How to Request a Transcript

Please note: the process below is only for students who currently attend Staples and are requesting their transcript for the purpose of applying to college. If you graduated from or previously attended Staples or are applying to private high schools or summer programs, click here.

***TO BE UPDATED FOR 2023-24***

In order to have your school materials (including transcript, secondary school report, counselor recommendation, and school profile) sent to colleges, please complete the steps below. The initial request must be submitted at least four weeks prior to your first college application deadline. For regular decision applications with a deadline January 1 or later, we urge students to wait and submit school materials requests in December, closer to the time of application.

***TO BE UPDATED FOR 2023-24***

Step 1: Common Application Account Matching and FERPA Waiver

1. Create or log into your Common Application account.

2. In the Education section, select Staples as your current school.

3. Add at least one college to your "My Colleges" list.

4. In "My Colleges," under any one college’s section, click on "Recommenders and FERPA" on the left of the page, then the blue underlined "release authorization" link in the center of the page under the FERPA heading. This will lead you through a series of questions to answer. Colleges prefer that you waive your right to access so that more credibility is given to the letters of recommendation.

5. Log into Naviance, click on "colleges," then "Colleges I’m Applying To."

6. Click on "Match Accounts" on the right of the pink banner across the top of the screen.

7. Enter the same email address being used for your Common Application Account and your date of birth, then click "Match Accounts." Once you match accounts, it is very difficult to change your FERPA status and you cannot unmatch your account.

For an online tutorial on matching your Common Application and Naviance accounts, click here.

Step 2: Counselor Recommendation Questionnaires

1. Counselor Recommendation Questionnaire - Student

This will be used by your school counselor in writing your recommendation. Have this questionnaire completed in Google Docs and ready to submit electronically during your meeting with your school counselor

2. Counselor Recommendation Questionnaire (Parent/Guardian)

This will be used by your child's school counselor in writing his or her recommendation. Complete this questionnaire as a Google Doc, and share/email it directly to your child's school counselor.

*Note: These questionnaires have been available in Naviance, but we have found Google Docs to be more convenient for our families to complete and more accessible for counselors to view. Although the questionnaires remain active in Naviance, please use Google Docs instead. If you already started or completed one or both of the questionnaires in Naviance, your counselor can still view your responses, so you do not need to complete again through Google Docs.

Step 3: Student Resume

Students must complete a resume in Naviance or email their school counselor a copy of their resume/activity list completed outside of Naviance. Include any clubs, extracurricular activities, arts, athletics, jobs, volunteer work, summer experiences, and awards or accomplishments. The resume builder in Naviance can be found by going to About Me-->Resume. To save your resume, select "Print/Export Resume," click on the pink plus button, and save your resume with a recognizable name (ex. resume 8.1.22 - smith, john).

Step 4: Transcript Release Form

Complete only one Staples High School Transcript Release Form regardless of how many colleges to which you are applying. The form must be physically signed by the student and parent/guardian, scanned, and saved as a PDF to be shared during the student's appointment with their school counselor.

Step 5: Transcript/Recommendation Request - College List Form

The Transcript/Recommendation Request - College List Form must be completed by the student in its entirety in Google Docs. Once checked by your school counselor during your scheduled appointment, a PDF will be uploaded for submission. All of the colleges requested must be listed on Naviance "Colleges I'm Thinking About." If you are applying to a Common Application college, it must be listed on your Common Application "My Colleges" list. For Coalition Applications, students must indicate as directed in their application that the transcript and other school materials will be sent through Naviance.

For your initial request, have this form completed in Google Docs and ready to submit electronically during your meeting with your school counselor. For an additional request, list only the additional colleges, not those already requested, and visit the School Counseling Department Office during the lunch waves to submit your request.

Step 6: Student schedules an appointment with their school counselor to request transcript and recommendations

During your transcript/recommendation request meeting, your school counselor will review the above documents, confirm that all steps have been completed, assist you with requesting your teacher recommendations, move your colleges from Naviance "Colleges I'm Thinking About" to "Colleges I'm Applying To," and upload and submit your Transcript Release Form and Transcript/Recommendation Request - College List Form.

For an initial request, the meeting with your school counselor must be held at least four weeks prior to your first application deadline.

Additional Transcript/Recommendation Requests

• Complete a new Transcript/Recommendation Request - College List Form listing ONLY the additional colleges, NOT those already requested. Make sure all of the additional colleges are listed on Naviance "Colleges I'm Thinking About" and, if applicable, Common Application "My Colleges."
• To submit your request, go to the School Counseling Department Office, with your computer or phone available, during the lunch waves only (no appointment is necessary). You will share your College List Form electronically (not as a paper copy) in person with Mrs. Fugitt.
• Teacher recommendations are sent through the School Counseling Department as part of this request; do not send another request to your teachers until meeting in person with Mrs. Fugitt.
• Additional requests must be made at least one week prior to the application deadline.

Important Additional Information

• Standardized test scores, if required by the college, must be requested to be sent by the student directly through College Board/ACT. Staples does not send test scores.
• First quarter grades, if required or requested by the college, will be sent on the report card separate from the transcript. Instructions for requesting first quarter grades will be provided to seniors near the end of the quarter.
• It is the policy of the Staples School Counseling Department that mid-year grades will be sent to all colleges for which you have already completed a transcript request, whether or not they are required by the college. Mid-year grades will be sent automatically; no additional request is necessary.
• After the completion of the school year, a final transcript will be sent automatically to the college you have indicated you will attend.
• For the Coalition Application, there is nothing additional that students need to do within MyCoalition for transcripts and recommendations to be sent through Naviance. Materials are sent electronically in the same way as for any other college once the steps on the previous page are completed.

Understanding Naviance Submissions Symbols

On your list of ‘colleges I’m applying to’ in the column labeled ‘Submissions,’ you will see one of five symbols identifying whether the college has its own application and/or accepts the Common Application and whether it accepts online transcripts or transcripts must be mailed:

  School-specific application; accepts paper transcripts only

 

  School-specific application or Coalition Application; accepts online transcripts

 

  Common Application; accepts online transcripts

 

  College accepts Common Application or school-specific application; student has indicated using school-specific application

 

  College accepts Common Application or school-specific application; student must indicate which application will be used