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Frequently Asked Questions (AVAILABLE IN 10 LANGUAGES)
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 much does it cost to have my documents translated?
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?
How can I find out if you have received my documents?
What do I do if I have questions
or concerns about my evaluation or translation?
When do I become a client?
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.
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. GPA 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 GPA is $40.00.
2) Undergraduate Grade Point Average: Colleges and universities require one overall undergraduate G.P.A. An undergraduate GPA includes all study leading to the equivalent of a U.S. bachelor's degree. The cost for this is $40 per evaluation. If, in addition to the overall GPA required by colleges and universities, an applicant would also like a separate GPA 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 GPA for each of the three undergraduate institutions, the cost would be an additional $120 ($40 x 3).
3) Graduate/Post-graduate Grade Point Average: one overall graduate GPA is provided for the fee of $40. A graduate GPA includes all study leading to the equivalent of a U.S. master's degree and any further graduate study, including doctoral studies. If an applicant requests separate graduate GPAs for different graduate programs, each one is $40. For example, if a client requests a GPA for the master's degree study and for doctoral study, the cost would be an additional $80.
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 $140 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 $140 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 much does it cost to have my documents translated?
Translation pricing is determined by the language, length and complexity of the text; therefore, we must see copies of your documents in order to determine the price. To receive a free quote, please send us a copy of the documents you’d like translated by e-mail at translation@jsilny.com or by fax to 305-273-1984 and we will provide the price within 24 hours.
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, MasterCard and Discover 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 (US Postal Service). If you would like your evaluation, translation or original academic credentials to be sent by secure means, indicate so on your application form and add the appropriate fee:
Within the United States: - By certified mail: US$ 15.00 per address
- By courier: US$ 40.00 per address
Outside of the United States: - International courier: US$ 80.00 per address
Please note that JS&A accepts no liability for loss or damage of academic credentials during mailing.
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. Each additional certified copy requested after the translation has been completed costs $30 for up to one year from the date the translation was issued. After that date, each additional certified copy costs $50. We guarantee keeping these reports for up to three years. Translations 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.
How can I find out if you have received my documents?
The fastest and most convenient way to check to see if we have received your documents is to log on to Application Status. All clients who have submitted an application, paid the required fee and provided us with a working e-mail address will be able to view the due date for their evaluation, translation (if applicable) and any documents or payment that were missing at the time their file was opened by assessing their Application Status page. Application status also allows clients to see whether or not these documents and/or payments have been received, and if so, the date that each individual document and/or payment was received. You may access Application Status by clicking on the link under the “Services” section of our homepage or by clicking the following link http://www.jsilny.com/services/Main.aspx.
If you believe that we have received a document or payment and if the item is not appearing after logging onto Application Status, we strongly suggest that you e-mail your assigned evaluator. E-mail addresses for all JS&A staff members can be found by clicking on “Contact us” in our homepage or by accessing the following link http://www.jsilny.com/html/contact-us.htm. Please indicate your name as it appears on your application as well as the name appearing on your documents in your e-mail.
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 Polina Lippman, Associate Director for Evaluations (polina@jsilny.com), and your correspondence regarding translations must be addressed to Stephen Paez, Director of Translation (stephen@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. We keep academic credentials for up to three months. If the application with a fee is not received during these three months, we will discard these academic credentials.
Since you are our client, we will only respond to you if you have any questions or concerns. We will not respond to spouses, other family members, or anyone else regarding your evaluation or translation.
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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