EN 
VI 
FIRST YEAR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
First-year international students must be high school graduates (Students must have completed 12 years of schooling in their home country)
Steps to complete in preparation for application submission:
1.Complete the University application form
International students are required to pay a non-refundable application fee of $$100. Access online application to start
2.Submit official TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE Academic test scores to the University of South Carolina – Columbia.
English proficiency is measured by the TOEFL test. The minimum score required is 550 on the paper-based test or 77 on the computer-based test. USC also accepts IELTS or PTE Academic scores. Students must have a minimum score of 6.5 on the IELTS, or a minimum score of 53 on the PTE.
Please note that citizens of the following countries are exempt from the TOEFL/ IELTS/ PTE requirement:
- American Samoa
- Australia
- Bahamas
- Barbados
- Belize
- Canada (note: Quebec students must take the TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE)
- Dominica
- Grenada
- Grand Cayman
- Guyana
- Ireland
- Jamaica
- Liberia
- New Zealand
- Sierra Leone
- Trinidad/Tobago
- United Kingdom
3. Submit official transcripts (or certified copies) from schools in your home country. Additionally, if your transcripts are not in English, you must submit certified English translations.
4.Submit an evaluation form from a professional body with the GPA converted to the US grading system.
If you have attended any school outside the United States, you must submit an official professional evaluation. Freshmen must submit a document-by-document or course-by-course evaluation. An admissions decision will not be made until the evaluation and complete transcript are submitted. U.S. citizens (freshmen or transfer students) who have taken any courses outside the United States must submit a credential evaluation and transcripts from international courses with a U.S. grade point average reporting system. More information about the assessment process can be found below.
Please note that citizens of the following countries are exempt from the requirement to submit an assessment form:
- State of Rhineland-Palatinate/Rhineland Pfalz, Germany
- State of Thuringia, Germany
- State of Brandenburg, Germany
- State of Queensland, Australia
- Province of Taiwan, Republic of China
5.Submit official SAT or ACT scores (including writing) if you are applying for admission to the South Carolina Honors College or want to be considered for any departmental scholarships.
The University of South Carolina-Columbia's SAT score is 5818 and its ACT score is 3880.
6. If you apply for admission before graduating from high school, you must submit an official transcript (or certified copy) and an additional evaluation after you graduate from high school.
Your transcript must show your graduation date.
7. Submit financial documents if you receive an offer of admission. The Office of Undergraduate Admissions must receive an official (Certified Copy) confirmation that the student has the financial means to attend the University of South Carolina for one academic year.
This verification will be used in the issuance of student admission documents (I-20 or DS-2019), which will be required by the U.S. Embassy or Consulate when issuing an F-1 or J-1 visa. This process is done after the student receives an offer of admission.
Information on assessment information requests:
Please note that students are required to pay a fee for the evaluation of their credentials. Payment and all communications regarding the process are made directly to the evaluation service of your choice. We will review this evaluation from a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES). The web address is www.naces.org.
