$10 per school transcript

I just thought I'd do a quick update in the midst of a break from essay-writing.

So, if you want the school to send your diploma transcript, you'll have to fill in the Transcript Request Form and pay $10 per university.

The instructions say that the school will print the transcript for you, but do not be fooled. This is code meaning "photocopy it yourself, bring it to the general office to certify true copy, then give it to the college counselors."

I was a little astonished to find that I'm paying $10 just for the mail costs, but then again they're mailing to the US via registered mail so I guess that's not cheap.

An additional note: College deadlines always say "postmarked by (insert date)". This means your supporting materials can reach them later than the date, but you must have the postal stamp on time. What we don't know is whether they consider the postmark in Singapore or the one in the US, so it's better to send it off at least three weeks in advance.

(You also have to allow for postal strikes like what happened in the UK recently.)

Okay, I shall get back to essay writing. Learn from my mistake: don't slack off after you've sent off your UK apps, because the US apps are right around the corner. I'm now madly rushing all my supplements to avoid the post-Christmas submission jam.

Cheers, and happy holidays to all.