How should I choose Course Level?
Select the level that best matches the level names used by your school, even if it doesn't exactly match how your school describes course levels.
How should I choose Course Length (Golden Gopher Application) or Schedule (Common App) for a class I took all year?
If you took a course for a full year and your school DOES provide a final year grade:
- GOLDEN GOPHER APPLICATION: Do NOT report your quarter/trimester/semester grades. Instead, choose the "Full Year" option from the dropdown menu and only report this final full year grade.
- COMMON APP: Enter your quarter/trimester/semester grades in the appropriate dropdown menus, and enter your full year grade in the "Final" grade dropdown menu.
If you took a course for a full year and your school DOES NOT provide a final year grade:
- GOLDEN GOPHER APPLICATION: Simply report your quarter/trimester/semester grades.
- COMMON APP: Enter your quarter/trimester/semester grades in the dropdown menus, and leave the "Final" grade dropdown menu blank.
For the Course Name, should I abbreviate course titles exactly as they appear on my transcript, or should I write the full words if I know them?
Please enter the names exactly as they are shown on your transcript. For example, if your transcript lists "EngLit/Com 10" you should type "EngLit/Com 10" rather than spelling out the words.
What if I took a course for only one semester/trimester/quarter?
Enter the course and the grade you received for the term (semester, trimester, or quarter). Leave the other term grades blank and they will not populate into your "Currently Entered Coursework."
If the course length is not a semester, trimester or quarter, you can indicate a course length as a "Single Marking Period" (Golden Gopher Application) or "Other" (Common App) and list the amount of credits you earned in the course.
My high school uses a letter grade system with AB grades, so the scale goes A, AB, B, BC, etc. How do I enter that on the Academic Record?
- COMMON APP: Select "other" in the grading scale menu.
- GOLDEN GOPHER APPLICATION: select "other" as your grading scale in the "Enter High Schools" section:
How do I report college courses taken through a PSEO (Post-Secondary Enrollment Option) program?
Enter these courses under your high school. When entering your courses, select "Dual Enrollment" for the Course Level. Please consult the PDF guide for step-by-step help with the Golden Gopher Application.
How do I report college courses taken at my high school, such as College in the Schools?
Enter these courses under your high school. When entering your courses, select "College in HS" (Golden Gopher Application) or "College Prep" (Common App) for the Course Level.
How do I report my Project Lead the Way (PLTW) courses?
Enter the Project Lead the Way course title exactly as it appears on your high school transcript in the Course Name section of the Self-Reported Academic Record. Enter the Course Level as Dual Enrollment.
What if I repeated or withdrew from one or more of my classes?
Your Academic Record form must list all courses that you've attempted. If the course appears on your transcript (including repeated or withdrawn courses), it must accurately be listed on your Academic Record form.
How do I list summer courses?
For courses taken during the summer, list the course and associated grade in the preceding school year. For example, if you took a summer course between 9th and 10th grade, you will list the course and grade in the final semester of your 9th grade year on the Self-Reported Academic Record. If the summer course was not part of a semester, trimester or quarter, choose "Single Marking" period as the course length.
How closely does the Generic Course Title (Golden Gopher Application) or Subject (Common App) need to match my course name?
Select the Generic Course Title or Subject that best matches your course name. If you are unsure, select Other.
The Academic Record isn't letting me add accelerated coursework that I took in middle school that counted for high school credit. How do I report those grades since I received high school credit for them?
Please report courses and grades that you took 9th-12th grade only on the Academic Record. When we review high school coursework, we consider the highest level of the subject achieved in high school. For example, if you took French 2 in 9th grade, we understand that you would have taken French 1 previously. We will know that you would have completed previous coursework in order to be at that level.
If I was homeschooled, should I complete the Academic Record form?
Yes, please complete the Academic Record form.
Should I average my course grades on a semester/year basis?
No, do not average your courses. Enter your transcript information exactly as you see it on your transcript.