​​Admission Guidelines for Undergraduate International Students​

Kutztown University Policy ACA-031

  1. Purpose

    The purpose of this policy is to provide additional requirements and procedures for international students applying for undergraduate admission to degree programs at Kutztown University. 

  2. Scope

    This policy applies to non-United States citizens who are not permanent residents and are subject to a visa granting them eligibility to study in the United States for a period of time. 

  3. Key words and phrases:

    GPA:  Grade Point Average 

    ACT:  American College Testing 

    Duolingo: Duolingo Test of English Proficiency 

    IELTS:  International English Language Testing System 

    TOEFL:  Test of English as a Foreign Language 

    SAT:  Scholastic Aptitude Test 

  4. Policy & Procedure(s)

    1. Freshman Student Admissions 

      1. Complete the application for admission. 

      2. Submit a non-refundable $35 application fee.  

      3. Submit secondary school transcripts, including courses taken and marks for the last four years.  Students in their last year of secondary school should submit courses in progress.  Students who completed secondary school should submit a final diploma, certificate, and/or exam results. 

      4. Have a minimum of a 2.5 GPA on a 4.0 scale when converted to United States grading system. 

      5. Submit an official score from one of the following tests. Test date must be within two years of the date you intend to enroll at KU. Minimum criteria for admission and English proficiency are listed below: 

        • SAT 

          • Total score of 930 for admission 

          • Evidence-based Reading and Writing score of 560 for English proficiency 

        • ACT

          • Composite score of 17 for admission

          • English/Writing score of 21 for English proficiency  

        • TOEFL

          • Internet-based test Composite score of 79

          • Paper-based test Composite score of 550 

        • IELTS – Overall score of 6.5 

        • PTE – Overall score of 53 

        • Duolingo – Overall score of 105 

      6. Meet English proficiency requirements based on one of the following criteria:

        • Reside in a country where English is recognized as an official language 

        • Achieve a minimum score on a standardized test listed in section D. I.5 

        • Other formal English report as authorized by the United States Embassy or Consulate will be considered on a case-by-case basis 

      7. Complete any other requirements as prescribed by your intended major by the appropriate date.  Example: portfolio, art test, music audition.

      8. Kutztown University strongly encourages students to pursue a college preparatory program in secondary school which consists of:  four years of English, three years of Social Science, three years of Mathematics, and three years of Science.

      9.  Applicants will be considered on a rolling basis.  

      10. When approved for admission to the University, applicants will be required to make a non-refundable advance registration deposit.  

      11. A favorable admission decision is based upon the student’s qualifications at the time of the offer and is contingent upon his or her maintaining those standards through completion of secondary school. Students must submit a final official transcript that includes the date of graduation to the Office of International Admissions and Services.

      12. Kutztown University reserves the right to require an external credential evaluation of academic records from outside of the U.S. at any time during the student’s academic program at the university. 

    2. Transfer Student Admissions

      1. Complete application for admission. 

      2. Submit a non-refundable $35 application fee.

      3. Request an official copy of the final secondary school completion certificate be sent directly from the student’s secondary school to the Office of International Admissions and Services. Documents in a language other than English must be accompanied by an official word-for-word English translation. This requirement is waived for students who complete 30 U.S. college-level semester credits or the equivalent. 

      4. Request official transcripts from all U.S. post-secondary institutions attended be sent directly to the Office of International Admissions and Services.  Kutztown University reserves the right to require an external credential evaluation of academic records from outside of the U.S. at any time during the student’s academic program at the university. 

      5. Transcript review:  

        • Only college/university credits other than remedial, developmental, or part of an English as a Second Language (ESL) curriculum will be considered for the purpose of application review and credit transfer.

        • 0-12 college-level credits (one semester): Students will be evaluated on the basis of their secondary school credentials, standardized test scores, and cumulative college GPA, if available.  

        • 12 or more credits (more than one semester): Transfer students with 12 or more college-level credits must have a minimum 2.0 on a United States 4.0 GPA scale for admission to most academic programs.  

      6. Meet English proficiency requirements based on one of the following criteria: 

        • Reside in a country where English is recognized as an official language 

        • TOEFL score of 79 on the Internet-based test (IBT) or 550 on the paper-based exam 

        • IELTS score of 6.5 

        • PTE score of 53 

        • Duolingo score of 105 

        • ACT score of 21 in the English/Writing section 

        • SAT score of 560 for the Evidence-based Reading and Writing section 

        • Other formal English report as authorized by the United States Embassy or Consulate will be considered on a case-by-case basis 

        • Transfer students who have studied at a United States institution for one year or longer and earned a minimum of 24 credits in courses taught in English, excluding developmental, remedial, and ESL coursework, and have a grade of C or higher in an English Composition course may request to have the examination results requirement waived   

      7. Complete any other requirements as prescribed by your intended major by the appropriate date.  Example: portfolio, art test, music audition. 

      8. Transfer students with 39 or more college-level credits must enter with a declared major. Exceptions to this policy may be considered with the approval of the Department Chair or Department of Academic Enrichment.  

      9. Applicants will be considered on a rolling basis.  

      10. When approved for admission to the University, applicants will be required to make a non-refundable advance registration deposit.  

      11. A favorable admission decision is based upon the student’s qualifications at the time of the offer and is contingent upon his or her maintaining those standards through the end of the semester. Students must submit a final official transcript to the Office of International Admissions and Services.  

    3. Financial Resources 

      All international students 
      who need to apply for a student visa must submit an application for the I-20 or DS-2019.  Supporting financial documents verifying that they have sufficient liquid financial resources for the first year of study must be submitted with the complete I-20/DS-2019 application.  Students must demonstrate that they have ongoing financial support for the entire length of their academic degree program.
       

    4. On-Campus Housing Requirement 

      Students are required to live on campus for the first two years of their experience at Kutztown University. While there are exceptions to this, all new students are encouraged to take advantage of all that living on campus offers. Additional information can be viewed by visiting https://www.kutztown.edu/housing. 

  5. Effective Date

    January, 1988 
    Fall 2016
    Spring 2017 
    Fall 2018 

  6. Approved By

    Endorsed by University Senate – February 4, 2016
    Approved by University President – March 23, 2016
    Endorsed by University Senate – December 1, 2016 
    Approved by University President – December 15, 2016 
    Endorsed by University Senate – April 5, 2018 
    Approved by University President – April 10, 2018 

  7. Last Reviewed

    August, 2009 
    August, 2010
    August, 2011 
    August, 2012 
    August, 2013 
    March, 2016 
    December, 2016 
    August, 2017 
    August, 2018 
    September, 2019