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American University: Translation Requirements for Documents in Another Language
American University (AU) asks for academic records in their original language with an English translation: its undergraduate pages call that translation certified, notarized or official, and its School of International Service and School of Public Affairs accept translations from certified translation agencies. American University accepts certified translations from professional services such as eVerbary. AU reads foreign transcripts itself, so no credential evaluation is required; what we cannot do is send your records for your school, which at undergraduate level must come from the school, not from you.
School sends records
Undergraduates cannot submit their own transcripts to AU.
Agencies accepted
SIS and SPA list certified translation agencies by name.
No evaluation needed
AU evaluators read foreign transcripts; WES or ECE optional.
AU requirements at a glance
| What AU asks for | |
|---|---|
| Translation | Required for records not in English, submitted with the original-language record. First-year page: "certified" in the checklist, "notarized" in the records section; transfer page: "certified" and "official" (first-year, transfer). |
| Who may translate | Undergraduate pages do not say. SIS and SPA: a university, an embassy, an EducationUSA advising center or another certified translation agency; a translation alone, without the attested record, is not accepted (SIS, SPA). |
| Who sends the records | First-year: the school counselor uploads to the Common Application or mails sealed envelopes by courier. Transfer: the college official uploads, emails PDFs from an official address, or uses a courier (first-year, transfer). |
| Exam results | IB, WAEC, GCE, GCSE and CAPE results must come straight from the examination board (source). |
| Evaluation | Not required. SIS and SPA evaluators assess foreign transcripts; a WES, ECE or AACRAO report is welcome and may speed things up (SIS, SPA). |
| Transfer credit | From foreign institutions accredited by their Ministry of Education, reviewed by the Registrar; up to 60 credits from four- or two-year institutions (guidelines, PDF). |
| Deadlines | First-year: November 1 (EA, ED I), January 15 (ED II, RD), October 1 for spring. Transfer: May 1 for fall, October 1 for spring, with documents from abroad recommended by April 15 and September 1 (first-year, transfer). |
| Does it accept eVerbary? | Yes. AU's graduate schools accept translations from "other certified translation agencies" (SIS transcript guide, SPA), and undergraduate admissions asks for certified English translations without limiting who makes them (first-year instructions), so a certified translation from a professional service such as eVerbary meets both. Policy checked on October 13, 2026. |
Checked on October 13, 2026. Sources are listed at the end of this page. Policies change: confirm on AU's own page before you submit.
Your school sends the records, and the translation goes with them
AU's undergraduate rule is unusual: students cannot submit their own secondary-school or college transcripts. A first-year applicant's counselor uploads them to the Common Application or sends them by courier in sealed envelopes, in the original language and accompanied by the English translation (source). A transfer applicant's college official can also email the official documents, "with English translation if needed", as PDFs from a university email account to admissionsdocuments@american.edu (source).
In practice that means the translation has to reach your school before the deadline, so the counselor or registrar can send it with the record it belongs to. Order it early enough for that hand-off, and ask the school to keep the translation attached to the transcript it translates. If your country issues only one copy of your academic documents, AU's transfer page lets you send certified or notarized copies of the originals instead.
Graduate schools: who may translate, and when your file is read
AU's graduate admissions are run by each school. The School of International Service and the School of Public Affairs publish the same translator list: a university, an embassy, an overseas EducationUSA advising center, or another certified translation agency. Both add that translations alone or unattested copies of a document are not accepted, so the translation travels with the stamped transcript or an attested copy of the diploma (SIS, SPA).
The two schools differ on timing. SIS lets you upload unofficial copies for reference, with their translations, but will not review an international applicant's file until the official transcripts, degree confirmation and translations arrive (source). SPA reviews uploaded unofficial transcripts and asks for official ones before you enroll, by email to GraduateAdmissionsDocuments@american.edu, by courier or by mail (source). If your transcript does not show the degree title and conferral date, both want an attested copy of the diploma as well.
Where AU's pages differ
The first-year page asks for "certified English translations" in its checklist and for "notarized English translations" a few paragraphs later; the transfer page says "certified" in its checklist and "official" in its academic records section. We have not resolved that for you. Notarization can be added at checkout for $34.90 per order, which covers the notarized wording; if you are unsure what your file needs, ask intadm@american.edu before your school sends the records.
The graduate schools also differ on when official transcripts are needed, as described above: before review at SIS, before enrollment at SPA.
Documents applicants usually translate
- Secondary school transcripts for grades 9 to 12 (or the three years of a three-year system)
- Leaving certificates and national exam results such as the Bagrut, Abitur or Attestat, when the school includes them
- University transcripts and degree certificates, for transfer and graduate applicants
- An attested copy of the diploma, when the transcript does not show the degree and its date
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 AU
Undergraduate: give the translation to the school official who sends your records, so it goes to AU with the transcript through the Common Application, by courier, or (transfer applicants) by email from the official's university account to admissionsdocuments@american.edu (first-year, transfer).
Graduate (SIS, SPA): upload the transcript and its translation together in the online application; official documents go to graduateadmissionsdocuments@american.edu or by mail or courier to the school's admissions office (SIS, SPA).
What we do not do
eVerbary is a translation service, not a credential evaluation service: we do not issue evaluations, US equivalencies or GPA conversions, and we cannot send documents on behalf of the school that issued them. For AU that means we translate your records; sending them is your school's job, and exam results come from the examination board.
How to order
- Scan or photograph every page of the document, front and back, including any stamps on the reverse.
- Upload it, choose the language and "certified", and see the price before paying.
- 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.
Sources
American University's own pages, read on October 13, 2026. Enrollment figure: Open Doors 2025 fact sheet for District of Columbia (IIE), leading institutions in District of Columbia in 2024/25: number 3, with 1,479 international students.
- First-year international applicants: instructions
- International transfer applicants: instructions
- Undergraduate transfer credit guidelines (PDF)
- School of International Service: graduate transcript guide
- School of Public Affairs: international applicants
Frequently asked questions
Can I upload my translated transcript to the Common App myself?
No. AU says students cannot submit their own secondary-school transcripts; the counselor uploads them or mails them by courier, with the translation (source).
Who can translate my transcripts for an AU graduate program?
SIS and SPA accept translations from a university, an embassy, an EducationUSA advising center or another certified translation agency (SIS, SPA). A certified translation from a professional service such as eVerbary qualifies.
Does AU want a notarized translation?
The first-year page uses "certified" in one place and "notarized" in another (source). eVerbary adds notarization at checkout for $34.90 per order if you want to cover both.
Do I need a WES evaluation for AU?
No. AU's evaluators assess foreign transcripts; SIS and SPA accept a WES, ECE or AACRAO report but do not require one (source).
My country issues only one copy of my transcript. What do I send?
AU's international transfer page accepts certified or notarized copies of the original official transcripts in that case (source).
Will eVerbary convert my grades to a US GPA?
No. The translation reproduces the grades and the grading scale exactly as they appear. A GPA conversion is credential evaluation, which the institution or an evaluation agency does.
Translating documents for AU?
Upload a scan of your transcript or diploma and see the price and delivery time before you pay.