Application rejected: ID card has no expiry date, and transcript keeps failing OCR?

[devMosaic]

Hi everyone,

Hi everyone,

I’m hoping someone can point me in the right direction. I’ve been trying to renew my Student Developer Pack, but I’m stuck in a rejection loop.

My physical student ID card only has my "Issue Date" (2023) but no "Expiry Date," so the bot rejects it for not proving current active status. I switched to uploading my official course schedule for this semester (which clearly shows the current date and my name), but now I’m getting the error: "The image does not appear to contain your school name."

The school name is definitely there in the header, but it is in a smaller font compared to the list of classes. Has anyone else dealt with documents where the school name isn't the biggest text on the page? I'm not sure if I should try to fold the paper or zoom in, or if that will mess up the auto-review.

Any tips would be appreciated!

[Arjun-M]

Hey! @devMosaic

Yeah, that happens a lot with schedules. The automated system is pretty dumb—it tends to lock onto the biggest text it sees (usually the class list) and completely ignores the school name if it's small at the top.

Here is the best way to fix it without looking like you are manipulating the image:

1. The "Anchor" Method: Even though your ID is undated, use it with the schedule. Place your ID card (which usually has a nice big school logo/name) on the table. Place your schedule right next to it. Take one photo of both.

   • Why: The ID provides the clear "School Name" match. The schedule provides the "Current Date." The bot combines the info from the single image.

2. Don't Circle or Crop too tight: Do not digitally draw circles or arrows on the image; that triggers fraud detection. Instead, try to frame the photo so the School Name header is in the top 1/3rd of the image.

3. Lighting: If the header text is small, glare makes it unreadable. Use natural light and no flash to make sure the small font is sharp.

Try the combo photo (ID + Schedule side-by-side)—that usually solves the "School name not found" error for transcripts!

[devMosaic]

Ohh ,
I’ll give that a shot right now. Thanks for the help!

[Arjun-M]

Hey @devMosaic, glad that worked! 🎉

The side-by-side trick has saved literally hundreds of people I’ve helped with the Pack — the OCR just needs that big bold school name somewhere obvious and it stops freaking out.

Enjoy the renewal and all the free goodies — you’ve earned it!

Hit me anytime it comes up again (or if you need a hand with anything else Education-related). Happy coding! 🚀