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Rhode Island School of Design: Translation Requirements for Documents in Another Language
The Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) asks that academic credentials not in English be translated into English by an "approved translator" before they are submitted, at first-year, transfer and graduate level, without defining who approves translators or publishing a list. RISD accepts certified translations from professional services such as eVerbary. RISD names no evaluation agency, and its Registrar reviews transfer credit itself; what we cannot do is send your transcript for your school, which at undergraduate level comes from your counselor or school official.
Approved translator
Required at every level; RISD publishes no list.
Before submission
Translate first: counselors and portals get the English version.
No agency named
RISD's Registrar reviews transfer credit itself.
RISD requirements at a glance
| What RISD asks for | |
|---|---|
| Translation | Academic credentials not written in English must be translated into English before submission (first-year, graduate). |
| Who may translate | An "approved translator" (First-year admissions: application process). RISD does not say who approves translators or publish a list. |
| Evaluation | None named. The graduate FAQ answers "do my transcripts need to be evaluated?" with the translation rule only (Graduate admissions: FAQ); transfer credit is reviewed by RISD's Registrar (Transfer admissions: process and requirements). |
| Who sends the records | First-year: your counselor, through the Common App, Parchment, email or mail (First-year admissions: application process). Transfer: school officials through Parchment, eTranscript, email or mail (Transfer admissions: process and requirements). |
| Graduate uploads | Unofficial transcripts to the RISD Applicant Portal; official transcripts later, from enrolling students (Graduate admissions: application process). |
| Deadlines | First-year: early decision November 1, regular decision January 20 (First-year admissions: application process). Transfer: March 1 (Transfer admissions: process and requirements). Graduate: January 5 (Graduate admissions: application process). |
| International applicants | Same requirements as domestic applicants, including the SlideRoom portfolio and, if English is your second language, a TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo score (First-year admissions: international applicants, requirements). |
| Does it accept eVerbary? | Yes. RISD requires an "approved translator" at every level (first-year, transfer, graduate) and does not limit approval to the issuing school, a government office or an evaluation agency, so a certified translation from a professional service such as eVerbary meets it. RISD does not publish a list of approved translators; if you want confirmation, ask admissions@risd.edu before you submit. Policy checked on October 13, 2026. |
Checked on October 13, 2026. Sources are listed at the end of this page. Policies change: confirm on RISD's own page before you submit.
"Approved translator": what RISD says and does not say
RISD uses the same phrase on its first-year, transfer, graduate and international pages: credentials not in English go in translated by an approved translator, and the translation comes first, before submission (first-year, graduate international). None of the pages explains who approves a translator, and RISD does not publish a list. It does not ask for the translation to come from your school, an embassy or an evaluation agency.
A certified translation from a professional service, with a signed statement of accuracy, is the kind of translation that phrase most plausibly describes, and that is what we deliver. If you want certainty for your file, email admissions@risd.edu with the name of the translation service before you submit; the answer is quicker to get than a resubmission.
Graduate and transfer: who reads the transcript
Graduate applicants upload unofficial transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate study to the RISD Applicant Portal, already translated, and send official transcripts only if they enroll (Graduate admissions: application process). The graduate FAQ, asked whether international transcripts must be evaluated, replies only that a transcript not in English needs an approved translator and an English one can go as it is (Graduate admissions: FAQ). No WES or NACES report is mentioned anywhere in RISD's admissions pages.
Transfer applicants send official college and high school transcripts and proof of a high school diploma or equivalent. After the official college transcript arrives from your school, RISD's Registrar decides what transfers, with the Dean of Liberal Arts for academic courses and the Dean of Experimental and Foundation Studies for studio work; only courses with a C or better count, and a degree student can bring in 12 credits (Transfer admissions: process and requirements).
Where RISD's pages differ
The first-year and graduate pages tie the translation to the language of the document: credentials not written in English. The transfer page ties it to the school: if English is not the language of instruction, an approved translator must translate your credentials. We have not resolved that difference. If your school teaches in another language but issues English transcripts, ask RISD admissions whether a translation is still expected.
Documents applicants usually translate
- Secondary school transcripts through the most recent grading period
- High school diploma or equivalent with graduation date, for transfer applicants
- College transcripts showing current enrollment, for transfer applicants
- University transcripts and degree certificates, for graduate applicants
- A-Level or IB certificates you want counted toward liberal arts credit
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 RISD
First-year and transfer: give the translation to your counselor or school official, who sends it with the transcript through the Common App, Parchment, eTranscript, email or mail (first-year, transfer).
Graduate: upload the original and its translation as your unofficial transcript in the RISD Applicant Portal (Graduate admissions: application process).
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 RISD that means we translate your credentials before you submit; the transcript itself comes from your school, and transfer credit is decided by RISD's Registrar.
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
Rhode Island School of Design's own pages, read on October 13, 2026. Enrollment figure: Open Doors 2025 fact sheet for Rhode Island (IIE), leading institutions in Rhode Island in 2024/25: number 2, with 1,240 international students.
- First-year admissions: application process
- First-year admissions: international applicants
- Transfer admissions: process and requirements
- Graduate admissions: application process
- Graduate admissions: international applicants
- Graduate admissions: FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Is eVerbary an "approved translator" for RISD?
RISD does not publish a list or say who approves translators (First-year admissions: application process). We provide certified translations with a signed statement of accuracy; if you want confirmation, ask admissions@risd.edu before you submit.
Do my transcripts need to be evaluated for RISD graduate admission?
RISD's graduate FAQ answers that question only with the translation rule: a transcript not in English needs an approved translator, an English one goes as it is (Graduate admissions: FAQ).
My school teaches in French but issues English transcripts. Do I need a translation?
The transfer page ties the rule to the language of instruction, the first-year and graduate pages to the language of the document (transfer, first-year). Ask RISD admissions.
Where do graduate applicants upload transcripts?
Unofficial transcripts go to the RISD Applicant Portal; official ones are required later from enrolling students (Graduate admissions: application process).
How much transfer credit does RISD accept?
The Registrar reviews official transcripts; courses need a C or better, and a degree student can transfer 12 credits from other institutions (Transfer admissions: process and requirements).
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 RISD?
Upload a scan of your transcript or diploma and see the price and delivery time before you pay.