Sidley Prelaw Scholars Program

The main difference between an official transcript and an unofficial transcript is an official transcript can't be viewed by you, and an unofficial transcript can be viewed by you. An official transcript contains an official seal, mark, and / or signature from your school, and is sent directly to the scholarship you're applying to. An unofficial transcript contains the same information, but it will be given to you first, and then you can send or upload it to the scholarship you're applying to.

Most high schools have a specific person they put in charge of transcript requests. If you Google the name of your high school and "transcript request," you may be able to find the contact information for that person and any instructions (like a form you need to fill out) Example below!

Your next best bet is to email the school office or your counselor. We prepared an email to make it easier for you! Make sure to replace everything in the brackets with the relevant information. If you don't know the name of the person who'll get your email, you can address it "To Whom It May Concern" or "Dear High School Officer."

DRAFT EMAIL TO YOUR HIGH SCHOOL Subject Line: [Your Name] – Requesting Transcripts

Dear [name],

My name is [your name], and I'm a current student at [high school name]. I'm working hard applying to financial aid so I can pursue my college dreams. [Name of program] requires an [official, sealed] transcript from my high school. Is that something that you can help me with? Thanks in advance for your time and consideration!

Sincerely,

[Your Name]

To increase your chances of getting a scholarship, apply early, follow all application instructions, and write a great scholarship essay (if applicable)! For more help, ask a Mos advisor!

If you haven't heard back within a few weeks, reach out to the scholarship organization! Some scholarship organizations email all the applicants to let them know if they were selected or not, while others only contact the winners—it usually depends on the number of applicants. It never hurts to follow up.

To prioritize your scholarship applications, think about which scholarships you have the best chance of getting (the most specific ones, with more than one winner), the ones due the soonest, and the ones that are awarding the most money.

Tip: We recommend you make a schedule for yourself to follow to stay organized and on track throughout the scholarship application season! You can always ask a Mos advisor for help.

Each scholarship has a set of requirements: specific factors that determine whether or not you're eligible to apply. You can visit the scholarship site to find this information, or fill out the Mos quiz to be automatically matched with scholarships you qualify for! FYI: the more information you share with Mos, the better scholarship matches Mos will make!

Financial need is determined by the information you enter into your FAFSA. It's the difference between how much it's going to cost you to go to college, your 'cost of attendance (COA)', minus how much of this cost can you / your family cover, your 'Expected Family Contribution (EFC)'. If your EFC is lower than your COA, you have financial need! If you're not sure about your EFC or COA, reach out to a Mos advisor for help!