Ready to pursue a degree in the United States?
Or do you simply try to prove your Education Level when applying for jobs?
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If you want to continue your education in the United States:
One of our Integr8 ‘ers wrote: “When I arrived in the United States I was planning on getting my Bachelor’s Degree in Business. In the United States, you need to have a High School Diploma or GED to get your Undergraduate (Bachelor’s Degree).
I thought I just get a translation and get started but — not so fast!
Universities/Colleges in the US require you to get an official evaluation from an agency (credential evaluators) if you got your previous education in another country.
This is super important to know and to prepare for before you even apply as a student.
Why? Because this process can take several weeks, sometimes months to get this completed!
So I started my endless research on how to go about this.”
Education Evaluation
We learned how important it is that the Credential Agency is certified by National
NACES | National Association of Credential Evaluation Services
You really want to make sure that your education evaluation is officially accepted by everyone in the United States, and the NACES makes sure of that!
That’s why it is so important to make sure the agency you pick is certified.
Picking an agency that is certified through NACES will give you peace of mind and ensures that you don’t waste your money!
Now, ones you pick an agency based on this information, it is time to look at their prices and requirements.
There are thousands of Evaluation Agencies out there, so here are my tips on what do look for…
How to make it Easier
Pick an agency that does NOT require your foreign schools to send the agency any documents. Instead, pick one that accepts you sending them originals/ certified copies directly.
Here is the reason why: Contacting your old school in another country to let them know what do to and when to do it is a PAIN!!!
This process can take a long time for the following reasons:
- Many administrative office employees in foreign schools do not speak English or very basic English.
- If you haven’t been in school for a long time, it may take your foreign school FOREVER to find your files and transcripts.
- Foreign schools may take a really long time to send things out and the lengthy process can create an issue if you want to go to the US soon.
We really wanted to save us all the trouble and find an agency that is OK with us sending original copies to them to evaluate.
There are many reputable agencies out there, WES is one of the main ones. However- WES REQUIRES YOUR SCHOOL TO SEND THE DOCUMENTS.
You may wonder where to go and which one to pick then? We did a ton of research back then and decided to go with Global Credential Evaluators.
GCE is certified by the National Association of Credential Evaluation Service AND they are fine with you (and not your foreign school) sending the documents to them for evaluations.
Winner!
One thing we have to say: Their google reviews aren’t great, but we honestly had a pretty good experience with them! No lie!
At the end of the day, it is completely up to you on what agency you want to pick and what is important to you – we can only recommend sticking with one that is part of NACES to avoid any Scams and make sure everything you receive is legitimate!
Use your foreign Education to apply for a Job in the United States
Ok- let’s say you already have the education you need to apply for a job in the US — in that case, you pretty much just mention that education on your resume and that’s it.
BUT KEEP IN MIND:
- Most employers in the US are going to verify your education through a background check.
- Some employers will request to see your school documents/transcripts.
That’s why we highly recommend getting all your transcripts and documents:
a) Translated (certified)
b) Evaluated so the company understands that your foreign education is equivalent to the US education they require for the job.
For the evaluation process, you need to follow the exact steps as described in the beginning of this article.
For certified translations, you can go to any translation agency (make sure you compare prices) or find a local nonprofit agency that will either translate it for free or a reduced price.
Good news for military spouses/military members: Military One Source completes translations for you for free! Just visit their website (click here) or call them at 800-342-9647.
Long story short
No matter if you want to take next steps in your education or apply for a job in the US, you need to get certified translations for your foreign education first.
The next step is to get these documents evaluated to show what level you are on in the American Education/School system.
This proof is important for both schools and employers to see how qualified you are and to officially accept your foreign education!
Read more about Education in the USA below: