VMCAS Helpdesk

1. List all schools in the “Colleges Attended” section BEFORE requesting transcripts. Ensure that schools are listed correctly, as per the “Colleges Attended” instructions.

2. Click the blue “Download Transcript Request Form” button under each school listed and print it out. VMCAS strongly recommends that applicants request that their registrar’s office attach this Transcript Request Form to the official transcript. This form helps VMCAS properly match official transcripts to the correct VMCAS application. However, this form is NOT REQUIRED. If you cannot use this form, please ensure your transcript has the word “VMCAS” and your full VMCAS ID# printed directly on it by the registrar before it’s sent.

3. Only ONE transcript from each school is required regardless of the number of programs to which you are applying.

4. Provide the following additional information to the Registrar:

• The VMCAS Transcript Request Form
• All information the registrar needs to properly identify you in the school’s database
• Any name changes if your name on your VMCAS application is different
• Your VMCAS ID#

NOTE: If you are requesting a transcript online, we understand you cannot include the transcript request form. Instead, include the word “VMCAS ID#” and your FULL VMCAS ID# when you are typing our address into the field for where you want the company to mail the transcript. This ensures that your VMCAS ID# will print onto the transcript as part of the address label, enabling VMCAS staff to match the transcript to your application.

5. Confirm that the transcript has been mailed to VMCAS  from your school and note the date it was sent. Some schools processing times can vary, and processing the request can be delayed, especially towards the end of a semester. Some schools may hold the transcript from being sent until the semester is over.

6. Monitor your VMCAS application account to ensure the transcript has been received. On average, it takes 7-10 business days for transcripts to be posted to the application from the date it is received at VMCAS. Once it posts, it will be listed on the “Check Status” tab with a date received.

7. If your transcript has not been posted to your application after 10 business days (which do not include weekends or holidays) from the date your school confirmed mailing it, it may need to be resent. Please contact VMCAS customer service to follow up on your transcript. Confirm the date the transcript was mailed by the school to VMCAS and have this information available when you contact us.

VMCAS MAILING ADDRESS:

Send all transcripts to:

VMCAS Transcript Processing Center
P.O. Box 9126
Watertown, MA 02471

APPLICANT RESPONSIBILITY:

NOTE: It is the applicant’s responsibility to monitor their application for transcript receipt, even after the application has been submitted. VMCAS does NOT notify applicants concerning missing transcripts.  If it has been longer than 10 business days and the transcript has not been posted, the transcripts may need to be re-sent. Applicants may view the status of transcript receipt at any time by clicking on the “Check Status” tab.

VMCAS is not responsible for materials lost in the mail, and/or delays caused by the school Registrar’s Office. Express or certified mail does not guarantee expedient processing, and VMCAS cannot guarantee receipt of transcripts sent by express or certified mail. 

WHAT COULD DELAY THE POSTING OF MY TRANSCRIPTS?

The following issues can cause delays in processing and should be avoided whenever possible:

• Transcript is not accompanied by a Transcript Request Form.
• Transcript is accompanied by the incorrect Transcript Request Form.
• Transcript is not addressed specifically to “VMCAS.” We receive mail for over 30 application services; therefore your documents MUST specify that you are applying to VMCAS in order to be processed.
• School is not listed on the applicant’s VMCAS application under “Colleges Attended,” preventing VMCAS from processing the transcript upon its arrival. VMCAS cannot attach a transcript to your application unless the school is listed.
• The incorrect school’s name is listed on the applicant’s VMCAS application under “Colleges Attended.” As a result, VMCAS cannot attach it until it is corrected.
• Name on transcript cannot be found in the VMCAS database, either because the applicant’s name has changed, the name is misspelled on the transcript, the name is misspelled on the VMCAS application, or the applicant has not yet created a VMCAS account.

WHAT COULD CAUSE VMCAS TO REJECT MY TRANSCRIPTS?

The following problems can prevent transcripts from being accepted should be avoided whenever possible:

• Transcript is unofficial, marked as “issued to student”, or is addressed to someone other than VMCAS.
• Transcript is missing pages or has been severely damaged in the mail.
• Document received by VMCAS is not a transcript.
• Transcript does not belong to the VMCAS applicant but to another student at the school, oftentimes with the same or a similar name. This often occurs because applicants do not provide enough information to the registrar when requesting the transcript. Please be sure to provide your schools with as much information as possible to allow them to identify your records properly.

COMMON QUESTIONS:

Q: If I have attended multiple colleges and transfer credit is listed on the transcript of my primary institution, do I still need to send a transcript from each school?

A: YES. Applicants are required to send ONE transcript from each college attended regardless of the number of courses taken or what specific veterinary programs require.

Q: Should I send my high school transcript?

A: NO. VMCAS does NOT accept high school transcripts under any circumstances. To report university-level credit earned while you were a high school student, these courses must be reported under the college or university that awarded the credit. This includes both Advanced Placement or dual-enrollment credit. SeeSpecial Coursework Types.

Q: Do I need to send transcripts for planned or in-progress coursework?

A: NO. You are only required to send transcripts covering all of your completed coursework. VMCAS does NOT require transcripts for coursework labeled as “planned/in-progress.” Please note that when you do complete these courses, if it is after the 9/15 deadline, updated transcripts should be submitted directly to the schools to which you are applying.

Q: Do I also need to send copies of my transcripts to my veterinary programs?

A: In general, you only need to submit transcripts to VMCAS. Some veterinary programs, if you reach a certain point in the admissions process, may request additional transcripts at a later date, while others will not. You should contact the programs directly to determine if they require any additional transcripts.

Q: I have a different name on my transcript than on my application. Will that cause a problem?

A: This can definitely delay the processing of transcripts, but there are steps that applicants can and should take to minimize any difficulties. FIRST, fill out the “materials under another name” section under “Personal Information.” SECOND, ask the registrar’s office to physically write your current name and VMCAS ID# on the transcript. FINALLY, include the transcript request form with the transcript. If you have done step one, your former name will print out on the transcript request form.

Q: Can I send transcripts that are on file at Interfolio or a career center?

A: NO. All transcripts must be sent to VMCAS directly from the registrar at each institution you attended.

Q: Why won’t you accept “student issued” transcripts or transcripts which are sealed but mailed by me? They still say “Official Transcript” on them and are sealed from the registrar.

A: As a result of numerous forged transcripts having been received by VMCAS, VMCAS is no longer authorized to accept transcripts from any source other than the registrar. If transcripts are marked issued to student, issued to student in a sealed envelope, official transcript issued to student, “Issued To:” or “Send To:” the applicant’s name and address,  indicates the transcript was picked up by the applicant, or is addressed to anyone other than VMCAS it renders the transcript INVALID. This decision was made to prevent further fraudulent activity. VMCAS CANNOT make any exceptions to this rule, as it is a policy of the AAVMC. If VMCAS receives a student issued transcript, it will be rejected and VMCAS will notify you to resend an official copy.

Q: My school won’t issue a transcript to VMCAS and must use my name. What do I do?

A: VMCAS can accept transcripts issued to a applicant’s name and address as long as they are accompanied by a letter from the school’s registrar’s office stating their policy for addressing transcripts and confirming that the transcript was mailed by the registrar to VMCAS directly. The transcript still cannot have an “Issued to Student” or “Student Copy” stamp and may not be picked up by the student. Transcripts without this letter will not be accepted.

Q: I have a hold on my school account and cannot request a transcript. What do I do?

A: VMCAS will NOT process an application that is missing an official transcript due to a hold at the applicant’s former institution. Applicants who have holds on their accounts MUST resolve the matter with the school in question PRIOR to applying, regardless of the circumstances surrounding the situation. NO EXCEPTIONS.

Q: Transcripts do not exist for me at a particular school. What do I do?

A: If you do not have a transcript for a school you attended, VMCAS REQUIRES that the school registrar’s office send a letter on official school letterhead confirming that no transcript exists, along with rationale. Contact VMCAS customer service if you have any questions.

Q: My school has closed since I attended. How do I obtain a transcript?

A: When a school closes, they are not permitted to destroy transcripts and those records are usually given to another institution to take care of. A quick Google search of your school’s name and “transcript” will usually tell you where your transcripts are stored and who to request them from. If you cannot determine where these records are, you should contact the Department of Education in the state where the school was located. They may have your records on file, or be able to tell you where they are located. If the records have been lost, VMCAS REQUIRES a letter from the Department of Education in the state the school was located stating that the transcript records no longer exists and why.

Q: Can I e-submit my application before my transcripts are received by VMCAS?

A: Yes. Once you have successfully filled out your application, you can e-submit it to VMCAS at any time. However, your application will not be processed until VMCAS has received all official transcripts and your payment.

Q: I sent a transcript with more than one campus on it, but only one campus is showing as received by VMCAS. What should I do?

A: When VMCAS receives multiple campus transcripts, only the first campus is listed until the application is submitted. Upon submission, all of the campuses should automatically be listed as “received”. If this does not occur within 24 hours after submission, please contact VMCAS Customer Service for guidance.

Q: Can my designated programs view the transcripts I send to VMCAS?

A: YES. The transcripts that you are required to send to VMCAS are visible electronically to your designated program(s).

Q: Can VMCAS forward my transcripts to me, my schools, or schools not affiliated with VMCAS?

A: NO. As per the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA), VMCAS may not release transcripts to anyone other than your designated schools, including other schools or the applicant themselves.

Q: Can I send other materials to VMCAS even if they are not required?

A: Do not send any documents other than those required for VMCAS application to VMCAS, regardless of whether you wish them to be included as part of your application. VMCAS will NOT forward any documents other than those requested to your program designations. If you would like your program designations to obtain a copy of additional documents or credentials, you should contact those programs directly and ask whether they will allow you to send these items to the admissions offices directly. Be sure to investigate any supplemental application materials or fees that your individual program(s) may require.