Application Instructions

Application Process

Once the Office of Undergraduate Admissions receives your application with all required credentials, the evaluation process will begin. The admissions decision is based on the student’s academic achievements, as well as test scores, letters of recommendation, an admissions essay and your involvement in extracurricular activities. An admissions committee will evaluate the application using all submitted credentials. Once the admissions committee reaches a decision, a decision letter will be sent to you. If you are granted admission and wish to enroll at USD, you must submit an enrollment confirmation form and include tuition and housing deposits.

Upon receipt of your enrollment confirmation form and deposit,financial documentation, transfer verification form and accompanying documents (if required) we will then issue you a Form I-20, which you will use to obtain your F-1 student visa.

International Application Instructions

Admissions Application: When completing your application, please clearly print or type all requested information, including your complete address. We strongly advise that all your documents have the same spelling of your first and last name. Should you have any aliases, please provide us with that information as well. If you already have a passport, please make sure your first and last name is consistent with the application.

Mailing Address and Permanent Address: In order to correspond with you in a timely manner please make sure you give us your complete mailing and permanent addresses. Please be aware that we may not be familiar with address abbreviations in your country so the information you provide must be complete. Due to mailing restrictions, we cannot accept a P.O. Box address (unless you live in certain parts of the Middle East), so please make sure you have a ground mailing address available.

E-mail and Fax number: Much of our correspondence can be done via e-mail or fax. If you have access to either of these, please include them in your application. Since international mail can be quite slow at times, an e-mail address or a fax number can be an effective tool in communicating with you in a timely way .

Declaration of Major: As an international student we ask that you please indicate your proposed major. This will not bind you to a particular major, however this information will be needed if we issue you an I-20 form. You will be asked to officially declare a major at the end of your sophomore year by filling out appropriate paperwork at the Office of the Registrar.

Freshman and Transfer Admission: Students applying for freshman admission generally are students who have just completed high school and who do not have substantial college coursework. Freshman applicants must submit SAT and TOEFL scores. A transfer student must have at least one year of college work completed. Transfer students must submit TOEFL scores and all transcripts. All transcripts must be translated into English.