YankInTheUk

Does anyone know a company that can translate transcripts from UK to USA standards?

My son did his GCSE’s in the UK and now returning to Los Angeles CA for High School. The High School has it all wrong despite being given a full course syllabus and details. For example his GCSE in French takes 2 years to study and then you have the exam so they are only crediting him 1 yr French. And his GCSE History (also 2 yrs) is being treated as a 1 yr elective and he now needs to do World History.

I’m not just worried about courses to graduate high school but also what Universities will later view it so want to document everything now.

Pulaski

From what I have heard there are several organizations that will do the translation, but you need the one that it acceptable to the organization that you are pitching his qualificiations to - there is no point in paying Acme Academics or Bravo Evaluations to evaluate his qualifications if the school or university only trusts Charlie Qualifications or Delta Overseas Certificates.

PetrifiedExPat

I used 'Morningside Evaluation and Consulting', which were approved for my immigration purposes back in the day.

YankInTheUk

Thanks but he is a US Citizen so this isn't anything to do with immigration, just getting credit from his high school.

PetrifiedExPat

Morningside offer a range of services, and are accredited for translating UK quals to US

edit: I should say they were, no idea if there are now

YankInTheUk

Thanks. Basically his High School haven't asked anything. He hopes to attend one of the University of California schools (probably Irvine) and they will do their own and have experience. It's mainly trying to get his High School to give him additional credits in which case maybe I just go to the cheapest one. Scholaro seems to charge$199 and are part of AICE.

PetrifiedExPat

Out of sheer curiosity is there any guarantee this will help then?

Pulaski

Haven't you asked the school which one(s) they would accept? I would start there - perhaps list some of those you have found "I can get my son's qualifications evaluated by these organizations: .... - do you have any preference?"

From what has been posted on BE, getting credit for non-US school courses/ exams seems to be a complete crap shoot - some report good success, others get no credit at all, and of course many fall somewhere in between.

Personally I would sooner remove my right arm with a rusty saw than move my daughter between schools, never mind between countries, when she is at high school (age 13-18), for that reason among others.

YankInTheUk

Not really but I'm out of options. I am hoping to change the High Schools mind and also have a paper trail if later on a University questions why his High School only gave him the lessor credits. It's really frustrating.

PetrifiedExPat

Couldn't agree more

robtuck

From personal experience - keep at it. You will likely need to gradually educate (pardon the pun) the Counsellor who is trying to do the translation themselves. Being able to identify the syllabus of the UK course in minute detail can sometimes help and tackle each course one at a time. If the person trying to do this has no experience themselves, they are trying to make a quick judgement call so they can get the student into classes and move on the next job they have to do. Not crediting enough is far less risky than over crediting and having a student end-up behind in a class - not saying this is the case, but if they are risk averse and know very little, they may take that path.

After several weeks an months the ones we still struggled to convince were in Maths - and my daughter then sailed through any class she was given.

Also, ensure you push for lots of Elective credits, just to get them! My daughter got quite a few based on subjects like Drama.

Once you get to University, you may find, with some effort, that it works out OK. Universities (likley not talking Ivy League here) accept GCSE's as sufficient for entry with some arm twisting. A convincing case of the syllabus covered to account for any missing credits, alongside their GPA and GCSE results can be enough.

YankInTheUk

The schools position is that they know what they are doing and have already reviewed it. I intend to appeal to the superintendent but do not expect it to go far but want to appeal with something concrete. Moreover it gives a paper trail later if a Uni says we are going with what the High School said and I can show that I appealed

YankInTheUk

thanks. That makes me feel better and will continue on the other. I do have a clear syllabus and advise already from his UK school which might be enough for later review. I might just give up on the high school as they don’t seem to care.

petitefrancaise

We had the exact same issue when eldest entered 11th grade from french lycee. It was actually the subject of my first ever post on BE.
We went through the appeals process and got nowhere.
In the end it all worked out ok. Eldest had excellent exam results from France and her grades in 11th/12th grade were also excellent. She did the IB diploma as well as some AP exams. So, when she wrote her personal essay for college admissions she had to write about coming from another country and the issues and how she overcame them. She got accepted at the colleges she wanted to go to.
Try to get the counsellors on-side and they will do whatever they can.
Good luck.
PF