For International Students
Appalachian State University is the home-away-from-home for many students from across the globe. International students find the Appalachian campus to be a safe and friendly learning environment in which to make new friends and meet new academic challenges.
If you have any questions, and we expect you will, please contact Allison Neal, our international student representative in admissions, by phone at 828-262-2120 or by email at nealal@appstate.edu.
When to Apply
We encourage international students to apply for the fall term and recommend that they submit applications at least six months before the intended date of entry to the University in order to allow review for the application, document verification, and processing of the I-20 and appropriate visa paperwork.
Appalachian operates on a semester calendar. Fall terms begin in late August and end in mid-December. Spring terms begin in early January and conclude in early May. Summer School offers two sessions from late May until early August.
The Application Process
All international applicants must submit the following application materials. We recommend that you submit all the items together to the Office of Admissions, ASU Box 32004, Boone, North Carolina 28608-2004 USA.
- A completed online application. It's easy (the on-line form has detailed instructions) and It's safe (the data is encrypted).
- A non-refundable application fee of $50.00. (credit card payments available through online application).
- Official high school or secondary school transcript verifying successful completion of secondary education. See additional requirements for transfer students.
- At least one official standardized test score from an ACT, SAT, or TOEFL.
- Original bank statement, bank letter, or affidavit of support indiciating the means in which the student or family anticipate funding the first year of study in the US.
All international documents and paperwork should be accompanied by official English translations when necessary, and all documents must be original copies in order to be considered official. Faxes or xerox copies are not considered official.
Photocopies of test scores or transcripts that are officially certified by a Ministry of Education, school, or US embassy official are acceptable and will be evaluated on a case by case basis.
Student’s with British GCE Advanced Level, IB, AP, and CLEP work may choose to have this evaluated individually by the Appalachian’s Computer Based Testing Center.
When You Will Be Notified
When an applicant's file is complete, we will notify her/him by mail of our admission decision. If the amount of financial support available to the student is adequate, the Office of International Programs will issue her/him a Form I-20 under separate cover. The I-20 is required for obtaining a student visa (F-1) from a US embassy or consulate.
Applicants who are already in the US on student visas must gain admission to the University and provide evidence of adequate financial resources in order to receive an I-20 allowing for the transfer of a visa from the student’s present institution to Appalachian.
