Submit the SVSU application and pay $30 application fee.

Two start terms are offered: Fall (August) and Winter (January)

• Application deadlines:
  • July 1 for Fall admission
  • November 1 for Winter admission.
• International first-year students cannot start in the Spring (May) or Summer (late June) semesters

Upload clearly scanned copies of the required items in your application portal checklist:

1. Passport
   
   A clear color copy of the passport information page.
   
   
2. High School Transcripts
   
   We require a 2.5 GPA or higher for undergraduate admission. This is based on a 4-point scale. In some cases, applicants with GPA below 2.5 may be admitted on a probational basis. Our admission team will convert your GPA to the 4-point scale; no third party evaluation is required in most cases.
   
   View our U.S. High School Diploma Equivalents page to determine which type of transcript is required. Admission decisions can be made based on unofficial transcripts. However, official transcripts must be provided upon arrival to campus. High school students can apply for provisional undergraduate admission during their final year of high school. “Provisional” admission means that a final high school transcript must be provided upon arrival indicating successful completion of high school.
   
   Transcripts that are uploaded by students are not considered official. To be considered official, the official paper version of the transcript must be submitted by mail or in person upon arrival. Alternatively, transcripts can be emailed to transcripts@svsu.edu by an official school representative.
   
   
3. Evidence of Financial Support
   
   Possible documents include a bank statement or financial guarantee from a recognized sponsoring organization. A bank statement should be dated within the last 6 months and show an amount of available funds no less than the total amount noted on our Costs page. If the bank statement shows a foreign currency, our admission staff will use exchange rates to determine the U.S. dollar conversion.

English Language Requirements

All undergraduate and graduate international students who apply to Saginaw Valley State University and who are not native English speakers must provide proof of English language proficiency.

Citizens of the English Exempt Countries (see list at bottom) do not have to fulfill the English language requirement.

Ways To Satisfy Your English Requirements

You can satisfy the English language requirement in one of the following ways: Submit your scores through the testing service. If you have not yet sent your official scores via the testing service, email vafinch@svsu.edu. We do not accept test scores that are more than two years old.

1. Submit official scores at or above these minimum scores:
   • TOEFL internet-based: 71
   • IELTS overall band: 6.0 UG
   • PTE (Pearson Test of English) Academic overall score: 48 UG
   • MET (Michigan English Test, 4-skill): 52
   • Duolingo English Test: 105 UG
   • iTEP Academic: 3.7
2. Submit official SAT or ACT scores at or above these minimum scores:
   • SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing: 510
   • ACT (English section only): 21
     
     Our SAT institutional code - 1766
     Our ACT institutional code - 2057
3. Complete 3 Advanced Level subjects or 3 Higher Level IB subjects.
4. Transfer students currently enrolled in undergraduate study in the United States at a regionally accredited college or university can fulfill the English language requirement if they have passed a course equivalent to Saginaw Valley State University's English 111 (Composition I).
5. Successfully complete level 112 at an ELS Language Center.
6. Completing English language programs outside Saginaw Valley may be considered on an individual basis. Include certificates of completion with your application.
7. Applicants may qualify for a waiver based on high school language of instruction. On an individual basis, we will waive the English proficiency requirement for applicants who have successfully earned a high school diploma at an international high school where the only language of instruction is English. Your graduation date should be less than two years ago to qualify for this waiver.

International transfer students enrolled in an accredited college or university where the language of instruction is English may qualify for a waiver upon completing a minimum of 24 semester credit hours of undergraduate coursework.

English Test-Exempt Countries

• Anguilla
• Antigua
• Australia
• Bahamas
• Barbados
• Belize
• Bermuda
• Botswana
• British Indian Ocean Territory
• Brunei Darussalam
• Canada
• Cayman Islands
• Christmas Islands
• Cook Islands
• Dominica
• Ethiopia
• Falkland Islands
• Fiji
• Gambia
• Ghana
• Gibraltar
• Grenada
• Guam
• Guyana
• Ireland, Republic of
• Jamaica
• Kenya
• Kiribati
• Lesotho
• Liberia
• Malawi
• Malta
• Mauritius
• Micronesia
• Montserrat
• Namibia
• New Zealand
• Nigeria
• Norfolk Island
• Papua New Ginea
• Philippines
• Samoa, American
• Samoa, Western
• Sierra Leone
• Singapore
• Solomon Islands
• South Africa
• St. Helen
• St. Kitts and Nevis
• St. Lucia
• St. Vincent and the Grenadines
• Swaziland
• Tanzania
• Tonga
• Trinidad and Tobago
• Uganda
• United Kingdom and Northern Ireland
• Vanuatu
• Virgin Islands, British
• Zambia
• Zimbabwe