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Frequently Asked Questions
In addition to reading this section, please be sure to download and thoroughly read the Application for Evaluation of Foreign Credential Evaluations.
Why should I choose Josef Silny & Associates,
Inc. to evaluate and translate my credentials?
What do I have to do to have my foreign
credentials evaluated?
From which countries are you qualified
to evaluate academic credentials?
Can you tell me what my credentials
are equivalent to before applying for an evaluation?
What academic credentials do I have
to submit?
What do I do if my academic credentials
are in a language other than English?
What type of an evaluation do I need?
What is included in a Grade Point Average (GPA)?
What type of evaluation do I need
in order to sit for a CPA examination?
Who accepts evaluations completed
by Josef Silny & Associates, Inc.?
How long does it take for my evaluation
to be completed?
How much does it cost to have my
foreign academic credentials evaluated?
How do I pay for my evaluation and
translation?
How do you send out evaluations and
translations?
Can you fax or e-mail me my evaluation?
What do I have to do to receive an
additional evaluation report?
What do I have to do to receive an
extra copy of a previous translation?
Will you notify me when you receive
my application form?
What do I do if I have questions
or concerns about my evaluation or translation?
When do I become a client?
How are evaluations and translations sent?
What do you mean by having my documents sent directly by the issuing institution or examination board?
Why should I choose Josef Silny & Associates, Inc. to evaluate and
translate my credentials?
We provide comprehensive highly professional foreign credential
evaluations and translations, which are widely accepted. Our evaluation
fees are among the lowest of any recognized evaluation service and we
complete our non-rush evaluations in 10 business days. In addition, we
offer a variety of rush services. Our translation fees are highly
competitive and the quality of our translations is truly outstanding. We
pride ourselves in providing the best customer service.
What do I have to do to have my foreign credentials evaluated?
Please read the information on our website carefully. Then, download our
application for foreign credential evaluations and read the Application
Procedures. Everything you need to know about applying for a foreign
credential evaluation is explained there.
From which countries are you qualified to evaluate academic
credentials?
We are qualified and able to evaluate any academic credential from any
country in the world.
Can you tell me what my credentials are equivalent to before applying
for an evaluation?
No. In order for us to provide you with an accurate professional foreign
credential evaluation, we must receive a completed and signed
application form, the evaluation fee, official original academic
credentials and an accurate certified translation or translation fee, if
the documents have not been issued in English.
What academic credentials do I have to submit?
This is also explained on page 1 of our application form. We require
official original academic credentials including degrees or diplomas and
transcripts including courses taken, credits or hours of instruction and
grades. In some cases, we require that academic credentials be sent
directly by the issuing institution or examination body. We do not
accept photocopies, even notarized photocopies. The only photocopies we
may accept are those certified, signed and sealed by the issuing
institution. Academic credentials sent to us by applicants via fax or
e-mail will not be accepted for evaluation purposes. If you are
submitting your own original academic credentials, you must provide a
self-addressed and stamped envelope for the return of your originals.
Some clients prefer to use registered mail or couriers such as FedEx,
DHL or UPS. When requesting return of documents by a courier, applicants
must provide a waybill/shipping document which shows their personal
account number with the courier company. If you do not feel comfortable
mailing us your own originals, please contact the institution you
attended and ask them to send your official original credentials
directly to us.
What do I do if my academic credentials are in a language other than
English?
We require accurate, professional, certified English translations in
addition to the original academic credentials. Our company has a highly
professional Translation Department which will be pleased to provide you
with an English translation. Go to Services on the home page of our
website and click on Translation to read how you can obtain a free quote
for translation. You have the option of having your documents translated
elsewhere. In our experience, most translations done by professional
translators are acceptable, but we reserve the right to review and
reject them if they do not meet our standards of accuracy. We do not
accept translations done by applicants or by unqualified translators.
If your educational institution issues original documents in English, as well as in the national language, it is highly likely that the English version of the documents will be acceptable for use in the evaluation process. The English version must have original signatures and stamps of the educational institution. JS&A reserves the right to review and reject such original English documents if they do not meet our language standards.
What type of an evaluation do I need?
Read page 2 of our application which describes in detail the types of
evaluations we offer. However, the best answer to this question will
come from the organization or educational institution to which you plan
to submit your evaluation. We strongly recommend that you contact them
to find out what type of evaluation they require.
What is included in a Grade Point Average (GPA)?
1) High School Grade Point Average: For freshman admission, a U.S. grade point average (G.P.A.) equivalent is based solely on academic high school subjects, e.g., languages, humanities, social sciences, mathematics and sciences. Non-academic subjects, i.e. physical education, religion, art, music, etc., are not included. The cost for a high school G.P.A. is $40.00.
2) University Grade Point Average: Colleges and universities require one overall undergraduate and one overall graduate grade point average (G.P.A.). The cost for this is $40 per evaluation. If, in addition to the overall G.P.A. required by colleges and universities, an applicant would also like a separate G.P.A. calculation for each institution attended, we can provide this additional service at a cost of $40 per additional grade point average requested. For example, if a student attended three different institutions at the undergraduate level, we will provide one overall undergraduate grade point average for the $40 fee. If this applicant would also like to receive a separate grade point average for each of the three undergraduate institutions, the cost would be an additional $120 ($40 x 3).
What type of evaluation do I need in order to sit for a CPA
examination?
You need to specify in our application that you need the
course-by-course evaluation for sitting for the CPA examination and
indicate the state whose Board of Accountancy examination you will be
taking. Each evaluation costs $125 and can be used only for the one
State Board of Accountancy named in the evaluation report. If you need
evaluations for more than one State Board of Accountancy, a $125 fee
must be paid for each state. Please be sure to inquire with each State
Board of Accountancy what their requirements are for evaluations, since
some Boards require upper division identification, for which we charge
an additional $30.
Who accepts evaluations completed by Josef Silny & Associates,
Inc.?
Read the last page of our application which has a partial listing of
organizations that accept our evaluations. However, hundreds of colleges
and universities and other organizations which also accept our
evaluations do not appear on this list. You are advised to check with
the agency, organization or educational institution to which you intend
to submit your evaluation to make certain that the evaluation will be
accepted.
How long does it take for my evaluation to be completed?
Most non-rush evaluations are completed in 10 business days from the
time we receive the application, fee, and academic credentials. We also
offer rush services which are described on page 2 of our application
How much does it cost to have my foreign academic credentials
evaluated?
Please see page 2 of our application for the Cost of Evaluations. All of
our fees are listed there.
How do I pay for my evaluation and translation?
You may pay in U.S. dollars by cashier's check, money order, or a check
issued by a U.S. bank. If the check is issued by a foreign bank, the
bank check must list the counterpart U.S. bank. We also accept payment
by travelers' check and by credit card (Visa or MasterCard only). If you
wish to pay by credit card, go to Downloads in the Services section of
our website, download the Credit Card Info rmation Form and follow the
instructions.
How do you send out evaluations and translations?
We send out evaluations and translations by first class mail in the
United States or international mail overseas. If you would like to
receive your evaluation or translation by a courier you will need to
provide us with a self-addressed waybill/shipping document listing your
personal account number with the courier company.
Can you fax or e-mail me my evaluation?
Yes. The cost for this additional service at the time of requesting an evaluation is U.S. $25.00. If requested after the evaluation is complete (up to three years from the issue of the original evaluation), the cost is $35.00 per evaluation.
What do I have to do to receive an additional evaluation report?
Go to the homepage of our website under Services, click on Foreign
Credential Evaluations and then click on Additional Reports. The
complete explanation is there. Extra evaluation reports are available for 3 years from the original issue date and are normally
completed and mailed out in 10 business days. Clients who need faster
service have the option of paying for the rush service.
Applicants must submit pre-addressed labels or envelopes for mailing of evaluation reports to any location other than the applicant's address.
What do I have to do to receive an extra copy of a previous translation?
Go to the homepage of our website under Services, click on Translations
and scroll down to Extra Translation Copies. The complete explanation is
there. Your request for an extra translation copy must be accompanied by
your payment and copies of the documents from which the translation was
originally done. Extra translation copies are available for 3 years from the original issue date and are normally completed and
mailed out in 10 business days. Clients who need faster service have the
option of paying for the rush service.
Will you notify me when you receive my application form?
Those applicants who provide us with an e-mail address on their
application form will be notified via e-mail when it is received. That
e-mail message will contain a password which will enable them to view
the status of their application on-line. If you do not provide us with
an e-mail address we will contact you only if we need additional
documentation or information.
What do I do if I have questions or concerns about my evaluation or translation?
We keep applications and academic credentials for one year only. During
that year, if you have any questions, please write to us by mail, fax or
e-mail and we will respond to you in writing. We will not respond to
questions regarding evaluations for which we no longer have a file. Your correspondence regarding foreign credential evaluations must be addressed to Freda Clement-Willis, Senior Associate Director for Evaluations (freda@jsilny.com), and your correspondence regarding translations must be addressed to Marisa di Giovanni, Director of Translation (marisa@jsilny.com).
When do I become a client?
You become a client when we receive your completed and signed application form with the corresponding fees. If your academic credentials (documents) are being mailed to us by you, please send your application form, payment and documents all together at the same time.
If your academic credentials are being mailed to us by an institution, please make sure that your application form and payment arrive at our office before we receive your documents.
How are evaluations and translations sent?
JS&A sends all evaluations and translations by First Class mail (US Postal Service). Applicants who would like to receive their evaluations and/or translations by courier must provide us with a pre-addressed airbill including their account number.
What do you mean by having my documents sent directly by the issuing institution or examination board?
In certain cases we may insist that documents be sent to JS&A DIRECTLY by the issuing institutions or examination boards. Such documents may not be handled by the students or their representatives at any point. The issuing institution or examination board must send them by Regular Mail using their official stationery and envelopes.
NOTE: We will not accept documents from institutions or boards that have been sent by a courier service. In our experience, courier delivery is arranged by the students or their representatives and are, therefore, not sent DIRECTLY by the institution or board. Please instruct the issuing institution or examination board to send your documents by regular mail.
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