhD coursework, and I believe that I have four or five courses on my transcript which simply read "Seminar in [Name of Broad Field]." (Well, maybe one says "Advanced Seminar.")  I'm not convinced that this will be helpful in helping a search committee to evaluate if I've done coursework in any particular subareas....  (Although I'm not too worried about it, to be honest.)

[Reilly]

Although clearly people can do the math from degree dates, I couldn't help but worry that around the time I finished my Ph.D. I was a 35-year-old female and that search committees who saw my birth date on official transcripts would think "biological clock ticking loudly here".  Now that I'm a little older do they think "probably has kids and wants all kinds of exceptions" or "spousal hire"?