A transcript is a written record of academic achievement. There are two main kinds of transcript:
1. Official: Sent from one institution to another, often directly. If the document is not sent directly, it must be in an envelope sealed by the originating institution when it arrives at the destination institution. An official trascript will also often have a seal of some sort (embossed or otherwise) and must be signed by an official at the institution providing the transcript.
2. Unofficial: Usually contains the same information as an official, but is not considered official, and therefore does not carry the same weight.