Admissions Office
International Students

UNGERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE APPLICANTS

General Information
Southeastern University welcomes applications from qualified international candidates around the world at the undergraduate and graduate level. In view of the participatory nature of both the undergraduate and graduate programs, students must possess highly developed proficiency in written and oral English. Applicants from non-English-speaking countries are required to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). Certain applicants may be required to attend intensive English language courses (ESL) before beginning their program. International students are defined by the university as those persons who are not citizens or permanent residents of the United States.

Application materials may be obtained by contacting:

Southeastern University
Director of Admissions
501 I Street, SW
Washington, DC 20024
USA
Telephone: (202) COL-LEGE (265-5343)
Fax: (202) 488-8093
E-mail: admissions@seu.edu

WHEN TO APPLY FOR INTERNATIONAL GRADUATE CANDIDATES
Applicants who do not reside in the United States are advised to apply for admission at least six months before the beginning of the term for which you wish to enroll.

Completed applications, including all supporting academic and financial documents, should be received by the dates specified below:

Term of Entrance
FALL (Begins late September)...........June 1
WINTER (Begins Early January)..October 1
SPRING (Begins Late March)........January 1
SUMMER (Begins Late June)...........April 1

How to apply--International Student Status
International applicants applying for either undergraduate or graduate admissions must meet the same admission requirements as other students. You must provide the following:

1. Application Form and Fee: Submit a properly completed undergraduate or graduate application form and return it with a non-refundable U.S. $50 fee. The bank draft or international money order must be payable to Southeastern University. U.S. Immigration Form I-20 will be issued to students residing outside the U.S. only when all the admission requirements are met.
2. Transcripts: Make arrangements to have official or certified true copies of transcripts of coursework earned at the secondary school, national examinations records, and college-level transcripts sent directly to the Admissions Office. All official/certified transcripts must be accompanied by an official translation in English. Only originals or notarized copies will be accepted. The term “official” means a computer-generated record of the student’s transcript or copy of student’s original transcript certified by an officer of the school or by a notary public. Faxed copies and photocopied transcripts or translations are not accepted. Official transcripts of any college or university work completed outside the United States will need to be evaluated at the applicant’s expense by an accredited credentialing service. The Knowledge Company (www.knowledgecompany.com) and The World Education Service (www.wes.org) are two approved sources. Other credential evaluation services must be accredited. Diplomas alone cannot be used for admissions evaluation and clearance.
3. Immunization (vaccination) records: All applicants under the age of 26 must provide copies of immunization records showing vaccinations for Measles/Mumps/Rubella (MMR) and Diphtheria/Tetanus (DT).
4. Prerequisites: If an applicant's undergraduate academic major varies widely from his/her proposed graduate major at Southeastern, certain undergraduate courses may be necessary at the graduate level. Identification of necessary prerequisites will be determined by the Department Chairperson.
5. Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). International applicants whose native language is not English and who did not attend an English-speaking institution must take the TOEFL exam, unless the applicant has received a baccalaureate or graduate degree from an accredited institution in the United States or English-speaking country. Also, applicants who have completed at least nine (9) credit hours of graduate study at an accredited U.S. institution are not required to submit TOEFL scores. The score must be current to two (2) years of the date of application.
   
   Undergraduates: A minimum TOEFL score of 500 (paper based) 173 (paper based) 61 (internet based) or better is considered evidence of English proficiency and will qualify students to enroll in regular undergraduate courses.  Students with scores below 500 must enroll in the University’s Full-time ESL program and cannot take undergraduate courses.
   
   Graduates: A minimum TOEFL score of 550 (paper based) 213 (paper based) 79 (internet based) or better is considered evidence of English proficiency and will qualify students to enroll in regular graduate courses. Students with TOEFL scores below 500 must enroll in the University's full-time ESL program and cannot take graduate courses.

6. Grade Point Average:
   
   Undergraduates:  A minimum 2.0 cumulative grade point average (CGPA) on a  4.0 scale: Applicants who completed secondary school or an associates degree with less than a 2.0 CGPA from a recognized accredited institution within or outside the United States, must submit: (a) a typewritten personal statement of at least 500 words, describing why you wish to pursue your graduate program at Southeastern, and how the degree will serve your goals and objectives; and (b) two letters of recommendation from references who will be able to relate specific and relevant details about your performance. Recommendations provide the Admissions Committee to gain additional information about your ability, potential, and readiness for the graduate program you selected. We suggest you seek references from faculty members, advisors, internship supervisors, or current or past employers. Arrange to have the personal statement and letters of recommendation sent directly to the Admissions Office for timely admissions clearance.
   
   Graduates: A minimum 3.0 cumulative grade point average (CGPA) on a 4.0 scale: Applicants who earned an undergraduate degree with less than a 3.0 CGPA from a recognized accredited institution within or outside the United States, must submit: (a) a typewritten personal statement of at least 500 words, describing why you wish to pursue your graduate program at Southeastern, and how the degree will serve your goals and objectives; and (b) two letters of recommendation from references who will be able to relate specific and relevant details about your performance. Recommendations provide the Admissions Committee to gain additional information about your ability, potential, and readiness for the graduate program you selected. We suggest you seek references from faculty members, advisors, internship supervisors, or current or past employers. Arrange to have the personal statement and letters of recommendation sent directly to the Admissions Office for timely admissions clearance.
   
   Statement of Financial Support (Affidavit of Support): Students applying for an F-1 visa at a United States Embassy or Consulate overseas must provide evidence that they have sufficient funds to finance their entire program. Applicants must submit 2 Affidavits of Support for each individual source of funding (sponsor), giving evidence of their ability to pay for all expenses for each year of study. This form is also known as an I-34 Form and is available at U.S. Embassies and Consulates or by requesting this form from Southeastern. The Affidavit of Financial Support must demonstrate the source and availability of funding to cover all costs related to the student's educational and living expenses while pursuing a course of study in the United States. The funding indicated on the financial support statement must be further substantiated by additional documentation. Additional proof of financial resources may include a letter from the sponsor's employer stating the sponsor's salary in U.S. dollars, and a notarized letter from the sponsor's bank indicating the current balance of their deposits, also in U.S. dollars. If privately sponsored, the applicant must document the first years assured support on deposit in a bank in U.S. dollars.

Notification of Admission
Overseas applicants may expect to receive written notification of an admissions decision approximately six weeks from the time the application and all supporting documents are received by the Admissions Office. Applicants should be aware, however, that delays in international mail are frequent. Prospective students should make necessary visa, financial and personal travel arrangements before departing for the United States. The I-20 will be issued after all admission requirements are satisfied.

Under no circumstances should an international applicant plan to depart to the United States without having received his/her notification of admission to the University and issuance of the I-20. The applicant must use this form to secure an F-1 student visa at an American Embassy or Consulate aboard. All F-1 students are required to sign their I-20 forms outside the U.S. prior to their entry. By signing the I-20 Form, students acknowledge that they understand and will maintain F-1 regulations. Students who enter the U.S. on an F-1 Student visa are required by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to attend the school whose name is on the I-20 Form. It they fail to do this, they are "out of status." In other words, students who enter the U.S. on I-20's issued from Southeastern University must enroll at Southeastern during the first term they arrive for study.  Students who arrive at the University without prior notification of admission do so at their own risk, and their presence will neither guarantee admission nor a visa adjustment. The USCIS, not the University, processes visa adjustment applications.

Deferred Admission
Admission to Southeastern University is for a specific term. International students whose paperwork cannot be completed by the deadline for a particular term may notify the Admissions Office to have their admission (or application for admission) deferred to a later specified term. Updated immigration documents (I-20) will be reissued specifying the deferred term when necessary. In the case of international applicants, deferred admissions can only be granted to those who have not entered the U.S., or who are still validly enrolled in another U.S. institution from which they intend to transfer.

Full-Time Requirement for International Students
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) regulations require that international students holding F-1 visas pursue a full course of study. Compliance with this regulation means that undergraduate students must register for twelve (12) credit hours and graduate students must register for at least nine (9) credit hours per term or an equivalent total that may include non-credit ESL courses.

International Student Advising
The International Student Advisors provide specialized counseling to promote both the personal and academic adjustments of international students at Southeastern University. International student Orientation is offered to familiarize students with the social, psychological, and educational dimensions of studying in the United States. E-mail your questions to international@seu.edu.

Ownership of Documents
All materials (academic transcripts, financial support documents, official test scores, reference letters, certified translations, etc.) submitted in support of an application become the property of the University and cannot be returned or forwarded elsewhere.

Applicants who fail to complete the admissions process within twelve (12) months will be required to submit a new application and to submit new documents for admissions clearance.