Southern Methodist University: Translation Requirements for Documents in Another Language

Worth knowing about SMU

SMU requirements in detail

What each evaluation agency asks for the translation

SMU accepts evaluations only from five agencies, and each one sets its own rule for the translation you send with your records.

WES asks for an exact, word-for-word translation by a professional translator, such as a certified translation agency, and does not accept translations by applicants (WES).

IEE accepts a certified translator's work but not translations by the client, a notary public or an uncertified translator, and sells its own at $60 per page (IEE).

The other three are stricter.

IACEI requires the translator to be certified by the American Translators Association (IACEI); Josef Silny & Associates asks for ATA-certified translators for translations made in the US (JS&A); and The Evaluation Company says an outside translator must be ATA-certified, or sells its own translation after your application is complete (TEC). If you choose one of these three, see the ATA section below.

Syllabi, and an evaluation SMU does not have to follow

SMU's foreign transcript page lists four items for every foreign university transcript: the agency evaluation, an official transcript from the issuing institution, an English translation, and course descriptions or syllabi (Foreign university transcripts).

You pay for the evaluation; the only exception is an exchange agreement between SMU and a foreign institution modeled on the US system.

SMU then treats the report as a recommendation and decides independently how much credit to award (Foreign university transcripts). Syllabi can run to many pages; if yours are not in English, you may want to ask Enrollment Services which course descriptions it needs before you translate all of them.

Graduate programs: Meadows as an example

SMU's graduate schools publish their own rules.

The Meadows School of the Arts asks for an official English translation of foreign transcripts, issued by the university itself or by an agency of proven reliability (Meadows School of the Arts: international graduate applicants).

Applicants to Advertising, Art History and Music must also send a professional evaluation for each foreign transcript, from World Education Services, International Academic Credential Evaluators or Josef Silny only.

Other SMU schools set their own requirements; check the international page of the school you are applying to before you order.

Documents applicants usually translate

• University transcripts from every institution attended
• Course descriptions or syllabi for the courses you want credited
• Degree certificates, for the agency evaluation and graduate applications
• High school transcripts, which transfer applicants must also have translated

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 SMU

• The translation goes to the evaluation agency with your records; the agency's report, the official transcript from your school and your course descriptions go to SMU's Division of Enrollment Services (Foreign university transcripts, Undergraduate admission requirements and guidelines).

• Transfer applicants choose a course-by-course evaluation and submit it with official college transcripts and a translated high school transcript (Transfer application process).

If you need a translator certified by ATA

Some offices accept only a translator who is personally certified by the American Translators Association (ATA). eVerbary assigns one on request, for the languages ATA certifies into English:

To order it, ask for a free quote and write in the notes that the translation is for SMU, which program it is for, and that you need a translator individually certified by ATA, plus anything else the office asks for (notarization, delivery by email to the office).

We confirm the price and the translator before you pay. ATA does not certify other languages into English, so no translator anywhere holds ATA certification for them.

For those languages we provide a notarized certified translation instead, at $44.95 per page plus notarization ($34.90 per order); ask the office to confirm it accepts that, and write its answer in the quote notes.

How to order

1. Scan or photograph every page of the document, front and back, including any stamps on the reverse.
2. Upload it, choose the language and "certified", and see the price before paying.
3. 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.

Frequently asked questions