We are often contacted by individuals who have received unsatisfactory credential evaluations and are struggling to provide the needed documentation to employers and educational institutions. In these cases, the credential evaluations frequently lack credibility or do not meet the requirements to be considered by University admission counselors.
A typical scenario is an international student seeking admission to a number of universities with a letter in hand that says submitted documents including the educational credential evaluation are insufficient or do not meet the requirements for admission. In some cases the student has time to resubmit the corrected documents, in other situations, the credential evaluation is simply determined to be invalid and the student has missed the application deadline. Unfortunately, many colleges limit international student admission considerations to the fall semester.
International credential evaluations require careful analysis and comparison between subject matter, depth of content and length of course to determine US equivalency. A one-to-one credential comparison is not always applicable and many times does not give true merit to the earned degree. There are a number of resources available that provide varying standards by which international credentials can be evaluated, however, with some degree programs, such as medical degrees, teaching degrees, etc. the variation among programs is so significant that courses must be evaluated on a course by course basis.
Highly qualified evaluators develop resource materials from years of experience that provide greater accuracy and a stronger knowledgebase in international education data which in turn results in more credible and thorough credential evaluations. Experienced evaluators make solid judgments using reference material that is continuously being updated and current research.
There are virtually no recognized industry standards or governing agencies in place that qualify organizations for credential evaluations. The need for reliable credential evaluation brought about the practice of evaluators certifying their work as a way of guaranteeing its validity. Now many requesting organizations ask for credential evaluations to be certified by a professional.
Each requesting agency, college, university, government entity, employer, etc., has their own requirements for credential evaluations and employ highly subjective review measures. As a result many credential evaluation providers state that “Every credential evaluation is not accepted all of the time”. We believe in implementing far greater evaluation and reporting practices to ensure our evaluations meet the specified requirements. Reliable credential evaluations require collaboration between the requesting agency and the evaluators to determine the specific requirements and desired format. Knowing the requirements and expectations, including whether or not the documents need to be certified, decreases the risk of the evaluation being rejected and the potential for missing crucial deadlines.
Additionally, when choosing a service provider it is imperative to thoroughly read and review their service guarantee. Providers should be willing to collaborate with requesting agencies, make any necessary revisions, send additional documents, redo the evaluation, quickly respond to requests and provide follow up support, verification and credentialing. Beware of companies who state that “No refunds will be issued in any event, including but not limited to, not receiving the evaluation anticipated, evaluations/translations not being accepted by anyone” or companies who require additional processing fees before the translation is complete. These examples are provided after a detailed review of the service agreements that are posted by online credential evaluation companies.
Make sure your do your research, know exactly what requirements are truly required, don’t be surprised by false advertising, do an internet search for any complaints that may have been filed regarding the services of providers and choose companies that will provide the follow-up support and customer service you will need in the future.