Purchase welcomes interest from international students. Nearly 10% of the student body either carries an international passport or hails from outside of the United States. Located in Westchester County NY just a short train ride from New York City, Purchase attracts students from around the globe and offers a myriad of academic and co-curricular opportunities for students seeking to study outside of their home country.  The many corporate headquarters, cultural organizations and biotech companies in our surrounding area offer academic internships that put our students on a path to success here and  around the world.

However, there’s no need to take our word for it. Purchase was recently ranked as the following:

Applying as an International Student

An international student is any applicant not holding U.S. citizenship or Permanent Residency. For international students, the application process is the same as it is for domestic applicants, with a few additional requirements as described below. Please review the information carefully and contact Garrett Marino, Associate Director of Admissions, if you have any questions.

Transcript Credentialing

Original documents (International Diplomas, Mark Sheets, Matriculation Certificates, and/or Diplomas) issued from the applicant’s home educational system must carry the official seal, stamp or signature of a school or government official. Academic documents must be submitted in the original language and those which are not in English must be accompanied by an exactly worded and certified translation as well as an evaluation. We require all foreign transcripts be evaluated by an educational credential evaluator. Our preferred credential evaluation agency is World Education Services

Foreign transcripts not accompanied by an evaluation from an approved agency may not be reviewed for admission or transfer credit award. Applicants can contact the National Association of Credential Evaluating Service (NACES) at www.naces.org for a list of approved agencies. Applicants must pay all expenses incurred for this service.

American and Canadian transcripts must be sent directly from the Registrar’s Office of the school. The submission of falsified documents will be considered grounds for rejection or reversal of an admission decision.

English Proficiency

Applicants must demonstrate sufficient proficiency in English to gain acceptance. Non-native English speaking students and any applicant whose undergraduate degrees is from a country where English is not the language of instruction are required to demonstrate English Language Proficiency. English proficiency is demonstrated by providing evidence of meeting minimum test scores on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS) and submitting the completed English Proficiency Report or by meeting the requirements for TOEFL/IELTS Exemption outlined below. 

Required English Proficiency Documents:

  • Submit your official TOEFL Test Score Report (Purchase College’s ETS code is 2878) and/or official IELTS score report. The testing service will send an official report directly to Purchase College. 
  • Submit your completed English Proficiency Report*

    *The English Proficiency Report may be waived for students eligible for a TOEFL/IELTS Exemption. However, Admissions still reserves the right to require the completed English Proficiency Report if it is deemed necessary to demonstrate proficiency.
TOEFL Score Requirements
  • Internet-Based Test (IBT) - 80 and above for unconditional admission
  • Paper-Based Test (PBT) - 550 and above for unconditional admission
  • Computer-Based Test (CBT) - 213 and above for unconditional admission

IELTS Score Requirements

  • 6.5 Band Score

TOEFL/IELTS Exemptions

Undergraduate Exemptions:

Undergraduate applicants may be exempted from the TOEFL/IELTS requirement if they meet at least one of the following criteria:

  • You have earned a diploma from an accredited United States High School or a degree from an accredited United States college or university where English is the principal language of instruction.
  • You have completed college-level English Composition I and II with a grade of “B” or better and 30 transferable semester credits from a regionally accredited U.S. institution.
  • You are a native citizen of one of the following countries: Anguilla, Antigua, Australia, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Canada (Except Quebec), Cayman Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, British Guyana, Ireland, Jamaica, Liberia, Montserrat, New Zealand, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, Sierra Leone, South Africa, St Vincent, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands, or the United Kingdom (England, Northern Ireland, Scotland Wales). Proof of citizenship (passport, visa, birth certificate or permanent resident card) must be provided. Please note, Permanent Residency alone does not qualify for an exemption. If you are not a citizen of one of the countries listed above, you cannot claim the exemption.
  • Your education originates from countries in which the official language is English.
  • You have achieved a Critical Reading score of 450 (old SAT taken before March 2016) or an Evidence-Based Reading and Writing score of 500 (new SAT taken March 2016 or later ).
  • You have achieved a combined English and Reading score of 21 or higher on the ACT.
  • You have obtained the following foreign high school diploma/test/scores:

                        Tests:                                                                 Score:
                    
              GCE, GCSE, IGCSE                                              “C” or higher in English Language

             Cambridge English: Advanced                     Overall Cambridge English Scale score of 176 
             or Cambridge English: Proficiency            (no less than 169 in Speaking and Writing)
                                                                                                     

Graduate Exemptions:

Graduate and postgraduate applicants may be exempted from the TOEFL/IELTS requirement if they meet criteria above that is applicable to a graduate-level student or:

  • Have completed a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution (Course offerings should include English Composition I and II with grade of “C” or better).
  • Cambridge English: Advanced or the Cambridge English: Proficiency - Overall Cambridge English Scale score of 176 and no less than 169 in Speaking and Writing.

Conditional Admission

Students who do not meet minimum TOEFL/IELTS score requirement and do not qualify for an exemption may be eligible for Conditional Admission with a requirement to attend the Summer Intensive English Language Program (IELP) at Purchase. Upon successful completion of the IELP, conditionally admitted students will be able to matriculate as full-time students.

English Placement Testing Requirements

ALL students for whom English is a second language are required to take an English placement exam before their first semester begins at Purchase College and before advising and registration. See English Placement Policy for International Students for more information. 

Student Visa Requirements

 Accepted international students seeking an F-1 student visa  must submit the following supplemental information required to be issued the I-20 Certificate of Eligibility for Non-immigrant (F1 Visa) Student Status (required after offer of admission):

  • Completed International Student Financial Statement with official financial documentation: Accepted students seeking an I-20 form to obtain an F-1 student visa must complete, sign and submit the International Student Financial Statement along with any required official bank letters verifying the information provided on the form. (NOTE: These documents are also required if the student is presently on a B-2 visitor, J-I exchange-visitor or F-1 student visa) For the 2018-19 academic year all applicants seeking an F-1 student visa are required to demonstrate that the following amounts of funds are available to pay for their education for the first year in 2018 (includes the cost of tuition, room and meals, fees and health insurance for one year):

Undergraduate Students: $32,896.80
Graduate Students: $38,786.80

Criteria for each bank statement or letter submitted:

  • should be a single page document showing the criteria below. Please DO NOT submit long statements with transaction history
  • indicate the financial institution’s name
  • indicate the account holder’s name
  • clearly show the account balance (this exact amount should be entered in your International Student Financial Statement
  • be dated within the past 6 months (older statements will not be accepted),
  • clearly show the type of currency
  • be from statements that show liquid assets that can be converted to cash
  • NOT be salary statements or tax documents
  • Signed and/or stamped by a bank official (or the bank official has to sign and/or stamp line A. in PART II of the International Student Financial Statement)

The following types of funding are NOT accepted:

  •  Documents older than 6 months
  • Income or salary statements
  • Funds that are not immediately accessible
  • Assets that are not in liquidated form (such as a house or car, etc.)
  • Life insurance policy statements
  • Pension funds
  • Tax return forms or document
  • Completed Educational Data form (if not already submitted).
  • Copy of passport identification page (a scanned image or color copy is preferred).
  • Completed International Transfer Form (only for students currently in the U.S.): Students currently attending high school, university or a language institute in the U.S. must submit the International Transfer Form. This form should be sent along with:
    • Copy of any previous I-20 forms
    • Copy of current visa
    • Copy passport ID page
    • I-94 U.S. arrival card, if applicable.