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Admission

Application Requirements

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Requirements for international applicants vary based on your educational level and citizenship status. See the categories below to find the requirements that apply to you.

Santa Clara University has adopted a two-year “test optional” policy beginning with Fall 2021 first-year applicants. Scores on the SAT or ACT are not required for students applying to Santa Clara University nor will they be disadvantaged for doing so in the admission process. For those who wish to submit scores for consideration, self-reported test scores can be submitted through the student's SCU application status portal.

   

Individuals of foreign nationality who will be entering, or already have entered, the United States on a non-immigrant visa.

Required Documents to submit: 

  1. Complete Common Application
  2. Official high school transcripts (grade nine through the most recently completed term)
    1. If your official high school transcript is not provided in English, please submit original and an English translation.
    2. Santa Clara prefers transcripts uploaded electronically through Common Application or any other secure software program by a secondary school counselor or administrator.
  3. One Academic Teacher Evaluation (through Common Application)
  4. Secondary School Report Form (through Common Application)
  5. Mid-Year Report due by the end of January—only Regular Decision applicants or candidates deferred from Early Action (through Common Application)
  6. $70 non-refundable application fee
  7. Proof of English Proficiency (please review our requirements)
  8. SCU Financial Resource Statement

Note: ACT or SAT test scores are no longer required for admission to Santa Clara University, but students can send them in for consideration.

Students with U.S. permanent resident status (green card holder) and an Alien Registration Number.

*For students in progress with applying for permanent residence status please note that you are considered an international student for Santa Clara’s process until we have a copy of your green card (back and front).

Required Documents to submit: 

  1. Complete Common Application
  2. Official high school transcripts (grade nine through the most recently completed term)
    1. If your official high school transcript is not provided in English, please submit original and an English translation.
    2. Santa Clara prefers transcripts uploaded electronically through Common Application or any other secure software program by a secondary school counselor or administrator.
  3. One Academic Teacher Evaluation (through Common Application)
  4. Secondary School Report Form (through Common Application)
  5. Mid-Year Report due by the end of January—only Regular Decision applicants or candidates deferred from Early Action (through Common Application)
  6. $70 non-refundable application fee

Note: ACT or SAT test scores are no longer required for admission to Santa Clara University, but students can send them in for consideration.

Students who hold U.S. citizenship and attend high school outside of the United States.

Required Documents to submit: 

  1. Complete Common Application
  2. Official high school transcripts (grade nine through the most recently completed term)
    1. If your official high school transcript is not provided in English, please submit original and an English translation.
    2. Santa Clara prefers transcripts uploaded electronically through Common Application or any other secure software program by a secondary school counselor or administrator.
  3. One Academic Teacher Evaluation (through Common Application)
  4. Secondary School Report Form (through Common Application)
  5. Mid-Year Report due by the end of January—only Regular Decision applicants or candidates deferred from Early Action (through Common Application)
  6. $70 non-refundable application fee

Note: ACT or SAT test scores are no longer required for admission to Santa Clara University, but students can send them in for consideration.

Individuals of foreign nationality who will be entering, or already have entered, the United States on a non-immigrant visa and have enrolled in university level course work either in the United States or abroad.

Required Documents to submit: 

  1. Please review Transfer Student Admissions Recommendations
  2. Complete Common Application
  3. Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended
    1. Students who attend a foreign university will need to submit an official course-by-course evaluation of all international coursework by WES, an accredited evaluation agency. Santa Clara University will only accept evaluations provided by WES. No credit will be considered for transfer without this evaluation. Please note, for students with in-progress work at the time of application, please know there is an additional fee for a WES final transcript evaluation to include coursework not originally submitted.
  4. Official copy of high school transcripts (grade nine through 12)
    1. If your official high school transcript is not provided in English, please submit original and an English translation.
  5. Recommendation: Students with fewer than 30 semester or 45 quarter units may choose to submit previous SAT or ACT score(s) for consideration.
  6. One Academic Teacher Evaluation (through Common Application)
  7. Mid-Term Report (highly recommended for students attending college or university in the U.S.)
  8. $70 non-refundable application fee
  9. Proof of English Proficiency (please review our requirements)
  10. SCU Financial Resource Statement

Students who hold U.S. citizenship and attend university outside of the United States.

Required Documents to submit: 

  1. Please review Transfer Student Admissions Recommendations
  2. Complete Common Application
  3. Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended
    1. Students who attend a foreign university will need to submit an official course-by-course evaluation of all international coursework by WES, an accredited evaluation agency. Santa Clara University will only accept evaluations provided by WES. No credit will be considered for transfer without this evaluation. Please note, for students with in-progress work at the time of application, please know there is an additional fee for a WES final transcript evaluation to include coursework not originally submitted.
  4. Official copy of high school transcripts (grade nine through 12) a. If your official high school transcript is not provided in English, please submit original and an English translation.
  5. Recommendation: Students with fewer than 30 semester or 45 quarter units may choose to submit previous SAT or ACT score(s) for consideration.
  6. One Academic Teacher Evaluation (through Common Application)
  7. Secondary School Report Form (through Common Application)
  8. Mid-Term Report (highly recommended for students attending college or university in the U.S.)
  9. $70 non-refundable application fee

Due to increase in requests from students wishing to sit for an interview Santa Clara partners with InitialView and Vericant as third party video interview companies. Due to the large number of applicants we receive each year, SCU does not offer in-person interviews on or off campus. We accept these interviews as an optional supplement to your application. Please register directly with InitialView or Vericant for your in-person or virtual interview.

Although the interview is not mandatory, we recommend you sit for an interview, as it will give you an excellent opportunity to showcase your language skills, interests and professionalism to our admissions team. Our admission committee will review your InitialView or Vericant interview as part of our holistic evaluation process and see the additional effort of submitting an interview as part of demonstrating your interest in Santa Clara.

Deadlines for Interviews

First Year Early Action or Early Decision I: November 23

Early Decision II: January 15

First Year Regular Decision: February 16

Transfer Winter: November 1

Transfer Fall: April 1