International undergraduate students
You are welcome here!
With its world-class academics as part of the University of North Carolina system and breathtaking location in the North Carolina mountains, Appalachian is a destination of choice for students from around the globe. International students find the Appalachian campus to be a safe, friendly and convenient learning environment in which to meet lifelong friends and invigorating academic challenges.
Connect with us! Sign-up for aone-on-onewith our International Admissions Counselor. Learn more about the admissions process and what that means for international students.
How to apply
Please select the application that matches your status below.
First-yearapplication– First-year students haven't taken college courses after graduating high school or early/middle college.
Transferapplication– Transfer students have attempted any college coursework the term following graduation.
Required for a complete application
- A complete online application
- A non-refundable application fee of $65 (USD)
- Official high school/secondary school transcript
- Official test scores (TOEFL, IELTS, Duolingo, SAT* or ACT**)
- If school is in an English-speaking country, we must have SAT or ACT whereas schools in non-English-speaking countries do not need the SAT / ACT
- Applicants who do/did not attend school in an English-speaking country must provide a TOEFL, IELTS,Duolingo English Test, SAT or ACT score
- Applicants who attend(ed) school in an English-speaking country must submit an SAT or ACT score
- Official college transcripts
- Additional information if requested, upon submission of your application, by the Office of Admissions (This may include submitting a Criminal Background Check and Conduct Review as required by the UNC System.)
- All applicants claiming to be a resident of North Carolina must request a residency determination through theResidency Determination Service (RDS)
*SAT evidence-based reading and writing and math, without the writing.
**ACT composite, without writing.
Additional details
Transcripts
We need all official high school/secondary school transcripts and academic records verifying successful completion of secondary education. If you have not yet graduated at the time of application, please send your most current official transcripts. If you attend(ed) a U.S. high school, the Minimum Course Requirements and other academic requirements of high school students apply. If you attend(ed) a high school outside of the U.S., we will evaluate your transcripts based on your academic competitiveness within your own educational system.
All international applicants must submit final official high school/secondary school transcripts. Students with a high school degree but no university credit will be considered as first-year students, and students with some university coursework will be considered transfer students. You must also submit official transcripts from all colleges or universities (post-secondary institutions) that you attend(ed).
If you are interested in transferring previous course credit from a foreign university to Appalachian, you must submit an international credit evaluation and course descriptions or syllabi (in English) in order to evaluate your credit. The following international credential evaluations are fine: World Education Services (www.wes.org), Educational Credential Evaluators (www.ece.org), Global Credential Evaluators (GCEUS.com), National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (naces.org) or Josef Silny (www.jsilny.org). Transcripts without evaluations and course descriptions or syllabi are acceptable for admission purposes but will not be evaluated for possible transfer credit.
All international documents must be accompanied by official English translations if the originals are in another language (exception – high school transcripts in Spanish are acceptable), and all documents must be original/attested in order to be considered official. Faxes or photocopies are not acceptable unless certified by a Ministry of Education, school, or US embassy official and will be evaluated on a case by case basis.
Test scores
Applicants whose first language is not English or whose high school program was not taught in English must provide a TOEFL, IELTS, Duolingo English Test, SAT or ACT score.
Applicants whose first language is English or have attended an English-speaking school must submit an SAT or ACT score.
The minimum TOEFL score needed in order to be considered for admission is 78 on the IBT (internet-based TOEFL), with at least 16 on each individual section, but preference is given to students with 85 and higher. The minimum IELTS score needed in order to be considered for admission is 6.0 on the IELTS. The Duolingo score required to be considered for admission is 100. Please find more information about the TOEFL atwww.ets.org/toefl and about the IELTS atwww.ielts.organd about Duolingo atduolingo.com.
SAT – Evidence-based Reading and Writing score of 500 without the writing. The writing portion is neither required nor recommended at Appalachian. The Appalachian State University SAT code is: 5010.
ACT –Composite score of 20. The writing portion is neither required nor recommended at Appalachian. The Appalachian State University ACT code is: 3062.
Students that do not meet those requirements, that are otherwise eligible for admission, may be considered for the AppELS Institute.
Completion of 4 years at an accredited IB high school, US high school, or high school from one of these English-speaking countries with an average of 70% or higher in all English and reading intensive courses (for undergraduate study).
Completion of at least one year of full-time study and be in good academic standing in a degree program at an accredited four-year college or university in the US or from one of these English-speaking countries (for undergraduate transfer or graduate study).
VISA or financial statements
Non-resident aliens who hold a current and valid visa which allows them to study at the post-secondary level in the United States must send a copy of their visa and a copy of their passport with their application materials. They do not need to send a financial statement unless they hold an F-1.
Non-resident aliens who hold a current F-1 visa must send a copy of their visa, a copy of their passport, and a financial statement.
Permanent residents of the US and visa holders who may be eligible for in-state tuition and who have lived in North Carolina for at least one year must submit a copy of their immigration documents to the UNC Residency Determination Service office in order to apply for in-state tuition. Learn more about the Residency Determination Service (RDS).
Non-resident aliens who need an I-20 form in order to obtain an F‑1 visa to enter and study in the United States must send a copy of their passport and a financial statement to the Office of International Education and Development after they have been admitted. Please contact issso@appstate.edu or 828-262-2046 with questions about the financial statement. The financial statement must include the following:
- a balance in U.S. dollars in liquid asset form (cash deposits, certificates of deposit, savings accounts, governmental funding, or scholarships);
- the applicant's name and his or her parents' or sponsors' names (whoever is providing the funding);
- an original signature of a bank official (the statement may not be a printout of an online statement);
- it must be on bank letterhead and include the official stamp or seal of the bank; and
- it must be an original document, not a photocopy or faxit must be in the student's name or accompanied by an affidavit of support
