International Student Requirements
The following items are considered in admissions decision for interested international students:
- Submission of an application for admission, a non-refundable application fee of $35.00.
- An applicant with international coursework is defined as any applicant who has credit from a high school not in the U.S. or a college/university not regionally accredited in the U.S.
- Only official post-secondary transcripts may be used for admissions purposes or for the evaluation of credit to be transferred. In order to be official, a transcript must meet any of the following criteria:
- The transcript has arrived in an envelope sealed by the issuing institution, or
- The transcript has arrived or been accessed via a secure electronic transcript exchange (not email, not fax) of which Mayville State is already a member; or
- The transcript is a copy attested by the issuing institution as shown by an attestation stamp; or
- The transcript arrives as a photocopy attached to a credential evaluation performed by the Foreign Credentials Service of America (FCSA) or a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) or The Language Company (TLC) Level 9 or the Association of International Credential Evaluators (AICE); or
- The transcript has been provided by an official organization administering U.S. State Department sponsored fellowships, or international student exchange programs.
- All international transcripts and credentials must be in English or accompanied by an official English translation and evaluated before they are used for admission purposes. Such an evaluation is the sole responsibility of the applicant, and it must be performed by the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO) International Evaluation Services, a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) or the Association of International Credential Evaluators (AICE). Some evaluations of transcripts and credentials from specific countries may be completed by trained admission staff.
- An applicant whose native language is not English is required to demonstrate proficiency in the English language. Proficiency for admission purposes is demonstrated by any of the following ( or a combination of the following):
- At least two years of study, in good standing, at a U.S. high school or regionally accredited U.S. college/university; or
- At least two years of study, in good standing, at a post-secondary institution with English as the language of instruction; or
- A degree or diploma from an institution in which English was the language of instruction; or
- A U.S. General Education Diploma (GED) administered in English; or
- College Composition I and College Composition II, or equivalent courses, with a grade of ‘A’ or ‘B’ from a regionally accredited U.S. postsecondary college and/or university; or
- Any of the placement scores on the ACT, SAT, PLAN, COMPASS and/or ACCUPLACER for English:
ACT English sub test of 18 or higher
- PLAN English sub test of 15 or higher
- SAT Writing of 430 or higher
- COMPASS Writing Skills of 77 or higher
- ACCUPLACER Write Placer of 5 or higher
- The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), with a minimum internet-based test (iBT) score of 68 (or paper-based test score of 523); or
- The International English Language Testing System (IELTS), with a minimum score of 6.0; or
- The Pearson Test of Academic English (PTE-A) with a minimum score of 50; or
- The Michigan English Language Assessment Battery (MELAB) with a minimum score of 55; or
- Completion of an official ELS course at levels 112 or above.
- Completion of an official The Language Company (TLC), English as a Second
Language (ESL) program, Level 9 completion certificate.
- If English is the official language of the applicant’s home country, SAT/ACT scores are required. If 25 years of age or older, applicants may receive ACT or SAT exemption status by virtue of age, previous college experience, or due to extenuating circumstances. In these cases, competency in English for purposes of course placement will be determined by a review of the academic records submitted by the student and completion of the ACT COMPASS, ACCUPLACER, or comparable instrument.
- International students who transfer from another American college are subject to the same admission standards that govern other transfer students. If they have 24 or more credits from another American college, with a minimum 2.00 CGPA, they are only required to submit transcripts of those college courses for evaluation and determination of admission status. If they have less than 24 credits, their admission status is that of an entering freshman and is based on their high school record. In those cases, they must submit high school transcripts, TOEFL or IELTS scores or other measures of English proficiency (if from a country in which English is not the official language), and ACT/SAT scores if they are from Canada or a country where English is the official language.
- A new international student will be encouraged to complete an interview process with the Director of Diversity and Inclusion once they arrive on campus. The purpose of this interview is to determine the international student’s English speaking skills and their advising and academic support needs. Additional testing, such as Accuplacer, may be used to determine English levels of incoming international students.
- International students who are graduates of American high schools and who apply for admission will follow normal procedures for high school applicants; i.e. submit evidence of completion of the College Prep courses, ACT/SAT scores and proof of graduation.
- Evidence verifying adequate financial resources to provide for all expenses (tuition, room/board, travel, etc.) while in the United States and during the entire period of time you expect to attend Mayville State, including vacation periods, must be provided before admission is granted. To meet this requirement, applicants must complete the International Student Financial Statement (available on the MSU web site) and return it to the Admissions Office by April 1 for enrollment in the fall term, and by October 1 for enrollment in the spring term. If funding is expected from a sponsor who resides in the United States, the affidavit of support (I-134) will be required in addition to the Financial Statement. Financial statements must be current within six months of the first day of the initial semester and show sufficient funds for each academic year, and be accompanied by a letter from a bank official verifying those funds.
- All international students are required to maintain health insurance coverage from an approved carrier while in attendance at any state university in North Dakota. A health insurance policy selected by the State Board of Higher Education or approved by Chancellor of the university system is required. Requirements for the payment of premiums for International Student Health Insurance are specified in institutional Policy 505 - International Student Health Insurance.
- Residents of certain foreign countries who enroll at Mayville State University must provide documentation of TB skin testing. Such TB skin testing must be conducted by a recognized physician or health care official within the United States and should be completed during the first month of enrollment. New international students from all countries, except those classified by U.S. Health Officials as “low risk for tuberculosis” are subject to this requirement for TB skin testing. The Student Affairs Office will maintain a list of countries that are in this “low risk” category.
- Any international student enrolled in an on-campus course offered for credit at Mayville State University must provide documentation of immunity against measles, mumps, and rubella and meningococcal disease in accordance with NDUS policies and procedures.
Documentation of immunity for measles, mumps and rubella means:
- Evidence of two doses of measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine no less than one month apart from a licensed physician or authorized representative of a state or local health department;
- Proof of a positive seriologic test for measles, mumps and rubella; or
- Proof of date of birth prior to 1957.
Newly admitted students ages 21 and younger residing in campus housing must provide documentation of immunity against meningococcal disease by one of the following:
- evidence of at least one dose of meningococcal conjugate vaccine in the five years prior toenrollment, or
- evidence of two doses of meningococcal conjugate vaccine administered at age 10 or older and atleast eight weeks apart
- After all the above documents and payments have been received and reviewed, the applicant will be notified of their acceptance.