Documents Required for an MS in USA Application

Documents Required for an MS in USA Application

At submission, the eight US CS and ECE programs we checked want scanned academic records that show the grading scale, a statement of purpose (sometimes two statements), a resume, three recommenders' emails and test scores where the program requires them. Final or mailed official transcripts come after an offer at six of the eight.

A checklist that lists WES evaluations, sealed transcripts and degree certificates as things you need "for the application" merges two stages. On the pages below, most of those are admission-stage documents. What actually stops a file at submission is smaller and easier to fix: a missing grading-scale page, an unreadable scan, a missing statement.

Every university page quoted below was checked on October 31, 2026. Requirements belong to a department, not a university, so recheck the page for the exact program you apply to. The statements are the documents you write from scratch, and the master's SOP review page shows what a reader checks in them.

On this page:

• What you upload now and what waits for an offer
• Semester marksheets, the consolidated transcript and the grading-scale page
• The writing documents: one statement, two, or a video
• Recommenders: three letters, and how late is too late
• Test scores, briefly
• Constructed example: two applicants, two document sets
• Your upload checklist, by stage
• Questions about MS application documents
• Get a free review of your statement of purpose

What you upload now and what waits for an offer

Our view: for these eight programs, do not buy a WES evaluation, courier sealed transcripts or wait for a degree certificate before you apply. Spend that week on clean scans and the grading-scale page. The basis is the table: no row asks for an evaluation at submission, UCLA says it does not request or review one, Khoury says international transcripts do not need one, and mailing comes after an offer wherever a page addresses it. Why "not required to apply" is still not "never required" is covered in do you need WES before applying for an MS.

The countercase: "official" does not mean the same thing everywhere. UCLA defines official transcripts as documents that "bear the actual signature of the Registrar — not a photocopy — and the seal of the issuing institution", and it asks you to upload one. Stony Brook will not review a file with no transcript upload. For those two, the quality of what you upload is the requirement, so get a registrar-signed copy scanned.

Semester marksheets, the consolidated transcript and the grading-scale page

Indian universities often issue one marksheet per semester and a consolidated transcript only at the end. The pages above do not use the word "marksheet", but they say enough to decide:

• Illinois: "Scanned transcripts must include all grade records and the grading scale used by the institution. (If the grading scale is on the back of the transcript, a separate scanned page should be included.)"
• Khoury: "Also include the reverse side of the transcript(s) when uploading your documentation".
• UCLA, for applicants still enrolled at an Indian university: upload "a copy of your official transcripts in your online admissions application (make sure your university's GPA scale is included when you upload these documents)."
• Carnegie Mellon: "A PDF of your most recent transcript from each college and/or university you attended, even if no degree was granted."

Our recommendation: if you have a consolidated transcript, upload it with its grading-scale page. If you only have semester marksheets so far, merge every one of them, in order, into one PDF per institution, and put the grading-scale page last. Two rules point there: Illinois wants "all grade records", and UCLA wants one transcript per institution. If a portal gives you separate upload slots, follow the portal.

Three more rules from the same pages:

• No password-protected PDFs. Illinois: "Our Admissions Committee cannot view password-protected transcripts." Print and rescan any locked e-transcript.
• Translations come from the institution. Khoury says transcripts "need to be translated into English by the reporting institution (not the applicant)." Illinois wants "native-language transcripts and an English translation". If your records are not in English, read who may translate a graduate transcript.
• The GPA box takes your number as printed. Carnegie Mellon's MSAII page, listing the School of Computer Science's requirements, says: "Students should report raw university GPA scores and NOT converted scores." The full rule is in converting foreign grades to GPA for US grad school.

Degree certificates. If you have graduated, UCLA asks applicants from India for final transcripts "along with a copy of your official diploma that shows when your degree was officially conferred and awarded", and warns that "the conferral certificate is NOT the same as the official diploma." Stony Brook CS says "Provisional certificates are valid for one year from conferral; after that, an official degree certificate is required". A three-year degree raises eligibility, not paperwork: Illinois says such applicants "may not be eligible". The three-year bachelor's and US master's guide covers that question. If you attended an institution without finishing a degree there, see whether to list an unfinished degree.

The writing documents: one statement, two, or a video

This is the part of the file that differs most between programs. Plan it per program, not per university.

Two consequences. First, "personal statement" is a different document at Columbia (its main statement), Illinois (a 250-word extra) and Berkeley (a personal history). The SOP vs personal history statement guide sorts them. Second, Georgia Tech ECE contradicts itself, so the box in the application portal is the rule. Write the 1,000-character version if the box enforces it.

Carnegie Mellon's resume list makes a good template: "your education, research experience, work experience, publications, scholarships awarded, prizes and honors received, society memberships and any other extracurricular activities." The MS resume for Indian freshers guide covers what to cut from a placement resume.

Recommenders: three letters, and how late is too late

Three is the number on every page that states one. Carnegie Mellon says "You are required to submit three letters of recommendation", allows up to five, and its MSCS page wants "At least two letters" from "faculty or recent employers". UCLA asks for "At least THREE (3)". At Illinois, three letters are required for "the PhD and MS with thesis programs", while MCS applicants "state relevant educational and work experience" instead.

What you submit is an email address. The letter is uploaded later, and lateness is treated differently:

• Carnegie Mellon: "do not wait to submit your application"; letters "a few days late" are okay.
• Georgia Tech ECE: late letters "will still be considered as long as a final decision has not yet been made."
• USC Viterbi: submit "even if your letters have not yet been submitted"; you can "add/replace a recommender" afterwards.
• UCLA CS: "Letters are due December 15."
• Khoury: no letterhead needed, personal email addresses are accepted, and "Interfolio is not acceptable".

Test scores, briefly

GRE rules split by program. Some do not require it, Carnegie Mellon's MSAII requires it, and Stony Brook CS says the GRE "is required for international M.S. applicants, unless the applicant holds a post‑secondary degree from the U.S. or Canada". The Fall 2027 MS in USA timeline has the split and the test dates. Two mechanics catch applicants:

• Illinois accepts a scanned score report: "You do NOT need to submit official scores through ETS."
• UCLA warns that your names and email "match exactly on your ETS registration" and on the application, or "the scores might not synch up".

Constructed example: two applicants, two document sets

Constructed example, written by us, not real applicants.

Context (invented): Rohan Iyer is a final-year B.Tech student. Meera Nair graduated in 2024 and works at an IT services firm. Both apply to Illinois MS CS, UCLA CS and Stony Brook CS.

The two sets differ only in the academic-record row and the degree-proof row. Those are the rows to check twice.

Your upload checklist, by stage

Before you submit (each program):

1. One PDF per institution: all grade records, in order, with the grading-scale page. Not password-protected. Pass condition: every page is readable at 100% zoom.
2. Degree proof only if you have graduated, in the form the program names (diploma, degree certificate, provisional certificate within its validity).
3. Every statement the program asks for, at its limit, under its name.
4. Resume, as PDF.
5. Recommender names and emails, sent from the portal early.
6. Test scores the program requires, sent or self-reported as it instructs.
7. Any program-specific item, such as a video.

After an offer (only when the school asks): mailed or electronic official transcripts, a course-by-course evaluation if that school requires one, and the final degree certificate.

Questions about MS application documents

Do I need WES before applying for an MS in the USA?

Not at the eight programs in our table. UCLA says "We do not request or review WES evaluations", Khoury says international transcripts "do not need to be WES-evaluated", and UC San Diego requires course-by-course evaluations only after an offer.

Can I upload semester marksheets instead of a consolidated transcript?

Yes, if they are your current records. Illinois asks for "all grade records" and the grading scale. Merge the marksheets into one PDF per institution unless the portal asks for them separately.

Do I need attested or sealed transcripts at the application stage?

Not sealed. You upload scans. UCLA asks that the uploaded copy be an official, registrar-signed transcript. USC asks for "an electronic copy of official transcripts". Illinois and Georgia Tech ECE accept unofficial copies.

Can I submit before my recommenders upload their letters?

Yes, at Carnegie Mellon and USC, both of which tell you not to wait. UCLA's letter deadline is the same as its application deadline, December 15. For the SOP file itself, see the SOP font, spacing and file format rules.

Before you pay each fee, check where application fee waivers for international MS applicants actually live; at four of the six universities we checked it is a box inside the application, not an email.

If your English score is below a program's minimum, see what to do about a low TOEFL before you write anything about it.

Get a free review of your statement of purpose

Get a free Quick Review of your statement of purpose against GradPilot's MS SOP rubric for computer science, AI and data. It reads whether your statement names a direction precisely, shows the technical preparation and work behind it, and ties what the program offers to what you bring. Outside computing, use the general MS statement of purpose rubric. For a Berkeley-style second statement, use the personal history statement rubric.

More guides for international MS applicants:

• MS in USA timeline for Fall 2027 from India: what to do each month from November to April.
• Do you need WES before applying for an MS?: application review versus enrollment verification.
• Graduate school essays: GradPilot's master's and PhD statement guides in one place.

Sources

Retrieved October 31, 2026, except where noted.

• Carnegie Mellon School of Computer Science, Graduate Admissions (Fall 2027): transcript upload and mailing, resume contents, three letters, late letters.
• Carnegie Mellon Computer Science Department, Master's Admissions (Fall 2027): PDF transcript, PDF resume, SOP length, two faculty or employer letters, GRE.
• Carnegie Mellon Language Technologies Institute, MSAII (Fall 2027): raw GPA, SOP, required video, GRE required.
• University of Illinois Siebel School, Application Process and Requirements (no year stated): unofficial scans, grading scale, translations, password-protected PDFs, statements, letters, three-year degrees, GRE.
• UC San Diego Graduate Division, Admissions Requirements (no year stated): copies at application; official transcripts and evaluations after an offer.
• UCLA Computer Science, Graduate Requirements (no year stated): official transcript upload and definition, India rules, WES, statements, letters, ETS names.
• Georgia Tech ECE, Graduate Admissions (no year stated): unofficial transcripts, SOP limit wording, late letters.
• USC Viterbi, Master's FAQ (no year stated): electronic official transcripts, mailed after admission, letters after submission.
• Stony Brook Computer Science, Graduate Admissions (Fall 2027 GRE policy): transcript uploads, provisional certificates, GRE for international MS applicants.
• Northeastern Khoury College, Master's Admissions Questions (no year stated): reverse side, translations, WES, letters.
• UC Berkeley Graduate Division, Writing Your Statements (no year stated): two statements and length.
• Columbia Computer Science, MS Application FAQ (no year stated): personal statement length and format.