How to apply to US university for international students

Kaplan Pathways helps with US university admission

We offer the following routes to university study in the USA:

Direct admission to a US bachelor’s or master’s program: Year 1 entry to a degree
Transfer into a US bachelor’s program: enter a US undergraduate degree in Year 2 or 3 if you have some previous university-level study
Pathway program before a bachelor’s or master’s: qualify for US degree admission, while earning transferable academic credits
English language preparation: improve your English for pathway or degree admission
Online study during high school: earn U.S. high school or undergraduate credits

Do you have questions about how coronavirus might affect your studies? Visit our dedicated FAQs page.

These paths have different entry requirements. If you are unsure which are available to you, please contact our friendly advisors.

Apply now

Apply to Arizona State University

Apply to University of Connecticut

US university application deadlines

University	Program	Semester start	Application deadline	I-20 deadline
Arizona State University	English Language Program - Campus immersion	Spring B: 2022 (March)	Feb 7	Feb 11
	- Online immersion	Spring B: 2022 (March)	Feb 28	n/a
	Graduate degree*	Summer 2022 (May)	Mar 10	Apr 15
	Undergraduate degree*	Summer 2022 (May)	Mar 30	Apr 15
	Graduate degree*	Fall 2022 (August)	Jun 9	Jul 18
	Undergraduate degree*	Fall 2022 (August)	Jun 29	Jul 18
	ASU-USA Pathways undergraduate	Fall 2022 (August)	Jul 11	Jul 15
Pace University	Intensive English Program	Spring II (March)	Feb 21	Feb 21
	Global Pathways programs	Summer 2022 (May)	Apr 1	Apr 1
	Intensive English Program	Summer I: 2022 (May)	May 1	May 1
	Intensive English Program	Summer II: 2022 (June)	Jun 13	Jun 13
	Intensive English Program	Fall I: 2022 (September)	Jul 6	Jul 18
	Global Pathways and degrees	Fall 2022 (September)	Jul 14	Jul 15
	Intensive English Program	Fall II: (October)	Sep 26	Sep 26
Simmons University	Undergraduate degree	Fall 2022 (September)	Jul 6	Jul 18
University of Connecticut	Undergraduate degree - Storrs main campus	Fall 2022 (August)	Feb 1 for most majors	Aug 1
	- Regional campuses (if UConn housing required)	Fall 2022 (August)	Mar 15	Aug 1
	- Regional campuses (no housing required)	Fall 2022 (August)	May 1	Aug 1
	Undergraduate transfer	Fall 2022 (August)	Apr 1 for most majors	Aug 1

* Degrees in Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts that require an audition, interview or portfolio with the application have much earlier deadlines.

How to apply to US universities

We’ve made the application process as simple as possible, with 4 steps to US university admission:

Fill in your application form, and upload supporting documents, including academic transcripts.
We will review your application and, when it is complete, we submit it to the University within 24 hours. You’ll be notified as soon as the University has made its admission decision.
Once you accept your offer of admission, you’ll be advised how to pay your deposit (if there is one), and show proof of finances to cover your study and living costs for one year.
When you receive an I-20 form, you are eligible to apply for your student visa. You can interview for your visa as early as 120 days before the start date listed on your I-20.

Our staff can give you guidance throughout the process. Contact us if you have any questions.

More application information

When to apply
There are several start dates throughout the year. Typically, Fall semester starts in August/September, Spring semester starts in January, and Summer semester starts in May.

Application deadlines

We advise you to apply as early as possible, usually at least 2 months in advance. This will allow enough time for your qualifications to be checked, visa to be processed, and to make pre-arrival arrangements. Choose your preferred university to check exact deadlines:
Costs of studying in the US
Studying in the US is an investment of money as well as effort, so you’ll need to make sure your finances are well-organized. See the tuition booklet for the price of pathway programs and degrees at our partner universities in the USA.

As well as your program tuition, you must also have funds to cover costs such as university fees, course books, housing and health insurance. This amount varies by university and degree:
Scholarships

To help with the cost of studying in the USA, there are partial tuition scholarships available for academically outstanding students. You will be automatically assessed for a scholarship when you apply to a degree at our US partner universities. You can find more details on our scholarships page.
Admission decisions
When your application to study at a US university is complete, the university makes an admission decision. If successful, they will issue you an offer. There are 2 types of offer:
- Unconditional: there are no conditions you need to meet, but you may still need to send financial documents as part of the visa application process
- Conditional: if you need to improve your English proficiency, you will be conditionally admitted to a degree or pathway program. You must then submit a qualifying language score or join an English preparation program, before you start your academic program.
If your application is not successful, we can look at alternative or more suitable study options for you, based on your qualifications and circumstances.

Additional support for students with a medical condition or disability

It’s important for you to let your university know about any medical condition or disability you may have, so they can ensure you get the support you need. All US colleges and universities are required by law to make reasonable adjustments to promote an accessible environment for students with disabilities. This may include:

Accessible classrooms, housing, labs, libraries, and transportation
Guidance on requesting support, such as sign language interpreters, alternative formats, note-takers and extra time on tests
Extra academic advising and consultations
Help seeking counseling services for anxiety, depression, or stress.

You can find information on how to apply for additional support for your studies at each of our US partner universities below.

Already accepted an offer?

If you have already accepted an offer to study in the USA, please visit our pre-arrival area so we can guide you through the steps you need to take before you leave home.