Application | Application Fee | Academic Records | TOEFL or SAT scores | Financial Information

1) Application

Penn State prefers that you apply for admission online. However, paper applications are acceptable.

To avoid delays in processing your application, please:

If you use the paper application, complete all items on the application in legible handwriting. If you need more space to complete an item, attach an additional sheet of paper.

Make sure the name on your application matches the name on your transcripts. Where possible, the name on the application should agree with the name on the passport.

Provide all required documents applicable to your situation.

Provide an e-mail address that can be used. Be sure that we have a current e-mail address at all times, and that Penn State is indicated as an eligible sender to the account.

2) Application Fee

A $50.00 application fee is required in order to process your application. It is not refundable. The fee should be payable to the Pennsylvania State University, in the form of a bank draft drawn on a U.S. bank or an international postal money order. Do not send cash.

When applying online, a credit card (Visa or Mastercard) is required to officially submit the application. International applicants not holding a credit card have the option to print out the fee payment form to send along with the fee.

3) Academic Records

All documents should be submitted in the original language. All documents submitted for review must be official, that is, they must be either originals or copies certified by authorized persons. A "certified" copy is one that bears an original signature of the registrar or other designated school official, an original impression of the institution’s seal, or signature/seal of the examining board. Uncertified or notarized copies are not acceptable.

Secondary School Records
Secondary records are required for both first-year and transfer applicants. Transcripts of course work and grades are required for four years of secondary school study. Records should list subjects studied each year and the mark or grade of proficiency earned in each. A key to the marking system with minimum passing mark should also be included. If you complete secondary school in a country where a secondary school leaving examination (GCE, GCSE, CXC, French Baccalaureate, Abitur, etc.) is administered, you will be required to provide the results of the examination.

Post-Secondary
If you attend a post-secondary institution outside the United States, we require official transcripts which include all subjects studied each year and the grade/mark earned in each subject. A key to the marking system with minimum passing mark should be included. In addition, we require course descriptions of all classes you have taken and intend to take prior to the semester in which you hope to enroll at Penn State. If descriptions are not available, please provide 3 to 5-sentence descriptions of each course. Include the content, scope, credits/number of hours for each course or the number of hours per week, and the number of weeks per semester.

If you attend a post-secondary institution in the United States, official transcripts should be sent directly from the institution to Penn State.

All documents in languages other than English must be accompanied by a certified line-by-line, literal English translation.

4) Standardized Tests

TOEFL
The score on the TOEFL is used to determine a student's English language proficiency. All international students whose native language is not English must provide a TOEFL score. We require a score of 550 or higher on the paper/pencil Test of English as a Foreign language (TOEFL), a score of 213 on the computer-based TOEFL, or a score of 80 on the Web-based TOEFL. You may visit the TOEFL home page to receive information about taking the test or write to them at TOEFL, P.O. Box 6151, Princeton, NJ 08541-6151 USA, by phone (609) 771-7100 or by FAX (609) 771-7500.

SAT

The SAT is required if your native language is English, or if you are a U.S. citizen or permanent resident. It is optional if your native language is not English and not required if you have completed a year of post-secondary course work. You may arrange to take this exam by writing to the College Entrance Examinations Board, P.O. Box 592-R, Princeton, NJ 08541 USA, or by linking to the College Board home page.

The code for Penn State that should be listed on the registration form is 2660. Generally, U.S. embassies and U.S. Information Service (USIS) offices have information on testing dates and places.

Please request that your SAT test scores be sent directly to Undergraduate Admissions.

5) Financial Information

The Application for Visa Document must be completed and submitted.

Because Penn State cannot offer financial assistance to undergraduate students from other countries, an international applicant must certify that sufficient resources are available to cover expenses. International Student Services (ISS) issues the appropriate form once a favorable financial review has been completed.

Undergraduate Admissions Office
The Pennsylvania State University
201 Shields Building
University Park, PA 16802-1294