Middle States Association Apostille Services for International Schools & Students
Philadelphia Notary & Apostille is proud to work with the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools (MSA) to assist students, families, and accredited schools with apostille, document legalization, notarization, and translation services for academic documents being used internationally.
For students graduating from American and internationally accredited schools, preparing a diploma or transcript for use in another country can involve much more than simply obtaining an apostille.
Depending on the destination country and purpose of the documents, the process may include:
Middle States embossment → School official attestation → Notarization → Apostille or legalization → Certified or sworn translation → International delivery
Our team coordinates these steps so that schools and families do not have to navigate multiple agencies, notaries, translators, and international document requirements independently.
Why Do Middle States Academic Documents Need an Apostille?
An apostille authenticates the origin of a public document so that it can be recognized in another country participating in the Hague Apostille Convention.
For academic documents, however, the diploma or transcript itself generally does not simply receive an apostille without first establishing an eligible signature for authentication.
This is particularly important for American and international schools operating outside the United States.
A student may attend school in Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East, or Latin America while receiving an American-style diploma from an institution accredited by a U.S. accrediting organization such as Middle States.
When those credentials are later presented to a foreign ministry, university, consulate, education authority, or government agency, additional authentication may be required.
Philadelphia Notary & Apostille helps create the proper U.S. authentication chain for these documents.
What Is Middle States Association Embossment?
One of the benefits available to eligible Middle States accredited institutions is the ability to request Middle States embossment of academic credentials.
Schools may submit documents such as:
High school diplomas
Official transcripts
Academic records
Verification documents
Report cards
Other qualifying school-issued credentials
The embossment helps establish the connection between the academic credential and the institution's accreditation.
Is Middle States Embossment Required for an Apostille?
Not necessarily.
Middle States embossment itself is not a prerequisite for obtaining an apostille. However, when available and appropriate, we strongly encourage schools and families to consider it.
It adds another level of institutional verification to the academic document before the notarization and apostille process begins.
For many international students, particularly those completing formal recognition procedures abroad, having a properly embossed, notarized, apostilled, and translated academic record can create a much stronger document package.
How the Middle States Apostille Process Works
Our process is designed specifically around academic credentials and internationally accredited schools.
Step 1: The School Prepares the Academic Documents
The school first prepares the student's diploma, transcript, or other academic records.
Original documents are highly preferred whenever the receiving authority requires originals. The exact requirements should always be determined based on the country and procedure for which the documents will be used.
Step 2: Middle States Embossment
When embossment is requested, the school submits the appropriate academic credentials to Middle States Association.
Middle States reviews and embosses the applicable documents according to its procedures.
Once the embossment process has been completed, the documents can proceed to the authentication stage.
Step 3: We Coordinate Directly After Embossment
This is where Philadelphia Notary & Apostille's relationship and experience with Middle States academic documents becomes particularly valuable.
After the Middle States process is complete, our team can coordinate retrieval and continued processing of the documents for notarization and apostille.
Instead of sending the documents back and forth between multiple unrelated providers, the authentication process can continue in a coordinated workflow.
Step 4: School Official Attestation
Academic documents frequently require an authorized school representative to attest to the document or the authority under which it was issued.
Depending on the school, the authorized representative may be the:
Head of School
Principal
Registrar
Director
Academic administrator
Legal representative
Other designated school official
Our team prepares or coordinates the appropriate attestation, generally on official school letterhead, and works directly with the authorized school representative.
The attestation is then associated with the corresponding diploma, transcript, or academic record.
Remote Online Notarization for International Schools
One of the most important parts of our process is our ability to coordinate notarization with school officials located outside Pennsylvania—and, in many cases, outside the United States.
How Can a U.S. Notary Notarize a School Official Who Is Overseas?
Pennsylvania permits commissioned notaries who meet the applicable requirements to perform Remote Online Notarization (RON).
Remote Online Notarization allows the notary and school official to meet electronically rather than requiring the school representative to physically appear in Pennsylvania.
During the remote notarization process, the school representative's identity is verified and the notarial act is completed electronically in accordance with applicable Pennsylvania requirements.
This is especially useful for Middle States accredited international schools.
A Head of School in Spain, a principal in Saudi Arabia, a registrar in France, or an administrator elsewhere in the world does not have to travel to the United States simply to complete the notarization.
Our team coordinates the remote notarization directly with the school's authorized representative.
Step 5: Apostille Authentication
Once the appropriate school official's signature has been properly notarized, the document can proceed through the applicable apostille process.
The apostille authenticates the qualifying U.S. official or notarial signature in the document chain—it does not independently certify the student's grades, academic performance, or the substantive contents of the diploma.
For international Middle States schools processed through our Pennsylvania workflow, our team handles submission of the properly prepared documents for Pennsylvania apostille authentication.
For qualifying domestic U.S. schools located in other states, we can coordinate apostille processing through the appropriate state authority.
Philadelphia Notary & Apostille offers apostille processing in all 50 states.
Step 6: Certified or Sworn Translation
Obtaining the apostille may only be one part of the process.
Many countries require the academic documents—and sometimes the apostilles or accompanying attestations—to be translated before they can be accepted.
Philadelphia Notary & Apostille coordinates both certified and sworn translations, depending on the destination country and procedure.
Spain: Homologación and MAEC Sworn Translation
Students submitting American academic credentials for homologación in Spain may require their diploma, transcript, attestations, apostilles, or other supporting records to be translated into Spanish.
When a sworn translation is required, we can coordinate translation by qualified Spanish sworn translators (traductores jurados) for the applicable Spanish process.
This allows the authentication and translation portions of the student's academic document package to be coordinated together.
Italy: Declaration of Value
Students using their credentials for a Declaration of Value (Dichiarazione di Valore) may have additional requirements involving the appropriate Italian Consulate.
Depending on the consulate and academic credential, the process can involve:
Preparing the academic documents
Obtaining the appropriate school official attestation
Notarization
Apostille
Italian translation
Preparation for submission under the applicable consular requirements
Our team regularly assists with academic document packages intended for Italy and can coordinate the apostille and translation portions of the process.
Because Italian consular requirements can vary by jurisdiction and type of academic credential, each Declaration of Value case should be reviewed individually.
Why We Generally Do Not Recommend Simple Copy Certification
One of the most common problems we encounter with academic apostilles is an improperly prepared notarization.
A family may already have an original diploma and assume that a notary can simply photocopy it and execute a statement saying:
"This is a true copy of the original."
That may not satisfy the foreign authority.
A notary certifying a photocopy is fundamentally different from an authorized representative of the school attesting to the academic document.
For procedures involving academic recognition, universities, consulates, and education ministries may expect the authentication chain to originate with the educational institution or an authorized school representative.
This distinction can be particularly important for procedures such as:
Spanish homologación
Italian Declaration of Value
International university enrollment
Recognition of foreign academic credentials
Professional licensing
Government employment
Immigration or residency applications involving academic credentials
We have assisted clients who previously paid another provider to obtain an apostille on a copy certification only to discover that the receiving authority would not accept the underlying certification method.
The document then had to be prepared again using the appropriate school-official authentication process.
An apostille does not correct an improper underlying document.
This is why we review the intended use of the academic records before determining how the documents should be notarized and authenticated.
Domestic U.S. Schools vs. International American Schools
We can assist with both.
International Middle States Accredited Schools
For participating international schools, our workflow can include:
Middle States embossment → School official attestation → Pennsylvania Remote Online Notarization → Pennsylvania apostille → Translation → International shipping
The precise authentication route depends on the document and destination requirements.
Domestic U.S. Schools
For schools physically located within the United States, the apostille generally needs to follow the requirements of the state connected to the notarization or issuing authority.
For example, a properly notarized academic document from a school in New Jersey would ordinarily proceed through the New Jersey authentication process rather than simply being submitted in Pennsylvania.
Our team provides apostille services throughout all 50 U.S. states, allowing us to coordinate academic records from schools across the country.
International Shipping Available
Once authentication and any requested translations have been completed, documents can be shipped either domestically or internationally.
We regularly coordinate delivery of apostilled academic documents to students, parents, universities, representatives, and other recipients throughout the United States and abroad.
International delivery can be arranged directly to countries throughout Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, Asia, Africa, and other regions.
Frequently Asked Questions About Middle States Apostilles
Is Middle States embossment required to obtain an apostille?
No. Middle States embossment is not inherently required to obtain an apostille.
However, if your school is eligible for embossment, we often recommend incorporating it into the document preparation process because it provides an additional institutional verification associated with the school's accreditation.
The requirements of the ultimate receiving authority should always control.
Does Middle States issue the apostille?
No.
Middle States Association's role and the government's apostille function are separate.
Middle States may provide its applicable embossment or accreditation-related verification, while the apostille is issued by the appropriate governmental competent authority after the document has been prepared in a manner eligible for authentication.
Philadelphia Notary & Apostille coordinates the steps following embossment, including notarization and apostille processing.
Who signs the school attestation?
This depends on the institution.
The signatory may be the Head of School, principal, registrar, director, legal representative, or another official authorized by the institution to attest to its academic records.
We coordinate directly with the school to determine the appropriate representative.
Does the school official need to travel to the United States?
In many cases, no.
For eligible Pennsylvania Remote Online Notarization transactions, the authorized school official can appear before our Pennsylvania notary electronically.
This makes the process particularly useful for American and Middle States accredited schools located internationally.
Can a school official sign electronically?
Depending on the applicable notarization and receiving-country requirements, an eligible document may be completed through Remote Online Notarization within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
However, foreign document acceptance rules vary. Our team reviews the intended use and destination before recommending an electronic or wet-ink workflow.
Can you apostille diplomas and transcripts?
Yes. We regularly coordinate apostille processing for academic documents including diplomas, transcripts, academic records, school attestations, and related educational credentials.
The correct procedure depends on how the document was issued and where it will ultimately be used.
Can you handle apostilles for schools located inside the United States?
Yes.
We provide apostille coordination in all 50 states.
Domestic schools are processed according to the applicable authentication requirements for their respective state and document type.
Can you translate the documents after the apostille?
Yes.
Our team coordinates certified and, where applicable, sworn translations for international academic procedures.
This includes document packages intended for processes such as Spanish homologación and Italian Declaration of Value applications.
Have your Middle States academic documents been rejected?
Our Middle States workflow is designed specifically to avoid the common preparation errors we see when academic credentials are processed using generic apostille procedures.
Every case can still be subject to review by the ultimate receiving authority, consulate, university, ministry, or government agency, so no apostille provider can guarantee acceptance by every foreign authority.
Our focus is on preparing the authentication chain correctly for the intended procedure and identifying potential problems before documents are submitted.
Why Use Philadelphia Notary & Apostille for Middle States Academic Documents?
International academic authentication is highly specialized.
The challenge is often not obtaining the apostille itself. The challenge is making sure the underlying academic document has been prepared correctly before the apostille is issued.
Our Middle States academic workflow can coordinate:
School → Middle States embossment → Authorized school representative → Remote Online Notarization → Apostille → Translation → International delivery
That means students and schools can work through one coordinated process rather than trying to determine independently which notary, state authority, translator, courier, or authentication procedure they need.
We regularly work with international academic credentials intended for Spain, Italy, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, and other destinations worldwide.
How Schools, Students & Families Can Work With Us
Philadelphia Notary & Apostille offers several ways to process Middle States academic documents. We work directly with schools, school administrators, students, parents, families, and alumni, and the process can be tailored depending on who is coordinating the request.
We also maintain different service and pricing structures for bulk school orders, individual school orders, and individual student or family orders.
Option 1: School Bulk Orders
We work with select Middle States accredited schools that process apostilles for multiple graduating students at once.
In this arrangement, a school administrator places a bulk apostille order directly with our team. This is especially helpful for international schools with multiple students who need their diplomas and transcripts authenticated for university enrollment or recognition abroad.
The typical workflow is:
School prepares documents → Middle States embossment → We retrieve the documents → School official notarization → Apostille processing → Translation, if requested → Documents returned to the school
Once the documents have been embossed, our team coordinates directly with the school's designated signatory—such as the Head of School, principal, registrar, director, or other authorized representative—to complete the required notarization.
We then process the documents for apostille and return the completed documents to the school or another designated recipient.
Bulk processing allows a school to manage the authentication requirements for an entire group of students through one coordinated order rather than requiring every family to independently arrange notarization, apostille, translation, and shipping.
Option 2: School-Sponsored Individual Orders
Schools do not have to place a bulk order to work with us.
A school may also coordinate an individual apostille request for a particular student or alumnus.
Our team can work directly with the school administrator and authorized signatory to prepare the student's diploma, transcript, or other academic records, coordinate notarization, obtain the appropriate apostille, arrange translation when required, and return the completed documents to the requested recipient.
This option works well for schools that only receive occasional international authentication requests.
Option 3: Student, Parent, Family or Alumni Orders
Another very common arrangement is for the school to handle the Middle States embossment while the student or family works directly with Philadelphia Notary & Apostille for everything that follows.
For example, the school may submit the student's diploma and transcript to Middle States for embossment. Once the embossment has been completed, our team can retrieve or receive the documents and take over the remaining authentication process.
From there, we coordinate directly with the school official for the required notarization while the student, parent, family member, or alumnus remains our client for the apostille, translation, and shipping services.
The typical workflow is:
School requests Middle States embossment → We receive the embossed documents → We coordinate notarization with the school → Apostille → Translation, if required → Final delivery to the student, family, university, consulate, or other recipient
This allows the school to participate where its involvement is necessary without requiring its administrative team to manage the student's entire international document process.
Different Programs for Different Types of Orders
There is no single ordering structure that every Middle States school or student needs to follow.
Our Middle States academic services are designed to accommodate:
Bulk school orders for multiple students
Individual orders placed directly by a school
Student and family orders after a school arranges Middle States embossment
Alumni requests for previously issued academic credentials
Each type of request has its own workflow and pricing structure based on the number of students and documents, destination country, authentication requirements, translations, and final delivery instructions.
For schools handling recurring international apostille requests, our team can also establish a consistent process so administrators know exactly where documents go after embossment, who needs to participate in the notarization, and how the completed documents will be returned.
For individual students and families, we provide a dedicated ordering process so they can work directly with our team while we handle the necessary coordination with their school.
Whether we are processing one student's diploma or a graduating class of academic records, the goal is the same: create one coordinated path from the school and Middle States embossment through notarization, apostille, translation, and final delivery.
Start Your Middle States Apostille Request
If you are a student, parent, school administrator, registrar, Head of School, or education representative preparing Middle States accredited academic credentials for international use, Philadelphia Notary & Apostille can coordinate the process from authentication through final delivery.
Whether you need an apostille for a diploma, transcript, academic record, Spanish homologación, Italian Declaration of Value, university enrollment, or another international academic procedure, our team can review the documents and determine the appropriate next steps.
Philadelphia Notary & Apostille
Middle States Academic Document Apostille, Legalization & Translation Services
Serving schools and students throughout the United States and internationally.