International Transcript Evaluation

[bradonomics]

I'm looking to have some Thailand transcripts evaluated. Most likely I will transfer them to Thomas Edison and they list a few evaluation options on their International Students page. Is there a general consensus on which to use (or avoid)?

[rachel83az]

Avoid WES. If your Thai transcripts are digital, ACEI may be a good choice. If your transcripts are physical, but are being sent from you and not from the actual school, again ACEI seems to be a good option.

Depending on what kind of transcripts these are, what you're hoping to see on the evaluation, and your goals for the evaluation as a whole, it's not unusual to need 2 or 3 evaluations to get the "right" result.

If the transcripts aren't in English, you'll also need to pay for translation. I'm not sure how much that would cost. Each evaluation company may have their own preferred translation company/resource.

[bradonomics]

This is an international university so the transcripts will be in English. I didn't know there was anything to hope for in an evaluation. My thinking was after the course-by-course evaluation was sent to the school I'd see what they'd take. I didn't know I had any say in the matter. Do you mean that I can negotiate with the third-party service and they will re-do the evaluation or that I will negotiate with the university to have them take more of the classes?

[rachel83az]

There are some evaluation services (*cough*WES*cough*) that are infamous for "downgrading" transcripts. A Bachelor's degree only counting for an Associate's - or high school. A high school diploma counting as just junior high. A university course in X country only counting for half (or less) of the expected credits. It goes on and on. Some companies are willing to work with the student when mistakes are made and to correct a transcript when there are egregious errors. Other companies will double-down and try to gaslight you on why they are correct and all knowing while the student is wrong.

It can be very frustrating and disheartening for some international students. Just know that whatever you get back doesn't have to be the "final answer". You're free to get another evaluation from a different company if the first one won't work with you.

[bjcheung77]

Anyone of the following will work, my suggestion is to do the ECE as they're the most common, if you want, try ACEI.

Academic Credentials Evaluation Institute, Inc. (ACEI)
Center for Applied Research, Evaluations & Education, Inc.
Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc. (ECE)
World Educational Services, Inc. (WES)
SDR Educational Consultants
SpanTran Evaluation Services
Transcript Research

[bradonomics]

ECE makes me nervous. Their course-by-course example document shows 2.5 credits for all the classes. I would guess it was listed as 3 credits per class on the original transcript.

[rachel83az]

TESU would still accept it. But it still would suck to have so many credits "disappear" from an evaluation like that.

[MrPanda]

In that case, what would happen is that you would have covered the requirements, but could end lacking credits?
And you would cover those credits with some AOS electives?

[bradonomics]

That's confusing. Do you mean that if I've taken English Composition I at the foreign school for 3 credits, the evaluation service gave me 2.5 credits, that TESU would still give me 3 credits for English Composition I? That doesn't sound plausible.

[rachel83az]

It depends on who you talk to. Sometimes, yes, TESU will adjust it up to 3 credits. More realistically, however, they will say that you're .5 credits short and you can make it up in electives. If you have 6 classes that are 2.5 instead of 3 credits, that's a single 3-credit class to make up the difference. For gen eds specifically, there is a special place for an extra class for students who fall short of 45 gen ed credits.

In the American credit system, there are quarter credits and semester credits. TESU is on the semester credit system, but has students who transfer in from an American school on the quarter credit system. A quarter credit is worth 2/3rds of a semester credit. Under the quarter credit system, it's not unusual for students to take 2 or 4 credit classes; a 4-credit English Comp class would be worth 2.66 semester credits. It happens and TESU is fine with using it to meet requirements.