Admissions Requirements for International Students

Penn State requires several different materials from international students to complete an application. Please review the following requirements to ensure you can provide all the proper documentation to complete your application based on whether you are a first-year applicant or transfer applicant.

Requirements for First-Year International Students

All first-year students need to provide the following:

• Online Application via MyPennState or the Common App

• Academic Record – the Self-Reported Academic Record (SRAR) for all applicants except those in the South Korean educational system, must submit official transcripts from their last three years of work

• Official SAT or ACT scores, should you wish to include them

• Proof of English Language Proficiency

The following details will help first-year applicants submit the required materials.

• All first-year students have to submit a SRAR, with the exception of students in the South Korean educational system. Those students must submit official secondary school records at the time of application to be evaluated for admission to Penn State, as well as official post-secondary records for attempted college/university coursework (if applicable). The following requirements apply:

  • All documents submitted for review must be official, that is, they must be either originals or copies certified by the examining board, an official at the institution, the Ministry of Education, or consulate. 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 considered official documents.

• All documents should be submitted in the original language. All documents in languages other than English must be accompanied by a certified line-by-line, literal English translation.

• Should the school, examining board, Ministry of Education, or consulate mail the official document to you, the applicant, rather than Penn State, please forward the unopened envelope to Penn State. Official copies that are not sent directly to Penn State and are opened by the applicant can no longer be considered official.

• Official SAT or ACT scores, should you desire. Penn State is test-optional through Fall of 2025, so submitting scores is not required for your application, unless you are using them for your proof of English Language Proficiency. First-year applicants currently in high school or those who have graduated from high school five or fewer years ago should arrange for SAT or ACT scores to be sent directly to Undergraduate Admissions from the appropriate testing agency

  • To have SAT scores sent, visit www.collegeboard.org and use SAT code #2660

  • To have ACT scores sent, visit www.act.org and use ACT code #3656

Requirements for Transfer International Students

All transfer students need to provide the following:

• Online Application via MyPennState

• Post-Secondary Records

• Proof of English Language Proficiency

International transfer students do not need to complete the SRAR as part of the application. As part of the transfer application, we do require official transcripts for the post-secondary institution.

• For institutions outside the U.S., we require official transcripts, which include all subjects studied each year and the grade/mark earned in each subject, as well as a key to the marking system with information on the minimum passing mark

• For post-secondary institutions in the U.S., official transcripts must be sent directly from the institution to Penn State

For further information on transferring to Penn State, including program-specific admissions requirements, please see the information for transfer students. International transfer students can transfer credits to Penn State in a number of ways. Refer to the information outlined below and review the Academic Credit section of the website for more details.

Credit from Secondary Examinations

Courses studied at a higher level in the following systems of secondary education can be reviewed for transfer credit equivalent to the introductory courses in that subject.

• Advanced and Advanced Subsidiary Levels: Grade A, B, or C: see A-Level Credit

• Abitur: Grades 1, 2, 3, where 1 is high; grades 7-15, where 15 is high

• Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE): Score of III or higher

• International Baccalaureate: Subjects examined at the Higher Level with grades 5, 6, or 7: see IB Credit

• Advanced Placement examinations from College Board: see AP Credit

• College-Level Examination Program examinations from College Board: see CLEP Credit

Students Wishing to Take Summer or Winter Courses in Other Countries

Courses taken in programs in other countries that are not part of the regular degree-granting curriculum will not be considered for transfer credit.

English Language Proficiency for First-Year and Transfer Students

All international students whose native language is not English must submit proof of English language proficiency. U.S. citizens and permanent residents are not required to provide proof of English language proficiency, regardless of native language. If you are providing proof of English proficiency based on one of the test scores listed below, please note that the score reports must be official and come to Undergraduate Admissions directly from the testing service. Also, for our office to process your scores, your legal name that you used to apply to Penn State must match your testing exam name. If they do not match, it may result in our office not being able to process your scores. The scores must be less than two years old. The following are ways in which you can satisfy the language proficiency requirement:

• Duolingo English Test (DET): A minimum score of 120 is required

• TOEFL: A minimum TOEFL score of 80 on the Internet-based or Paper Edition TOEFL (code #2660)

  • Penn State does not accept TOEFL MyBest™ Scores

• TOEFL iBT Home Edition: A minimum score of 80 on the TOEFL iBT Home Edition (code #2660)

• IELTS: A minimum IELTS score of 6.5 on the academic test

• IELTS Indicator: A minimum IELTS score of 6.5

• SAT: a score of 570 or higher on the Evidence-Based Reading and Writing section (code #2660)

• ACT: Score of 24 or higher on the English section (code #3656)

• GCSE or GCE English language exam: Score of A, B, or C

• International Baccalaureate (IB): Score of 5 or higher on the English Language & Literature (English A) exam

• U.S. High School Experience: 4 years in a U.S. high school prior to enrollment at Penn State

• U.S. College or University: High school graduation followed by one complete year of full-time academic coursework at a U.S. college or university with a grade of C (2.0) or higher in a standard English composition course (for transfer students)

• IECP: Receive official certification through Penn State's Intensive English Communication Program (IECP)

Information about Secondary School Records

Secondary records are required for both first-year and transfer international students, but first-year international students who completed a SRAR do not need to provide them until after they accept an offer of admission. International students must provide transcripts of coursework and grades for all years of secondary school study. Prior to attending Penn State, international students must send:

• Secondary school records that list the subjects studied each year and the mark or grade of proficiency earned in each

• A key to the marking system with information on the minimum passing mark

• Examination results, if you complete secondary school in a country where a secondary school leaving examination (GCSE, GCE, CXC, French Baccalaureate, Abitur, etc.) is administered

• Certified copies of diplomas or certificates if you have already completed secondary school

Review our list of required from selected countries to ensure you send the proper documents.