<p>Hi everyone,
well...I've already decided to take the SAT again....hahaha</p>
<p>I'm applying to colleges right now through the common application, but I wonder, some teachers of mine don't speak English, so how are they supposed to write a recommendation on the common application forms online?? How should it be translated???</p>
<p>Please do reply fast because I need to tell my teachers soon!</p>
<p>There are special types of agencies or companies who translate documents to foreign language. These agencies usually have special permission from governments to translate official documents. After they translate recommendation letter they show it to teacher and teacher seals it with his signature. I believe its easy to find those agencies through yellow pages. In my case the agency included extra paper, inside envelope, stating that letter was translated by qualified translator and also they include contact info just in case.</p>
<p>thanks a lot!
so I’d have to send it by mail and not online? should I send it or the teacher?</p>
<p>You can send it provided it is attested properly (School stamp and signature)</p>
<p>so does the process basically go like this?:
1.my teacher writes it
2. I take it to the translator
3. I get it from the translator and give it back to my teacher again
4. teacher sends it</p>
<p>Yeah the process is like that but add to point 3 that you teacher must ‘stamp and attest’ it. And also it will be good to submit both the original recommendation in foreign lang. and the translated English one.</p>
<p>Most teachers do not have personal stamps, One of my teachers used schools’ official stamp and another one put his sinature on the envelope.
Good Luck</p>
<p>It also varies with the university. At some schools, you are allowed to translate the recommendation yourself. Read the specific guidance of the school, and almost all of them want the original untranslated recommendation.</p>
<p>For example:
From the Harvard Website:“The Admissions Committee appreciates the effort that many applicants make in providing translations of the recommendations submitted on their behalf. Please note: All translations must include the name of the translator, and the a copy of original (untranslated) reports should accompany the translation.”</p>
<p>From the MIT Website “It is your responsibility to provide us with an official English translation of any evaluations not completed in English, in addition to the original untranslated document.”</p>
<p>Yale: “You must provide us with an official English translation of any letters or transcripts not written in English, in addition to the original documents”</p>
<p>Almost all of them work the same way. If you are applying to a school that does not get many foreign applicants, and does not have a policy for this, then I would contact the admissions office, but I would strongly suspect that their decision will be the same as that followed by the top schools.</p>