Transcript: Undergraduate Admission
Frequently Asked Questions about the School or University Transcript
What is a School or University Transcript?
- A transcript is a record of your most current grade and national examination reports. These documents must be sent directly to Jacobs University admissions by the school official providing your recommendation. This document must be certified with an official school stamp and the signature of the school official. Certified copies of transcripts must state that the copy is approved by your school for submission to universities as an official academic record.
What if my school records are in a language other than German or English?
- All academic records must be translated into English or German with a seal affixed by the translator stating that the translation is a true copy of the academic record.
How many years of grade reports must I submit?
- American applicants, for example, will often provide the last four years of their high school grade reports, while Bulgarian applicants may only be able to give us their 9th, 10th and 11th grade reports. We are aware of the grading systems for many countries, and evaluate accordingly. It is crucial that the applicants have completed the highest level of secondary schooling in his/her home country. Our decision, based on all grades up until the point of evaluation, represent conditional offers. If the final leaving grades upon graduation differ drastically from the grade reports compiled from the preceding three to four years, then we may have to reconsider the ultimate matriculation of the student. All incoming students must provide us certified documents of their school leaving exams or certificates.
Should I provide any additional information about my school or university, like a profile?
- An updated copy of an institutional profile is always appreciated by the admission committee, and this is often provided by the guidance counselor or school official. Any information we can obtain to learn more about the academic preparation offered at your school is always helpful, especially considering the global range of schools for which our admission team is responsible. You may wish to ask your school official for such a profile.
In the case of applicants coming from the German school system, we understand that the final Abitur grade report is only given around June of the year in which you may plan to enter university. While we request that all students arriving at Jacobs University for Fall Semester must provide proof of their final secondary school transcript (e.g. Abitur Note) before matriculating, students will still have to send us a record of their academic achievements, and this can be done with grade reports, or Zeugnisse, starting from the 9th grade.
While grade reports are only one part of the application, and we definitely look at students' test scores, recommendations, essays and extra-curricular activities to make a final decision with any application, the majority of applicants with the following grade averages have been most successful in our admission process:
German Abitur Range 1,0 - 2,0
US High School B+ - A+
IB (6 Courses) 33 - 42
AP 4s and 5s
Bulgarian 5.5 - 6.0
Romanian 9.0 - 10.0
These averages are here to provide a sense of the average secondary schools grades we favor. This certainly does not mean that a student with grade averages falling within these ranges will be automatically admitted. Overall, we are trying to find students who are highly dedicated to their studies and who will be able to perform well with our challenging academic program. At Jacobs University, we do not have any particular minimum grade requirement (as you might see at other universities with, for example, IB scores and particular majors). Because of the diversity in transcripts we see each year, we truly rely on all parts of the application for final decisions.
Are there any particular course or grade requirements when indicating a preferred major on the Jacobs University application form?
- Every accepted student at Jacobs University is expected to have performed very well academically and passed all required university entrance exams before matriculating at Jacobs University. As explained above, we do not have grade or score minimums (except for with English language proficiency exams), but the higher the grade or score, the better one's chances for admission happen to be. We also do not require certain subjects for any of our majors, realizing that students have the right to change their minds regarding majors two semesters into their university career. That being said, one should realize that there will be an advantage for an applicant if the courses taken in the previous years resemble the primary fields of interest offered at Jacobs University. A student interested in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science as well as Geosciences and Astrophysics will fare better in the admission proces if s/he can demonstrate strong skills in mathematics and sciences like physics and chemistry. If a student has concentrated and perforemd very well on mostly science courses for the leaving exams but demonstates great interest in a humanities major like history, the admission committee would not bar an applicant from admission solely because of the course selection. In this case, we may have a professor of history from our admission committee read the file to determine if through the essay and other application materials, the student could perfom well in a history course. In the end, we keep in mind that all students, whether their interest lies in the sciences or in the humanities, must be able to do well in both kinds of fields due to Jacobs University's transdisciplinary approach and requirements.
