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International Transfer Student Requirements

Approximately 1,500 international students from 100 countries are currently enrolled at Kent State. We’re excited to have you join us as a Transfer Undergraduate Student and are here to help you every step of the way. We take a holistic approach to the application review process and consider a variety of factors in the admissions decision. Good luck!

 

Admissions Criteria & Requirements

Before you begin your application, please review Kent State’s requirements.

Education Level

You must apply as a transfer student if you have attended a college or university after graduation from secondary school or high school. If you have previously enrolled in a post-secondary (higher education) institution, then you cannot apply as a new first-year student and you should follow the procedures outlined below. 

GPA Requirements

Transfer applicants should meet the minimum requirement of GPA 2.0 on a U.S. 4.0 scale. Check for specific majors' selective requirements. Students who want a particular program but do not meet the minimum requirements may be considered for the pre-major.

If you are applying for transfer admission, you are not required to submit standardized test scores (ACT or SAT) as per Kent's Test-Optional Policy.

English Language Proficiency

All international undergraduate applicants must submit an English language proficiency test score to be considered for a Kent State program unless they meet specific exceptions or apply for conditional admissions.

All undergraduate applicants must obtain one of the following:

  • TOEFL iBT: 71; Home Edition iBT: 71
  • Revised PBT: 18 (average score)
  • IELTS Academic and IELTS indicator: 6.0
  • Duolingo:100
  • PTE Academic: 48
  • Completion of the Â鶹´«Ã½ ESL Center Level 8 Intensive English program with a minimum of 3.75 out of 4.0 GPA
  • ELS Level 112 Intensive English Program completion
  • SAT: a minimum of 510 evidence-based reading and writing
  • ACT: a minimum of 21 in English

Please note, Kent State accepts MyBest™ scores for the TOEFL iBT® test, in addition to TOEFL iBT scores from a single test date.

Conditional Admission

Undergraduate applicants who do not meet the minimum language score for admission may be admitted conditionally if they meet academic requirements.

Conditional Admission means students will take English language classes at our ESL Center before entering their programs.

Submitting your English test score

When applying as an undergraduate or graduate student to Kent State, there are a variety of ways to submit your score depending on which type of test you took.

Students should request that ETS send official TOEFL scores directly to Kent (institution code: 1367).

An IELTS or PTE report needs to be uploaded as a scanned PDF into our online application system.

All English scores will be verified for authenticity. Students with fraudulent documents will result in denial of admission or immediate dismissal.

English Proficiency Waivers

Depending on your educational background, you may be eligible for an English language proficiency waiver, meaning you do not need to take a language exam. See our country list and related requirements.

CHECK ELIGIBILITY FOR AN ENGLISH PROFICIENCY WAIVER

Academic Resources

Once you are enrolled and throughout your time with Â鶹´«Ã½, there are numerous academic resources that you can take advantage of such as tutoring, peer mentoring, advising drop-ins, study groups, language or conversation clubs. We offer a variety of options to assist you with your academics and your personal wellbeing too.

EXPLORE OUR CAMPUS RESOURCES

Post-Undergraduate Applications


This information applies to students who have received a baccalaureate degree from a college or university and wish to take additional undergraduate courses. There are two types of post-undergraduate applicants:

  • Post-undergraduate degree-seeking applicants – individuals interested in obtaining an additional bachelor’s degree.

  • Post-undergraduate non–degree-seeking applicants – individuals only interested in taking additional undergraduate coursework.

Please note: If you are a former Â鶹´«Ã½ student who has not attended any other college or university since your prior enrollment, then you do not need to reapply. Contact the Registrar’s Office at 330–672–3131 or visit the Admissions homepage of the Regional Campus you plan to attend.

Application requirements and processes are the same with the transfer application process. We do not provide transfer credit evaluation for students who are applying for the post-undergraduate non-degree-seeking route. 

Transferring Credits

Transfer credits refers to the number of transferable credits or course equivalents earned at an accredited post-secondary institution that can be applied toward a degree program at Â鶹´«Ã½.

Evaluation

International Admissions does an initial evaluation to determine what the equivalent credit hours and grades are, but it is your responsibility to meet with an academic advisor to see how these courses fit into your major at Kent State. We cannot guarantee that all your credits will transfer to exact equivalents in your program. If possible, please share course syllabi and course descriptions in English to make this process easier.

How To Transfer International Credits

  1. You provide final and official transcripts (translated and untranslated/original language) to the International Admissions Office.
  2. International Admissions completes a transfer credit evaluation and assigns general courses and USA credit hours to courses with USA grade D or better. No Basic English language courses will transfer.
  3. International Admissions sends the transfer credit evaluation to the Credit Transfer Department in the Registrar's Office, where the general courses and credit hours are entered onto the student's advising record (you can find more information here).
  4. You will receive an email when Step 3 is complete. You then need to meet with an academic advisor in the degree major to determine how the general credits fit into the major program at Â鶹´«Ã½.
  5. Unofficial transcripts and transfer credits can then be viewed through your Kent State Flashline account as described in the official acceptance letter.

Application Deadlines

  • Oct. 1 Spring Semester Application Deadline
  • June 1Fall Semester Application Deadline

Late applications are accepted but we recommend that international students apply as early as possible to allow for pre-departure requirements.

Application Process & Steps

Follow the steps below to become part of the Kent State community. If you have any questions, please reach out to us any time.

Submit Your Online Application

and a non-refundable application fee of $70.

Once we receive your application and fee, the process continues with an evaluation of your foreign credentials and English proficiency. The professional staff of the Office of International Admissions will make a decision based on this evaluation and the other information you submit on your application. 

Prepare Your Application Documents
  • A copy of your Passport Biographical Page.
  • English Language Proficiency scores
  • College transcript/detailed marksheets (Certified English translation and original language)
  • College Graduation Certificate/Diploma if available (Certified English translation and original language)
  •        If applicant has taken fewer than 12 semester hours:
  • Secondary School Graduation Certificate/Diploma/Attending Certificate (Certified English translation and original language)
  • Secondary School Transcripts/detailed marksheets (Certified English translation and original language)
  • Additional documents if required. *Check website for special majors' selective requirements
  • Financial guarantee (bank statements) that show sufficient funds to cover educational and living expenses. *
  • Kent State Affidavit of Financial Support is required when you are funded by a sponsor(s). For example: parent, sibling, relative, friend, government, organization or institute/school.*
  • *Financial documents are only required after acceptance.
Submit Your Application Documents
  • For faster processing, documents should be scanned as PDF documents and uploaded after submission of your online application. 

  • TOEFL scores must be submitted through ETS (institution code: 1367), SAT through College Board (institution code: 1367) and ACT (institution code: 3284) through ACT to be considered.

  • For admission purposes, we accept scanned documents of official international credentials and scanned copies of official U.S. credentials (it can be a scan of what was issued to the student). When an applicant is admitted, his/her final and official transcript and diploma should be brought to the International Admissions Office for verification. This should be done within the first semester (or the first module for ESL students). Otherwise, the student's account will be put on HOLD.  

  • International applicants can also mail the application to the address here:

         Office of Global Education (Mailing Address Only)
         Â鶹´«Ã½
         106 Van Campen Hall 
         625 Loop Rd
         Kent, OH 44242 USA

Check Your Admission Status

Please remember that it is your responsibility to check your application status to ensure that we have received all the documents. As a reminder, you are able to monitor the status of your application online. Please note that items sent to Kent State become the property of the university and will not be returned.

Apply for Immigration Documents (I-20)

Now that you are admitted, you will need an immigration document in order to obtain your student visa. Please check the immigration document page for additional information.

Transfer Your SEVIS record (If Applicable)

If you are an F-1 student transferring from a school in the United States, please review the regarding your SEVIS record transfer. F-1 students must transfer their SEVIS record in order to maintain their F-1 status.

Provide Final Documents After Arrival

When an applicant is admitted, his/her final and official transcript and diploma should be brought to the International Admissions Office for verification. This should be done within the first semester (or the first module for ESL students). Otherwise, the student's account will be put on HOLD.

Collect Course Descriptions and Syllabi

International Admissions does an initial evaluation to determine what the equivalent credit hours and grades are, but it is your responsibility to meet with an academic advisor to see how these courses fit into your major at Kent State. We cannot guarantee that all your credits will transfer to exact equivalents in your program. If possible, please share course syllabi and course descriptions in English to make this process easier.