Can I ask the graduate office (US) if I can submit transcript without WES?
Yes, you can ask. But they will probably say no if they require/request it. Someone has to give a meaningful analysis of your transcript and they are probably deferring this to WES so as not to have to have people do it themselves.
It is a fairly large problem for a large institution and maybe a difficult one for a small institution.
But, in general, there is no prohibition about asking for what you want. Just be prepared for a &quot;no&quot;. You won't avoid an evaluation in any case, and one from WES might actually be more useful, since they are organized for that.