Southfield High took another step toward becoming more technologically savvy this month.
The school now sends transcripts over the Internet to colleges.
The school has partnered with Docufide, a company based in Scottsdale, Arizona, that sends transcripts instantaneously. Docufide took the old way of mailing a transcript and improved it by adding the technology factor.
In the past, staff members had to bring the student’s transcript out of a file cabinet, stamp it, put it in an envelope, mail it, and then document that the whole process actually happened.
Now, all the school has to do is receive a request for a transcript delivery from a student, bring up the transcript record on Zangle (the school-provided program that allows students to check their grades), send it over the Internet to Docufide, and then sit back as Docufide electronically wires the transcript to the college of the student’s choice.
This new way of sending transcripts is more efficient for everyone involved, said Counselor Tom Holliday. He says it’s “basically instant” and is a welcome inclusion to the college admissions process.
Holliday, the counselor in charge of sending transcripts, says he is happy about this new method.
However, not everybody is excited about this change. “It seems like this can make it easier for someone to get into your files and get your information,” says senior Thomas Mable.
Holliday says, “The reason behind changing the transcript sending method is a simple one. Colleges were requesting that Southfield High switch.”
Other area high schools that already use electronic transcripts include Cass Technical High school, Mumford High school and and Renaissance high school.
Docufide serves 7,000 schools worldwide and the number of schools it serves continues to grow.
“Michigan is one of the advanced states” when it comes to converting to electronic transcipts, says Mark Cohen, the co-founder of Docufide, in a telephone interview.
Cohen predicts other states will eventually follow Michigan’s lead in switching to electronic transcripts.
Holliday says colleges recognize and prefer the use of the electronic transcript system, just as they now prefer students to apply online rather than on paper.
Docufide was founded in 1993 when the company owners realized that transcripts were still done on paper, said Cohen.
Cohen said that sending transcripts over the Internet made sense because transcripts were already stored on computers in school systems anyway.
The company’s goal is to make it easier for schools and ultimately to help students with the onerous process of applying to college.