Required Credentials for International Applicants

Who is an International Applicant?

You are an international applicant if:

You are currently living and are enrolled in a high school located outside of the U.S., or
You’ve graduated from high school abroad and never attended college, or
You do not hold a U.S. passport and have completed at least 12 college credits at an accredited U.S. college after leaving high school, or
You do not hold a U.S. passport and are enrolled at an accredited U.S. college but will have completed fewer than 12 academic post-high school graduation college credits by the time you enroll at Rutgers

Note: Current high school students taking college courses during high school should apply as first-year international applicants, regardless of the number of college credits earned while in high school. If you are graduating from high school after three years, earning a high school equivalency diploma, or are home-schooled, please review the required credentials for non-traditional applicants. As you navigate the application, please answer all questions honestly and accurately. We will ensure the appropriate team reviews your application.

Creating Your Rutgers CommunityID

If you are using the Rutgers Application, you will create your CommunityID upon beginning the application. If you are using the Common App, you will receive an email with instructions for creating your Rutgers CommunityID approximately 24-48 hours after submitting your application. Do not attempt to create your CommunityID until you receive this email. Your CommunityID will allow you to access your Rutgers Applicant Portal, where you can view your application status and track required credentials.

Using Your Rutgers CommunityID

Getting Started

Complete and submit your undergraduate application
Pay application and enrollment fees
Access your Self-Reported Academic Record (SRAR) - current high school seniors only
View schools of application
View a list of credentials that are still required
View a list of received credentials
View official admissions decisions
Admitted students can accept their offer of admission and change their enrollment status
Rutgers–New Brunswick Mason Gross School of the Arts candidates can access the Supplemental Application

Self-Service

Change your account email (note this does not change the email address used to log into your application portal)
Change or reset your password
Update your mailing address
Update your phone number
Add a school to your application
Semester Change Form (request change from spring to fall)

Changes in legal name and date of birth, as well as corrections to or the addition of a social security number, must be done with documentation (a government-issued photo ID for name change or date of birth update and a signed copy of a social security card to update or change social security number). Send a request to make these types of changes to our admissions offices. The student's application portal can then be updated to request the needed documentation, which can then be uploaded directly to the application portal.

Always include your full name, RUID, and email address used on your Rutgers application, when sending communications about your application.

Academic Documentation

Please follow the instructions included in the First-Year Applicants or Transfer Applicants section, in addition to the instructions provided below.

Documents not in English must be accompanied by a translation verified by a language professor or professional translator and must arrive on the professional letterhead of the translator.

Do not send:

Sport certificates
Craft certificates
Letters of recommendation

Current Secondary/High School Students

Students attending international education systems are required to self-report their courses, grades, grade-point averages, and class rank with Rutgers' freestanding online form, the Self-Reported Academic Record (SRAR). Official documents are required for admitted students to enroll.

Transfer Applicants

Transfer students with less than 24 college credits must submit an official secondary/high school transcript with all courses and final grades or an official copy of their finishing certificate (e.g. O-Level, CXC, IGCSE, etc.). A high school transcript is recommended for transfer students with 24+ credits completed. A transcript from each college/university attended is also required. The admissions committee may request a high school transcript from an applicant who has more than 24 college credits completed.

If you are applying to Rutgers from a community college and have not completed high school, please email [email protected].

English Proficiency Examination Requirements

Regardless of U.S. residency status, an English proficiency examination is required of all students whose secondary schooling has been outside the U.S. in a country where English is not the principal language. Score reports must be from tests taken within the past two years and submitted directly to us from the testing service.

English proficiency examination requirements may be waived for students who have attended an English medium school. Students will be evaluated for a waiver on a case-by-case basis. To request a review of your completed admissions application for a waiver, please contact us at [email protected].

Please note: Students who have earned a grade of B or better in a college-level English Composition course at an accredited U.S. college (not a foreign affiliate) are exempt from the English language proficiency requirement. English courses that are designated ESL, non-native, or which require a special support component, or any courses taken outside the US, are not acceptable. Please also note that Rutgers does not accept correspondence or online courses for the language proficiency requirement.

Rutgers accepts the following standardized tests to determine the English proficiency of its international applicants.

Test	New Brunswick	Newark	Camden
*TOEFL (internet-based test & Home Edition)#**	79	79	79
International English Language Testing System (IELTS)	6.5	6.5^^	6.0
Michigan English Test (MET)	56	56	56
SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing	550	550	550
ACT English section	21	21	21
Pearson PTE	53	53	53
Duolingo English Test	115^	115	115
IELTS Indicator	6.5	6.5	6.5
Cambridge Assessment Test	B2	B2	B2

* Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy and Rutgers School of Nursing require scores of 100 on the internet-based test.

# The Rutgers TOEFL Code is 2765.

^ The minimum score for the Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy and the School of Nursing is 130.

^^ The minimum IELTS score for Rutgers University–Newark is 6.5 as of January 1, 2024.

The Form I-20 Process at Rutgers University

If you plan to study in the U.S. on an F-1 student visa or are currently in the U.S. on a student visa, you will need the Form I-20 Certificate of Eligibility for Non-Immigrant Student Status. Rutgers will issue your I-20 once you accept our offer of admission and provide us with the required documentation. After your I-20 is issued, you may schedule an appointment at your nearest American embassy or consulate to apply for a student visa. Please review the information below about required documentation for I-20 issuance.

How do I apply for the Form I-20?

To obtain your I-20 from Rutgers, you must first accept our offer of admission on your Rutgers CommunityID account. To initiate your I-20 application process, make sure you have completed the following steps:

Complete all required items and forms on the Rutgers Global portal. Note you will need to activate your NetID to log in.
Upload a copy of your passport picture page in the personal information section.
Upload a completed Rutgers International Student Financial Statement (ISFS) and accompanying financial document(s) on the Rutgers Global portal.
F-1 students currently studying in the U.S. only, complete the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) transfer information section.

Financial Documentation for the I-20

Federal government regulations require students who hold an F-1 student visa to prove to the university that they will be financially supported while they are enrolled. For this purpose, you must submit the International Student Financial Statement (ISFS).

The ISFS and all supporting documents must be signed and dated no more than six months prior to the date when we receive your completed I-20 application.
Section C of the ISFS must be completed in its entirety. You must document financial support for the first year you plan to attend Rutgers. You may preview a completed sample form for assistance.
Your sponsor(s) must submit a bank letter/statement from their financial institution stating the amount of funds available in the account(s) that will be used to sponsor you. This amount must be greater than or equal to the amount outlined on the ISFS form.
Documentation of financial resources must be on bank letterhead. Please retain the original bank letter/statement for your visa interview.
You will upload your completed ISFS and financial documents to the Rutgers Global portal.

Enrolling Students Currently Studying in the U.S on a F-1 Student Visa

You are required by the Student & Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) to notify your foreign student adviser of your departure.
You must complete the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) Transfer Information section of the Rutgers Global portal.

Internal Transfers at Rutgers University (not for enrolling first-year or external transfer students)

Rutgers–New Brunswick Undergraduate students who have already been enrolled as a student at another Rutgers Campus (Rutgers–Camden, Rutgers–Newark) are required to transfer their SEVIS records to Rutgers–New Brunswick before starting classes in NB. These students should contact Rutgers Global for information on how to get their SEVIS records transferred. Please email [email protected] if you have any questions.

Once You Have Obtained Your Form I-20 From Rutgers, You Will:

Visit U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement for important next steps.
Pay your I-901 SEVIS fee, mandated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Apply for a visa at a U.S. embassy or consulate. Students enrolling at Rutgers–New Brunswick, prep for your student visa interview with this helpful guide.
Prepare for your arrival in the U.S. and plan to attend Rutgers' International Student Orientation.

Questions? Contact Us

International students applying to Rutgers who have questions can email the appropriate campus at the links below: