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Pennsylvania State University (University Park): Translation Requirements for Documents in Another Language
Penn State asks international applicants to submit documents in the original language, each accompanied by a certified line-by-line, literal English translation, and the Fox Graduate School asks for certified translations of university records; neither says who must make the translation. Pennsylvania State University (University Park) accepts certified translations from professional services such as eVerbary. The "certified" copies of the records themselves are a separate matter: they must be certified by your school, examining board, ministry or consulate, and notarized copies are not accepted, which a translation service cannot replace.
Line-by-line, literal
Every non-English document, kept in its original language too.
STARS first
Most first-years self-report grades; records follow after accepting.
Notarized copies refused
Copies must be certified by the school, board, ministry or consulate.
Penn State requirements at a glance
| What Penn State asks for | |
|---|---|
| Translation | All documents in the original language, each non-English document with a certified line-by-line, literal English translation (source). |
| Who may translate | Not stated (undergraduate, graduate). |
| What "certified" means for copies | A copy bearing an original signature of the registrar or another designated school official, an original impression of the institution's seal, or the examining board's signature or seal; uncertified or notarized copies are not official (source). |
| Evaluation | No evaluation agency is mentioned in the undergraduate or graduate rules we read (undergraduate, graduate FAQ). |
| First-year timing | Most applicants self-report grades in the STARS Record; official secondary records, with translations, are sent after accepting an offer and before attending. Students in the South Korean system send official records at application (source). |
| Envelopes | If your school, board, ministry or consulate mails the records to you, forward the envelope unopened; opened copies are no longer official (source). |
| Graduate | Official or attested university records with certified translations; notarized copies are not sufficient (GCAC-305). Uploaded records are treated as unofficial and used for application purposes only (FAQ). |
| Does it accept eVerbary? | Yes. Penn State's undergraduate rule asks for a certified line-by-line, literal English translation without restricting who makes it (international admission requirements), and graduate policy GCAC-305 asks for certified translations (GCAC-305); a certified translation from a professional service such as eVerbary is that kind of translation. Policy checked on October 13, 2026. |
Checked on October 13, 2026. Sources are listed at the end of this page. Policies change: confirm on Penn State's own page before you submit.
Two different "certified" rules on one page
Penn State uses the word "certified" twice, and they mean different things. A certified copy of a record is one certified by the examining board, an official at the school, the Ministry of Education or a consulate: an original signature of the registrar or a designated school official, an original impression of the school's seal, or the board's seal. A notarized copy is not official (requirements). The translation is a separate document: a certified line-by-line, literal English translation of each record, sent alongside the original-language document.
So a translation does not fix a copy that is not official. What we translate is the record as your school issued or certified it, line by line, with grades and subject names exactly as they appear. The Fox Graduate School draws the same line: it lists copies prepared and signed by a faculty member, a city or government official, or a notary among documents that are not official transcripts (graduate FAQ).
First-year: STARS now, translated records after you accept
Most international first-year applicants apply through MyPennState or the Common App and self-report their grades in the STARS Record; official secondary records are needed only after you accept an offer, to verify the grades. The exception is the South Korean educational system, whose students send official records at application (requirements). Before attending, international students send records listing the subjects and marks for each year, a key to the marking system with the minimum passing mark, leaving examination results such as GCSE, CXC, the French Baccalaureate or the Abitur, and certified copies of diplomas.
Penn State's country pages say which of those need an English translation. For France, the transcripts from troisième to terminale and the Baccalauréat; for Mexico, transcripts for years 9 to 12 and the Certificado de Bachillerato; for China, the high school diploma, while a dual-language cheng ji dan is accepted (Penn State still suggests sending the Chinese-only version if available); for Brazil, the transcript for years 1 to 3. International transfer students send official post-secondary transcripts with all subjects, grades and the marking key, plus their high school transcripts, and do not use STARS.
Fox Graduate School: GCAC-305
For graduate applicants, Penn State's policy GCAC-305 requires official or attested university records, with certified translations if they are not in English, and says notarized copies are not sufficient (GCAC-305). The Fox Graduate School FAQ spells out a complete international record: originals or attested copies certified by the issuing institution, a full record of study as a transcript or yearly mark sheets, all degree certificates, and an officially certified English translation with each document (FAQ).
You upload copies of every transcript and degree certificate with the application; those uploads count as unofficial and are used only to decide admission. Each graduate program has its own review procedures, and the Fox Graduate School checks that every applicant meets Penn State's minimums.
Where Penn State's pages differ
A small one, and not about translations: the international requirements page calls the self-reported grade record the STARS Record (Self-reported Transcript and Academic Record System) and, in a later paragraph, an SRAR, while the Brazil credentials page calls it the Self-Reported Academic Record (SRAR). We have not resolved which name is current; ask Undergraduate Admissions if your portal shows a name you do not recognize.
Documents applicants usually translate
- Secondary school records for every year, with the marking key
- Leaving examination results (Baccalauréat, Abitur, Bachillerato and others)
- Diplomas and certificates of completion
- University transcripts or yearly mark sheets and degree certificates, for graduate admission
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 Penn State
Undergraduates submit official records and their translations to Penn State Undergraduate Admissions after accepting an offer (or at application, for the South Korean system and for transfers); envelopes mailed to you by the school or ministry must be forwarded unopened (source).
Graduate applicants upload copies of records, degree certificates and certified translations to the Fox Graduate School application, where they are treated as unofficial, and can check receipt on the application's status page (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 Penn State that means we translate your records; the certified copies of the records themselves come from your school, examining board, ministry or consulate.
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
Pennsylvania State University (University Park)'s own pages, read on October 13, 2026. Enrollment figure: Open Doors 2025 (IIE), institutions hosting the most international students in 2024/25: number 23, with 8,739 students.
- Admission requirements for international students (psu.edu)
- International credentials: France
- International credentials: Mexico
- International credentials: China
- International credentials: Brazil
- Fox Graduate School: GCAC-305, admission requirements for international students
- Fox Graduate School: frequently asked questions
Frequently asked questions
What kind of translation does Penn State want?
A certified line-by-line, literal English translation of every document not in English, sent with the document in its original language (source).
Does Penn State accept notarized copies of my transcript?
No. Uncertified or notarized copies are not official for undergraduate admission (source), and GCAC-305 says notarized copies are not sufficient for graduate admission (source).
When do I need to send translated records as a first-year applicant?
Most international first-year applicants self-report grades in STARS and send official records with translations after accepting an offer; South Korean-system students send them at application (source).
Is a dual-language Chinese transcript enough?
Penn State accepts a dual-language cheng ji dan but recommends also sending the Chinese-only version if available; the high school diploma must come with an English translation (source).
What does the Fox Graduate School require?
Originals or attested copies certified by the issuing institution, a complete record of study, all degree certificates, and an officially certified English translation with each document (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 Penn State?
Upload a scan of your transcript or diploma and see the price and delivery time before you pay.