Why Transcripts Matter in Academic Evaluations

By Howard Borenstein

As a credential evaluator, I occasionally receive this very reasonable question from our clients:

If a diploma clearly states someone earned a degree, and that degree is widely recognized as equivalent to a U.S. credential, why is it necessary for Park to also review the individual’s transcripts?  

In my experience, there are two primary reasons.

The first reason is based on my nearly twenty-five years of experience as a Senior Credential Evaluator. During this time, I’ve reviewed thousands of RFEs and have been called upon to defend my equivalency determinations to USCIS on numerous occasions. One trend has become clear: USCIS has increasingly emphasized the importance of reviewing and providing complete academic documentation, including transcripts, as part of the immigration process.

Sometimes, the request is simply for completeness, requiring applicants to submit their entire academic record, rather than only their diploma. More often, USCIS wants evidence of the academic program length, or they’re asking how the evaluator determined the U.S. equivalency without reviewing the coursework. I have even seen many RFEs questioning whether the evaluator reviewed transcripts before concluding if a foreign degree was equivalent to a U.S. degree. Overall, it makes practical sense to request transcripts at the beginning of the evaluation, rather than risk delays later in the immigration process.

The second reason is, in my opinion, the more important of the two: In many cases, transcripts are essential for us to prepare the most accurate evaluation possible.

In many countries, the same degree title may represent programs of different lengths, with only one version being equivalent to a U.S. bachelor’s degree. Without reviewing the transcripts, there is no reliable way to determine whether the degree is equivalent to a U.S. bachelors. Additionally, many degree certificates do not identify a student’s specific field of study. Transcripts allow us to review individual courses and other information to determine the equivalent major or concentration.

Finally, transcripts allow us to verify important details, such as the total amount of academic study completed. Even when the ultimate U.S. equivalency is unaffected, an evaluation should accurately reflect the candidate’s academic history.

For example, the French Diplôme d’Ingénieur may represent one, two, three, four, or even five years of academic study, depending on the student’s educational pathway. Although the U.S. equivalency may be the same, without transcripts, there is simply no way to accurately determine the total amount of academic study completed.

In my opinion, our responsibility extends beyond simply assigning an equivalency. We should also ensure that every statement made in the evaluation is supported by the academic record. After nearly twenty-five years as a Senior Credential Evaluator, I remain convinced that requesting transcripts for every foreign degree is the best way to accomplish this goal. It not only helps ensure that our evaluations meet the expectations of immigration authorities, but it also allows us to provide clients with evaluations that are accurate, thorough, and professionally defensible.