Home / Universities / USD
University of South Dakota: Translation Requirements for Documents in Another Language
The University of South Dakota (USD) asks for official college transcripts "in English or with translation" in its undergraduate catalog, and uses the same words for graduate applicants; it does not say who must translate. University of South Dakota accepts certified translations from professional services such as eVerbary. Credit for foreign university work also needs a course-by-course evaluation from WES, ECE or The Evaluation Company, which we do not provide.
Contingent admission
Unofficial and partial transcripts are enough for a first decision.
Officials before the I-20
Final secondary records must arrive before USD issues it.
Foreign credit is pass/fail
International transfer credit does not count in the GPA.
USD requirements at a glance
| What USD asks for | |
|---|---|
| Translation | College transcripts "in English or with translation" (undergraduate catalog); the same wording for the graduate transcript (catalog, graduate admissions). |
| Who may translate | Not stated (Undergraduate Catalog 2026-27: admission policies and procedures). |
| Secondary records | The equivalent of a U.S. high school transcript and diploma. USD admits on a U.S.-equivalent GPA of 2.6, an ACT of 21 or an SAT of 1070 (catalog, admission page). |
| Unofficial first | Unofficial and partial transcripts are accepted for contingent admission; official documents are due 30 days before classes and, for secondary records, before the I-20 (admission page, checklist). |
| Official delivery | From an official school email address, or mailed in a sealed envelope with a stamp or seal across the back; attested copies are accepted if sent that way (International undergraduate student checklist). |
| Foreign transfer credit | Course-by-course evaluation from WES, ECE or The Evaluation Company (previously SpanTran); credit transfers as S/U and does not count in the GPA (Undergraduate Catalog 2026-27: admission policies and procedures). |
| Graduate evaluation | Not generally required: USD reviews most transcripts in house, recommends a professional evaluation, and may require one; only NACES or AICE members are accepted (Applying for international graduate admission). |
| Does it accept eVerbary? | Yes. USD's catalog asks for transcripts "in English or with translation" and does not restrict who translates (2026-27 catalog); graduate admissions uses the same wording (international graduate admission). A certified translation from a professional service such as eVerbary is that kind of translation. Policy checked on October 13, 2026. |
Checked on October 13, 2026. Sources are listed at the end of this page. Policies change: confirm on USD's own page before you submit.
A short rule: "in English or with translation"
USD's translation rule is a parenthesis. The 2026-27 undergraduate catalog asks for official transcripts "in English or with translation" from every college or university you attended, sent directly to USD, and graduate admissions asks for the transcript showing your degree in the same words (catalog, graduate admissions). Neither says who must translate, whether it must be certified, or what form it takes. For secondary school, the catalog asks applicants educated outside the U.S. for the equivalent of a U.S. high school transcript and diploma, without a separate translation line.
A certified translation that keeps the original grades and grading scale is the safe form for a rule this brief. If USD later asks for an external evaluation, the same translation can go to the evaluator, subject to that agency's own rules.
Admitted on unofficial documents, then the I-20
USD admits international undergraduates on unofficial and partial transcripts and makes the decision contingent on official documents (Applying for international undergraduate admission). The checklist adds the order of events: final official secondary transcripts, mark sheets and score reports must arrive before USD issues the Form I-20, and the office tells admitted students which documents it needs in official form. Your counselor or principal can email the final transcript from an official school address, or the school can mail it, or you can forward it in the school's sealed envelope with a stamp or seal across the back. Attested copies count if they arrive the same way.
That means two moments for a translation: a copy with your unofficial upload, so the first decision can be made, and the same translation again with the official record.
Foreign credit: evaluation, pass/fail, and which agencies
Credit for university work abroad requires a course-by-course evaluation, provided after you are accepted. The catalog's transfer section lists World Education Services, Educational Credential Evaluators and The Evaluation Company (previously SpanTran); credit comes in as S/U and does not count toward the GPA. To ask for a specific course equivalency you file a Transfer Equivalency Request with the evaluation and course materials such as syllabi, in English (Undergraduate Catalog 2026-27: admission policies and procedures).
Graduate applicants are reviewed in house, but USD recommends a professional evaluation covering authenticity, GPA and degree equivalency, offers reduced rates through The Evaluation Company and International Education Evaluators, and may require one for three-year degrees, combined degrees or results near the minimum GPA (Applying for international graduate admission). See translation for credential evaluation.
Where USD's pages differ
The catalog's application footnote and the undergraduate checklist accept foreign transfer credit only with a WES or ECE evaluation; the catalog's "Process for International Transfer Credit" section, on the same page, adds The Evaluation Company. We have not resolved this for you; ask USD's international admissions office before ordering an evaluation from The Evaluation Company.
Documents applicants usually translate
- College and university transcripts, for transfer and graduate applicants
- Final secondary transcripts and mark sheets, needed before the I-20
- The secondary school diploma
- Syllabi for a Transfer Equivalency Request, which USD wants in English
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 USD
Undergraduate: upload unofficial transcripts with the USD application or the Common Application; after admission, send official records by school email or sealed envelope to the Enrollment Processing Center, 414 E Clark St, Vermillion, SD 57069 (admission page, checklist).
Graduate: the issuing institution or its transcript service sends the official transcript directly to USD; a transcript delivered by you is not official (Applying for international graduate admission).
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 USD that means we translate your records; the course-by-course evaluation for foreign credit comes from WES, ECE or The Evaluation Company.
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
University of South Dakota's own pages, read on October 13, 2026. Enrollment figure: Open Doors 2025 fact sheet for South Dakota (IIE), leading institutions in South Dakota in 2024/25: number 1, with 958 international students.
- Undergraduate Catalog 2026-27: admission policies and procedures
- Applying for international undergraduate admission
- International undergraduate student checklist
- Applying for international graduate admission
- Graduate admissions: how to apply
Frequently asked questions
Who can translate my transcripts for USD?
USD's catalog asks for transcripts in English or with translation and does not name a translator type (Undergraduate Catalog 2026-27: admission policies and procedures). A certified translation from a professional service such as eVerbary qualifies.
Can USD admit me before my official transcripts arrive?
Yes. Unofficial and partial transcripts are accepted for contingent admission; official ones are due 30 days before classes (Applying for international undergraduate admission).
When must my official secondary transcript reach USD?
Before USD can issue your Form I-20 (International undergraduate student checklist).
Will my foreign university credits count in my GPA?
No. International transfer credit comes in as S/U and is not calculated in the GPA (Undergraduate Catalog 2026-27: admission policies and procedures).
Do graduate applicants need a WES evaluation?
Generally not; USD evaluates most transcripts itself but may require a WES, ECE or TEC evaluation in some cases (Applying for international graduate admission).
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 USD?
Upload a scan of your transcript or diploma and see the price and delivery time before you pay.