What specific documents should I gather from my college for my master's applications, including a degree certificate and a letter of recommendation?

Exact requirements vary by university and country, but a consistent core set applies almost everywhere. Universities commonly ask for transcripts from every post-secondary institution attended, so start collecting yours well before application deadlines rather than scrambling once portals open.

The Core Documents to Request

• Official transcripts: semester-wise or year-wise marksheets, ideally a consolidated official transcript showing all courses, grades, credits, and the grading scale used.
• Degree or provisional certificate: your final degree certificate once awarded, or a provisional degree or expected-completion letter if you have not graduated yet.
• Letters of recommendation: most programmes ask for 2 to 3, from professors or project guides who know your academic work directly; Stanford, for example, currently requires three and insists the recommender personally authors the letter.
• Bonafide or enrolment certificate: confirms your current enrolment, department, and expected graduation date, useful if you apply before finishing your degree.
• Grading-scale documentation: an official explanation of your college's CGPA or marks system, since many universities want the original scale rather than a student-converted 4.0 equivalent.

What You Do Not Need From College

Your passport, CV, statement of purpose, standardised test scores such as IELTS, GRE, or GMAT, and application essays are all things you prepare yourself, not documents your college issues. Some universities also want a medium-of-instruction letter confirming your degree was taught in English, which is worth requesting alongside your transcripts if your programme was English-medium.

This Information Is Also Available On

Stanford University Graduate Admissions and UC Berkeley Graduate Division application requirement pages.

My Advice

Ask your college registrar two direct questions early: can documents be issued in a sealed, official format, and can the university send transcripts directly to foreign universities if a program requires it. A surprising number of application delays come from colleges being unprepared to send documents directly rather than through the student, so raise it months before your deadline, not weeks.