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San Mateo County Community College District (Cañada, College of San Mateo, Skyline): Translation Requirements for Documents in Another Language
The three San Mateo colleges (Cañada, College of San Mateo and Skyline) share one international application, which asks for copies of your high school or university transcripts with an English translation and, from Skyline, financial documents in English or with a certified translation. None of their pages says who must translate, and they disagree on whether the translation must be certified. The three colleges accept certified translations from professional services such as eVerbary; credit for college work abroad also needs a NACES evaluation, which we do not provide.
One application
Cañada, CSM and Skyline admit F-1 students through one district portal.
Copies only
Cañada says originals are not required at any point.
Elective credit
Foreign college work mostly counts only as electives, after a NACES evaluation.
San Mateo Colleges requirements at a glance
| What San Mateo Colleges asks for | |
|---|---|
| Translation (admission) | Required for transcripts not in English. CSM: "accompanied by English translations"; Cañada: translated into English, certification not needed; Skyline catalog: certified English translation (CSM, Cañada, Skyline). |
| Transcripts as English proof | If you use transcripts or diplomas instead of a test to prove English, they must be official and the translations certified and official (source). |
| Who may translate | Not stated on any of the three colleges' pages. |
| Financial documents | At least US$32,500, dated within 3 months, in English or with a certified English translation (Skyline). |
| Copies or originals | Copies of official transcripts are uploaded; Cañada does not require originals at any point (source). |
| Under 18 | Copy of proof of graduation plus the transcript; Chinese applicants under 18 may use the district's high school equivalency form (source). |
| Foreign college credit | Course-by-course evaluation from a NACES member, sent to the district's Transcript Evaluation Services (TES). |
| Processing | Complete applications in about 5 business days; Spring 2027 deadline for new F-1 students abroad: November 15, 2026 (district admission). |
| Does it accept eVerbary? | Yes. College of San Mateo asks for transcripts accompanied by English translations (CSM international), Cañada for transcripts translated into English (Cañada international) and the Skyline catalog for a certified English translation (Skyline catalog); none restricts who makes it. A certified translation from a professional service such as eVerbary satisfies all three. Policy checked on October 13, 2026. |
Checked on October 13, 2026. Sources are listed at the end of this page. Policies change: confirm on San Mateo Colleges's own page before you submit.
Three colleges, three wordings, one application
International students apply to all three colleges through the district's portal, uploading every supporting document online (district admission). The colleges' own pages then describe the transcript translation in three ways. College of San Mateo lists transcripts from secondary schools or colleges "accompanied by English translations". Cañada asks for a copy of an official transcript with grades, translated into English, and adds that the translation does not need to be certified. The Skyline catalog says foreign-language documents must come with a certified English translation.
Cañada adds one case where the stricter wording applies everywhere: if you prove English proficiency with transcripts or diplomas rather than a TOEFL (56 or 3.5), IELTS (5.5) or Duolingo (85) score, those records must be official and the translations certified and official. We have not resolved the difference between the colleges. A certified translation meets all three wordings, so it is the version that will not need redoing if you change college within the district or use your records as English proof.
Bank papers and applicants under 18
Financial proof is the other document that often needs translating. Skyline asks for bank or sponsor documents showing at least US$32,500, dated no earlier than 3 months before you apply, in English or with a certified English translation; the names on them must match the sponsors listed in your application (Skyline international). Dependents add US$5,000 for the first and US$2,500 for each other (CSM).
Applicants under 18 send a copy of an official proof of graduation together with the translated transcript. Students from China who are under 18 can submit the district's high school equivalency form instead (Cañada). Cañada asks only for copies and says originals are never required.
Foreign college credit: read the limits before you pay
The district's Transcript Evaluation Services (TES) warns that a foreign evaluation is costly and often brings little credit. Foreign college work mostly counts as elective credit, applied to social science, natural science, humanities or physical education. It cannot satisfy Speech/Communication, English or Mathematics general education, major requirements, or transfer patterns such as the Associate Degrees for Transfer, CSU GE, IGETC or CalGETC (foreign transcripts).
If credit is still worth it, you order a course-by-course evaluation from a NACES member that marks each course lower- or upper-division and converts units to semesters and grades to letters. TES most often receives reports from WES, The Evaluation Company (with a district discount) and IERF. Send the report by email to transevaluation@smccd.edu, or by mail to TES at College of San Mateo. A school abroad with US regional accreditation is the exception: TES evaluates its transcript directly if it is official and in English (source).
Documents applicants usually translate
- High school transcripts with grades
- University transcripts with grades
- Proof of graduation or diploma (applicants under 18)
- Bank statements and sponsor or scholarship letters
- Fixed or term deposit statements, which must show the funds can be withdrawn before arrival
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 San Mateo Colleges
Upload the original-language transcript and its translation together in the district's online international application; applications are reviewed in about 5 business days once complete (source).
Residents and other domestic students apply through OpenCCCApply (CSM); for credit from abroad they follow the same TES rule, sending the NACES report to transevaluation@smccd.edu (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 the San Mateo colleges that means the NACES course-by-course report for college credit comes from an agency such as WES, The Evaluation Company or IERF; we translate the documents you send 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
San Mateo County Community College District (Cañada, College of San Mateo, Skyline)'s own pages, read on October 13, 2026. Enrollment figure: Open Doors (IIE), community colleges hosting the most international students in 2023/24: number 18, with 652 students.
- San Mateo Colleges of Silicon Valley: international admission
- College of San Mateo: apply as an international student
- Cañada College: international apply
- Skyline College catalog: international students
- Skyline College: international apply
- District Transcript Evaluation Services: foreign transcripts
Frequently asked questions
Does my translation have to be certified for Cañada, CSM or Skyline?
The pages differ: Cañada says no, the Skyline catalog says yes, and CSM says only that transcripts come with English translations (Cañada, Skyline, CSM). A certified translation meets all three. The three colleges accept certified translations from professional services such as eVerbary.
Do I need to send original transcripts?
No. Cañada asks for copies of official transcripts and says originals are not required at any point (source).
Can I use my school transcripts instead of TOEFL?
In some cases; then the transcripts and diplomas must be official and the translations certified and official (source).
Will my foreign university courses count toward IGETC or my major?
No. Foreign coursework mostly counts as elective credit and cannot satisfy major, English, math, speech or transfer general education requirements (source).
Which evaluation agency should I use for credit?
Any NACES member, course-by-course. TES most often receives WES, The Evaluation Company (district discount) and IERF reports (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 San Mateo Colleges?
Upload a scan of your transcript or diploma and see the price and delivery time before you pay.