Are you a student considering migrating to the United States for your further studies? Congratulations you are on the brink of the most enriching educational experience where you will get to study with students from around the world. Though there are good colleges and universities all over the world few can create the multi-cultural environment in their classrooms as we see in the United States. This mixing of ideas has resulted in positive learning outcomes. It is no surprise that some of the biggest advancements in the world of technology over the last many decades have come out of the United States of America.
The most powerful nation in the world does offer the best learning environment which is research oriented and helps students in building the right skills and aptitude that helps them throughout their career. Given the level of competition among foreign students, you need to be thorough with your approach and not leave anything to chance while applying for the best colleges and universities in the United States. Among the many requirements you have to meet, one of the most important ones is credential evaluation.
This evaluation is a process that converts your educational credentials and brings them to U.S. equivalents. This step is very important as students from diverse regions of the world apply for admission in United States and educational institutions rely on these credential evaluation reports to be fair on the applicants during the selection process. Irrespective of the length of the course, the language you attended the course and in other parameters, all of them would be brought to US equivalent. How should you as a foreign student approach this process and leverage the credential evaluations to your own benefit? Let’s find out –
Get started early…
Though most foreign students know the importance of credential evaluations for admissions in the United States, few take the right steps early on. You must avoid the mistake of waiting until you arrive in the United States to get your credentials evaluated. For basic academic credential evaluation you’d need to submit copies of your academic documents, degrees, certifications etc. for them to be evaluated and brought to US equivalence. Here it is wise to get started with the process when you are still in your home country. The agency that you hire for the task might ask for several documents some of which may need to be obtained from the college or university you had attended. Failure to present the documentations and records in time can jeopardize the evaluation process and hence the earlier you start, more time you will have at hand to meet with any contingency.
Hire a reputable agency…
Talk of getting your credentials evaluated and you’d come across hundreds of agencies that offer these services. Given that students have to pay for these evaluations several dubious agencies have cropped up over the last two decades that promise to offer these services at ‘unbeatable price’. The problem with such ‘value-for-money’ agencies is that they aren’t always recognized by the United States Department of Education and don’t adhere to the best practices. Their evaluation reports can easily be rejected by the colleges and universities that you are applying for. Hence you should do a thorough background check on an agency before you hire them for credential evaluation. Make sure they are members of groups such as the NAFSA (Association of International Educators) andAACRAO (American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers).
Take into account purpose of evaluations…
The purpose of the credential evaluation in your case is in all likelihood has all to do with education but these credential evaluations are also required for applying to jobs in the United States, starting professional practice and licensing. Hence if you are also looking to get the credentials evaluated for a purpose other than education you must make the same known to the agency you have hired for the task. This is important as it helps in foreign students get evaluation reports that can be used for different purposes apart from securing admission into the top colleges and universities. Skilled immigrants who wish to fund their education with part time jobsoften find it a challenge to fit into the same roles in the United States as they had done on their own countries. The work culture and the dynamics of the job market in the United States often acts as a mental obstacle to many. This is where such credential reports can help immigrants find the right kind of jobs to support them during their education.
Avoid delaying the process…
Credential evaluations can take anywhere between few days and weeks to months based on the inputs you are offering to the agency. There are delays and in most cases it is due to the want of required documents and certificate that the agencies aren’t able to offer you an error-free evaluation report on time. If you are applying for the top educational institution you don’t often have the luxury of time. Thus you need to make sure that you are on your toes till the evaluation report is generated. Make sure you have filled the application form correctly, have paid for the fee of evaluation and respond to any request by the agency. Even minor delays in the process can mean the difference between securing admission in a place you chose or one that was left out by others.
To conclude, credential evaluation is the most important part of securing admissions into the top colleges and universities in the United States. You shouldn’t delay it nor rely on the cheapest agency that you come across. Hundreds of students with brilliant academic record have failed to find their place in their desired institutions in the absence of credential evaluation reports or one that hasn’t truly represented their skills and qualification. Hence you need to get started early and choose an agency that is recognized by the United States Department of Education to do the needful.
