Frequently Asked Questions

What can you tell me about WES?
WES is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing accurate and reliable evaluations of academic credentials earned outside the U.S. It is the largest and one of the oldest credential evaluation services in the country. Each year we prepare evaluations for approximately 50,000 individuals from all over the world, and provide reports to more than 2,000 U.S. colleges and universities.

WES is a charter member of the National Association of Credentials Evaluations Services (NACES), and plays a key role in establishing and upholding professional practice standards.

WES-Canada is the foreign credential evaluation service mandated by the Government of Ontario through its Ministry of Training Colleges & Universities.

Why use WES?

The WES evaluation makes foreign credentials easy to read and understand. It is a tool that you can use to reach your own decisions regarding admission, placement or the transfer of credit for applicants with foreign credentials.
Because of WES's rigorous standards regarding academic credentials, institutions that use WES evaluations can be confident that the documents on which they are based are accurate and valid.
WES is the fastest and most accessible evaluation service. Our 30 years of experience, combined with our human and technological resources, give WES the capability to provide evaluations that are accurate, reliable and consistent.

Who uses WES?
WES works with:

College and universities
State boards for professional licensing and certification
Federal and State Government Agencies
Immigration Attorneys

Who pays for the evaluation?
In most cases it is the applicant who pays WES directly for the evaluation. There are also institutions that pay for the evaluations of their students.

Who gets the evaluation report?
If the application is submitted to WES and paid for by the applicant, both the applicant and the U.S. institution/s that he or she has designated will receive the report directly from WES.

When an institution pays for the evaluation, WES sends the evaluation only to the institution.

Any academic institution can elect to receive WES evaluations electronically by signing up for ACCESS-WES. Click here for more information. The service is offered free-of-charge.

How long does it take to obtain an evaluation?
WES completes evaluations in seven (7) days, once all necessary documents and fees have been received. An evaluation can be expedited (Same-Day or 3-Day rush) for an additional fee. If a file is incomplete or documents have to be sent for verification to the institutions that issued them, the application is placed on hold and the evaluation is delayed.

Does WES translate foreign-language documents?
WES does not translate documents. We require that applicants submit documents in the original language, together with a precise and word-for-word translation done by a knowledgeable translator. In the course of the evaluation, WES evaluators, who are multi-lingual, verify the translation. Applicants who need to have their documents translated are referred to a reliable translation service to make their arrangements directly with that service or with another translator of their choice.

What if a member of our staff or a faculty member has questions about a WES evaluation?
Answering questions and providing information for academic institutions that receive our evaluations is part of the WES service. Our Academic Services Department and our Regional Offices are ready to assist you and your colleagues.

What if a student is not satisfied with the evaluation?
When a student who disagrees with the outcome of an evaluation or seeks a clarification contacts WES, we review the file and respond to him or her in writing. While we cannot guarantee that students will always agree with our conclusions, we will explain to them the methods and procedures that we use in our evaluations.

What happens if a student submits forged or altered credentials?
Establishing the validity academic credentials is the first step of the WES evaluation process. WES has strict document requirements that are specific to each country of education. When there are any doubts about a document's authenticity, WES sends it to be verified by the institution that issued it. The file is placed on hold until the institution responds to WES. If the institution confirms that the document is not authentic, WES cancels the file and notifies both the applicant and the receiving U.S. institution with the reasons for the cancellation.

How do I begin to refer students to WES?
WES is very accessible to students and you can refer them to us in different ways. The easiest one is to provide a link to the WES website <www.wes.org> on your institution's website. That allows students to submit their applications to WES online. WES can also send you printed forms to distribute to students. Either way, WES will make the process work for you and your students.

How can I obtain WES applications?
You can request a supply of WES application forms at any time by contacting WES at support@wes.org or filling in the online form. Once you start working with WES, we will send you application forms at the beginning of each semester. You can also download individual WES application forms here. There is no charge for the application forms.

More Questions?
If you have more questions, please do not hesitate to contact our Academic Services Department at 212-219-7330. You can reach us by e-mail at support@wes.org.