My sister's high school has no record she ever graduated or even attended...

[cynatnite]

She's planning on starting college this summer and requested her transcript. They told her that there is no record she ever attended. As far as they're concerned she never attended school there at all. This was over twenty years ago at a very small school.

Anyone know what her options are? Can she sue?

[liberalpragmatist]

1. Aren't there yearbooks, etc.?

I have no idea about the legal options. But how can there not be any record? Again, not even a yearbook photo?

[cynatnite]

4. Yes, there are yearbooks...

Nothing else. She lost her diploma in a fire.

She's very upset and I don't know what to tell her.

[pnwmom]

8. What does the high school say about the yearbooks? Couldn't they at least

issue a letter saying they lost her records?

[cynatnite]

10. She wanted the transcript in hopes of getting out of some of the prerequisites...

she may have to test out of them.

The letter is a good idea if the school is willing to acknowledge they lost them.

[pnwmom]

17. Has she asked the College Board people if they have a record of her tests?

The SAT's? Or the Achievement Tests (what they now call SAT-2's). Or any Advanced Placement Exams?

Or did she take the other major college entrance exam, the ACT?

[pnwmom]

20. self-delete

[cynatnite]

22. Good idea :) n/t

[Mz Pip]

2. She might want to contact

the college and tell them what happened. After 20 years it may not matter since it appears they admitted her without seeing her transcript anyway.

[Pab Sungenis]

3. Try the State Department of Education

or closest equivalent. There should be a record of her diploma on file.

[cynatnite]

6. The state couldn't help her at all from what she told me. n/t

[Laf.La.Dem.]

5. any documents

report cards
diploma
class pictures
certificates

:shrug:

[cynatnite]

9. She has some class pictures...

I don't know if the school has her graduation photo or not. There is nothing else. She lost her diploma in a fire. The only record she had was her high school transcript...at least that's what she thought.

[barbtries]

7. does she have her diploma?

there must be something she can do. grad pictures? gotta be a way to straighten this out. what a nightmare.

[cynatnite]

13. her diploma was lost in a fire several years ago...

They might have a grad photo. I'll ask her. She's lost other photos over the years.

Proving she went there won't be difficult. It's proving she graduated, what classes she took and her grades that's the major problem.

[karynnj]

11. Does she have a yearbook?

If so, sending it to them proves she was there and might motivate them to looking for the record. If she doesn't, and is still in contact with any peer from the school - she and that person might be able to ask the school for a class list. Maybe there was a small error in her name on the records. Also, that person (like the yearbook) could vouch for her being there - and again get them to intensify the search. Another possibility is that local papers often print the graduating class - this would prove to the school she very likely graduated. If she remembers the name of a young teacher, he/she might still be there. In a small school she might be remembered.

If any of these things exist, the burden can be on the school. As the important thing is that she graduated - not 20 year old grades, the school likely should be able to do something to help her.

[MNDemNY]

12. Are you SURE that you have a sister?

[Mind_your_head]

14. roflmao

:thumbsup:

[Oregone]

15. Hire G. Gordon Liddy to help her attain the records.

[MercutioATC]

25. Did somebody say G. Gordon Liddy?????

Yep, EVERY time somebody posts his name here... :)

[cynatnite]

26. Oh, I should have known better!

My eyes! My eyes!

[MADem]

16. Get a few notarized affadavits from classmates. Tell them she's gonna sue 'em if they don't find

the thing tout suite.

That's bullshit if they're trying to blow her off. Stuff was on computers twenty years ago, on big fat five and a half inch floppy disks, backed up by paper copies made by a dot matrix printer. They need to get off their fat asses and start digging through their files.

They should look not just at the yearbook, but in the file where they keep the GRADUATION PROGRAMS. Her name will be on that program. They'd better issue her a new diploma, first off, and then work on reconstructing her transcript.

[Sherman A1]

19. Agreed

Time for them to get moving.

[cynatnite]

23. Excellent point. Thank you! n/t

[EFerrari]

18. That happened to me, too. Fremont High School in Sunnyvale

had no record that I ever attended. @ssholes. I had my junior college transcripts, though, to save my remote.

Her prospective college has encountered this before. They should have a plan to deal with it.

[pnwmom]

21. This is embarrassing, but the other day some place told me they had no record

of my son. I said they had to, that he had been there before. They kept insisting, so did I. We went over the name and birthdate two or three times before . . . I finally realized I had given them my OTHER son's middle name.

:silly:

Moral of the story: maybe there was a data entry mistake on their end -- her last name is misspelled or the birthdate is wrong.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

24. From what state did she graduate?

When I was in high school, it was a state requirement that every senior pass a Constitution test. I assume that our tests and scores were sent to the state capital. Wouldn't be a record of grades, but it would show she was a senior 20 years ago.

BTW, this sounds crazy. I went to a small high school, and they have my transcripts--and my current name and address to beg for money!

[clydefrand]

27. Can she find a teacher to vouch for her?

I taught for 32 years and I remember my students very well to this day. How long did she attend the school? What about elementary school...was that close to the high school? Did she attend that?

Someone was not keeping records very well, I'd say.

[MiniMe]

28. Does she have any report cards?

Or maybe your mom saved them?

[ProgressiveProfessor]

29. Note to all: Get a copy of every school transcript for you and your children

By law they have to be made available to you.