Am I Considered an International Applicant?

International admission requirements are applied to all students who have international secondary or post-secondary educational credentials, regardless of country of citizenship, immigrant status, or visa status. All students who have only U.S. secondary and post-secondary educational credentials must meet U.S. admission requirements. Applications from students with both U.S. and international educational credentials may be reviewed according to either or both U.S. and international requirements.

Any transcript or documentation issued in a language other than English must be sent with an English translation. LSU Undergraduate Admissions is solely responsible for evaluating and determining the equivalencies of international credentials and grading scales.

English Proficiency

An applicant whose native language is not English and/or who has been educated outside of the U.S. in a country or province where English is not the only official language must demonstrate proof of English proficiency by submitting either a TOEFL or an IELTS score.

On the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language), the following minimum scores are required for automatic admission:

• 550 (paper-based exam)  

• 213 (computer-based exam)

• 79 (internet-based exam)

Information regarding TOEFL may be obtained by visiting the official website at www.toefl.org

On the IELTS (International English Language Testing Service), the following minimum score is required for automatic admission:

• 6.5

Information about IELTS may be found at www.ielts.org. IELTS is jointly owned by the British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia, and the University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations.
Official TOEFL/IELTS scores are those reported directly to LSU by the respective testing service at the request of the student.

Applicants may be exempt from the TOEFL / IELTS requirement if they have completed one of the following:

• a U.S. high school diploma earned, having  attended all 4 years of high school in the U.S.;

• a bachelor’s degree earned from an accredited U.S. institution;

• a score of 480 on the English/Critical Reading section of the SAT; or 20 on the English Section of the ACT

• U.S. transfer requirements (minimum 2.50 overall GPA on 30 or more semester hours above remedial level, including a college-level course in English and in mathematics, or two consecutive English courses, from a regionally accredited U.S. college or university)

• Secondary or Tertiary education in a country where English is the primary official language. Click here to view the list of countries that are exempt from the English proficiency requirement.
  Official transcripts or scores are required showing completion of one of the above before a student can be exempted from the TOEFL/ IELTS requirement.  The Office of  Undergraduate Admissions & Student Aid reserves the right to require a satisfactory TOEFL/IELTS score from any applicant.  All international students who are admitted (except for transfer students who have submitted a satisfactory TOEFL / IELTS score and have received transfer credit from an accredited U.S. institution for the equivalent of LSU’s English 1001 and 1002 or 1004 and 1005 with a grade of “C” or better in each) will be required to take an English placement test prior to registration.

FIRST TIME FRESHMAN STUDENTS

International students who have never attended a post-secondary education institution will apply as freshmen (first-year students), and must have the equivalent of a U.S. high school diploma with an academic average equivalent to "B" (3.0 or better on the U.S. 4-point grading system).
The “academic average” is determined by averaging the grades of secondary school academic courses, excluding nonacademic courses such as physical education, vocational/technical courses, religion, art, music, etc.

Students must submit complete official records for the secondary level of education and are strongly encouraged to submit ACT or SAT scores. Students who have taken advanced-level exams, international baccalaureate higher-level exams, or other types of secondary education beyond the12th year of schooling should submit the official certificates, transcripts, and course syllabi for possible advanced placement university credit.

TRANSFER STUDENTS

From International Institutions

International students who have attended any post-secondary level college, university or institution must apply as transfer students. LSU requires the equivalent of a 3.0 ("B" average on the U.S. 4-point grading system) for all transferable credit from accredited international institutions. Applicants with less than the equivalent of 30 semester hours of transferable credit (approximately one year of full-time study) must also qualify for freshman admission.

Students must submit official transcripts from each post-secondary institution attended, listing courses taken and grades earned. Also required are the official course descriptions or syllabi to be evaluated for possible credit toward an LSU degree. Transfer credit is not given for English as a second language, non-English native language courses, or vocational/technical courses. For LSU to award transfer credit, the institution must be accredited/ recognized by the Ministry of Education or equivalent government agency in that country, and be suitable for university level credit.

From U.S. Institutions

International students who have attended a regionally accredited U.S. college or university must meet U.S. transfer requirements: an overall GPA of at least 2.50, and 30 semester hours of transferable credit, including a college-level course in English and mathematics. If less than 30 hours are earned, freshman requirements must also be met.

From Both International & U.S. Institutions

If credit is earned from both international and U.S. post-secondary accredited institutions, a 3.0 GPA is required from international institutions, and a 2.5 GPA on all U.S. college work. Students who have less than a 3.0 GPA from international institutions may be admitted if:

1. they meet the requirements for transfer from a U.S. accredited college or university (30 semester hours of credit above remedial, 2.50 GPA, math and English courses); and 
   
   
   
2. they have an overall GPA of 2.50 or higher when the U.S. GPA is combined with the international GPA. In this case, courses passed with the equivalent of "C" or higher will be considered for transfer credit from accredited post-secondary international institutions.

Application Procedure

Application deadlines are April 15 for summer or fall semesters and October 1 for the spring semester. All required documents, however, should be sent at least 120 days before the semester starts to allow for processing time, especially if an I-20 immigration form is needed for the student visa application. Processing time may be extensive for some applications.

The application form should be completed online at www.lsu.edu. The $40 application fee can be submitted online by credit card, or mailed to the office by check or money order drawn on a U.S. bank. The following materials must be sent to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions, 1146 Pleasant Hall, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803:

• complete, official academic records;

• official TOEFL/ IELTS scores; and

• evidence of financial support.

"Official transcript" is defined as an official record prepared by the issuing institution and sealed in the institution's official envelope.