International Students Admission Procedures
Students applying for admission who are not U.S. citizens, permanent residents or eligilbe noncitizens and whol will require an F-1 visa, are considered international students by the Admission Office. These students should refer to the undergraduate or graduate admission sections for general instructions. In addition to the requirements stated in those sections, the following documents are required:
- Certified original copies of all transcripts, accompanied by official translations.
- Demonstration of English proficiency is required of all applicants for whom English was not the language of instruction in the schools they attended. An English proficiency score from within the last two years must be submitted directly from the testing agency to the Admission Office. Minimum test score requirements are:
- TOEFL: 79 (internet), 213 (computerized) or 550 (paper)
- IELTS: Band 6.5
- Duolingo: 100
- ITEP: 3.8
- APIEL: 3
- PTE-A: 54
Students who score 510 or higher on the Evidence Based Reading & Writing section of the SAT or have received a "C" grade or better in a college-level, non-ESL English composition course at an accredited U.S. college or university are exempt from the proficiency test score requirement.
Students who either attended a high school where the medium of instruction was English, or who live in a country where English is the official langeage, are exempt from the proficiency score requirement.
After Admission: Receiving the Form I-20
After admission, traditional international undergraduate students will need to submit the following items:
- Decision Reply Form and Tuition Deposit
- International Data and Evidence of Financial Support Form
- Passport Copy
- If already in the U.S. in F-1 status: copies of F-1 visa, current I-20, and most recent I-94 Arrival Record are also required
- Bank statement(s)/letter(s) that display a balance equivalent to or exceeding the current estimated international cost of attendance.
I-20 Issuance
Once MSMU has received the student’s items above, a Designated School Official (DSO) will issue the Initial Form I-20 and provide it to the student via email along with instructions to apply for the F-1 visa (or, if the student is already in F-1 status, the Admission Office will coordinate with their current institution regarding transfer of their SEVIS record).
The Admission Office will support new international students to complete their Housing Application (if applicable) and prepare for arrival to campus.
Per federal F-1 visa regulations, F-1 students arriving from abroad may enter the U.S. no more than 30 days before the Program Start Date on their I-20.
All F-1 students, including SEVIS transfer students who are already studying in the United States, MUST complete an Immigration Check-In and review F-1 visa regulations with an MSMU DSO prior to the start of their initial semester.