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Princeton University: Translation Requirements for Documents in Another Language
Princeton's undergraduate office says school reports and recommendations written in another language must be officially translated, by an official at your school or a third party, and that paid translations are not required. Princeton University accepts certified translations from professional services such as eVerbary. The Graduate School asks for an official English translation with each uploaded transcript and, after you accept an offer, a certified translation sent directly by the translator or sealed and stamped by the translator.
School official or third party
Undergraduate forms; paid translations not required.
Paper written in English
The graded written paper may not be a translation.
From the translator
Graduate final transcripts, by August 1.
Princeton requirements at a glance
| What Princeton asks for | |
|---|---|
| Translation, undergraduate | Teacher recommendations and the School Report may be written in another language, then officially translated before submission (source). |
| Who may translate (undergraduate) | An official at your school or a third party; Princeton adds that paid translations are not required (source). |
| Graded written paper | Must be written in English; the paper and teacher comments should not be translated (source). |
| Evaluation | None. Princeton reads your record in the context of your school system and does not expect a GPA conversion (source). |
| Graduate application | Upload unofficial transcripts with the original and an official English translation; do not have your university send official copies (source). |
| Graduate final transcripts | By August 1 after accepting an offer; a certified English translation sent directly from the translator or in a sealed envelope stamped by the translator (source). |
| China | Transcripts and degree certificates verified by CSSD, with reports issued in English (source). |
| Does it accept eVerbary? | Yes. Princeton's undergraduate office accepts translations from a school official or a third party (international applicants), and the Graduate School asks for a certified English translation coming from the translator (final transcripts). A certified translation from a professional service such as eVerbary is a third-party translation of that kind. Policy checked on October 13, 2026. |
Checked on October 13, 2026. Sources are listed at the end of this page. Policies change: confirm on Princeton's own page before you submit.
Undergraduate: what gets translated, and what must not be
Princeton is unusual in letting the people who write about you use their own language. If a teacher or counselor is not comfortable writing in English, they may complete the recommendation or School Report in another language, and you then have it officially translated before it reaches the Admission Office. The international page says the translation can come from an official at your school or a third party, and that paid translations are not required.
The graded written paper works the other way: it must be written in English, and Princeton says neither the paper nor the teacher's comments should be translated from another language. Transcripts are sent by a school official, and Princeton reads them in the context of your national system, including exam results such as IGCSE, A-Levels, IB or Std X/XII, without asking for a GPA conversion.
Graduate School: upload first, then a sealed translation by August 1
For the application, the Graduate School wants unofficial transcripts uploaded, never mailed: if the original is not in English, you upload both the original and an official English translation (source). Degrees with a standard length under three years are not treated as equal to a bachelor's.
The stricter rule comes after you accept an offer. A final official transcript from each degree-granting institution is due by August 1, and the uploaded copies do not count. If it is not in English, the certified translation must be sent directly from the translator to Princeton or arrive in a sealed envelope stamped by the translator (source). Princeton also notes that PDF copies sent by students are not accepted, so plan the translator's delivery before you order. Educational Perspectives offers a paid route that reviews, certifies and uploads international final transcripts to your record.
Where Princeton's pages differ
The Graduate School asks for an "official" English translation at the application stage (transcripts) and a "certified" one for final transcripts (final transcripts), while the undergraduate office says paid translations are not required (international). We have not resolved that difference for you. The undergraduate pages we read do not state a separate rule for transcripts not in English; if yours is, ask the Admission Office how it wants it translated.
Documents applicants usually translate
- Teacher recommendations and the School Report, if written in another language
- University transcripts and degree certificates (graduate)
- Final official transcripts after accepting a graduate offer
- Diplomas, when the transcript does not show the degree awarded
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 Princeton
Undergraduate translations of forms are submitted with the forms through the Common Application, and your school official sends the transcript (checklist, transfer checklist).
Graduate applicants upload the original and the translation to the application (source). Final transcripts and their certified translations go to Graduate Admission at One Clio Hall or to gradapp@princeton.edu, with the translation coming from the translator (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 Princeton graduate students from China, the CSSD verification reports come from CSSD in English; we do not issue or replace them.
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
Princeton University's own pages, read on October 13, 2026. Enrollment figure: Open Doors 2025 fact sheet for New Jersey (IIE), leading institutions in New Jersey in 2024/25: number 4, with 2,742 international students.
- International students (undergraduate admission)
- Application checklist
- Transfer application checklist
- Graduate School: transcripts
- Graduate School: final transcripts
Frequently asked questions
Can my teacher write the recommendation in another language?
Yes. Princeton allows forms in another language, officially translated before submission by an official at your school or a third party; paid translations are not required (source).
Can I submit a translated graded written paper?
No. The paper and teacher comments must be written in English, not translated (source).
What translation does the Graduate School need when I apply?
Upload both the original transcript and an official English translation (source).
How must the translation of my final transcript reach Princeton?
Directly from the translator, or in a sealed envelope stamped by the translator, with the final transcript due by August 1 (source).
I studied in China. What do I send for the final transcript?
CSSD verification reports for your transcript and degree certificate, issued in English; universities then do not need to send transcripts (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 Princeton?
Upload a scan of your transcript or diploma and see the price and delivery time before you pay.