Why do universities ask up front for original transcripts?
Here is their choice: An applicant pays for the transcript up front and the university uses that in their decision. An applicant sends a copy, the university expends time, money, and effort, then send the applicant a conditional acceptance, then requests the transcript, then finds out that some percentage are made up, and has to expend time, money, and effort to cancel the acceptance. All for absolutely nothing. Money down the drain. If only 5% are made up? Thats more than enough to trigger a process to ask first. Or as they say, This is why we cant have nice things.