All admitted students who accept their offer of admission are required to submit final official transcripts and degree documents for the institution(s) listed in their Application Status Portal. Official documents must show that the degree has been conferred.
It is the student’s responsibility to request that official transcript(s) be sent to Graduate Enrollment Management Services (GEMS) in a timely manner and by the appropriate deadline (see Transcript Deadline below). Final transcripts should be sent as soon as coursework is complete and the degree has been posted.
Transcript Deadline
Final official transcripts must be received no later than the day before the quarter begins for the student’s initial admitted quarter (see the University of Washington Academic Calendar).
- Deferral: Students approved for a deferral must meet the transcript deadline associated with their original admitted quarter (as stated in the admissions offer), not the deferred quarter.
- Early Entry: Students approved for early entry must submit final official transcripts by the deadline for their approved early entry quarter.
- Late admission/post-start admission: Students admitted close to or after the first day of the quarter must submit final official transcripts within 30 calendar days of admission confirmation.
Important Notes
Failure to submit required official transcript(s) by the deadline will result in a registration hold, which may prevent registration for classes.
If extenuating circumstances will prevent your institution from submitting transcript(s) by the deadline, please contact GEMS as soon as possible.
Submitting Your Official Transcripts
Official transcripts must be sent directly from the issuing institution or through an approved third-party service. Documents submitted by students are not considered official. Electronic delivery methods are preferred.
Students with a degree from the University of Washington do not need to submit UW transcripts.
Visit parchment.com to request your transcript.
- Enter “University of Washington Graduate” for the question “Where would you like to send the credential?”.
- The transcript will be sent to “University of Washington-Graduate Admissions-Seattle Campus, Seattle, WA, US”.
- Do not send electronic transcripts to any email address.
Visit studentclearinghouse.org to request your transcript.
- Recipient: “University of Washington”
- Recipient email: gemsdocs@uw.edu
International Credential Advantage Package (ICAP) Evaluation
Visit wes.org to request a credential evaluation, which includes verified copies of your official transcripts and degree certificates.
- To electronically submit your WES ICAP to the University of Washington, follow the instructions provided by WES.
- Recipient: “University of Washington”
- School/Division: “Graduate Admissions (Seattle/Bothell/Tacoma)”
- GEMS will not accept WES Basic or any other credential evaluation to fulfill this requirement.
- GEMS’s assessment of U.S. degree equivalency may differ from what is listed on your WES evaluation.
- If your official transcript cannot be sent electronically or by mail, a school official can email transcripts to gemsdocs@uw.edu as a PDF file attachment. Third party downloading of software platforms or zip files are not accepted.
- The sender’s email address must be associated with the sending institution. Transcripts sent from Gmail, Yahoo or other generic email providers will not be accepted.
- The body of the email must be in English or include an English translation.
- Do not email gemsdocs@uw.edu with questions as this is a no-reply email account.
If your institution cannot send electronic transcripts via our approved vendors, we recommend requesting that your institution send a paper transcript via mail. The official transcript must be in an official sealed envelope and the “sender” on the envelope must be your institution.
Important: When mailing official transcripts, do not assign any monetary value on customs or shipping forms. Official transcripts are academic records, not financial instruments. Declaring a value can trigger customs tariffs or duties, which the University will not pay. If a value is declared and a fee is charged, the student will be responsible for all costs.
Mail official transcripts to:
Standard Mail
University of Washington
Graduate Enrollment Management Services
Box 353770
Seattle, WA USA 98195-3770
Express Mail
University of Washington
Graduate Enrollment Management Services
G-1 Communications
4109 Stevens Way
Seattle, WA USA 98195-3770
If you are unable to have your documents submitted by any of the above methods, contact GEMS to discuss potential options for your situation.
Official Transcript Requirements and Status
Final official transcripts must contain the following:
- Completion of all coursework with grades or marks issued for each year of study.
- Degree earned and date the degree was conferred/awarded.
- If your institution does not print the conferral date on your transcript, a degree statement, diploma, or other document with the conferral date will also be required.
- Official stamp, seal, and/or embossed marking from the school.
- All other transcripts and degree conferral/awarded documents that are in a language other than English must be accompanied by an official English translation (translated by a university, government official/organization, or certified translation service) in the same format as the original(s).
- To be official, the translations must be stamped as official by the school or be certified as accurate by a certified translator.
The following documents are not considered official when:
- Uploaded within the online application
- Sent as an email attachment by someone other than a school official
- The envelope has been opened
You can monitor the status of your transcript in your Application Status Portal.
If you used express courier services or third-party electronic delivery, you may receive confirmation of delivery before processing is complete.
After your transcript has been submitted, please allow approximately 4-6 weeks for processing. You can monitor your transcript status on your Application Status Portal.
If more than 6 weeks have passed since your transcript or other documents were submitted and you have not received an update, please contact your institution to confirm the status of your request and then contact GEMS before submitting another transcript.
If you anticipate delays due to circumstances outside of your control, notify GEMS as soon as possible to discuss your situation.
The UW reserves the right to withdraw the offer of admission if
- Your final records fail to show completion of required courses
- You failed to maintain satisfactory scholastic standing in your coursework
- Our decision was based on incomplete or inaccurate information you provided in your application file
Contact GEMS with questions about final official transcripts.