Can't obtain one transcript due to financial obligation

cribcracker

My transcripts for my Bachelor's and Master's degrees, and one for three semesters of doctoral study have all been submitted to CAS successfully. However, between my Master's degree and the start of my doctoral work I spent two semesters at Boston University in a non-degree granting, music performance diploma program, and due to an outstanding debt with BU I cannot obtain my transcript.

How will law schools view this? Is this a matter to be explained in an addendum to my applications?

The debt is not quite within my budget to repay at this time, though if it were disqualifying for my admission prospects I could probably borrow some money from relatives and take care of it.

Leah M B

Unfortunately, it is required to submit all transcripts from any school you attended, so you will need to find a way to clear the financial obligation.

From LSAC:

Law schools require transcripts from the following institutions you have attended:

community colleges
undergraduate and graduate institutions
law, medical, or professional institutions
institutions attended for summer or evening courses
institutions attended even though a degree was never received
institutions from which you took college-level courses while in high school even though they were for high school credit
institutions that clearly sponsored your overseas study (see below for more information)
international transcripts, if applicable

https://www.lsac.org/jd/applying-to-law-school/cas/requesting-transcripts

_oshun1_

Usually there’s an option to ask for the transcript fee to be waived. I think you can only get it waived once tho.

Leah M B

I just saw this additional note on that transcript page:

"If you attended an institution within the United States, its territories/associated states, or Canada and are unable to obtain transcripts from that institution due to a financial obligation, you must indicate this when registering for CAS. If the institution is the only undergraduate institution you attended, or if you have attended multiple undergraduate institutions and have outstanding financial obligations with all of them, LSAC cannot produce your Law School Reports."

I still think that it will be required by the schools you attended, but it sounds like LSAC can maybe generate your report without it. I still think that you should be prepared to have to clear up that debt though and receive the transcript.

cribcracker

Thanks @"Leah M B" and @"surfy surf" !
The email I got back from LSAC this morning said, in part: "The financial obligation will be indicated to the law schools; however, we cannot say how it will be viewed, as each law school is different. Please know that you may include an addendum in your applications to address why the transcript is unavailable."

It would be great to hear from someone who has dealt with this problem in a previous admissions cycle. If anyone has any further insight, let me know!