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Boston University: Translation Requirements for Documents in Another Language
Boston University's undergraduate admissions office requires every document in another language to come with a notarized English translation, and the original must be sent as well; it does not say who must translate, and a certified translation from a professional service such as eVerbary, notarized at checkout ($34.90 per order), is that kind of translation. For graduate study in the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences and the College of Engineering, which ask for a third-party or professional translation, Boston University accepts certified translations from professional services such as eVerbary. Transfers from Chinese universities must send records through CHESICC, and some graduate schools want an evaluation on top of or instead of the translation (WES ICAP for Public Health), which we do not provide.
Notarized, with original
Undergraduate rule for any document written in another language.
CHESICC for China
Chinese university records come from CHESICC, in English and Chinese.
WES role varies
GRS: not a transcript. Wheelock: can be. Public Health: required.
BU requirements at a glance
| What BU asks for | |
|---|---|
| Translation (undergraduate and transfer) | A notarized English translation of every document in another language; both the original and the translation are required (international, credentials). |
| Who may translate | Undergraduate: not stated. GRS: your home institution, otherwise a third-party translation (source); its 2016 guide names an embassy or a professional translation service or notary (source). Engineering: a professional translation (source). |
| Notarization | Required for undergraduate and transfer translations. eVerbary can add notarization at checkout ($34.90 per order). |
| Evaluation | Undergraduate: none; BU reviews transfer credit itself from syllabi. GRS: WES may be required for Indian degrees from non-NAAC institutions or older than five years (source). Wheelock: a NACES course-by-course evaluation with translation can be the final transcript (source). Public Health: WES ICAP through SOPHAS (source). |
| Who sends school records | School officials, through the Common App, Docufide, SCOIR or Naviance, by email to schforms@bu.edu, or by post: four years of secondary records and a copy of any leaving exam results (source). |
| Chinese universities (transfer) | CHESICC's Verification Report of the transcript, in English, plus official transcripts in English and Chinese, sent by CHESICC by email or post (source). |
| Graduate uploads | GRS: unofficial transcripts and degree certificates at application; official records only if admitted and you accept (source). |
| Does it accept eVerbary? | For GRS and Engineering graduate programs, yes: GRS requires a third-party translation when your university provides none (GRS checklist) and its guide names a professional translation service (GRS guide); Engineering asks for a professionally translated version (Engineering). For undergraduate and transfer applicants, BU asks for a notarized English translation and does not restrict who makes it (international applicants); a certified translation from a professional service such as eVerbary, notarized at checkout, is that kind of translation. Policy checked on October 12, 2026. |
Checked on October 12, 2026. Sources are listed at the end of this page. Policies change: confirm on BU's own page before you submit.
Undergraduate: notarized, and always with the original
BU's international applicants page goes further than most: any document written in another language must come with a notarized English translation, not only a certified one, and both the original and the translation are required. It does not say who may translate. A certified translation from a professional service, with the notarization eVerbary adds at checkout, is that kind of translation. The records themselves come from your school: official records for the last four years and a copy of leaving or qualifying exam results, then first-term grades and predicted IB, GCE or CBSE/ISC results as they are issued (application credentials).
Transfer applicants follow the same notarized-translation rule and upload course syllabi to the MyBU Applicant Portal, under Admissions documents, as soon as they apply; BU reviews transfer credit from them itself. If your university is in China, CHESICC must send the English Verification Report and official transcripts in English and Chinese directly, so the English version comes from CHESICC rather than from a translator (source).
Graduate schools: who translates, and what a WES report is worth
There is no central graduate rule. The Graduate School of Arts & Sciences wants a certified English translation of each document, from your home institution or, if it provides none, from a third party (GRS checklist); its older guide points to an embassy or a professional translation service or notary and says a WES evaluation is not an official transcript (guide). For India, GRS wants individual semester mark sheets, a master's or postgraduate diploma after a three-year bachelor's, and possibly WES for non-NAAC institutions or degrees over five years old (transcripts FAQ). Engineering asks for a professionally translated version next to the original unofficial transcript and says you are not obliged to use ECE or WES (source).
Wheelock reverses the GRS position: when your institution issues documents only in another language, a course-by-course evaluation and translation from a NACES member such as ECE, WES or TEC, sent electronically to wheadmit@bu.edu, can serve as the official final transcript (Wheelock guidelines). The School of Public Health goes further and requires a WES ICAP course-by-course report through SOPHAS for international transcripts SOPHAS does not verify, with no original transcripts sent (SPH). Questrom, Law and Metropolitan College were not covered in our review.
Where BU's pages differ
The GRS transcripts FAQ says transcripts, translations and certified documents go through the online application. The GRS Notary and Translation Guide, a 2016 PDF still hosted on bu.edu, says original certified translations must arrive by postal mail and that emailed, scanned or faxed documents are not acceptable. The guide seems aimed at admitted students, but neither page says so clearly. We have not resolved that difference; ask GRS before you send anything by mail.
Documents applicants usually translate
- Secondary school records for the last four years and leaving or qualifying exam results
- Predicted results (IB, GCE, CBSE/ISC) and first-term grades
- University transcripts and degree certificates
- Indian semester mark sheets (GRS)
- Diploma Supplement for European degrees (Wheelock)
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 BU
Undergraduate records are sent by your school through the Common App, Docufide, SCOIR, Naviance, schforms@bu.edu or post, with the original and the notarized translation together; you follow them in the MyBU Applicant Portal (source).
GRS applicants upload unofficial transcripts and translations in the Documents section of the online application (source); Engineering applicants upload the translation with the original unofficial transcript (source); Wheelock takes official records from Parchment, the National Student Clearinghouse or an agency by email (source).
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. At BU that means we translate and can notarize; CHESICC reports come from CHESICC, the WES ICAP for Public Health and any Wheelock or GRS evaluation come from the agency, and official transcripts come from your school.
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
Boston University's own pages, read on October 12, 2026. Enrollment figure: Open Doors 2025 (IIE), institutions hosting the most international students in 2024/25: number 9, with 12,845 students.
- Undergraduate admissions: international applicants
- Undergraduate admissions: application credentials
- GRS: application checklist
- GRS: Notary and Translation Guide (PDF, 2016)
- GRS: transcripts FAQ
- College of Engineering: international graduate students
- Wheelock: official transcript submission guidelines (PDF)
- School of Public Health: transcripts
Frequently asked questions
Does BU undergraduate admissions accept a certified translation, or must it be notarized?
Notarized. BU asks for a notarized English translation of any document in another language, and the original as well (source). eVerbary can add notarization at checkout.
I am transferring to BU from a Chinese university. How do I send translated transcripts?
Through CHESICC, which sends the English Verification Report and official transcripts in English and Chinese by email or post (source).
Can I use a translation service for a GRS graduate application?
Yes. If your home university does not provide an English translation, GRS requires a third-party certified translation (source).
Will a WES evaluation replace my official transcript at BU?
It depends on the school. GRS says it does not (source); Wheelock accepts a NACES course-by-course evaluation with translation sent by the agency (source); Public Health requires WES ICAP through SOPHAS (source).
Do I need ECE or WES for a BU Engineering master's?
No. Engineering asks for a professional English translation with the original unofficial transcript and calls ECE and WES optional (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 BU?
Upload a scan of your transcript or diploma and see the price and delivery time before you pay.