Undergraduate international applicants
Learn about requirements and materials you'll need to provide as an international applicant.
Apply now
Apply to VCU as an international first-year student using the Common Application or apply to VCU as an international transfer student using the VCU applicant portal.
Application overview
The instructions on this page are for international undergraduate applicants, including non-immigrants who are currently residing outside of the U.S. and plan to come on an F1 or J1 visa and non-immigrants currently residing in the U.S. under a visa. If you are a domestic undergraduate applicant, to include U.S. citizens, permanent residents, refugees/asylees and undocumented students, please find your application path in the undergraduate section of this site.
Be ready to pay the application fee
A $70 state-required application fee must accompany all applications. The application fee is nonrefundable and must be submitted online using a credit card. Applications may not be processed if submitted without a fee.
Follow these application guidelines
- Submit only one application for a specific semester (i.e., one application for fall 2023).
- Be sure to apply to only one undergraduate degree program.
If you need to make changes to your application once it’s been submitted, find out how to make updates. Do not submit more than one application — if you do, only the first will be processed.
Scholarship eligibility
International first-year students who apply to VCU by Nov. 1 will be considered for university-level scholarships. International first-year students can also qualify for out-of-state scholarships.
How to find our admissions decision
Admissions decisions will be posted in your VCU applicant portal. Find admissions decision posting dates on the application status page.
How to apply
First-year applicants must complete the Common Application and transfer applicants must complete VCU's online application. For more information on applying as a first-year or transfer applicant, review the first-year and transfer pages.
In addition to providing a copy of their passport or visa document, applicants must submit the materials listed below — all of which are required for application processing.
All supplemental application materials may be sent in PDF format to globalfiles@vcu.edu. Please make sure the applicant’s full name and/or Virginia Commonwealth University ID number are included in the text of the email.
Supplemental materials may also be mailed to:
Virginia Commonwealth University – International Admissions
408 West Franklin Street
Box 843012
Richmond, Virginia 23284-3043
USA
Review guidelines for corresponding with VCU via mail.
Application materials
All applicants must present grades (marks) that reflect superior ability and serious effort.
Original or officially certified copies of all grade reports for all secondary and higher school studies — as well as original or officially certified copies of all academic diplomas, certificates and national or other major examination results — must be submitted in the native language along with an official English translation. Notarized copies will not be accepted.
Photographic copies or other duplications are only acceptable if the copies have been signed and sealed by the appropriate school or government official.
Your school records must include:
- Dates of attendance at each institution
- A complete list of courses taken and grades received at each institution, including the number of weeks and hours per week in lecture or laboratory for each course
- Degrees and diplomas earned from each school or university, indicating class or division of diploma (if appropriate)
- Names of examinations passed, grades received and minimum/maximum possible grades (if appropriate)
Official records should be sent directly from your institution to:
Virginia Commonwealth University – International Admissions
408 West Franklin Street
Box 843012
Richmond, Virginia 23284-3043
USA
Students transferring from within the U.S.
If you are transferring from a university-level institution within the U.S., you must apply online and submit your secondary school records, as well as university transcripts.
Admission will be based on your U.S. records only if you have completed more than one year of full-time study.
Transfer students from within the U.S. must be in good academic standing and eligible to return to the last college or university attended. You must fill out the first section of the Immigration Transfer-In Clearance Form and comply with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services regulations.
Your U.S. school’s foreign student adviser should then complete the Immigration Transfer-In Clearance Form PDF and send it to the Office of Admissions.
To ensure maximum benefit from academic study at VCU, all non-native English-speaking applicants, regardless of immigration status, must provide evidence of English language proficiency before enrollment.
English waiver:
- Completion of a degree (bachelor's or higher) from a university or college within the U.S., Canada, UK or Australia.
- Completion of six semester hours of college-level English composition with a grade of C or better (excluding ESL classes) from a U.S. university or college.
- Residing in the U.S. for 10 years or more (domestic applicants).
- Successful completion of VCU's English Language Program.
Examinations and test scores: VCU's testing code is 5570
Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL): The best TOEFL score is accepted and all scores making up the MBT score should be submitted. Scores are valid for two years.
- 70 IBT for undergraduates (80 IBT for engineering)
- 7.5 TOEFL Essentials (8.5 for engineering)
International English Language Testing System (IELTS): Scores are valid for two years.
- 6.0 for undergraduates (6.5 for engineering)
Pearson Test of English: Scores are valid for two years.
- 53 for undergraduates
SAT: Score of at least 22 on the Reading test.
ACT: Score of at least 16 on the English section of the test.
Duolingo Test Score: Scores valid for two years
- Score minimum of 105 (120 for Engineering major)
Students are advised to consult the website of the VCU school or department in which they plan to study for any additional academic requirements. For example, SAT or GRE scores are required for all pre-nursing and nursing applicants. SAT or ACT scores are required for all mechanical engineering applicants.
School of the Arts applicants are also required to submit additional application materials. For more information, please visit the School of the Arts website.
International students on F-1 visas studying in the United States may not take any more than 25% of their total semester course load in any online, distance or hybrid class. For example, if an F-1 student is enrolled in 12 hours, no more than three hours may be taken in an online, distance or hybrid course.
The applicant must provide proof of adequate funds to live and study full time at VCU by submitting an I-20 DS Request Form accompanied by an original bank verification letter.
The U.S. government requires this certification before VCU can issue the appropriate U.S. government forms necessary for obtaining a visa at a U.S. embassy or consulate. The immigration officials at the U.S. port of entry also may request it.
You are required to certify that funds are available for the first year of study at VCU. In addition, you are expected to provide evidence that all money necessary for your travel, educational expenses and personal needs will be provided for the entire period of enrollment at VCU.
Because of the rising cost of living in the U.S. and variations in individual spending habits, the university cannot predict individual expenses exactly.
The amount that must be certified on your financial statement is shown for a nine-month program of study as a single student. For each dependent that may be coming to VCU with you, we require an additional $5,000 per dependent on the bank statement. Information on dependents must be clearly indicated on the completed financial statement.
For complete and official information about university costs, please contact VCU Student Financial Services. For questions about I-20 requirements, please contact GEO Immigration Services at GEOIS@vcu.edu.
Pre-health programs
International students may apply and receive admission to pre-pharmacy and pre-medicine programs. International students are now eligible for the subsequent graduate programs at Virginia Commonwealth University (i.e., Pharm.D. and M.D.).
International students may also apply for nonprofessional, graduate research-based programs in the health sciences.
Graduate admission is not guaranteed with undergraduate admission and requires a separate graduate application upon completion of all relevant requirements.
Visit University Academic Advising for more details on pre-health programs at VCU.
Important dates
Don't miss an international application deadline.
- Jun. 1
Fall semester undergraduate deadline
- Oct. 1
Spring semester undergraduate deadline
Find support from the Global Education Office
From student visas to immigration advising and support finding your on-campus community, VCU's Global Education Office is here to help.