Certified Translations for University Admissions in the USA

Universities with Specific Translation Requirements

Harvard University

Harvard College (Undergraduate): Flexible; does not require a professional translator and accepts translations from English teachers as long as the translator’s name and relationship to the student are included.

Harvard Graduate School of Education: Requires a “certified” literal English translation; students cannot translate their own transcripts.

Harvard Divinity School: Explicitly asks for a “notarized/certified” translation.

University of California (UC) System:

General (Undergraduate): Accepts certified translations from professional translators or the issuing university itself.

UC Santa Barbara (Graduate): Requires authorized literal translations by the school or an official agency, often in sealed and stamped envelopes.

UC San Diego (Graduate): Requires “official literal” translations issued by the degree-granting institution or bearing its original stamp.

New York University (NYU): Generally requires certified translations from a third-party professional to ensure academic integrity and avoid bias.

University of Texas (UT): Similar to NYU, it requires professional third-party certified translations to verify academic records accurately.

Indiana University South Bend: Requires translations certified by a school officer, a government officer at the ministry of education, or a U.S. educational advising center.

UCLA & USC: Frequently require certified translations for international undergraduate applicants to assess academic backgrounds. 

Important Distinction for U.S. Admissions

Most U.S. universities utilize third-party Credential Evaluation Services (like WES or ECE). These agencies have their own strict translation standards: 

• WES (World Education Services): Requires professional word-for-word translations but does not typically require them to be sworn or apostilled.
• Evaluation Requirement: Many schools will not review your translation directly; they instead require a report from one of these