International Students
Bienvenido! 안녕하세요! Swagatham!
International students at Purchase College are a vibrant community of important contributors to the Arts and Sciences on campus. Nearly 10% of the student body either carries an international passport or hails from outside of the United States, and they bring their unique perspective, talents and experiences to enrich the classrooms and studios at Purchase.
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. If you are accepted to the college, you will be joining a community of artists and scholars of exceptional talent, aptitude, and motivation.
However, there’s no need to take our word for it. Purchase was recently ranked as the following:
- Top 130 US School Best Value for Students from Outside the USA
- Top 20 US School Best Value for Students from Australia
- Top 20 US School Best Value for Students from Singapore
The Office for Global Education supports international students from their first interest in Purchase College through to application, enrollment, and arrival on campus.
Are you an International Student?
An international student is any applicant not holding US citizenship or Permanent Residency. But international students also come from different parts of the world, speak different languages, study in different schools, and have very different personal circumstances, which means that we will customize your application requirements to your specific circumstances.
International students are required to submit a variety of documents as outlined below. Some documents are required for academic review, and others for visa eligibility.
Applying as an International Student
Please review the steps below carefully and contact our International Admissions Advisor, Beatriz Martin-Ruiz, should you have any questions.
Step 1- Submit an application for admission to the College
Step 2- Once the application is processed, students will receive an email with access to the applicant portal. At this time we ask that you submit the International Supplemental Form, which allows us to customize your applicant checklist
Step 3- Mail official copies of your academic transcripts
- International Credential Evaluation, or official transcripts from a US institution, sent to the admissions office directly from the school or agency. Transcripts submitted by the students are considered unofficial
Step 4- Upload other required documents to the applicant portal
- Educational Data
- English Proficiency Report
- Letters of recommendation- one required, additional letters are optional
- Copy of passport identification page
- Copy of visa, if applicable
Step 5- Submit proof of English Proficiency
Step 6- For accepted students only: Submit Student Visa Funding Documents- only for Accepted International students who plan to obtain a Student Visa (F-1) .
- International Student Financial Statement
- Official financial documentation
International Credential Evaluations
We require all foreign transcripts be evaluated by an educational credential evaluator. Our preferred credential evaluation agency is World Education Services and we will also accept evaluations from approved agencies that from the National Association of Credential Evaluating Service (NACES) . Evaluations must be course-by-course evaluations showing all coursework and grades received. 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.
Official documents can be emailed to Admissions@purchase.edu or mailed to:
International Admissions
Purchase College, SUNY
735 Anderson Hill Road
Purchase, NY 10577
English Proficiency
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) , International English Language Testing System (IELTS) or Duolingo. Applicants must submit the completed English Proficiency Report or by meeting the requirements for TOEFL/IELTS Exemption outlined below.
- 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. Please have your school counselor fill out the TOEFL Waiver Request Form. 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
Duolingo
- 105 or better
Students who do not meet minimum TOEFL/IELTS score requirement are not eligible for admission.
Student Visa Funding requirements
Accepted international students seeking an F-1 student visa must submit the supplemental information below 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 2022-23 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 2022 (includes the cost of tuition, room and meals, fees, and health insurance for one year):
Undergraduate Students: $36,100*
Graduate Students: $42,400*
*Fees are subject to a 10% yearly increase
Funding Source | Type of Documentation Accepted |
---|---|
Sponsor (parents, guardians, relatives, friends) |
Any of the following:
|
Sponsor (business) |
You will need both:
|
Scholarship |
Official scholarship letter from the awarding institution. The award letter must contain the name of the student, the amount of money available for each year of study, the duration of the award (including beginning and ending dates), the degree and major field of study for the award, and confirm the funding is applicable to Purchase College. |
Government Funding |
Official letter indicating the name of the student, the amount of money available for each year of study, the duration of the award (including beginning and ending dates), the degree and major field of study for the award, and confirm the funding is applicable to Purchase College. |
Loans/Lines of Credit |
Official letter from credit institution indicating approval of the loan/line of credit and the amount approved. |
Personal Funds |
Bank Statements (Savings or Checking accounts)* |
Free room & board from Sponsor |
You will need to provide all three:
|
*Whether from your own personal funds or your sponsor’s, we require bank statements from the last three months.