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ORPAS – Transcript Requirements

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Refer to the application and the university's website for up-to-date program details.

ORPAS must receive your initial transcripts by January 30, 2024. We are prepared to receive transcripts before receiving your application, but not before October 15, 2023.

Check Document Tracking in your application frequently to ensure that all documents are received by the appropriate deadlines.

Official transcripts are required for each university, college, CEGEP, junior college, graduate school or other postsecondary institution you currently attend, previously attended or withdrew from. You must submit a separate transcript even if your home school transcript shows an exchange or transfer course, and regardless of whether the course of study is relevant to your application.

This includes transcripts for:

  • Work taken on Letter of Permission
  • Transfer credit
  • Exchange program credit

ORPAS does not require International Baccalaureate (IB) or Advanced Placement (AP) transcripts.

Transcripts must include all course work completed to date, and all withdrawn, incomplete and in-progress courses.

Read the transcript instructions carefully, as some types of transcripts must be ordered within your application, while others you will need to order directly from your institution.

What Makes a Transcript “Official”?

To be official, transcripts must meet these criteria:

  • Be sent directly from the registrar’s office to ORPAS.
  • Be either:
    • printed on the institution’s official transcript paper or be imprinted with the school’s seal and/or bear the appropriate signatures or
    • sent electronically where that procedure is established.

ORPAS cannot accept undergraduate transcripts provided by you or graduate departments. Photocopies and/or faxes of official transcripts and transcripts uploaded via Secure Applicant Messaging are not acceptable.

Transcripts must be received by January 30, 2024.

Only 1 copy of each transcript is required.

It is not possible to notify you of any outstanding transcripts at the time of the deadline.

Transfer credits, Letter of Permission credits and/or exchange program credits recorded on the transcript of another university or college cannot be accepted in place of the transcript from the university or college where the course was taken.

If you attended or are attending a university or college that does not issue transcripts, you must arrange with the registrar’s office to provide ORPAS with an official statement of attendance and degree granted.

Transcripts from Ontario Universities and Colleges

Online Transcript Requests

Official transcripts are required for any Ontario university or Ontario college that you attend, have attended or have withdrawn from. You must request your transcript through your application, unless otherwise noted in the Exceptions for Online Transcript Requests.

By completing an online transcript request and forwarding the appropriate fees, you authorize the OUAC to arrange for your official transcripts to be sent to ORPAS; you do not need to contact the registrar’s office(s) directly.

You can access this section in your application by selecting “Transcripts”.

ORPAS must receive your online transcript request by the appropriate deadlines to satisfy the transcript deadline requirement.

Submitted transcript requests cannot be cancelled or changed.

The OUAC is not responsible for the refusal of any institution to provide transcripts (e.g., delinquent accounts, incorrect identification). If you do not resolve the issues in a timely manner, the universities will not consider your transcripts upon their release.

Transcript Request Fees

The OUAC collects transcript request fees on behalf of the institutions.

For more information, and for a list of each institution’s transcript request fee, refer to Transcript Request Fees.

Transcript request fees are non-refundable.

By completing an online transcript request and submitting it with your application and appropriate fees (application service fee, university or program fees, transcript request fees), you authorize the OUAC to arrange for your official transcripts to be sent to ORPAS. 

Submitted requests cannot be cancelled or changed and all fees are non-refundable.

Transcripts from Canadian Institutions Outside of Ontario

If you attend, have attended or have withdrawn from a Canadian university or college outside of Ontario, you must contact the registrar’s office to arrange to have your transcript sent to ORPAS.

ORPAS has established procedures with approved distribution centres to release their transcripts by electronic means. The collection of electronic transcripts is not an automated process. As long as the document is available to ORPAS by the transcript deadline, it will meet the deadline requirement.

If your institution does not issue electronic transcripts, you must arrange with their registrar’s office to have an official paper copy sent to ORPAS.

Transcripts from US Institutions

If you attend, have attended or have withdrawn from a US university or college, you must contact the registrar’s office to arrange to have your transcript sent to ORPAS.

ORPAS has established procedures with approved distribution centres to release their transcripts by electronic means. The collection of electronic transcripts is not an automated process. As long as the document is available to ORPAS by the transcript deadline, it will meet the deadline requirement.

If your institution does not issue electronic transcripts, you must arrange with their registrar’s office to have an official paper copy sent to ORPAS.

ORPAS will convert grades of courses taken at accredited universities in the US. You do not require a World Education Services (WES) evaluation for these courses.

Transcripts from International Institutions (Excluding the US)

When arranging for transcripts to be sent from institutions outside Canada and the US, request that the institution include an explanation of the grading system used.

Where official international transcripts may be difficult to obtain, ORPAS will accept original notarized copies of non-Canadian or non-American transcripts in both English and the original language.

Original notarized documents will not be considered official, and each individual university may require further documentation.

Photocopies of original notarized documents are not acceptable and will not be considered.

You are responsible for contacting the registrar to request that your transcript(s) be sent to WES. Arrange for your transcript(s) to be sent to WES from your registrar’s office.

Assessment of International Academic Credentials

Credentialing assessment means converting international academic credentials into their Canadian educational equivalents. 

Your WES evaluation must include a copy of your official transcript.

You are not required to request a transcript from your registrar’s office as long as your WES evaluation contains your transcript.

Whether you are a Canadian or non‑Canadian applicant, you must have your international transcript assessed by WES if:

  • You have not met the minimum course number criteria using your Canadian or US data.
  • You require inclusion of your international education data.

Request a course‑by‑course evaluation for your international grades. The evaluation will not be valid without an overall GPA. However, the admission committees of the universities reserve the right to apply their own evaluation.

WES evaluations must be sent directly to ORPAS by WES and must be received by the application deadline.

Reminder: ORPAS will convert grades of courses taken at accredited universities in the US. You do not require a WES evaluation for these courses.

To contact WES, call 416‑972‑0070.

Approved Transcript Distribution Centres

In some instances (for institutions outside of Ontario), you may be able to order your transcript to be sent directly to ORPAS through a third-party digital credential provider. The registrar at the institutions you are attending or have attended may choose to use a third-party provider to distribute transcript documents.

These transcripts will be considered official.

We encourage you to check the websites of third-party providers to determine if this is an option for you.

Submitting Your Transcripts

For transcripts not requested using an online transcript request through your application or via an approved transcript distribution centre, arrange with the registrar’s office of each university, college or CEGEP that you attend, have attended or have withdrawn from to send complete official transcript(s) of all course work completed, to date and in progress, directly to ORPAS.

Mailing address:
ORPAS
170 Research Lane
Guelph ON  N1G 5E2

Submitting Your Final Transcripts

If you received an offer of admission or have a decision pending, ORPAS must receive final, official transcripts (which should include all current‑year course work and degree conferral details) by June 30, 2024. Submitting an online transcript request by this date does not satisfy the deadline requirement.

If you attend an Ontario university or college, you must use an online transcript request, which you can access by logging in to your application.

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