Alverno College: Translation Requirements for Documents in Another Language

Sample translation: a Congolese secondary school transcript

This is what an order looks like when it is delivered, with a fictitious student. The PDF starts with the signed certification page, and the translation follows the original line for line: every abbreviation is explained, stamps, seals and signatures are noted in brackets, and the grid stays the same, so an admissions officer or a credential evaluator can match it without guessing.

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What to notice

• Two school years in the same grid as the original: every subject, grading period, exam and total, so each grade can be read against its maximum.
• The French rating abbreviations are translated (TB becomes VG, Very good), and every abbreviation is explained in a translator's note at the foot of the same page, including one the original never defines.
• Dates are written the US way (the original's 02/07/2015 is February 7, 2015).
• The photo, seals and signatures are noted in brackets where they appear.

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More sample translations

Worth knowing about Alverno

Alverno requirements in detail

An official translator for every transcript

Alverno, a Catholic women's college in Milwaukee, states its translation rule inside the transcript step: official certified transcripts are sent for undergraduate admission (secondary records with the graduation date), graduate admission (proof of a bachelor's degree) or transfer credit (university transcripts), and "all transcripts must be translated into English by an official translator" (international admissions).

The same wording appears in its international admissions guide (guide).

The rule is about who translates, not just that a translation exists, so a translation you or a relative prepare would not meet it. A certified translation from a professional service, with a signed statement of accuracy, is the kind of document an official translator produces.

What each evaluation agency asks for the translation

Alverno also wants a foreign credential evaluation and names the agencies.

SpanTran (The Evaluation Company, TEC), which gives Alverno applicants a discount, accepts outside translations only from translators certified by ATA; eVerbary can assign one on request through a free quote that mentions SpanTran and Alverno.

Scholaro accepts documents in their native language or with a certified translation, not your own. ECE accepts complete, literal translations, or sells an $85 waiver to translate internally for the report.

One Earth usually accepts literal translations, even your own. Education Evaluators International does not appear in the sources we read; ask it before ordering.

Because Alverno requires an official translator, order one certified translation and use it for both Alverno and the agency, unless you pick SpanTran and need the ATA-certified version.

Documents applicants usually translate

• Secondary school transcripts showing the graduation date
• University transcripts and degree certificates
• Certified proof of financial resources for the I-20

What an eVerbary translation includes

• A complete English translation of every page, stamps, seals and handwritten notes included, laid out like the original so each line can be matched.
• Grades exactly as recorded, with the grading scale the document prints. We never convert marks to a US GPA.
• A signed certificate of translation accuracy on letterhead, with our contact details, delivered as a PDF you can upload.
• $24.95 per page of up to 250 words, certification included; 24 hours for one to three pages as standard. Regular clients who need it can get delivery in as little as 30 minutes, on request.

Uploading the translation to Alverno

• Apply at alverno.edu/apply, then have official certified transcripts sent to Alverno with their English translations, and arrange the evaluation with the agency (International admissions). Questions go to admissions@alverno.edu.

If you need a translator certified by ATA

Some offices accept only a translator who is personally certified by the American Translators Association (ATA). eVerbary assigns one on request, for the languages ATA certifies into English:

To order it, ask for a free quote and write in the notes that the translation is for Alverno, which program it is for, and that you need a translator individually certified by ATA, plus anything else the office asks for (notarization, delivery by email to the office).

We confirm the price and the translator before you pay. ATA does not certify other languages into English, so no translator anywhere holds ATA certification for them.

For those languages we provide a notarized certified translation instead, at $44.95 per page plus notarization ($34.90 per order); ask the office to confirm it accepts that, and write its answer in the quote notes.

How to order

1. Scan or photograph every page of the document, front and back, including any stamps on the reverse.
2. Upload it, choose the language and "certified", and see the price before paying.
3. Receive the PDF, usually within 24 hours for one to three pages, and upload it with the copy of the original wherever the institution asks for it.

Frequently asked questions