International First-Year Applicants

Applicants with an international educational background are reviewed using the same holistic admission review process as those who have attended a high school in the United States. We may ask for additional academic records and/or other materials as deemed necessary for our holistic admissions review.

International First-Year Application Process

Apply online using our institutional application or the Common App. Students should only submit one application and international students use the same application as domestic students.

Once you submit your application, you will receive an email from us with your login information to your FSU Admissions portal, the Application Status Check (ASC). In the ASC, you will need to complete a number of tasks starting with your International School Form.

Complete the International School Form to tell us more about your educational curriculum.

Applicants who will be reviewed with the SSAR.

International First-Year applicants that can complete the Student Self-reported Academic Record (SSAR) through their Application Status Check include those who:

  • Attended a Department of Defense (DoDEA) School.
  • Attended a summer program abroad, but otherwise all for-credit coursework is from a high school regionally accredited in the United States.

Applicants who will be reviewed with official academic records & a foreign credential evaluation.

International First-Year applicants should submit official academic records/transcripts and a Secondary School Evaluation include those who:

  • Attended a secondary school located outside the United States.
  • Studied a curriculum that did not follow the standard U.S. system.

The Secondary School Evaluation may be waived for applicants whose educational background meets any of the following criteria:

  • Transferred to a school located in the United States and had international coursework evaluated through their United States secondary school. If evaluated, this coursework typically appears on the U.S. school's transcript.
  • Attends or graduated from a secondary school located outside the United States that follows a U.S. grading scale.
  • Attends or graduated from the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme that follows the IB grading scale of 1-7.
  • Attends or graduated from one or more of the following examination-based curriculums: Official International Examination Results should be included with your academic records sent to FSU.
    • British Patterned Examinations (Cambridge/AQA/Pearson/EdExcel)
      • GCSE O Levels
      • GCSE AS Levels
      • GCSE A Levels
      • IGCSE
    • Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC)
      • Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC)
      • Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Exam (CAPE)
    • Bahamas General Certificate of Secondary Education (BGCSE)
    • West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSC)
    • Nigeria's National Examinations Council (NECO)

Submitting Official Academic Records

Official academic records refer to any records from your secondary school regarding your academic performance and curriculum. At minimum, this includes your official school transcripts but may also include international examination results and/or a secondary school evaluation based on your personal academic history. All academic records that are required must be received by our office by the application deadline to receive an admissions decision. You can track your personalized application requirements on your Application Status Check.

For academic records to be considered official, they must be sent directly by the school, exam board, or a school official. A school official can email your academic records to admissions@fsu.edu. You may also request that your official transcripts be sent by mail in a sealed envelope directly to Florida State.

Completing a Secondary School Evaluation

The Secondary School Evaluation refers to an evaluation of non-U.S. records completed by an independent foreign credential evaluation agency. The evaluation must include:

  • Degree equivalency
  • U.S. equivalent grade point average

We recommend the evaluation be done by a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES). All academic records must be issued in the native language and be accompanied by a certified English translation. The Secondary School Evaluation must be sent directly from the agency to Florida State University.

Additional Application Requirements

International First-Year applicants must satisfy these additional requirements through their Application Status Check:

  • Self-Reported Standardized Test Scores for the ACT/CLT/SAT
    • FSU is subject to Florida Board of Governors admissions regulation 6.002 which requires first-year students seeking admission to submit an ACT, CLT, or SAT test score.
  • Self-Reported English Language Proficiency
    • English Language Proficiency results are required of all international applicants whose native language is not English. For more information regarding our English Proficiency requirements, please reference our English Proficiency page.
  • Essay and Resume/List of Activities
First-Year Admissions Information
International FAQs

Certification of Financial Responsibility

Shortly after admission, students will receive an email with instructions for completing the online Certification of Financial Responsibility (CFR) form to demonstrate proof of adequate funding. Florida State University is required by U.S. federal regulations to verify the financial resources of each applicant prior to issuing the Form I-20. Applicants must show proof of financial support for the first year of study and confirm availability of funds for the length of the academic program.