Instructions

Apply online using the Common Application. Your file will not be reviewed until all the materials below have been received by the Office of Admissions:

• Completed application, including essay and CV/Resume
• Application fee of U.S. $75
  • Note: Only first-year students applying for the AU Emerging Global Leader Scholarship and/or students referred directly by EducationUSA or other non-government organizations abroad may be eligible to receive an application fee waiver on a case-by-case basis. All other applicants must submit the U.S. $75 application fee. 
• Academic records for grades 9-12 with official transcripts and certified English translations (if applicable), for each secondary institution attended. Students who study in 3-year secondary school systems only need to provide transcripts for those three years.
• One academic letter of recommendation from a teacher is required; one letter from the school counselor/principal/headmaster is also strongly recommended.
• Demonstrated English proficiency
• No SAT or ACT Needed! AU does not evaluate SAT or ACT scores for students (including U.S. citizens) graduating from secondary schools outside the United States.
• Interruption of Studies Statement if you have already graduated from secondary school at the time of application.

The following item is only required from students who need a student visa (F or J visa holders):

• The AU Declaration of Finances Form (AU DFF) must be submitted (through your AU applicant portal) by the application deadline and must reflect at least US$83,680 for first year of study and living expenses. Be prepared to pay at least this amount for each additional year at AU.
• Once you submit your admissions application and create your portal, the completed and signed two-page AU DFF form can be completed through your AU applicant portal.

• An official bank letter, the AU CFIS form completed by applicant and parent, and a copy of the student’s passport will be required at a later date if the student is accepted and decides to enroll at AU.

Important Information - Proof of Finances for International Students

1. Undergraduate admission to American University is need aware for all international students. This means that AU considers the student's ability to cover ALL costs when making admissions' decisions.
2. AU does not provide need-based financial aid, need-based grants, or federal financial aid to international students. Need-based aid is only available for U.S. citizens and U.S. permanent residents.
3. Qualified international students are eligible to receive AU's merit-based partial and full-tuition scholarships.
4. All international students who will need an F-1 student visa /J-1 exchange visa must complete and submit the AU Declaration of Finances Form (AU DFF) through their AU applicant portal confirming a minimum of US$83,680 by the appropriate deadline, even if they hope to receive a partial merit-based scholarship.
5. The AU DFF form must be signed and dated within the past three months to be considered valid.
6. AU does not accept the CSS profile, FAFSA form, or the College Board ISFAA forms for international students.
7. Note: students applying for the AU Emerging Global Leader Scholarship must submit the AU Declaration of Finances Form (AU DFF) through their AU applicant portal and a bank letter confirming a minimum of US$4,000. Please review the EGL scholarship application instructions and deadlines. 
8. Students receiving or applying for an outside scholarship from a government, parent's employer, or other organization may be contacted by an admissions representative for more information regarding the scholarship application timeline and scholarship disbursement date.

Application Deadlines

 

Your application and all supporting documents must be received by the respective application deadline.

If you plan to begin your studies in August (fall semester):
 

Decision Plan	Deadline
Early Action (EA)	November 1
Early Decision I (ED I)	November 1
Early Decision II (ED II)	January 15
Regular Decision (RD)	January 15

 

 

If you plan to begin your studies in January (spring semester):
 

Decision Plan	Deadline
All spring applicants	October 1

 

Note: For students living outside the United States, we strongly recommend applying by September 1.

Submitting Your Application's Supporting Documents

1. Admitted international F and J visa holders who deposit and enroll at AU will need to submit additional documents. The list of required documents can be found on our International Student & Scholar Services Office (ISSS) website. Visit the site and read the required steps carefully, as mistakes will delay your I-20 preparation. An admissions representative will connect with you and collect a copy of your passport Information page, AU CFIS form, and supporting financial documents.
2. Note: Students cannot submit their own secondary-school transcripts or recommendation letters. These must be uploaded to the Common Application directly by the school’s counselor/teacher, or mailed per courier instructions below.

If your secondary school prefers to use a courier service, keep your tracking number and have them send your transcripts and recommendation letters to:

Undergraduate Admissions
Office of Enrollment
4801 Massachusetts Ave., NW STE-218
Washington, DC 20016-8001
USA
Tel: +1-202-885-6000

Questions? Contact intadm@american.edu.

Application Form

Complete the application carefully. Please make sure to include your full name exactly as it appears in the machine-readable section of your passport (check the bottom of your passport page). The first three letters stand for your country of citizenship. Omit those three letters when completing the admission application form. Also include date of birth, complete educational history, country of birth, citizenship, current mailing address and a permanent address outside of the United States, even if you currently live or study in the United States.

Your Academic Records

Please have your official academic records from each secondary school you attended for the U.S. equivalent of 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th grades sent directly from those schools to American University, Washington, DC via the Common Application or mailed by courier service to American University in sealed envelopes. Students who study in 3-year secondary school systems only need to provide transcripts for those three years.

These records should be submitted in their original language and accompanied by notarized English translations if applicable. Ask your secondar school to include any predicated or final examination results from exams such as IB, GCSE, GCE, Bagrut, French Baccalaureate, CAPE Units One and Two, Abitur, Attestat, or Secondary School Leaving Certificates, if available.

Certain exam results such as, but not limited to, IB, WAEC, GCE, GCSE, and CAPE must come directly to our office from the examination board or authority.

Letters of Recommendation

Although only one letter of recommendation from a teacher is required with your application, we strongly encourage you also ask your school's university counselor, principal, or headmaster to submit a second letter of recommendation. These letters are confidential. Each letter must be in English. Recommenders can upload recommendation letters directly onto the Common Application. If sent by courier mail, please have your reference sign or place a school stamp across the sealed flap of the envelope.

English Proficiency

AU requires strong English language skills. All first-year applicants (including U.S. citizens and U.S. Permanent Residents) can prove English proficiency by either curriculum or testing. 

Via curriculum:

• Four years of study (grades 9, 10, 11, and 12 or equivalent) in U.S. regionally accredited or IB, CXC or UK curricula (inside or outside the U.S.), where English is the only medium of instruction AND no ESL courses have been taken;
• Four years of study (grades 9, 10, 11 and 12 or equivalent) in the selected English-speaking countries listed below or in the educational systems of these countries (regardless of location) where English is the only medium of instruction AND no ESL courses have been taken.

Selected English speaking countries include: U.S., UK and Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Australia, New Zealand, Canada (except Quebec), Singapore, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and these countries in the Caribbean (Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Helena, Saint Kitts & Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent & Grenadines, Trinidad & Tobago, Turks & Caicos Islands, U.S. Virgin Islands)

Or Via Testing:

 

Accepted Examinations and Test Score Requirements

The following English language proficiency exams are accepted by American University:

• Cambridge English
• Duolingo English Test (DET)
• International English Language Testing System (IELTS)
• Pearson Test of English (PTE)
• TOEFL (TOEFL iBT and Home Edition)

Note that only official test scores will be accepted for English proficiency and students cannot self-report exam results. Meeting the minimum score does not guarantee admission. Official results should be sent directly to American University’s Office of Undergraduate Admissions, Washington, DC.

English Proficiency Exams - Minimum Test Scores

TOEFL	IELTS	Cambridge English	Duolingo English Test	Pearson Test of English	SAT-EBRW	ACT-English
85	6.5	176	120	60	610	25

 

Important: Though English proficiency may be met in one of the above ways, the Office of Admissions may still request TOEFL, IELTS, DET, Cambridge Assessment English, PTE scores or other additional documentation if deemed necessary.

Note for Native Speakers of English: For native speakers of English from the U.S., UK and Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Australia, New Zealand, Canada (except Quebec), Singapore, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and these countries in the Caribbean (Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Helena, Saint Kitts & Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent & Grenadines, Trinidad & Tobago, Turks & Caicos Islands, U.S. Virgin Islands) who list English as their first language on the Common Application, proof of English proficiency is not required, but may be requested.

Advanced Credit for IB, AP, A Level, CAPE Secondary Exams

Students may be eligible to receive advanced credit for exams passed during secondary school. If you took IB, A Level, AP, the OIB English, or CAPE Unit Two exams while in school, please visit Credit by Exam page for full details on American University’s exam policies.

Interruption of Studies Statement

If you have already graduated from secondary school at the time of application, you must submit a short interruption of studies statement describing your activities (e.g., work, travel, internships, study at another university, etc.)  since graduation.

Discover EducationUSA Resources in Your Country

For further assistance with the application process, visa, and pre-departure orientation sessions and information specific to your country, please contact the Public Diplomacy Section at your local U.S. Embassy or U.S. Consulate for referral to an overseas educational advising center near you. You may also wish to consult the U.S. Department of State’s website, https://educationusa.state.gov/, to locate an EducationUSA Advising Center in your region.