Accio Transcripts: Magic Isn’t Better Than Digital Credentials

Everyone who’s read or watched the “Harry Potter” series asks the same question: Why, in a world where magic is real, do witches and wizards still rely on paper and quills? If people can shape-shift into cats, shouldn’t they be able to draft any document out of thin air? Why does Hogwarts seem determined to stay in the middle ages?

Keep in mind that if you haven’t adopted digital credentials at your institution, students are probably asking the same thing about your school.

In fact, when it comes to student credentials, digital is always the way to go. It beats anything that Hogwarts, Durmstrang and Beauxbatons could ever hope to offer. Here’s how digital credentials give your students the magic of the future without chaining them to the past:

Delivery more secure than owl post

One of the most memorable scenes in the “Harry Potter” movies involves the wizarding world’s famous owl post. Harry’s uncle, Vernon Dursley, keeps intercepting the young wizard’s Hogwarts acceptance letters. At one point, the school is forced to flood the house with letters, sending thousands of them through the fireplace, doors and windows. 

This isn’t the only time in the series that owls are prevented from delivering important letters. With digital credentials, the idea of missed delivery vanishes like a mischievous student under an invisibility cloak. Students can securely send their transcripts to schools or potential employers with a few mouse clicks and can rest easy knowing their credentials will always arrive at their destination. In this case, an electronic transcript exchange is a lot faster than an owl.

If, however, students want to send their transcripts through the mail, a digital credential service can do that for them and offer tracking to ensure no letter is ever missed.

Verification, not transfiguration

Students at Hogwarts learn to transfigure mice into teacups, so who’s to say they can’t change a daisy into a diploma? J.K. Rowling never talked much about magical cheating, but surely some clever students must have found ways to forge their test grades.

No need for you to worry about fraudulent diplomas and transcripts when you’ve got digital credentials. Every document is delivered as a certified PDF and adorned with your school’s logo, so recipients know it’s the real deal. Plus, if your students choose to send paper credentials, the right service will print out their diplomas, transcripts and more on secure paper for extra fraud prevention. 

Records that withstand an attack on Hogwarts

The Reparo spell can fix just about anything – except for damage from Fiendfyre, an inferno created from Dark Magic. Imagine if all of Hogwarts’ records were consumed by this deadly blaze.

A normal fire can do the same to your school’s paper records, which is big trouble for your students and hinders your legal compliance. But digital records are stored in the cloud, meaning you can always access them no matter what sort of disaster hits. Dealing with flood from a hurricane – or perhaps destruction from a raging troll? The paper copies may be damaged, but you’ll still have your digital credentials. 

Better than magic

Your students may not be getting their Hogwarts letters, but their future will be more magical with digital credentials. Their diplomas, transcripts and other documents aren’t just signs of completed courses – they’re gateways to amazing opportunities. By giving students easy access to proof of their experiences, you arm them with the tools necessary to enter their dream school or job.

Want to know more about how digital credentials help your students succeed? Contact Parchment today. 

There’s always more to learn.