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Carnegie Mellon University: Translation Requirements for Documents in Another Language
Carnegie Mellon asks that a secondary school transcript or any other admission document not in English be accompanied by an official translation, verified by a counselor or school official as true copies of the original; it does not say who must make the translation. Carnegie Mellon accepts certified translations from professional services such as eVerbary. Graduate admission is handled by each department, and Heinz College requires a course-by-course evaluation from an approved evaluation service for degrees from outside the US, which we do not provide.
Official translation
For the transcript and any other admission document not in English.
Counselor verifies
A counselor or school official confirms true copies of the original.
January 15
After it, only counselors can still send documents.
Carnegie Mellon requirements at a glance
| What Carnegie Mellon asks for | |
|---|---|
| Translation (undergraduate) | An official translation must accompany any admission document written in a language other than English (source). |
| Who may translate | Not stated. A counselor or school official verifies the documents as true copies of the original (source). |
| Evaluation (undergraduate) | None mentioned for first-year applicants. For transfers, the college or school you are admitted to evaluates your courses and sends the credit evaluation with the decision letter (source). |
| Deadlines | Early Decision November 3, Regular Decision January 5 (FAQ). CMU takes no updates from applicants after January 15, but keeps accepting documents from high school counselors (source). |
| After admission | Proof of meeting all diploma requirements by the end of May, and an official final transcript by the end of July of the year you enroll (source). |
| Graduate | No central rule: transcript questions go to the department you apply to (source). Heinz College requires a course-by-course evaluation for non-US degrees (source). |
| Name on documents | Use the exact name on your passport on the application, recommendations and test scores (source). |
| Does it accept eVerbary? | Yes. Carnegie Mellon's undergraduate rule asks for an "official translation", verified by a counselor or school official, and does not limit who translates (international applicants). A certified translation from a professional service such as eVerbary is an official translation of that kind; your counselor then verifies the documents. Policy checked on October 13, 2026. |
Checked on October 13, 2026. Sources are listed at the end of this page. Policies change: confirm on Carnegie Mellon's own page before you submit.
The translation and the counselor
Carnegie Mellon's rule has two parts in one sentence (source). If your secondary school transcript, or any other admission document, is not in English, it should come with an official translation; and the documents should be verified by a counselor or school official as true copies of the original. The page does not say who makes the translation, so a certified translation from a professional service fits; the verification is a separate step only your school can take.
The rule covers "any other admission document", not just the transcript. A recommendation written in another language, a school profile or a leaving certificate needs the same treatment. CMU also asks you to use the exact name on your passport on every part of the application, so check that the translation spells your name as the passport does (source).
Why the January 15 cutoff matters for a late translation
Carnegie Mellon does not accept updates from applicants after January 15, but it continues to accept documents and updates from high school counselors after that date (source). Mid-year grades and transcript updates can be self-reported or sent by the counselor throughout the process. If a translation is still missing after mid-January, it has to reach CMU through your counselor.
Applying Early Decision means a November 3 deadline, Regular Decision January 5 (FAQ). If you are admitted, you must show by the end of May that you have met all diploma requirements, and send an official final transcript by the end of July; for a final record not in English, that is one more document to translate (source).
Graduate programs: each department sets the rule
CMU has no central graduate admissions office for documents. Its graduate page says all questions about where to submit transcripts and exam requirements go to the department (source), and you usually file a separate application per program. The School of Computer Science asks you to upload transcripts before submitting and gives mailing instructions only if you are accepted (source); it does not publish a translation rule.
Heinz College is stricter. If your bachelor's degree is from outside the US, Heinz needs a course-by-course evaluation report sent directly by an approved evaluation service, and it does not accept transcripts sent by your university or by you (source). It recommends ECE, Josef Silny, TEC (formerly SpanTran) and WES (the Basic course-by-course report), and accepts any NACES member. The translation then goes to that agency under the agency's own rules.
Documents applicants usually translate
- Secondary school transcripts and the school profile
- Secondary leaving certificate or diploma
- Recommendation letters written in another language
- Final transcript and proof of graduation, after admission
- University transcripts and degree certificates (transfer and graduate applicants)
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 Carnegie Mellon
First-year and transfer applicants apply through the Common Application; your counselor submits the school documents, and after January 15 only the counselor can add documents (source). Give the counselor the certified translation together with the original so it can be verified as CMU asks (source).
Graduate applicants upload documents in each department's application, for example the SCS portal, and follow that department's instructions for official records (SCS, graduate admissions).
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 Carnegie Mellon that means we translate the documents; the counselor's verification comes from your school, and the course-by-course evaluation Heinz College requires comes from an evaluation agency.
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
Carnegie Mellon University's own pages, read on October 13, 2026. Enrollment figure: Open Doors 2025 (IIE), institutions hosting the most international students in 2024/25: number 17, with 9,836 students.
- International applicants (cmu.edu/admission)
- Undergraduate admission requirements
- Transfer applicants
- Admission FAQ
- Graduate education: prospective students
- School of Computer Science: graduate admissions
- Heinz College: transcripts
Frequently asked questions
Who can translate my documents for Carnegie Mellon?
CMU asks for an official translation and does not say who must make it (source). A certified translation from a professional service such as eVerbary qualifies; a counselor or school official then verifies the documents as true copies of the original.
Does my recommendation letter need a translation?
Yes, if it is not in English. The rule covers your transcript "or any other admission document" (source).
Can I send my translation after January 15?
Not yourself. CMU takes no updates from applicants after January 15 but still accepts documents from high school counselors (source).
Do I need a credential evaluation for Carnegie Mellon?
Not for undergraduate admission. For graduate study it depends on the department; Heinz College requires a course-by-course evaluation from an approved service for degrees from outside the US (source).
Which evaluation services does Heinz College accept?
It recommends ECE, Josef Silny, TEC and WES and accepts a course-by-course report from any NACES member, sent directly by the service (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 Carnegie Mellon?
Upload a scan of your transcript or diploma and see the price and delivery time before you pay.