CertTranslate

University translation requirements

University of Michigan Translation Requirements

UMich requirements vary by campus and school. Rackham (Ann Arbor grad) does NOT accept WES — uses Scholaro GPA report. Ross Business requires WES. Dearborn requires WES ICAP. Flint evaluates internally. All campuses require certified English translation.

Certified translation ready in 24 hours

Requirements coverage

Covers all three campuses: Ann Arbor, Dearborn, Flint

Submission guidance

Clarifies the Rackham vs Ross contradiction — the most common UMich applicant mistake

Elena Sokolova

Reviewed by Elena Sokolova

Senior Academic Credential Translation Strategist

Last reviewed

Source-based guidanceAdmissions requirements reviewedIndependent service · not affiliated with University of Michigan

Calculate your translation price

For University of Michigan
1
any length · no word cap
one or more · PDF, image · up to 25 MB ea.
Your total$24.95
Start my translation

We check your files and confirm the total before you pay

Not sure what UMich needs? Free requirements check
4.9/5 · 2,400+ reviews65+ languages240,000+ documents since 2014
BBB business profileATA member directory listingU.S. Department of State directory listingGoogle Maps business profile

This page explains UMich-facing translation workflow. It is not admissions advice.

University of Michigan document workflow

UMich Translation Requirements: What All Campuses Expect

Across all three UMich campuses — Ann Arbor, Dearborn, and Flint — international applicants must provide official English translations of all non-English transcripts and academic records. Self-translation is not accepted at any campus. Official transcripts from every institution attended are required.

Beyond the translation, the credential evaluation requirement is where UMich becomes uniquely confusing. Unlike Columbia (where most grad schools agree on WES ICAP) or UCLA (which doesn't accept WES at all), UMich has opposite requirements within the same campus. Rackham Graduate School and Ross School of Business are on the same Ann Arbor campus, but Rackham rejects WES while Ross requires it.

The practical implication: if you are applying to multiple UMich programs, you may need a Scholaro report for Rackham AND a WES evaluation for Ross — even though they are at the same university. The certified translation is the one constant that works for every path.

1

Universal translation requirement

All UMich campuses require certified English translations. Self-translation is not accepted.

2

Rackham does NOT accept WES or ECE

Rackham uses Scholaro GPA reports for grade conversion. Only accepts electronic evaluations from Educational Perspectives (EP).

3

Ross requires WES

Ross School of Business requires WES: Basic Doc-by-Doc for MBA, ICAP CxC for One-Year Master's.

UMich requires your certified translation to include:

  • Complete, word-for-word translation of every element on the original document
  • Courses completed, grades received, duration of study, and degrees awarded
  • Original grading scales preserved — Scholaro or WES handles the conversion
  • All seals, stamps, signatures, and institutional markings translated
  • Signed Certificate of Accuracy from a professional translator
School-by-school requirements

UMich Translation and Evaluation Requirements by Campus and School

UMich is the only university in our coverage where schools on the same campus have opposite credential evaluation requirements. Rackham (most Ann Arbor grad programs) does not accept WES. Ross (Ann Arbor business school) requires WES. Understanding this contradiction is critical to avoiding wasted time and money.

Rackham's alternative to WES is the Scholaro GPA Calculator — a free online tool that converts international grades to a U.S. 4.0 GPA scale. You generate a Scholaro GPA report for each degree from a non-U.S. institution and upload it alongside your transcript. This replaces the function that WES serves at other schools.

The Dearborn campus requires WES Course-by-Course ICAP — similar to Columbia SIPA or NYU Gallatin. The Flint campus evaluates credentials internally without any external evaluation — similar to UCLA's approach. If applying to School of Public Health through SOPHAS, WES ICAP CxC is required through the SOPHAS system.

UMich credential evaluation requirements by campus and school

UMich has the most internally contradictory requirements of any university. Check your specific campus and school.

1

Ann Arbor — Undergraduate

Credential evaluation
No external evaluation required.
Key details
Submit official transcripts with certified English translation.
2

Ann Arbor — Rackham Graduate School

Credential evaluation
WES and ECE NOT accepted. Scholaro GPA report required.
Key details
Upload Scholaro GPA report for each non-U.S. degree. Only EP electronic evaluations accepted as alternative.
3

Ann Arbor — Ross School of Business

Credential evaluation
WES required. Basic Doc-by-Doc (MBA), ICAP CxC (One-Year Master's).
Key details
Select correct WES product for your Ross program.
4

Ann Arbor — School of Public Health (via SOPHAS)

Credential evaluation
WES ICAP Course-by-Course required through SOPHAS.
Key details
Submit WES evaluation through SOPHAS application system.
5

UMich Dearborn — Graduate Studies

Credential evaluation
WES Course-by-Course ICAP required.
Key details
Designate "University of Michigan-Dearborn – Graduate Studies" as WES recipient.
6

UMich Flint

Credential evaluation
Internal evaluation — no external evaluation needed.
Key details
Flint evaluates credentials internally. Submit translation only.

One certified translation covers every UMich campus, every school, and every evaluator (Scholaro, WES, direct submission).

What a complete translation includes

  • Word-for-word rendering — no summaries or paraphrasing
  • Original document layout preserved — tables, columns, page order
  • All seals, stamps, signatures, and institutional markings translated
  • Original grading scale preserved — no conversion to U.S. GPA
  • Signed Certificate of Accuracy with translator credentials

How to Submit Your Translation to UMich

The submission process depends entirely on your UMich campus and school. The certified translation is the starting point for all paths.

  1. Step 1

    Identify your campus, school, and program

    The evaluation requirement is determined by your specific destination: Ann Arbor Rackham, Ann Arbor Ross, Ann Arbor Public Health, Dearborn, or Flint. Check the table above for your program.

  2. Step 2

    Get your certified English translation

    All UMich campuses require official English translations. Self-translation is not accepted. The translation must be complete, word-for-word, and include a signed Certificate of Accuracy.

  3. Step 3a (Rackham path)

    Generate a Scholaro GPA report

    For Rackham programs: use the free Scholaro GPA Calculator (scholaro.com) to convert your grades to a 4.0 scale. Generate a report for each non-U.S. degree. Upload both the transcript translation and the Scholaro report.

  4. Step 3b (Ross / Dearborn / Public Health path)

    Order WES evaluation

    For Ross: WES Basic Doc-by-Doc (MBA) or WES ICAP CxC (One-Year Master's). For Dearborn: WES CxC ICAP. For Public Health: WES ICAP CxC through SOPHAS. Submit the same certified translation to WES.

  5. Step 3c (Flint / Undergraduate path)

    No evaluation needed

    Flint evaluates internally. Undergraduate Ann Arbor does not require external evaluation. Submit the certified translation directly through the application portal.

  6. Step 4

    Upload documents through the application portal

    Submit your translated documents through the appropriate application system for your campus. For Rackham, include the Scholaro report. For Ross or Dearborn, WES sends the evaluation directly.

Planning timeline

  1. 01

    01

    Our certified translation

    about 24 hours for standard academic records

  2. 02

    02

    Scholaro GPA report

    free, generated in minutes

  3. 03

    03

    WES evaluation (Ross, Dearborn)

    typically 2–4 weeks

  4. 04

    04

    Application deadlines vary by campus and program

Avoid These Errors

Why UMich Flags Translated Documents — and How to Avoid It

UMich document issues most often stem from applying the wrong evaluation path. The Rackham/Ross contradiction catches more applicants than any other UMich-specific issue.

1Submitting WES evaluation to Rackham

What happens

Rackham does not process the WES evaluation. They require a Scholaro GPA report instead.

Why it happens

Applicants assume "UMich requires WES" because Ross and Dearborn do. Rackham explicitly rejects WES and ECE.

Safer approach

This page clearly states that Rackham does not accept WES. We include campus-specific guidance with every UMich-bound delivery.

2Applying to Ross without WES

What happens

Ross cannot process the application without the WES evaluation.

Why it happens

Applicants learn that "Rackham doesn't accept WES" and assume the same applies to Ross. It doesn't — Ross requires WES.

Safer approach

This page clarifies the Ross WES requirement and specifies the correct product for each Ross program.

3Wrong WES product for Ross

What happens

Ross MBA needed WES Basic Doc-by-Doc but received WES ICAP, or vice versa for One-Year Master's.

Why it happens

Applicants order one WES product without checking which Ross program they are targeting.

Safer approach

This page specifies: WES Basic for MBA, WES ICAP CxC for One-Year Master's.

4Self-translated transcripts

What happens

UMich rejects the translation and requests a professional version.

Why it happens

All UMich campuses prohibit self-translation. The translation must come from a professional source.

Safer approach

Every translation includes a signed Certificate of Accuracy identifying the translator as an independent professional.

Verified customer reviews

What customers say about their certified translations

4.9 / 52,400+ verified reviews
GoogleTrustpilotDirect orders

Daniel R.

Rated 5 out of 5 starsVerified order

Maria translated my Mexican birth certificate and marriage certificate for a family-based USCIS filing and caught a surname-order issue before submission. The packet was accepted without a translation problem.

Birth Certificate + Marriage Certificate

USCIS family petition

July 2026
Transparent Pricing

Translation Cost for UMich Application

Total cost varies dramatically by UMich campus and school — from translation-only (Flint, undergraduate) to translation + WES ICAP (Dearborn, Ross One-Year Master's).

Our certified translation

$24.95/page

True flat rate — no word-count multipliers, no per-page surprises.

Typical for this case

$49.90–$149.70

Most UMich-bound academic sets: 2 to 6 pages

  • Signed and stamped Certificate of Accuracy
  • Prepared for University of Michigan translation requirements
  • Exact structure preserved — word-for-word translation
  • Free translation-related revisions
Start at $24.95/page

Pay only after you review the quote

Potential additional costs

These external-provider requirements are included only to help you plan the University of Michigan workflow.

Rackham: Scholaro GPA report — FREE
Ross MBA: WES Basic Document-by-Document — approximately $160 USD
Ross One-Year Master's: WES ICAP Course-by-Course — approximately $285 USD
Dearborn: WES Course-by-Course ICAP — approximately $285 USD
Flint: $0 evaluation fee — evaluates internally
Public Health (SOPHAS): WES ICAP CxC — approximately $285 USD

Typical end-to-end scenarios

  • Rackham / Flint / Undergraduate: $49.90 to $149.70 (translation + free Scholaro or no eval)
  • Ross MBA: $209.90 to $309.70 (translation + WES Basic)
  • Ross One-Year / Dearborn / Public Health: $334.90 to $434.70 (translation + WES ICAP)
  • One certified translation covers every UMich path
  • WES fees are approximate and subject to change.
  • Scholaro GPA Calculator is free — significantly reduces cost for Rackham applicants.
  • Review current translation pricing at /pricing.

Common Questions About UMich Translation Requirements

Does UMich accept certified translation?

Yes. All three UMich campuses (Ann Arbor, Dearborn, Flint) accept and require certified English translations for non-English academic documents. Self-translation is not accepted at any campus.

Does UMich Rackham accept WES?

No. Rackham Graduate School explicitly does not accept WES or ECE evaluations. Instead, Rackham requires applicants to submit a Scholaro GPA report for each degree from a non-U.S. institution. The only external credential evaluation Rackham accepts is electronic evaluation from Educational Perspectives (EP).

Does UMich Ross require WES?

Yes. Ross School of Business requires WES evaluation: WES Basic Document-by-Document for the Full-Time MBA program, and WES ICAP Course-by-Course for One-Year Master's programs. This is the opposite of Rackham's policy on the same campus.

What is a Scholaro GPA report?

Scholaro is a free online GPA calculator (scholaro.com) that converts international grades to a U.S. 4.0 GPA scale. UMich Rackham requires a Scholaro GPA report for each non-U.S. degree, uploaded alongside your transcript and certified translation. It replaces the function that WES serves at other schools.

Does UMich Dearborn require credential evaluation?

Yes. UMich Dearborn Graduate Studies requires a WES Course-by-Course ICAP evaluation. Designate "University of Michigan-Dearborn – Graduate Studies" as the WES recipient.

Does UMich Flint require credential evaluation?

No. UMich Flint evaluates international credentials internally. No external evaluation from WES, ECE, or any other service is needed. Submit your certified translation directly.

Can I use the same translation for Rackham and Ross?

Yes. The certified translation is the same for every UMich campus and school. The difference is the evaluation path: Rackham uses Scholaro (free), Ross uses WES (paid). One translation covers both.

Sources & review methodology

3 official sources · reviewed March 14, 2026

Requirements were checked against the official guidance linked below. Confirm the current instructions for your program before submitting.

Official sources used to verify University of Michigan document requirements
Official sourceUniversity of Michigan Rackham Graduate SchoolUMich Rackham Graduate School — international transcript requirementsWhat we verified
  • Rackham WES not accepted policy
  • Scholaro GPA report requirement
  • Educational Perspectives exception
Open source
Official sourceUniversity of Michigan Ross School of BusinessUMich Ross School of Business — WES evaluation requirementWhat we verified
  • Ross WES Basic for MBA
  • Ross WES ICAP for One-Year Masters
Open source
Official sourceUniversity of Michigan - DearbornUMich Dearborn — WES ICAP requirement for graduate programsWhat we verified
  • Dearborn WES CxC ICAP requirement
Open source

University of Michigan application translation

Ready to apply to UMich?

One translation covers every UMich campus: Ann Arbor, Dearborn, and Flint. Works for Scholaro, WES, and direct submission. We help you figure out which path your program needs.

Signed and stamped certification24-hour standard deliverySecure file handling

Certified translation

$24.95/ page

Signed and stamped Certificate of Accuracy with secure digital delivery.

  • Prepared for University of Michigan applications
  • Exact structure and word-for-word translation
  • Free translation-related revisions
Start your order — $24.95/page, formatted for UMichNot sure what UMich needs? Free requirements check

We are not affiliated with the University of Michigan. We provide certified translation that meets UMich admissions standards.