Application Advice – A Complete Guide for Minerva's Transcripts & School Requirements

Like other universities, Minerva reviews school transcripts during our evaluation of your application. We have redesigned the application process to make it accessible and affordable to all applicants. You will not be required to translate your transcripts or send them via mail, saving you significant time and money with transcript validation, translation and mailing fees. 

We request an unofficial transcript from you early in the admissions process, and require that a counselor or other school official submit verified documents and complete a short form in order for your application to be considered complete. If your educational system requires a national examination to complete high school, you are also required to submit your final or predicted exam results (e.g. IB, KCSE, A-Levels, Bagrut, etc). Submitting your documents is done online, directly through our Admissions Center.

To further assist you, here are the answers to some common questions our applicants have regarding transcripts and school details:

1) I already have my official transcript, so can I just submit it myself?

No. In order to confirm the validity of your submission, Minerva requires a counselor or other school official to submit your transcript(s) and complete a short form directly online. You can send a secure link directly to your counselor from within the Admissions Center. 

2) I have completed everything, but am unable to submit my application. What should I do?

Because your application is not considered complete until Minerva has received the official transcript(s) from your school(s), you will not be able to submit your application until that step has been completed. Reach out to your school official to follow-up and make sure that he/she completes this requirement before the stated deadline for your cycle.

3) Which documents does my school need to submit?

Minerva requires your full academic record for the past three years. Documents should include any of the following that apply to the requirements of your school system:

• Official transcript(s) showing the courses you have taken and grades received
• Predicted exam results (if you have not yet taken these exams)
• If you are currently attending university, we require both your university and high school records (if your university transcript does not cover at least three years of academic history).

4) What do I do if I haven’t finished school yet and/or don’t have my final exam results?

If you have not yet completed your courses, please provide your grades to date, including a list of in-progress courses if available. Minerva will request your final transcript at a later time.

If you do not yet have your exam results, please provide predicted scores if available.

5) I have attended multiple schools. Does Minerva need a transcript from each one?

It depends; we require your full academic record for the past three years. 

If information from your previous school(s) is listed on your current transcript then you are not required to upload separate transcripts. If your current school is in possession of your transcripts from your previous school(s), your school official can upload these on behalf of your previous school(s) when providing your current transcript. If neither of the above applies, you are required to have each school submit each of your academic records separately. Minerva must receive transcripts from the most recent three years in which you were enrolled in an academic program.

6) I am currently attending university. Do you still need my high school grades?

Minerva requires your full academic record for the past three years. If your university transcript does not cover at least three years, you are required to submit your high school transcript as well.

7) I participated in an exchange program. Do you need those grades?

If the exchange program was completed during your past three academic years, you are required to provide grades for any credit courses taken. If your current transcript lists these courses already, we do not require a separate transcript from the exchange school. If not, a separate submission is required.

8) What should I do if I graduated from high school a while ago or if my counselor/teacher no longer works at my school?

This should not be a problem; the counselor or school official who submits your materials does not have to know you personally. Please reach out to your school’s administration to determine who has access to your student records.

9) If I applied through the Common Application, do I still need to have my counselor upload a transcript?

Yes. Minerva requires students who applied via the Common Application to complete all requirements in the Admission Center, including academic information. You can send your counselor the link to upload a transcript directly, from within your Admission Center.

10) I am/was home-schooled. What documents do I need to provide?

Please provide all of the following documents available:

• An informal transcript listing the topics studied and grades received
• A narrative evaluating your performance
• Certificates from the program that administers/oversees your studies 

11) Where can I upload letters of recommendation?

Minerva does not require letters of recommendation as part of our admissions process. However, if you would like to submit a letter of recommendation, your counselor or school official may upload it with your transcript.

12) My school is on holiday. What should I do if I won’t meet the deadline?

First, make sure to upload an unofficial copy of your transcript to your student section in the Admission Center. Then, follow up with your counselor or school official as soon as your school reopens, and emphasize the time sensitive nature of this requirement so that he/she submits your transcript as soon as possible. If you can't finish your academic section on time, please contact the admissions team to check if there is any deadline extension available.

13) I contacted my school several times but have not received a response. What should I do?

Make sure to upload an unofficial copy of your transcript to your student section in the Admission Center, and continue to follow-up with your school. We also suggest that you: 

• Reach out to an alternate contact if your counselor is unresponsive. Any school representative who has access to your academic record can submit: he/she does not have to know you personally. 
• Try other forms of communication such as a calling, or visiting your school administrator in person if you are having trouble contacting him/her via email.

14) My school does not provide transcripts online. What should I do?

Please still send the link to your school official so that he/she completes the form component of this step. From the portal, your counselor can indicate that your transcript will be sent electronically or through the mail.

Mailing your transcripts can be costly and will take longer for us to receive and for your application to be considered complete. We strongly suggest that you work with your counselor to send the transcripts electronically to meet your cycle’s deadline. However, if you need to mail your transcripts, please use the following information:

Attn: Admissions Office
14 Mint Plaza, 3rd Floor
San Francisco, CA 94103, United States

15) I can only request my transcript through my registrar or an online portal. What should I do?

First, order the transcript online. You will still need to send the link to your school official so that they complete the required form. From the portal, your counselor can indicate that your transcript will be sent electronically or through the mail so that he/she can submit the form without uploading the other required documents.

16) What if my counselor doesn’t speak English?

Please look for someone else at the school who understands English and ask him/her for assistance. The counselor form is available in other languages as well. If your counselor's language is not available, you are allowed to assist them in completing the form.

17) What if my school doesn’t have an email address?

If your counselor does not have an email address, please request an offline counselor form from admissions@minerva.edu. Then ask your counselor/school official to complete it and mail it to Minerva along with your transcript. Make sure that you have uploaded an unofficial copy of your transcript to your student section in the Admission Center, while we wait to receive the official version from your school.

We hope that this guide helped you understand the requirements for the academic section.

If you have any remaining questions, please use our chat feature or send an email to admissions@minerva.edu.