Madrid, 14 February 2023

Dear participants of the Academic Course program in USA:

The reason for this circular is to deal with a fundamental issue: EFFORTS FOR VALIDATION.

PROCEDURES FOR VALIDATION

THE PROCESS DESCRIBED BELOW IS OF UTMOST IMPORTANCE and it is ESSENTIAL that you follow to the letter all the
indications that we make since, otherwise, YOU WOULD NOT OBTAIN THE VALIDATION of your studies in the USA. No
one will deal with it a posteriori, so it is your RESPONSIBILITY.

BEFORE YOUR RETURN TO SPAIN IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT YOU MAKE A SERIES OF ARRANGEMENTS. Let's divide them
into three groups:

1. Obtaining an adequate CERTIFICATE OF GRADES.

2. Obtaining an EXPLANATORY LETTER of the "BLOCK SYSTEM" or "QUARTER SYSTEM".
3. LEGALIZATION of the Certificate of Notes, and of THE EXPLANATORY LETTER OF THE SYSTEM of BLOCKS or
QUARTERS .

In the presentation that we make below, we will indicate the "INCORRECT ASSUMPTIONS" in each of the steps, where
the most common failures that may occur will be reflected, by way of example. Committing any of the mistakes
described in the "Incorrect Assumptions", would mean the possibility of NOT VALIDATING the course.

1) OBTAINING AN ADEQUATE CERTIFICATE OF GRADES. :

In the dates prior to the end the school must REQUEST A CERTIFICATE OF FINAL TRANSCRIPTS. In this certificate of
final grades YOU MUST CHECK THAT:

1. Your SURNAMES APPEAR IN THE PROPER ORDER. (Miguel Valdés, Alejandra)

Incorrect assumption:
• That the certificate of "LOPEZ MARTIN, EDUARDO", is issued in favor of "MARTIN LOPEZ, EDUARDO" or
"LOPEZ, EDUARDO MARTIN"

2. The degree studied clearly appears, and this is equivalent to the one that is intended to be validated.
Incorrect assumptions:
• That the degree taken does NOT appear in the certificate.
• That being, for example, Grade 11 that is intended to be validated, Grade 10 appears as the degree studied.

IMPORTANT: In the event that the school's policy is that exchange students are registered in a degree different
from the one to be validated, AN EXPLANATORY LETTER is necessary to indicate the school's policy regarding the
enrollment of exchange students and to confirm that the subjects taken by the student correspond to the
equivalent degree to the one to which they want to validate (See example in the document Useful Tools). THIS
LETTER MUST BE LEGALIZED along with the rest of the documentation.
3. The DATES OF THE SCHOOLING PERIOD appear. (Ex: August 2022 to June 2023).
Incorrect assumption:
• That the dates of the schooling period do NOT appear in the certificate.

4. The FINAL GRADES OBTAINED IN EACH OF THE SEMESTERS appear, as well as THE CREDITS OBTAINED IN EACH
SUBJECT and PERIOD.
(or of each of the trimesters or semesters if the school had the course divided into periods other than the
semester).
Incorrect assumptions:
• That only the final grades of the second semester appear in the certificate.
• That only one column of final grades appears in the certificate and NOT that of EACH OF THE SEMESTERS.
• That the credits of each subject do NOT appear.

It should be noted in this regard that PASS/FAIL (P) (F) qualifications are not admissible by the MINISTRY, as
explained to you in the documentation we sent you before your departure.
• Incorrect Assumption: That some PASS or FAIL (P) (F) rating appears on the certificate.

5. NOT A SINGLE STRIKE-OUT, NO AMENDMENT, NO CHANGE IN THE TYPE OF LETTERS.

Incorrect assumption:
• That in the certificate appear erases, changes with "Typpex", typewritten notes with some qualification or
name of subject written by hand, etc.

6. The subjects taken in each semester (or school period) are clearly detailed and THE NAMES OF THE SAME
COINCIDE WITH THOSE ADMITTED BY THE MINISTRY AS EQUIVALENT TO THE SUBJECTS THAT ALLOW THE
VALIDATION, ACCORDING TO THE INSTRUCTIONS THAT YOU RECEIVED IN THIS REGARD IN THE
DOCUMENTATION THAT WE SENT YOU BEFORE YOUR DEPARTURE TO THE USA AND DURING YOUR COURSE.
Incorrect Assumption (by way of example):
• That in the certificate it appears as a subject "English Composition", when what is intended is to count this
subject for the total calculation of the chosen subjects, as equivalent to "English".

7. DOES NOT APPEAR ANY SUBJECT IN DEGREE OR LEVEL DIFFERENT OR LOWER THAN THE ONE THAT IS
INTENDED TO BE VALIDATED.
Incorrect Assumptions (by way of example):
• That wanting to validate 2nd Baccalaureate (Grade 12), the subject English 11 (or 10 or 9) appears in the
notes.
• That wanting to validate 1st Baccalaureate (Grade 11), the subject History 10 (or 9) appears in the notes .
• That wanting to validate 4th of ESO (Grade 10), the subject History 9 appears in the notes .
• That wanting to validate 2nd Baccalaureate (Grade 12), the subject Algebra I or some prefix indicating that
it is an initiation to the subject appears in the certificate of grades.

8. The SIGNATURE OF AN OFFICER or the PRINCIPAL of the High School appears.

Incorrect assumption:
• That the notes are not signed.
2) OBTAINING AN EXPLANATORY LETTER OF THE "BLOCK SYSTEM" OR "QUARTER SYSTEM"
Students who are attending a school whose educational system is the BLOCK SCHEDULING SYSTEM or the
"TRIMESTER SYSTEM", in addition to the certificate of grades, MUST obtain from the school a LETTER, SIGNED BY
THE PRINCIPAL, EXPLAINING your system of studies. As we will indicate later, this letter must also be legalized.
This letter must contain the following points:

• General explanation of the School Block System or Trimester System.

• Indication of the number of total subjects in which the student must enroll.
• Indication of the number of subjects taken in each period ("term").
• Indication of the number of daily classes.
• Indication of the duration of each class.
• Indication of the number of weeks or duration of each Block.

Incorrect assumptions:
• Do not obtain such an explanatory letter as a student of a school with such a system.
• That the letter does not indicate any of the necessary points.

3) LEGALIZATION OF THE CERTIFICATE OF GRADES

Once a correct certificate has been obtained, as listed in section 1), together with any explanatory letter regarding
the subjects or degree studied, the student must first proceed to MAKE at least TWO PHOTOCOPIES of all the
documents to keep them as proof, and then proceed to the LEGALIZATION OF THE ORIGINALS, which involves the
following steps:
1. "NOTARY PUBLIC": It consists of the Notary Public that corresponds to your School District, must recognize,
stamping his seal and signature (IN THE SAME CERTIFICATE OF GRADES AND IN ALL THE EXPLANATORY LETTERS
AND NOT IN A SEPARATE SHEET), the signature of the Registrar or Principal of the school that appears on the
certificate. Some schools have their own Notary Public, in any case, in the Secretary of the school, they will
inform you how to obtain this signature easily. The Notary must sign each of the grades sheets or letters
clarifying grades or subjects.
2. "CLERK OF COURTS or COUNTY CLERK": It consists of the Registrar of the County must attest to the signature
of the Notary Public, stamping his seal on the documents. IMPORTANT: The signature of the COUNTY CLERK is
not accurate in many states. Ask your coordinator or School Counselor if such a signature is necessary and if it
is not, it would be enough for the Notary Public to sign the documents to send them to the Secretary of State.
If in your State this signature is necessary to obtain the Hague Apostille, you have to follow the following steps:
• Photocopy the certificate and letters with the signature of the Notary Public to keep them as proof.
• Send the originals to County Clerk's Office. To find out the address you can consult your coordinator or
school counselor. Also ask about the cost of this service.
Along with the original of the notes and letters, you have to send a check or cash for the amount indicated;
a note explaining what you wish to do with the documents (attest to the signature of the Notary Public) and
a stamped envelope with your address. They will return the certificate and letters in a few days.
3. "SECRETARY OF STATE": It consists of the Secretary of State of the State in which each one resides, adding to
the certificate the APOSTILLE OF THE HAGUE ("THE HAGUE APOSTILLE"). To do this, the following steps must be
followed:

• First of all you must photocopy the certificate and the letters with the signatures of the Notary Public and
the County Registry (if it is mandatory in your State), to keep them as proof.
 • Send the originals to the Secretary of State (of the State where each one resides). You also have to find out
the cost of this service and accompany it along with the certificate and letters as well as a stamped envelope
with your address (or with the address where you want the legalized documents to be returned), and a note
explaining what you want to be done (that they be legalized with "THE APOSTILLE" IN ACCORDANCE WITH
THE HAGUE CONVENTION OCTOBER 5TH, 1961), indicating that you need to take your documents back to
Spain).

SUPPORT LINK: On this website you will find all the contact details of the Secretary of State of each of the States of the
United States. Generally this information is known by the High School, Host Family or Area Reo, but it never hurts to
have it at hand in case of doubt:
https://www.hcch.net/en/states/authorities/details3/?aid=353

IMPORTANT NOTES REGARDING LEGALIZATION:

• IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, send us an e-mail to the address convalidación@clsidiomas.com

• If it happens that, ARRIVED YOUR DAY OF RETURN TO SPAIN, YOU HAVE NOT COMPLETED THE
LEGALIZATION PROCESS (Ex: arrived the day of return, you do not have time to wait to receive the
documents from the Secretary of State). In this case, you have to proceed as follows:
1. Bring to Spain a copy of the notes and explanatory letters that you have kept as proof (without them no
management can be carried out, neither validation nor selectivity) and any other important school
document.
2. Make sure that someone of trust and responsibility in the USA (the host family, or close friend) takes care
of the remaining process and urgently sends the documents, once legalized, to your address in Spain.
In this regard, we ask you to complete the process PERSONALLY before your return to Spain, and not to ignore for
apparent greater ease, leaving third parties in charge. Such "orders" often mean a long delay in receiving the final
documents or an extra expense of up to € 450 or having to entrust the process to an external company.
Incorrect Assumptions Regarding Legalization:

• Disregard the process thinking that the organization will solve it later.
• Do not proceed personally and urgently to the process as soon as the notes are in your possession.
• Do not take a photocopy of notes and letters to keep them as proof.
• Send the notes and letters to the Secretary of State without first obtaining, through the previous steps, the
signatures of the Notary Public and the County Registry (if the latter is accurate in your State).
• Bring to Spain some notes and letters that only contain the signature of the Notary, thinking that this is enough
• Having left the complete legalization process in charge, but returning to Spain without even a notarized
photocopy of the final notes and letters (as this would prevent the start of the validation process and that of
the registration in the PCE).

4) LEGALIZATION of THE EXPLANATORY LETTER OF THE SYSTEM of BLOCKS or TRIMESTERS or EXPLANATORY LETTER
OF SUBJECTS:
Those who are enrolled in a school that adopts the Block System or Trimester System, or those who need to present
the description of a subject or clarification of the degree in which they are enrolled will have to follow the same
legalization process with their Explanatory Letter of the System of Blocks or Quarters, or with the description of
the subject / s as we have indicated above. Therefore, the legalization of these documents must follow the same
steps as the legalization of the notes: signature of the Notary Public (the signature must appear on the document
to be legalized, NOT in an attachment), seal of the County Registry (if necessary) and Hague Apostille of the
Secretary of State.