Admissions

International Freshman Admission Requirements

The University of South Carolina welcomes the applications of international students. Since you will have many arrangements to make in order to attend the University, it is important that you apply at least nine months before the semester in which you plan to begin your studies. International freshman applicants must be high school graduates (students that have completed about 12 years of schooling in their home countries).
Applying as an International Transfer student? Click here.

Admission steps to complete:

1. Fill out the University's application form completely (there is a $50 application fee for international students) at https://www.applyweb.com/apply/uscc/index_usccapp.html.


2. Submit your official TOEFL or IELTS scores to the University of South Carolina - Columbia. English proficiency is measured through the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). A score of at least 550 on the paper based exam or 77 on the internet based TOEFL is required. USC also accepts the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). Students must score at least a 6.5 on the IELTS.
   If information about the TOEFL is not available in your country, visit www.toefl.org or write to: TOEFL, Box 6151, Princeton, NJ 08451-6151, USA.
   Please note that citizens from the following countries are exempt from the TOEFL/IELTS requirement:
   
   

   American Samoa
   Australia
   Bahamas
   Barbados
   Belize
   Canada (note: Quebec students must take the TOEFL or IELTS)
   Dominica
   Grenada
   Grand Cayman
   Guyana
   Ireland
   Jamaica
   LIberia
   New Zealand
   Sierra Leone
   Trinidad/Tobago
   United Kingdom
   



3. Submit official (or attested copy) transcript(s) from all high school records in their native language. In addition, if your transcript is not in English, you must submit a certified transcript translated into English by a school official.


4. Submit a professional credentials evaluation with a GPA reported on a U.S. grading scale. If you have attended any school outside of the United States, you must submit an official professional credentials evaluation. Freshman (first-year) applicants must submit a document-by-document or course-by-course evaluation. An admissions decision will not be made until the evaluation and all transcripts are on file. US citizens (freshman or transfer applicants) who have attempted any courses outside the United States must submit a credentials evaluation and transcripts from their international work with a GPA reported on a U.S. grading scale. More information on the credentials evaluation process can be found below.


5. Submit official SAT or ACT scores (with writing section) 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 code is 5818. For the ACT, it is 3880.


6. If you apply for admission before graduating from high school, you must submit an official (or attested copy) of all final transcript(s) and an updated credentials evaluation after you graduate from high school. Your transcript(s) must include a graduation date.


7. Submit financial certification if you are offered admission. The Office of Undergraduate Admissions must receive official documents (photocopies are acceptable) which certify that the student will have sufficient funding to attend the University of South Carolina for one academic year. This evidence will be used to issue the student an immigration document (I-20 or DS-2019) which will be required to obtain the F-1 or J-1 student visa at a US embassy or consulate. This process is done after a student has been offered admission.

Information about the credentials evaluation requirement:
Please note that a fee from the student is required for the evaluation of credentials. The payment and all contact regarding this process is done directly with the evaluation service of your choice. We will consider an evaluation from a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES). The web address is www.naces.org.

Below is the contact information of two companies that frequently provide us with evaluations.

Josef Silny & Associates, Inc.
International Educational Consultants
7101 SW 102 Avenue
Miami, FL 33173
Web: www.jsilny.com
Phone: 305-273-1616

World Education Services, Inc.
P.O. Box 5087
Bowling Green Station
New York, NY 10274-5087
Web: www.wes.org
Phone: 212-966-6311