New Freshmen

You are a new freshman if you have completed your secondary education and earned a certificate of completion that enables you to be admitted to a university in your home county and is equivalent to a U.S. High School Diploma and have not earned any credit at a post-secondary college or university.

If you have previously attended and received grades at another university, please see the information for undergraduate transfer students.

Academic Admission Requirements

To be considered for admission to ISU, international students applying as new freshmen must meet the following academic requirements:

• Have graduated from a high school or secondary school with satisfactory grades, received a diploma or certificate of graduation, and be eligible for admission to a major university in the country from which they graduated
• Have an estimated GPA of 2.25

An SAT or ACT is not required for admission.

English Proficiency Admission Requirements

International students are required to show proof of English proficiency by achieving a minimum English proficiency score on one of the tests in the table below, or by completing level 112 at any ELS program.

Exceptions to the English proficiency testing requirement include:

• students coming from one of the following countries: Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Botswana, Canada (except Quebec), Dominica, The Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guyana, Ireland, Jamaica, Liberia, Malawi, New Zealand, Nigeria, Saint Kitts & Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent & the Grenadines, Sierra Leone, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda, United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Wales), Zambia.
• students coming from countries or schools where English is the official medium of instruction.
• students transferring 14 or more credits from another college or university in the United States.

Students who qualify for one of the above exemptions need to submit documentation confirming English as the medium of instruction, or an official transcript from the U.S. college or university from which the student earned 14 or more transferable credits.

Students who do not meet minimum English proficiency requirements may apply for conditional admission, during which time they will need to be enrolled in an intensive English program, such as ISU’s IEI program, in preparation for full-time academic study at ISU.

Application Process

1) Apply for Undergraduate Admission

All prospective students must complete and submit the online application.

2) Pay the Application Fee

You can pay the $50 application fee online during the online application process.

If you are submitting a paper application, please include an international money order or bank draft payable in U.S. funds to Idaho State University. Do not send cash.

3) Submit your school transcripts and records

Freshman applicants must submit official secondary school mark sheets and diploma.

Mailed documents must be originals or copies certified by the school principal or controller of examinations and sealed in a school envelope. Documents not in English must be translated by a certified translator.  Official transcripts are also accepted by email if sent directly from the school principal or registrar.

*Students from West Africa may submit their WAEC.  Go to our WAEC Instructions page for instructions on how to submit.

4) Submit English proficiency scores

If your first language is not English, official English proficiency scores must be submitted directly to the International Programs Office from the testing center.

5) Submit proof of financial support

If you are currently on, or will be applying for, an F-1 or J-1 visa, the following will be required:

• A signed Declaration of Financial Support Form from any sponsor providing financial support covering your first year tuition and living expenses. Applicants being sponsored by their government, embassy, or educational agency need only submit a financial guarantee OR letter of sponsorship from their relevant authority.
• Bank documentation showing the minimum amount of funds as required on the Declaration of Financial Support above. The funds must be liquid. The documentation must be original (or certified copies of an original document) and must be dated within the past six months in order to be considered valid.

6) Submit a copy of the biographical page of your current passport

7) Complete the online Verification Form

8) Transferring from another U.S. School?

Students currently on an I-20 from another U.S. school will need to submit the following additional items as part of the SEVIS transfer process:

• SEVIS Transfer Release Form (PDF) completed by your current international student advisor.
• Copy of your current I-20 from your previous school
• Copy of your current Visa (excluding students from Canada)
• Copy of your current I-94 card