General Information

Do You Have the Correct Application?

View and print out the current application forms (following links require Adobe Acrobat)

• Admissions Process (PDF File) | Academic Majors List
• Affidavit of Financial Support for International Undergraduate Students (PDF FILE)
• Affidavit of Sponsor Providing Free Room & Board (PDF FILE)
• Application for International Undergraduate Admission (PDF FILE)
• Application Fee (PDF File)
• Estimating Expenses
• Student F-1 School Transfer Process
• International Application for University Housing

If you have any questions about the application or admission processes, an International Recruitment and Admissions Office representative will be happy to assist you. You may contact:

Ms. Sue Davis
Undergraduate Admissions-Sweeney Hall
Youngstown State University
One University Plaza
Youngstown, Ohio 44555 USA
Telephone: 330.941.2000 Fax: 330.941.3674
E-Mail: enroll@ysu.edu

You should use these application materials if you are an international student seeking admission to an associate degree program, a bachelor’s degree program, or as a special undergraduate student (undergraduate postgraduate, non-degree seeking, etc.). Persons who are not citizens of the United States but hold the immigration status of permanent resident, refugee, or political asylee should request and complete the domestic undergraduate application forms.

If your ultimate goal is a graduate degree (master's or Ed.D.), a bachelor's degree is required for admission. If you have not or will not complete a bachelor's degree prior to enrolling at YSU, then you should follow the instructions in this booklet. If you already have a bachelor's or higher degree and are seeking graduate admission, then you should get the international graduate application from the School of Graduate Studies at YSU:

On the Internet

By mail:
School of Graduate Studies and Research
Youngstown State University
Youngstown, Ohio 44555-3091
U.S.A.
Telephone: 330.941.3091 Fax: 330.941.1580
E-mail: gradsch@ysu.edu

Important Definitions of Academic Terms and Admissions Terms

Throughout this booklet, you will find terms that may be new to you, especially if you are not familiar with American higher education. In this section, we will define some of the most frequently used terms to help you better understand the information. Other terms will be defined elsewhere as needed. Most of these terms are used in all American higher education institutions.

Associate degree: Generally 2-year degree. It does not qualify you to enter graduate school.

Bachelor's degree: A 4-year degree at most American colleges and universities. It normally qualifies you to enter graduate study. A bachelor's degree usually represents four years of full time higher education.

Credits or credit hours: Degrees are awarded based on the accumulation of credits. All degrees require a minimum number of credits and have specific course and curriculum requirements that are also measured by credits. In practice the number of credits a course carries roughly approximates the number of hours per week spent in lecture, classroom discussion, and/or laboratory.

Semester system: Semesters are fifteen weeks in length, plus a sixteenth week for final exams. Many colleges and universities in the U.S. are on some form of the semester or quarter system. When transferring from one system to the other, most U.S. colleges and universities agree that 1 semester hour equals 1.5 quarter hours.

Freshman (or new freshman): In addition to the definition given below under "Rank or Standing," freshman has a specific meaning in the application process. It refers to someone who has graduated from high school and is entering a college or university for the first time: in other words, a matriculating student.

High School: The final years of secondary education which are generally defined as grades 9 through 12 in the U.S.

Major courses: These are courses you must take to fulfill the requirements for your chosen major (field of study).

Prerequisite or pre-major courses: When referring to courses, the terms "prerequisite" and "pre-major" are used interchangeably. They refer to specific YSU courses that are required for admission to a particular major. In most cases, you must complete all prerequisite courses before you can be admitted to a particular major.

Rank or standing: These terms refer to the number of credits a student has accumulated. Both transfer credits and credits earned at YSU count toward a student's rank (or standing).

Transfer Applicant: An applicant who has graduated from high school and was enrolled in another accredited college or university for at least one course, is classified as a transfer applicant. This classification includes postgraduate applicants from other institutions seeking additional undergraduate course work.

Transfer credit: Transfer credit may be given by YSU for work completed at another accredited college or university.

Application Process

For you, the international applicant, admission to YSU involves three separate reviews. Your academic records and supporting documents are evaluated first. If your application receives a favorable academic admission recommendation, your file then undergoes English proficiency review. Finally, a financial review determines if you have sufficient financial support. If all three reviews are positive, you will be sent a formal notice of admission with the appropriate documents to obtain your visa. The first review determines your academic admissibility to the University, but without the other two reviews you will not be able to arrive in the United States and study at YSU.

Application Deadlines

YSU divides the calendar into three academic semesters per year. Fall and Spring semesters last 15 weeks, and Summer semester consists of Summer I and Summer II of 5 weeks each. An "Aacademic year" consists of two semesters, fall and spring. Fall term begins in late August and spring term begins mid-January. You may also choose to enroll during the summer term which begins in late May. Fewer courses are offered during Summer term. The break between summer and fall terms is approximately two weeks.

These deadlines for freshman and transfer applicants are subject to change without notice.

Send your application early so a file for you can be created. It will be reviewed after it becomes complete with all transcripts and other academic records. To receive consideration for the requested semester, your application and all supporting documents, including English proficiency test scores and financial documents, must arrive at the Undergraduate Admissions Office by the semester application deadline. We advise you to apply at least eight months, but no more than twelve months in advance of the semester to which you are seeking admission. This is especially true of overseas applicants. Completing your application early ensures that it can be reviewed on time.

If your application arrives after the deadline for the semester you requested, it will automatically be considered for admission to the next available semester.

The Point Average and Scholastic Standing

The student's scholastic standing is indicated by the quality point average (also called "grade point average," "grade average," or "point average").

For determining this, every grade has a quality point value for each semester hour it represents, as follows: A, four quality points; B, three points; C, two points; D, one point; F, zero points. To find the point average, the total number of quality points earned is divided by the total number of semester hours attempted. Thus a student who attempts 16 semester hours and earns 40 quality points has a point index of 2.50. Only grades of A, B, C, D, and F are included in the calculation of the point average.

The transcripts you submit as part of your application are evaluated relative to this grading scale.