Apply as an International Freshman

For admission purposes, someone is considered an international applicant if they are NOT a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, or do not hold refugee status or political asylum status. Those who are U.S. citizens, permanent residents, refugees or political asylum holders, should apply for the domestic student application.

An international freshman is an international applicant who is currently enrolled or has completed high school /secondary school in the United States or a foreign country. Please note: An applicant who has graduated from high school and was enrolled in another college or university for at least 12 semester hours following high school graduation is classified as a transfer applicant.

Minimum Requirements

A minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.00 (U.S. 4.00 scale) based on your high school grades.
Proof of English Language Proficiency. Please browse English Proficiency Requirements webpage for details.
For international undergraduate admission review purposes, YSU accepts scanned copies of original credentials in PDF format (See detailed requirements for copied documents).

Students who are admitted on the basis of scanned documents must:

mail in or bring in the official transcripts and degree certificates;
request the test center to send the official Language Test Report directly to YSU Office of International Admissions (code: 1975) (if English Proficiency is not waived).

Please note: Students will not be allowed to register for classes or request official transcripts before official credentials are received by YSU. Please check Official Transcripts and Degree Certificates and How to Submit page for detailed information.

All documents should be submitted in the original language in which they were issued, along with certified translated copies unless the institution that issues the documents does so in English.

How to Apply

To apply as a freshman, please follow the step by step instructions below:

Step 1: Go to the application portal and create your account. If you have already created an account, please log in to your portal;

Need help? Please check Application Portal Help Page and check How to Create my Account PDF tutorial. To successfully submit your application, please a computer to apply, do NOT use mobile devices such as smart phones or iPads.

Step 2: Log in to your application portal and start your online application form.

Need help? Please check Application Portal Help Page and check How to Fill out an Application Form PDF Tutorial.

Step 3: Your application form will only be submitted after you successfully pay the $75 non-refundable application fee and hit the “next” button.

Please make sure that all your information is accurate before you submit your application. You cannot change any information on your application form after it is submitted.

About the $75 non-refundable application fee payment: If you have any difficulty paying your application fee using your credit card, you may try to pay it through Flywire (a credit card is not required). If you successfully paid the application fee through Flywire, please make sure to send your Flywire payment receipt to intadm@ysu.edu. You will receive a code from International Admissions Office that you can type in to the “Promo Code” field to proceed with your application submission.

Need help? Please check Application Portal Help Page and check How to Submit an Application Form PDF Tutorial.

Step 4: Upload required supplemental items through your application portal.

Supplemental items will appear a few minutes after you successfully submit your application. Upload required supplemental items marked with “*” for an admission decision in two weeks.

Need help? Please check Application Portal Help Page and check How to View your Application Status and Upload Required Materials PDF Tutorial.

Lists of required supplemental items for admission review

Photocopy of your valid passport page showing photo, name, and birth date. If you are transferring from a US institution, please also submit a photocopy of your visa page.
International academic credential – High School Transcript. Applicants must show official academic record/grades from all high schools previously attended. This includes subjects studied, grades received, and a key to the grading system. If you have not graduated from your high school yet, you can provide the latest high school transcript for admission review. You must submit your official final high school transcript to get a full admission as soon as it is available. Official transcript issued in a language other than English must be submitted with a certified translation to YSU’s Office of International Admissions. YSU’s Office of International Admissions reserves the right to verify the accuracy of the translation.
International academic credential – High School Diploma or Certificate. If you have graduated from your high school, you must upload a copy of your high school diploma or certificate. If you have not graduated from high school yet, this item will be waived to proceed with your admission review. You must submit an attested copy of your High School Diploma or Certificate to get a full admission as soon as it is available.
A proof of English Language Proficiency. YSU accepts several official English proficiency test scores. Certain international applicants will be exempt from this requirement if they are from one of the YSU English language exempted countries. Please browse English Proficiency Requirements webpage for details.

You will receive email updates about missing supplemental items. Your application is considered complete once you upload all the required supplemental items marked with “*” on your application portal-Application View page. It is reasonable to expect 10-14 business days to receive an admission decision or an additional supplemental item request after your application is completed. Please log back into your application portal to check your application status from time to time.

Obtain Your I-20/DS 2019 Paperwork-After You Are Admitted

After you are admitted, Please check Obtain Your I-20/DS 2019 Paperwork-After You Are Admitted webpage for next steps.

How to Deferral your application to a future term

Please fill out the International Undergraduate Application/Admission Deferral Request Form. Our team will get in touch with you afterward. Please contact intadm@ysu.edu for any questions.