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School of the Art Institute of Chicago: Translation Requirements for Documents in Another Language
SAIC asks undergraduate applicants to include officially translated transcripts when a diploma, certificate or transcript is not in English, and graduate admissions says official translations should come from a translation agency or a university language department, on official stationery, with the translator attesting fluency and word-for-word accuracy. School of the Art Institute of Chicago accepts certified translations from professional services such as eVerbary. SAIC recommends, but does not require, a NACES credential evaluation for undergraduates; we do not provide evaluations.
Agency or language dept.
Graduate translations come from a translation agency or a university language department.
Word for word
The translator attests proficiency and word-for-word accuracy.
NACES: recommended
Undergraduates are encouraged, not required, to use an evaluation.
SAIC requirements at a glance
| What SAIC asks for | |
|---|---|
| Translation (undergraduate) | Diplomas, certificates and transcripts not in English need officially translated transcripts; the same sentence appears on the first-year, transfer and international pages (first-year, transfer, international). |
| Translation (graduate) | Official translations of all educational documents not in English (source). |
| Who may translate (graduate) | A translation agency or university language department, typed on official stationery; the translator attests proficiency in the original language and word-for-word accuracy (source). |
| Evaluation | Undergraduate: SAIC recommends a NACES-member credential evaluation service. Graduate: no evaluation is mentioned (source). |
| Graduate transcripts | Issued in the original language by your university, with its stamp or seal and an official's signature; photos, notarized copies, faxes and emails are not acceptable (source). |
| Unofficial first | Graduate applicants upload unofficial transcripts (.pdf or .jpg) and send official ones upon admission; transfer applicants may send unofficial transcripts for credit counseling (graduate, transfer). |
| Final high school transcripts | Due August 15 for fall and January 15 for spring (source). |
| Does it accept eVerbary? | Yes. SAIC's graduate application instructions say a translation agency or university language department should issue official translations, with the translator attesting proficiency and word-for-word accuracy (graduate application process), and its undergraduate pages ask for officially translated transcripts (international students); 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 SAIC's own page before you submit.
Graduate translations: what SAIC spells out
SAIC's graduate instructions describe the translation in more detail than most schools. It should be issued by a translation agency or a university language department, typed on official stationery, and the translator must attest proficiency in the original language and state that the translation is accurate word-for-word (application process). That rules out a summary or an adapted translation: every course, grade, stamp and note on the record has to be there. Grades stay exactly as issued; a word-for-word translation does not convert them.
Originals stay in the original language
For graduate admission, SAIC counts as transcripts the grade sheets, exam results, diplomas, degrees and graduation certificates that show your courses, grades and degree conferral. Official copies are issued by your university in the original language, stamped or sealed and signed by an official such as the dean, rector or registrar, and sent by the university to gradmiss@saic.edu or in a sealed envelope (source). The translation goes alongside that record; it does not replace it.
SAIC also says notarized copies, photos, faxes and emails of the transcript are not acceptable as official. A notarized translation is not asked for either; if another office wants one, notarization can be added at checkout for $34.90 per order.
Undergraduate: translation, evaluation optional
First-year, transfer and international applicants read the same sentence: include officially translated transcripts when records are in another language, and consider using a credential evaluation service that is a member of NACES (international students). The evaluation is a recommendation, not a listed requirement. For transfer credit, SAIC accepts up to 60 credits with a grade of C or better; studio credit is judged from your transcripts together with your portfolio (transfer).
Documents applicants usually translate
- High school transcripts and the diploma or graduation certificate
- University transcripts or grade sheets, with exam results
- Bachelor's degree certificate or diploma, for graduate admission
- Transcripts from every college attended, for transfer 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 SAIC
Undergraduate transcripts go from your counselor through the Common App, Parchment, email (ugadmiss@saic.edu) or mail to Undergraduate Admissions, 36 S. Wabash, Suite 1201, Chicago (source).
Graduate applicants attach unofficial transcripts and translations as .pdf or .jpg in the Educational History section of the application at go.saic.edu/apply; after admission, the university sends official transcripts to gradmiss@saic.edu or by mail (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 SAIC that means we translate your records; an optional NACES evaluation would come from an evaluation agency.
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
School of the Art Institute of Chicago's own pages, read on October 13, 2026. Enrollment figure: Open Doors 2025 (IIE), special-focus institutions hosting the most international students in 2024/25: number 3, with 1,122 students.
- Graduate application process (saic.edu)
- How to apply as a first-year student
- How to apply as a transfer student
- Information for international students
Frequently asked questions
Who can translate my transcripts for an SAIC graduate program?
A translation agency or a university language department, on official stationery, with the translator attesting proficiency and word-for-word accuracy (source). A certified translation from eVerbary meets that.
Do I need a NACES evaluation for SAIC undergraduate admission?
SAIC recommends one but does not list it as required (source).
Can I send notarized copies of my diploma instead of official transcripts?
No. For graduate admission SAIC does not accept photos, notarized copies, faxes or emails as official transcripts; the university must send them (source).
Can I apply with unofficial transcripts?
Graduate applicants can: unofficial transcripts are reviewed pending a decision, and official ones are required upon admission (source). Transfer applicants may send unofficial transcripts for credit counseling (source).
When are final high school transcripts due?
By August 15 for fall and January 15 for spring (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 SAIC?
Upload a scan of your transcript or diploma and see the price and delivery time before you pay.