Transcript Evaluations Process

To receive a transcript evaluation, students must have completed or be in the process of completing 12 units at Mission College.

It is highly advised to schedule a meeting with a Mission College counselor before requesting a transcript evaluation. The counselor can assist with the process and offer recommendations based on your educational objectives. To schedule a counseling appointment, visit Counseling.

To request a transcript evaluation for external college or university coursework, students should follow these steps: 

  1. Submit official transcripts from all previous schools to the Admissions and Records Office at Mission College.
    • Send Official Transcripts to:

      Mission College
      Admissions & Records Office
      3000 Mission College Blvd., M.S. 9
      Santa Clara, CA  95054

    • Please note that transcripts can only be accepted directly from the institution or must be in an unopened envelope with the official seal. 
  2. After the official transcripts are received, students can submit a Request for Transcript Evaluation
  3. Our evaluators will review the request and provide approval or denial with comments. The estimated processing time is 2-3 weeks for all students.
  4. Upon completion of the evaluation, the student will receive a confirmation email at their student email address. 

For information regarding the application of external exams and coursework, including foreign coursework, towards Mission College degrees and certificates, please check out External Coursework & Exams.

 

Important Information

For a transcript evaluation, you need to provide official transcripts with final grades for all courses. Courses with a notation of I, IP, or RD will not be included in the evaluation. 

The grades you received in lower-division associate degree-related courses with grades A, B, C, D, F, CR, or P will be evaluated and considered for Mission College requirements. Courses marked with W, NC, or NP will not be considered. 

Your cumulative GPA will be calculated based on all the degree-related courses that you completed with grades A, B, C, D, or F. You cannot choose which courses to include or exclude in the GPA calculation. 

Once a transcript evaluation has been completed and added to a student’s academic record, it is considered a permanent part of their educational history and cannot be removed or altered. 

 

FAQ

How can I improve my overall GPA? 

We highly recommend that you reach out to your Counselor and inquire about any academic renewal or grade alleviation options available at your previous schools. This process allows you to petition for the exclusion of D or F grades from your transcript, which could improve your overall GPA. 

If you decide to pursue this and successfully exclude any D/F grades, please send us an updated official transcript from the relevant institution(s) along with a new Transcript Evaluation request. We would be happy to update your transcript(s) by removing the excluded grades once we receive the updated materials. 

 

How long will the transcript evaluation request take? 

We appreciate your interest in requesting a transcript evaluation. Please note that requests are processed in the order that they are received. To ensure accurate processing, please allow up to 2-3 weeks from the time of submitting your request. If you have any questions or concerns regarding your transcript evaluation, do not hesitate to reach out to us at mc.records@missioncollege.edu. We are here to help! 

 

Do I need to submit a transcript evaluation request? 

The need for a transcript evaluation request depends on your specific situation and educational goals. If you have completed college or university coursework at another institution and want to transfer the credits to Mission College, you may need to submit a transcript evaluation request to have your previous coursework reviewed and considered for transfer credit. 

It's always a good idea to consult with a Mission College counselor who can help you determine if a transcript evaluation request is necessary and guide you through the process. They can also answer any questions or concerns you may have and make recommendations based on your educational goals. 

 

What is the importance of catalog rights to my transcript evaluation? 

Catalog rights refer to the academic policies and requirements that were in effect when a student was admitted to an institution and therefore, used as the basis for their academic program. They are important for associate degree or certificate evaluations because they determine which set of requirements the student must fulfill in order to earn their degree or certificate. 

At Mission College, catalog rights are determined by the academic year in which a student was admitted or the most current catalog year that the student is enrolled. This means that students have the option to either follow the requirements outlined in the catalog in effect at the time of their admission, or they may choose to follow more recent requirements in the current academic year. 

It's important to note that if a student wants to keep their catalog rights, they must be enrolled in at least one class each academic year. This means that if the student doesn't take a class for an entire academic year, they will lose their rights and will have to start over with a new set of catalog rights when they re-enroll in a class. 

Having a clear understanding of catalog rights can help ensure that a student's coursework and progress towards their degree or certificate is evaluated correctly, and that they are on track to meet their educational goals. 

 

I’ve taken courses outside of the U.S. Can I apply those courses? 

Foreign transcripts from colleges or universities outside of the United States must be evaluated by a professional evaluation service that specializes in the evaluation of foreign credentials.  

To have foreign coursework considered for a Mission College degree, students must follow these steps:

  1. Contact one of the approved evaluation services from the list:
    • IERF (International Education Research Foundation | www.ierf.org 
    • NACES (The National Association of Credential Evaluation Services) | www.naces.org 
    • WES (World Education Service) | www.wes.org 
    • IIC (International Institute of California | www.iicus.com 
    • IESCAREE (International Evaluation Service Center) | www.iescaree.com
  2. Request a detailed equivalency report that includes the course level (upper or lower division), its U.S. semester-unit equivalency and the grade earned. 
  3.   Submit the evaluated foreign transcript along with the course descriptions, in English, to the Mission College Records Office for review. 

Please keep in mind that foreign coursework cannot be used to meet the requirements for associate degrees for Transfer (ADTs), CSU GE-B or IGETC certifications.