The Evaluation Company: Pros and Cons of this Foreign Academic Credential Evaluations

The Evaluation Company (formerly SpanTran) has served the field of foreign academic credential evaluations for over 40 years. Consequently, their academic evaluations and translations are useful for international students who want to study in the US, for candidates requiring professional licensing or employment credentials, and for military enlistees.

The Evaluation Company has been a member of NACES, the accrediting association for credential evaluation services in the United States, since 1996. The company has physical offices in New York, Houston, and Miami. So, if you need evaluation for a CPA Exam or licensure, SpanTran can help you.

What services does SpanTran provide?

When people from other countries want to study or work in the United States, they must determine how their previous credentials compare to domestic American credentials. Furthermore, government institutions in the US don’t provide the service of “translating” educational degrees, professional licenses, or employment credentials from other countries. Therefore, that means individuals must often hire an accredited, reputable service to match foreign credentials with their American equivalents.

The Evaluation Company’s evaluation services provide a written report assessing academic or professional work completed outside of the United States. Many universities, government agencies, and businesses accept The Evaluation Company reviews. Also, some of the 55 CPA jurisdictions allow candidates to submit The Evaluation Company evaluations, too. The Evaluation Company also provides credential verification and language translation services.

Who needs a foreign education credential evaluation?

Credential evaluation is useful for many students and professionals who have previous work and educational experience outside of the United States. For instance, here are some types of people who may benefit from an evaluation:

• A student looking to transfer to a US high school or university
• An applicant seeking a college or graduate degree
• A graduate looking for a job
• A professional with foreign certifications or credentials
• A military enlistee
• A candidate for professional licensing (like the CPA license)

The Evaluation Company Pros and Cons

NACES provides accreditation for 19 credential evaluation companies throughout the United States. So, here’s how the company’s evaluation reviews compare to other services:

Pros

• Once you’ve paid for your verification service, you only need to supply a scan or photocopy of your transcript.
• The Evaluation Company can translate your documents in-house.
• You can pay with cash (at one of the company’s physical locations), credit card, and even PayPal.
• You can track your evaluation status online by entering your ID or application number on the website.

Cons

• The Evaluation Company’s services are relatively expensive.
• The Evaluation Company doesn’t post its fee for the translation of non-English documents. Consequently, some applicants reported that it doubled their costs.

Submission Details

You can begin your application for evaluation with only emailed scans of your documents. The online application takes 5-10 minutes. However, you can also download the application, fill it out, and mail it in with photocopies of your documentation. The company asks that you not send in original documents because the evaluators can’t return them.

The Evaluation Company Verification Services

In order to verify these documents, which all NACES members must do, The Evaluation Company allows the applicant to either a) pay for in-house verification service (which can cost a couple hundred dollars or more), or b) arrange for their previous university to send official documents  directly to the company.

The Evaluation Company offers this verification service because they understand how challenging it is for some applicants to have official copies sent directly from their previous university.

Translation Services from The Evaluation Company

For non-English transcripts, The Evaluation Company requires the original language document and a certified English translation of the original. In addition, they can provide a translation of the document for an extra fee if the applicant does not have one available. However, if you do not submit a translation along with your application, you will incur this fee.

Turnaround Time

Typically, you will receive your completed transcript evaluation in around 10 business days. But, you can receive two-day or five-day rush services for additional fees.

Pricing

Most students looking to take the CPA Exam will require a divisional course analysis. This type of evaluation applies to licensure boards like the state boards of accountancy. Below is the pricing structure for The Evaluation Company’s educational services:

• Standard course-by-course analysis: $190 (standard)
• Verification service: Varies
• Rush service:
  • 5 days: $270
  • 2 days: $420
• Translation costs vary by language and document.
• Please click here for the full pricing schedule.

Payment Method

You can pay with any of the following:

• Check or money order payable to SpanTran, PayPal, or credit card.

Other Information

You can check out the FAQs here.

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Contact

Website: The Evaluation Company

Houston Office

2400 Augusta Drive, Suite 451 (direct mail accepted at this address)

Houston, TX 77057

USA

• Phone (713) 266-8805
• Fax (713) 789-6022
• Email: status@evalcompany.com

New York City Office

450 Seventh Avenue, Suite 604 (direct mail not accepted at this address)

New York, NY 10123

USA

• Phone (English): (929) 480-6977
• Phone (Spanish): (929) 384-7182
• Email: status@evalcompany.com

Miami Intake Office

2655 Le Jeune Road Suite 903 (direct mail not accepted at this address)

Coral Gables, FL 33134

USA

• Phone (646) 475-2570
• Email: status@evalcompany.com

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