International Transfer FAQ

Students applying for spring admission apply between September 1st and November 1st. Fall applicants apply between January 15th and March 1st.

View the english language proficiency and financial requirements. The specific transfer requirements vary by program of study. You should plan to complete the prerequisites for your program of interest prior to starting here at Illinois. We will consider courses in progress but some majors may not consider courses that you plan to complete during the summer prior to starting at Illinois. You can view the specific requirements for your program of interest by reviewing the Transfer Handbook.

Yes! Click here to Apply online as long as you have checked the Transfer Admission Requirements for your program of interest.

You would need to have completed a minimum of two academic years of full-time study at the secondary or collegiate level in the US (also United Kingdom, Australia and most of Canada) immediately prior to desired term of entry, in order to be exempt from the TOEFL requirement. The TOEFL requirement may also be waived with a 560 or higher critical reading score on the SAT I (ACT English score 25 or higher).
Illinois also accepts the IELTS to determine English proficiency. Minimum total score for admission: 6.5, including a minimum subscore of 6 on all four modules. Students receiving scores below 7 will be required to take the English as a Second Language Placement Test (EPT) for placement in ESL courses. Minimum total score for exemption from English as a Second Language Placement Test (EPT) for admission: 7, including a minimum subscore of 6 on all four modules.

We need official college transcripts for any college or university you have attended. We also need official, final high school transcripts, and certified true copies of any external exams such as A Levels, ISC, HKALE, etc. These are typically used to show proof of completion through grade 12 equivalence and often meet the foreign language requirement. If you do not meet the conditions listed in question 4 we also need official TOEFL or IELTS scores. Only students who have less than 30 hours of transferable credit need to submit official SAT or ACT scores. If you will be attending on an F-1 or J-1 visa please see financial certification requirements below.

Typically decisions for transfer students are sent out 6 to 8 weeks after the application is processed. Some majors wait until the end of the application period before beginning the review process so it can take up to 12 weeks to hear a decision, particularly for fall applicants. Students who apply to programs in Art, Theatre, Music and Dance may take longer to hear a decision because of portfolio reviews and/or audition requirements.

Letters of recommendation are not required and are not used in the review process. Also, please do not send copies of certificates of achievement, resumes, or other materials that are not required. Doing so can greatly increase the amount of paperwork in the office and sometimes can even delay the review of the application.

Yes. For students requesting the F-1 or J-1 student visa, the financial verification form and documentation should be included with the application materials; however, if the financial verification form and bank statement need to be signed and sent from sponsors/parents overseas, these items may follow the application materials as soon as possible. Please note that if you are admitted, a delay in sending these documents to us will mean a delay in sending your immigration paperwork to you.

I am currently an international student on visa. However, I will have permanent resident alien status at the beginning of the term. Do I apply as an international student now?

Yes, you should complete the international undergraduate application at this time. When you receive your "green card," send us a copy and we will change your status within our system. Click here for more information regarding residency classification.

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