Thanks for the advice. I already have to email the school about setting up a file for letters of recommendation (I am planning to apply to an English-language program at the ETH and the professors back in the US asked about setting up a personal file), so I will ask about sending a transcript. I'll explain the situation and hope they don't mind. If someone requests a real one, I'll get a certificed copy I guess. I'll also write the others back in the states about a letter... then only problem will be is that it will be written in English as no one there speaks a foreign language.

I had thought I would be able to make regular photocopies of the originals here -- my wife and mother-in-law had not, to the best of my knowledge, sent certified copies of their qualifications, but of course they were turned down from every job to which they applied. My wife is now working at an English/Irish pub because it was the only place that would hire her -- no office would take her despite her fluent English (she attended university in the US for a year too!), German, Swiss German, and basically fluent French and Italian! She had at least 20 interviews as well before giving up and accepting the 19 chf/hr as better than nothing. I think my mother-in-law would have the same problem in the US, though, given her age (yes I know this is not the US, but I tend to still use it as a baseline, as it is what I am accustomed to).