Brandeis University Launches Second Transcript for Skills

Brandeis University Launches “Second Transcript” to Document Student Skills Beyond Grades

When students return to the Brandeis University campus this month, they will encounter a new official document designed to capture the full scope of their college achievements—one that reaches far beyond the traditional list of courses and grades. The Massachusetts institution is introducing what it calls a “Second Transcript,” an official record intended to highlight the skills and experiences students gain outside the conventional classroom setting.

This new credential documents a range of activities, including internships, research projects, micro-credentials, and other forms of experiential learning. According to Lewis Brooks, director of Brandeis’ Center for Careers and Applied Liberal Arts, the initiative is designed to present a more complete picture of what students have accomplished during their time at the university. “The Second Transcript is showing the accomplishments, and in some cases the passions, of the students,” Brooks said. His center is overseeing the rollout of the new system.

What Makes the Second Transcript Different from a Resume

The Second Transcript distinguishes itself from more common self-reported tools like resumes or LinkedIn profiles in a fundamental way: students cannot edit or update the document themselves. This restriction is intended to strengthen its credibility with potential employers, who may view the transcript as a more verified and trustworthy account of a student’s activities.

For an experience to appear on the transcript, it must pass a formal review process. An internship, for instance, must meet specific requirements related to its duration and weekly hours, and it must be approved by a supervisor. Experiences that do not meet these standards—such as an internship consisting primarily of menial tasks like fetching coffee—would not qualify for inclusion.

Brooks emphasized that this verification process is the key distinction between the Second Transcript and other forms of self-promotion. “The huge difference between the transcript and the resume or LinkedIn profile is the source,” he explained. “Nothing gets onto the second transcript unless it’s Brandeis-blessed.” This institutional endorsement is central to the document’s value proposition for both students and the employers who may review it.

Context: A Time of Uncertainty for College Graduates

The launch of the Second Transcript comes at a moment of significant uncertainty for undergraduate students across the country. The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence is transforming the nature of work and the skills employers demand. At the same time, families are increasingly questioning the return on investment of a traditional college education, given the rising cost of tuition and fees.

Brooks noted that the initiative is already generating interest among prospective students and their parents. He said families are asking about the Second Transcript as well as the university’s new micro-credential program. These micro-credentials are faculty-vetted certifications that validate proficiency in a specific skill. The offerings span a wide range of fields, from applied statistical analysis to sports journalism.

Looking Ahead: The Class of 2030

The initiative is structured as a long-term investment in the student experience. The incoming class of 2030 will be the first cohort at Brandeis to have access to the Second Transcript for all four years of their undergraduate careers. This means the university is committing to the program as a core component of its educational offering for the foreseeable future.

While the university is clearly enthusiastic about the potential of the Second Transcript, a key question remains unanswered: whether employers will actually value this new credential in their hiring decisions. The success of the program will ultimately depend on how well it resonates with the people it is designed to inform.

The Idea Isn’t New

Brandeis University is not the first institution to recognize the value of documenting learning that happens beyond the traditional classroom. For decades, other colleges and universities have experimented with ways to formally capture and present the skills and experiences students gain outside of their coursework.

Elon University in North Carolina has been a pioneer in this area. The institution launched its Experiences Transcript in 1994, and it has since become a graduation requirement. To earn the transcript, Elon students must complete at least one significant experiential learning opportunity, such as an internship, study abroad program, research project, service initiative, or a mentored leadership position. As with Brandeis's approach, Elon verifies the activities that appear on the transcript to ensure their legitimacy.

Rodney Parks, Elon’s assistant vice president and registrar, explains the rationale behind the program. “Students understand that employers are looking for evidence of initiative, collaboration, leadership, problem-solving and the ability to apply knowledge—not simply a strong academic record,” he says. Megan Noltemeyer, who administers the transcript, adds that the document “helps students tell their story” by connecting what they’ve learned inside and outside the classroom into a cohesive narrative.

Data from an Elon study conducted in 2016 suggests that the transcript has a positive impact on how students are perceived. In that survey, 74% of respondents said the experiential transcript caused them to view applicants more favorably. Furthermore, 77% of organizations said the transcript made applicants’ experiences easier to verify. However, only about 40% of those surveyed indicated that the information was often or always used in their hiring or admissions decisions.

Different Approaches at Other Institutions

Elon is not alone in its efforts. Other schools have developed their own distinct methods for tracking and showcasing student experiences beyond grades.

Loyola Marymount University’s business school, for instance, has integrated career development directly into its undergraduate requirements. Students must complete a running list of career-related activities—including workshops, competitions, and internships—before they are eligible to graduate. This process is tracked through a point-based app called CBA Advantage, which gamifies the experience and encourages consistent engagement.

Florida A&M University has taken a different route with its Rattler Ready initiative. Launched under a 2021 Florida law aimed at workforce readiness, the program requires first-year and transfer students to develop a career action plan. Over their four years at the university, students then use digital badges to track the skills they acquire, creating a visual and verifiable record of their professional development.

Part of a Larger Transformation at Brandeis

At Brandeis, the Second Transcript is not a standalone project. It is a key component of a much broader institutional overhaul known as the Brandeis Plan to Reinvent the Liberal Arts. Introduced last year and fully launching with the fall 2026 semester, this plan represents a significant shift in how the university approaches undergraduate education.

The initiative combines a redesigned core curriculum with career advising that begins in a student’s first semester. It also mandates experiential learning as a graduation requirement and introduces a new academic structure that more closely integrates liberal arts and professional education. The goal is to ensure that students graduate with both a deep academic foundation and the practical skills needed to succeed in the workforce.

While it is still early to measure the full impact of these changes, Brandeis officials report that applications rose by 40% this year. It remains to be seen what factors drove this increase, but the renewed focus on career readiness and experiential learning may be a contributing factor for prospective students and their families.

Do Employers Care About Experiential Transcripts?

Whether hiring managers will actually value a supplemental experiential transcript remains an open question. Matt Berndt, head career strategist at Indeed and a former university counselor, expresses doubt that employers are eager to review yet another document alongside a resume and traditional academic record. “I honestly don’t think employers care to see that you’ve completed a co-curricular program,” he states. Even when a university officially endorses the document, Berndt argues that what truly matters to employers is a student’s ability to demonstrate the skills they acquired and clearly articulate their accomplishments.

Berndt recalls advising a student who felt her resume was weak because she had not completed an internship. In her role as philanthropy chair for her sorority, however, she had organized events, led volunteer teams, and helped raise tens of thousands of dollars. She possessed significant experience; she simply had not yet learned how to frame it effectively. “That to me is the magic of these programs,” Berndt says. “When they work well, they’re equipping students to connect the dots between their theoretical learning and their experiential learning.”

This ability to connect classroom knowledge with hands-on experience may ultimately be the most significant benefit of an experiential transcript. “It’s not enough to do stuff,” Berndt emphasizes. Students must understand what they accomplished and learn how to make those experiences relevant and compelling to potential employers.

While Brandeis has received encouraging feedback from an employer focus group, according to Brooks, there is currently little evidence that holding a secondary transcript improves a graduate’s job prospects. For students, the true value may lie less in the document itself and more in the process of learning how to transform their college experiences into a persuasive narrative for why an employer should hire them.

How To Make An Experiential Transcript Work For You

If your college offers an experiential transcript, it is wise to take advantage of it—but do not expect the credential to speak for itself. Here is how to leverage it effectively.

1. Track what you’ve done—and where you want to go.

Use the transcript as a living record of your research projects, internships, jobs, volunteer service, and leadership roles. Review it regularly to identify gaps in your experience and to pinpoint areas where you may want to seek new opportunities for growth.

2. Translate experiences into skills.

For each experience listed, ask yourself a series of reflective questions: What did I do? What skill did I develop? What problem did I solve? What was the result? Use your answers to write stronger bullet points on your resume and to craft a more compelling LinkedIn profile that moves beyond job duties and toward demonstrated impact.

3. Prepare your stories for interviews.

Employers may never ask to see the experiential transcript itself, but they will certainly want to know what you can do. One technique career coaches frequently recommend is the STAR method—Situation, Task, Action, Result. This framework pushes you beyond simply claiming “I have that skill” toward delivering a specific, memorable example: the problem you faced, the action you took, and the outcome you achieved. As Berndt advises, “Be prepared to tell [a potential employer] what you learned and the impact that you had.”

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