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Iowa State University: Translation Requirements for Documents in Another Language
Iowa State University asks international undergraduates to include a certified English translation of any academic record not in English, and its graduate pages accept a literal, word-for-word translation from any qualified translator, uploaded with the original. Iowa State University accepts certified translations from professional services such as eVerbary. Undergraduates need no credential evaluation; graduate applicants may add an optional WES, ECE or IEE report, which we do not provide.
Any qualified translator
Graduate rule: literal, word-for-word, never interpretative.
Grades as written
Translated grades must not be converted to the US scale.
Country rules
Mexico, Iran, China, Taiwan, France and Korea have their own lines.
Iowa State requirements at a glance
| What Iowa State asks for | |
|---|---|
| Translation | Required for records not in English. Undergraduate page: "certified English translation" (source). Graduate pages: a literal (word-for-word) translation alongside the original; interpretative translations are not accepted (source). |
| Who may translate | Any qualified translator (graduate FAQ, repeated on the Graduate College FAQ). For course syllabi, your university or a professional translator (transfer page). |
| Grades | Translated as shown on the original; converted grades are not accepted (source). |
| Evaluation | Undergraduates: none; only academic records and test scores are used (source). Graduate: optional course-by-course report from WES, ECE or IEE, uploaded with your transcripts in one PDF (source). |
| Where to upload | Undergraduates: the online application portal, adding documents later through "View my application(s)". Graduate: the transcript action item in Admissions MyAccount (undergraduate, graduate). |
| Official records | Uploads are used for the decision; if admitted, official and final records are required. They count as official when they carry the original stamp or seal of the registrar, principal or controller of exams (source). |
| Delivery of finals | By mail or courier from your school, or in person in Ames, where staff scan and return them; electronic finals only through listed channels such as My eQuals, CSSD or OpenCert (source). |
| Does it accept eVerbary? | Yes. The undergraduate page asks for "a certified English translation" (international undergraduate requirements) and the graduate FAQ accepts literal translations "from any qualified translator" (graduate FAQ), 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 Iowa State's own page before you submit.
Literal, not interpretative, and the grades stay as they are
Iowa State's graduate pages are unusually precise about what a translation should be: literal and word-for-word, placed next to the original document, and not interpretative (graduate application information). Its FAQ adds that grades must be translated exactly as they appear on the original, and that a translation which converts them to a US scale will not be accepted (graduate FAQ).
That matches how we work: we translate each mark as written and keep the original grading terms, and we do not add a US equivalent. For undergraduates the page uses the word "certified" rather than "literal" (source); a certified professional translation is both.
Country rules on the graduate FAQ
The graduate FAQ lists rules by country. For Central and South America, an apostilled original-language document stamped by your registrar is acceptable, and a certified translator's signature and stamp from outside the registrar's office is acceptable for the English translation. For Mexico, your school should send official copies in Spanish with its own English translation if it offers one; if it does not, Iowa State asks for a certified translation from a professional translation service. France: English translations from any certified translator.
Some countries are stricter. Iranian records must carry the university's original stamp or be translated by a translator to the Judiciary and then stamped by the Ministry of Justice, which we cannot do. For South Korea, Korean-language transcripts are not needed if the university itself issues the English version. China and Taiwan ask for records in both languages, or a certified English translation of documents issued only in Mandarin; Chinese finals also go through CSSD.
Transfer credit and syllabi
International transfer students are evaluated in two stages: the Office of Admissions decides which credits transfer, and your college decides after arrival which of them count toward your major. Iowa State asks you to bring official syllabi carrying your university's stamp. If they are not in English, you provide the original and a translation done by your university or a professional translator (source). Reviewing courses one by one can take two to three weeks.
Documents applicants usually translate
- High school transcripts and the graduation certificate (first-year applicants)
- University transcripts, mark sheets and degree statements
- Course syllabi, for transfer credit
- Diploma supplement, where your country issues one
- Bank statement for the financial statement
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 Iowa State
Undergraduates upload records, test scores and the financial statement in the online application, and can return later to add documents; official final records are required only if admitted (source).
Graduate applicants upload scanned records and translations to the action items in Admissions MyAccount. If you add a WES, ECE or IEE evaluation, upload it in a single PDF together with your transcripts. Web-printed transcripts and grade reports are not accepted (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. For Iowa State that means we translate your records and syllabi; an optional WES, ECE or IEE evaluation and the Iranian Judiciary translation are outside what we do.
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
Iowa State University's own pages, read on October 13, 2026. Enrollment figure: Open Doors 2025 fact sheet for Iowa (IIE), leading institutions in Iowa in 2024/25: number 1, with 3,617 international students.
- International undergraduate application information
- Graduate application information
- Graduate admissions FAQ (country requirements)
- Graduate College FAQ
- International transfer credit guidelines
Frequently asked questions
Can a professional service translate my records for Iowa State?
Yes. The undergraduate page asks for a certified English translation, and the graduate FAQ accepts literal translations from any qualified translator (undergraduate, graduate).
Can the translation show my grades on the US scale?
No. Grades must be translated as shown on the original; converted grades are not accepted (source).
My school in Mexico does not translate documents. What does Iowa State want?
A certified translation from a professional translation service, sent with the Spanish originals from your school (source).
Do I need a WES evaluation for a graduate program?
No, it is optional. Iowa State accepts course-by-course reports from WES, ECE or IEE, uploaded with copies of your transcripts in one PDF (source).
Do my syllabi need a translation for transfer credit?
Yes, if they are not in English: the original plus a translation by your university or a professional translator (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 Iowa State?
Upload a scan of your transcript or diploma and see the price and delivery time before you pay.