I hate dealing with you people.

The BBQ Pit
1

So, as most of you know, I’m applying to college. As part of the process, I’ve got to provide transcripts for my previous college courses. This should, in theory, be no problem. Five requests went out to cover my high school, military service, CLEP test, and two colleges that I’ve attended. Four of them have been processed with no problems, and two of these are on their way.

It’s the fifth that I’m having problems with. In 1996-97, I attended Texas State Technical College in Abilene. I attended the Medical Records program, and graduated with honors. I was allowed to walk in the graduation ceremony, and I was awarded my gold cord and everything. Since then, I’ve needed transcripts for employment and what-not, and there has never been a problem getting them.

Wait. Yes, there has been. At first, they cost money. The website said three bucks, the transcript office said five. Fine. I sent in the five bucks, and got the transcript. This was after the transcript office held the six bucks (for two copies) and didn’t send the transcripts until I called to ask about it. It never occurred to the idiot that I might need the transcripts, and it never occurred to her to let me know that I hadn’t sent enough money to cover both. It gets straightened out, and I get my stuff.

Fast-forward to 2003. Transcripts no longer cost money, and I can fax in my request letter. In the interests of saving time, I do so. Friday, I get a call late in the afternoon from the transcript office to tell me that there is a hold in the Business Office and my transcript can’t be released until the hold is removed. No further details as to what the hold could be, and by the time I got the call, it was too late to talk to anyone in the Business Office.

I have no idea what the hold could be, since it’s been almost six years, one graduation, and one check-out later, not to mention previous transcript requests. I bet it’s a mistake; a hold that was supposed to go to someone else’s account but found its way to mine instead.

sigh Fucking morons.

Robin

2

How very annoying. I think the worst I’ve ever had was when applying to universities and my third choice sent me a bizarre package – an appeals package for those who seem to be failing the minimum requirements for graduating highschool.

:confused:

The forms said in text that was bold, italicized and underlined: “Do NOT complete the appeals form unless you have passed at least six OAC courses.”

(Note: this was the requirement at the time, OACs courses are kind of like cross between AP courses in the U.S. and Grade 13. They have since been phased out.)

WTF??? I was a straight A student! I was accepted into both my first choice (highly competitive, out of 2000 applicants to their program they only take 60) and my second choice.

My best guess is that some putz mistyped/misread my highschool and Harvard transcripts. Grades from highschool were listed as percentages. So perhaps an 84% became a 48%, or a 93% became a 39% (50 and lower is an “F” – a grade of 39% would make me a vegetable).

Related anecdote:
One of my prof’s nieces received the same package from the same university. She was an über-brainiac with a PERFECT grade average of 100%!!! Their computer system could only accept percentages with two digits, so her overall average was listed as 00%. She went to MIT instead on full scholarship and the university was embarassed because that mistake made the newspapers.

3

MsRobyn, I hope your transcript isn’t being held because you have an overdue library book.

4

College staff must be scrapping the bottom of the barrel or severely understaffed…or think they’re understaffed but actually underworked.

I have never seen a group of people screw up and so often and have no desire to improve.

Since I left teaching college, I’ve applied to teach some night courses at community colleges here. It has been irritating and mildly amusing

My last one I sent in for thanked me for applying for the ‘night secretary’ position :confused: and said I was unqualified. Well, maybe if you had actually READ the cover letter or the ‘address sent to’ on the envelope… :rolleyes:

The worst with a whopping 100% failure rate in every communication is Rasmussen College (for you locals)

5

Nope. When I went to graduate, I had to do this rather involved “check-out” procedure that involved virtually every department in the school to make sure I didn’t have anything outstanding. Outstanding library books, debt owed the school, anything like that would’ve kept me from graduating, and it would’ve kept me from getting previous transcripts.

I’m going with the idea that whatever the problem is, belongs to someone else and was applied to my account instead.

Robin

6

Aw, man. I thought Robyn was having a full-scale board meltdown.

Anyway, bitchin’ about college administrations seems to be the Pit flavor du jour. Check out these threads by Dragonblink and yours truly, and take comfort in the thought that you only have to deal with these assholes once every three years.

7

Sorry to disappoint. :slight_smile:

Robin

8

I just got off the phone with TSTC’s business office. Apparently, there is an outstanding charge of 200 and some dollars that’s outstanding.

The initial date I was given was winter of 1999, when I was not only not a student there, but I was not even living in Texas. Then, she couldn’t tell me what the charges were for, only that the account had been written off and sent to collections. However, I living in Abilene until the winter of 1997, and I certainly should’ve been billed for these charges, which I wasn’t.

The upshot of it is, I seriously doubt I owe this money. I may end up paying it anyway just to get the transcript. I just don’t like paying things when I have no idea what they’re for or why I owe it.

Robin

9

I often wonder if college isn’t any more than just a four year program to train you in dealing with paperwork and bullshit.

Well, in my case, 5 years. :wink:

10

Mystery solved. Yes, I do owe the money, but I wasn’t billed for it, and the college acknowledged that. Apparently, a bunch of accounts were sent to a collection agency without being billed by the college.

I tested out of three classes, the fees for which were not covered by my financial aid, and apparently, I never paid for my graduation cap and gown. The fact that this second item was after I did the check out is why it never showed until now. As for the prior transcripts, well, the ladies in the transcript office just never bothered to check.

So, Friday, this gets paid, and I get my transcript.

Robin