One of the main documents required for admission is the so-called “transcript”. It contains a list of courses attended and grades for each academic period: quarter, trimester, semester, or half year.
The transcript should contain information:
- about the names of subjects / courses (Course Title);
- the number of hours during which each course was taught (Hours) or
- Credits received for completing the course;
- Grades
- GPA (Grade Point Average) – if required by an American college or university.
To enter the baccalaureate, we recommend preparing your own version of the Kazakh language transcript. Include all subjects studied and grades obtained during the last four years of school. Since the certificate does not contain all the necessary information, you will need time sheets for previous years.
You can translate into English yourself or contact your English teacher. The principal must sign and stamp on both versions of the transcript – Kazakh and English. Also, American educational institutions may require a description of the topics studied in a particular subject and the total number of hours for each subject. In this case, contact the school administration to provide you with such information.
If you are currently a student and want to enroll in a magistracy or doctoral program, prepare an extract from the gradebook in Kazakh and English. It should contain a list of all courses, credits, hours and grades for the entire training period. This will be your transcript. In case you have a diploma, you must make a copy of the diploma and applications. Translation of the transcript into English can be done at the place of study, at a translation agency or independently. Translation requirements are determined by each American college or university independently, so pay attention to this. If you own a European diploma supplement, just make a copy of the diploma and the annexes. All copies of documents must be certified, depending on the requirements, at the school or notarized.
To calculate the average score for a certain period of time (for example, a school year, or the entire training period), it is necessary to divide the total grades for the entire period by the number of courses, with the exception of those that were rated as “set off.” Some US universities may require a weighted average score. To do this, use special calculators that are available on the Internet and on the websites of agencies for assessing foreign degrees.
When preparing the transcript, use the assessment system that was used in your educational institution. Do not translate your grades into the American grading system.
Some educational institutions in the USA require the so-called “evaluation” of documents about previous education. To do this, you must contact the agency for the assessment of foreign degrees located in the United States. An educational institution usually indicates on its website those organizations from which they accept such a document. Each agency has its own requirements for the evaluation procedure and describes them in detail on its website.
EducationUSA Advisers in Kazakhstan can help check your transcript for the correct design, as well as provide advice on the specifics of using the services of agencies for assessing foreign degrees. If necessary, seek free advice from EducationUSA, your official source for higher education information in the United States.