Credential Evaluation Services for Prospective USA International Students
The requirements to get admitted into college in the USA are wide-ranging but often share a few vital elements. Among the many things you need to do before you even send in an application is evidence of graduation or equivalent certification from prior education. But like slang and curse words, qualifications are often labeled differently throughout the world, and American schools need consistency so as to properly evaluate applicants. So, they turn to Credential Evaluation Services.
Credential Evaluation Services – Breaking it down
Most undergraduate and graduate programs ask that foreign applicants submit an official evaluation of their education credentials. They make this request for two primary reasons: to ensure that you are not fabricating the name of a diploma and to verify that you have the relevant and equivalent educational background required to attend their program. There are, as always, varying requirements for every school, but it’s likely that you would use one of the accredited credential evaluation services to ascertain the validity of your certification. These evaluation services might also reference your transcript and/or grade reports.
If your certification is from a non-English speaking country, it’s also likely that you’d be required to get an official English translation of certain documents as part of your application. Credential evaluation organizations often can provide these services.
As you’re probably beginning to realize, schooling in America isn’t cheap (Fear not, you can still get funding opportunities). Fees for the evaluation of education credentials – which candidates are responsible for – tend to be around $50 to $250 per credential, depending on the amount of detail needed and the quickness of response. Translations are most likely an additional expense, and you would also have to pay for mail or courier services to submit the credentials to the institutions you’re applying to.
Before you start researching the cheapest credential evaluation company (don’t worry, we understand. Not judging), however, be sure to check each school’s website. Some might require evaluations from specific evaluating agencies, while others may be fine with you forwarding a copy of your transcript to a member of staff. Just don’t forget that this process is time-consuming and must be completed in time to submit the entire application, so it’s best to start the process far in advance of the application deadline.
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