Official Transcripts 

Transcripts and other academic records must be issued directly by the records/registrar’s office of your previous school(s).  Official Transcripts must be in an officially sealed envelope without indication of potential tampering. 

Unofficial college/university records, such as student portal printouts, are accepted only for the First-Year admission application and admission review. These can be uploaded to your GoSoka! Account. 

Submitting Official Transcripts 

The Office of Admission will receive transcripts that are submitted via one of the following options:    

1. Official e-transcripts can be sent from the sending institution to Soka University of America through Slate.org (High School Counselor login page).  
   • The transcript must originate from the sending institution.  
   • Your school records office may inquire with Slate.org for an account.     
2. Official e-transcripts can be sent to Soka University of America from your sending institution via a secure site formally linked to your institution. (E.g., Parchment, Scoir, Naviance, Common Application, National Student Clearinghouse, etc.)
   • The transcript must originate from a secure site formally linked to the sending institution.  
   • Please instruct the records office/vendor to use our email evaluations@soka.edu for the secure site linked to your institution.  
   • We do not accept transcripts that are:  
     • added to an email as an attachment.  
     • shared with services such as Box, Google Drive, OneDrive, etc.  
     • faxed.  
3. Send official print transcripts via postal service/mail or courier. Transcripts sent by mail must be in an officially sealed envelope without indication of potential tampering.  Please send to the following address:  

Document Submission Policy  

All documents delivered to Soka University of America or provided with the application become the property of Soka University of America and cannot be returned, including official transcripts submitted for credit earned at other institutions. Soka reserves the right to use third party credential evaluators such as those from NACES member agency.  

Documents not in English 

Documents not in English will require English translations. Applicants must provide the original document and an English translation that meets our criteria. English translations:

• Must be complete and literal with no attempts to interpret or evaluate the document.
• Must be prepared in the same layout and arrangement as the original document.
• Must be certified and signed by a translator attesting to their familiarity with the foreign language. It is preferred that translations be provided by either the institution providing the credential or a translation agency.  
• May not be provided by the student or members of their family. 

Internal Credential Evaluations 

Applicants with international transcripts will have an Internal Credential Evaluation conducted by Soka University of America to determine U.S. equivalency at no additional expense. It is not required to submit a credential evaluation from a NACES member agency. If you choose a credential evaluation from a NACES member agency, please see instructions in the FAQ below.

The Internal Credential Evaluation cannot begin until: 

• You submit your application for the current admission year. 
• We receive all Country-Specific transcript requirements. 

Please note:  
The 'International Transcript Requirements and Credential Evaluation' is a separate process and will appear as an incomplete checklist item until Soka University of America has completed processing. 
 

Timeline and Expectations

We aim to complete the Internal Credential Evaluation process within 15 business days after receiving all required documents. It is the responsibility of the applicants to plan accordingly and submit all Country-Specific Requirements to allow time for this process. Some cases might require the submission of additional documents, extensive research and verification, which may increase processing time.

To be considered for Early Action or Regular Admission, you must have your Application Checklist Materials received AND your Internal Credential Evaluation completed by: 

• Early Action: November 1 
• Regular Admission: January 15   

Important:

If additional information is needed, you will be notified in your GoSoka! account and will be required to submit the requested information to complete the admissions process.