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My transcripts contain a mistake on the grade I took for a course. I applied before two months to change me the grade but the process is slow. Until now nothing has changed and I need to apply for graduate programs. What should I do? How should I inform them that this grade is wrong and the official transcripts will contain the appropriate number. What GPA should I write in the online form? This with the wrong grade or the right one (calculated by me).

More information:

This mistake was not my fault, it was the professor who accidentally wrote a "D" instead of an "A-". I have contacted him after I noticed it on the online system, but it is a long process to change a grade in my university. Two months have passed already and they told my that the grade will be changed before Christmas, but the deadlines are soon and I need to find a way to inform them. The case is that, in most courses, I have "A" and, in a few of them, "B". I am applying to very competitive courses and this might ruin my chances of getting admitted.

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    Fixing a typo in a database doesn't take two months.
    – Jukka Suomela
    Dec 1, 2014 at 17:59
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    It is not a value assignment either. There are some processes that need to be followed. And in my country there is a substantial degradation of the university's facilities altogether. Even taking official transcripts takes a week. It shouldn't be that long, but it is.
    – Grey
    Dec 1, 2014 at 23:56
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    Have you tried going up the chain of command? When the Dean orders something to be done, it usually goes quicker.
    – Davidmh
    Dec 2, 2014 at 13:23
  • @Davidmh No, I have not tried it yet, because I thought the problem was easy to fix.
    – Grey
    Dec 8, 2014 at 21:14
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    One (reputable) university answered my e-mail and told me that I should get a letter from the professor that explains the situation and that I should upload it in the "additional information section" of the application. Nevertheless, if this happens to anyone, it is best to ask the specific university/department.
    – Grey
    Dec 8, 2014 at 21:17

2 Answers 2

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If you can't wait for the school, and the professor agrees that this was his error, ask him for a letter saying so (on school letterhead) which you can attach to the transcript. Ditto for the school itself. If employers have some evidence of the error, and have someone they can contact to confirm the correction, this should be manageable.

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    Perhaps contacting the dept you are applying to as well, letting them know of the discrepancy and offering to send new transcripts once fixed.
    – Chris C
    Dec 1, 2014 at 14:34
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Personal experience at the infamous university of Zurich: Get as many people involved as possible. This is a shame for a university, they don't want people to know. I had a mistake in my transcript (they misspelled a course which was substantial for my further studies). I went there, talked a bit louder than usual and suddenly had a bunch of other students supporting my cause. It took them less than an hour and I had a correct transcript.

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    In my own experience, you may very well find that the people that can fix it do not care at all about the university's reputation.
    – Davidmh
    Dec 2, 2014 at 13:22
  • You're absolutely right and in such a case I strongly suggest to change and, if need be, get the transcripts corrected by court rule.
    – Patric Hartmann
    Dec 2, 2014 at 16:42

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