International Students

We seek students who want to be involved and are community-oriented, and those who believe that through bettering themselves, they are responsible for improving their lives, environment, systems, and tools. There is no one right way to move forward — so there is no one way to be a Clarkie.

International students may choose to apply as a Regular Decision, Early Action or Early Decision candidate, following the same application deadlines as all other applicants.

Please ensure that all application documents are submitted in English. You may include both the original documents and their certified translations into English.

Application Checklist

• Common Application, OR Coalition App with Scoir. There’s no application fee.
• Transcript(s)
  • Transcript(s) must include the last three years of education and may be submitted through the Common Application or Coalition Application (preferred), or by emailing the documents directly to intadmissions@clarku.edu.
• 2 Letters of Recommendation
  • Please provide 2 recommendation letters—one from your school counselor and one from a teacher. Your recommenders can submit their letters via the Common Application or Coalition Application (preferred) or email them directly to intadmissions@clarku.edu. If your school does not have a school counselor or university advisor, please submit recommendation letters from two academic teachers.
• Proof of English Language Proficiency (see additional information below)
• SAT or ACT scores (optional for all students)
  • School codes: SAT: 003279, ACT: 1808
• CSS Profile (only if applying for need-based aid)

If English is not your native language, you must provide an official TOEFL, IELTS, Duolingo, or Pearson PTE score report. Your English proficiency will be assessed holistically, considering your scores, transcript, essay, and letters of recommendation.

If you have taken the TOEFL, IELTS or Pearson PTE exams, we prefer receiving official test scores directly from the testing agency although we accept a scanned copy sent by you or your counselor/teacher to intadmissions@clarku.edu. If you have taken Duolingo English Test, please ensure that the official score is sent directly from the Duolingo portal.

While we do not have specific minimum scores, below are general indicators of the minimum English proficiency for studying at Clark. Please note that meeting these indicators does not guarantee admission:

• TOEFL iBT: 85 overall, with no sub-score below 20, or
• IELTS: 6.5 overall, with no sub-score below 6, or
• Duolingo: 120 overall, with no sub-score below 100, or
• PTE: 61 overall, with no sub-score below 55

If we find that you meet the academic requirements for admission to Clark University but may benefit from additional language support, we will recommend our English for Academic Success Program or Undergraduate Pathway Programs. Depending on your English proficiency level, you may spend one to four semesters in one of these programs before transitioning to the undergraduate degree program.

An interview is optional but strongly encouraged. Interviews allow us to get to know you beyond the confines of your application, and you get to learn about Clark from a student or staff perspective.

For international students, interview can also be used as a supplementary measurement of your English proficiency.

Your options for an interview are:

• Sign up for an in-person or virtual interview
• Submit an interview via the online platforms InitialView or Vericant
• Email intadmissions@clarku.edu to request a virtual interview if you cannot find an available timeslot that fits your schedule

All undergraduate admitted students, regardless of citizenship, are automatically considered for merit scholarships, and no separate application is required. International students can also apply for need-based financial aid by completing the CSS Profile at CSS Profile.

Clark offers the highly competitive Presidential Scholarship, covering tuition, room, and board. Awarded to 3-5 students annually, recipients are responsible for additional costs totaling approximately $10,000 per year. To apply for the Presidential Scholarship, first-year applicants for the Fall semester can indicate their interest on their application. Additional instructions for applying for the Presidential Scholarship will be sent via email shortly after submitting the application.

While Clark provides merit and need-based aid for international students, it may not cover all educational expenses. Typically, international students pay around $40,000 per year after considering scholarships and aid. Our total cost of attendance is approximately $75,000 per year.

Please note, our admissions process is need-aware, meaning the student and family’s ability to pay may impact the admissions decision. An application may be denied if a student’s indicated financial need exceeds what we can offer through scholarships and aid.

For more details on merit scholarships, financial aid, and costs, see Cost and Financial Aid.

Clark University offers advanced standing credit for certain academic programs completed prior to enrollment. This includes Advanced Placement (AP), British A-Level, and the International Baccalaureate (IB).

Additionally, other international programs that may qualify for advanced standing credit include the Ontario 13th Year, Quebec CEGEP, German ABITUR, Swiss MATURA, Italian MATURITA, French or Moroccan Baccalaureate, and the CAPE Diploma. Evaluation for advanced standing credit for other programs is done on a case-by-case basis.

If you have any questions about advanced standing credit eligibility, please contact the Academic Advising Officefor assistance.

You’re an international student if:

• You do not hold U.S. Citizenship
• You do not hold U.S. Permanent Residency (green card holders)

If English is not your native language, you need to submit evidence of English proficiency. For details, see our English requirements.

If you have taken the TOEFL, IELTS or Pearson PTE exams, we prefer receiving official test scores directly from the testing agency although we accept a scanned copy sent by you or your counselor/teacher to intadmissions@clarku.edu. If you have taken Duolingo English Test, please ensure that the official score is sent directly from the Duolingo portal.

A few days after you submit your application, you will obtain access to an online checklist of all your application materials. You can use this checklist to see whether we have received your scores and other materials.

You’ll need to submit a minimum of three complete years of educational data in order for Clark to properly evaluate your education. For students in countries like China, which uses a 6-3-3 educational system, we’ll need a transcript from your middle school showing results from at least the final/third year (the U.S. equivalent of “9th grade”) in addition to the first two years of your three-year secondary school. We can’t review an application with only two years of credentials, so make sure we receive all your transcripts before the deadline.

An interview is optional but strongly encouraged. Interviews allow us to get to know you beyond the confines of your application, and you get to learn about Clark from a student or staff perspective.

For international students, interview can also be used as a supplementary measurement of your English proficiency.

Your options for an interview are:

• Sign up for an in-person or virtual interview
• Submit an interview via the online platforms InitialView or Vericant
• Email intadmissions@clarku.edu to request a virtual interview if you cannot find an available timeslot that fits your schedule

If we find that you meet the academic requirements for admission to Clark University but may benefit from additional language support, we will recommend our
English for Academic Success Program or Undergraduate Pathway Programs. Depending on your English proficiency level, you may spend one to four semesters in one of these programs before transitioning to the undergraduate degree program.

Yes. All international applicants are considered for merit scholarships. To be considered for a need-based award, file the CSS Profile with your application by the admissions deadline (see Regular Decision, Early Action and Early Decision, and Transfer Admission for the various deadlines). Because our resources are limited, we can’t offer admission to international students who require full funding. Typically, international students pay around $40,000 per year after considering scholarships and aid. Our total cost of attendance is approximately $75,000 per year.

Merit-based scholarships are awarded based on your academic performance and other factors included in your application. Every student who applies to Clark is automatically considered for most of our merit-based scholarships. To apply for need-based financial aid, make sure to submit the international CSS Profile.

Yes, you can receive credit for IB classes and an IB diploma.

If you present an IB diploma and have earned a minimum of 36 composite points with a score of 5 or higher in all six of your exams, you’ll receive eight Clark units. It’s the equivalent of one full year.

If you present an IB diploma and have earned a minimum of 24 composite points, you’ll receive four Clark units. It’s the equivalent of one semester.

If you haven’t completed the full IB diploma, you’ll receive one Clark unit for each higher-level exam you took and in which you received a score of 5 or higher. You can receive a maximum of four Clark units, the equivalent of one semester.

Yes. Clark University does not require international students to submit either their SAT or ACT score as part of their application.