Admission Requirements for International First-Year Students
A student is considered a first-year applicant if they are enrolled in or have completed secondary school and have not enrolled in a regular session at any college or university.
Application
Students applying for direct admission must complete and submit an application on Common App. To begin, create a commonapp.org account, select the University of Cincinnati to apply for bachelor programs on main campus, and enter in your information. Required materials as listed below must be sent to the University of Cincinnati.
Need extra support with English? Improve your English your 1st year while taking classes towards your degree. Learn more about our Accelerated College English (ACE) Program.
Closed Programs
Each year, many of University of Cincinnati undergraduate programs receive a high number of applications for fall 2022. Due to space limitations, those programs will close to first-year students before the March 1 Rolling Admission Deadline. View closed undergraduate programs.
Deadlines
Early Action Deadline
Early Action gives applicants priority consideration to our more competitive programs.
- Applications for Fall Semester 2022: December 1, 2021
- The Early Action Deadline must be met to be considered for the University Honors Program.
Rolling Deadline
Rolling means that we accept applications on a space-available basis.
- Applications for Summer Semester 2022: March 1, 2022
- Applications for Fall Semester 2022: March 1, 2022
- Applications for Spring Semester 2023: November 1, 2022
Required Materials
- The Common Application
- $100 non-refundable application fee
- Official School Transcripts
- Official SAT or ACT test scores*
- Letter of Recommendation (optional)
*No SAT or ACT. No problem! Complete the free, online Math Placement Test (MPT) and view English test requirements.
School Transcript Requirements
All first-year applicants are expected to complete college preparatory education curriculum, earning a graduation certificate or diploma that would enable you to apply to university in your home country. Examples include your High School Diploma, IB Diploma, General Certificate of Education (GCE) Advanced Levels (A-Levels), General Secondary Education Certificate, Indian Standard XII Higher Secondary School Certificate, or West African Senior School Certificate.
First-year students applying to UC typically complete a curriculum comprised of the following subjects:
- Mathematics (4 years)
- Science, including Chemistry and/or Physics (3-4 years)
- Language/History/Social sciences and other electives (3-4 years)
What to send our office:
- Currently enrolled classes and grades (if possible)
- Previous 2-3 years of classes and grades (depending on country)
- A-Level or IB advanced credit (if enrolled or completed)
Transcripts must be English. If not, each document must include certified English translation.
UC is aware that course curriculums vary by country, and we encourage students to take challenging courses offered in their schools.
Transcript requirements by country and other curriculums. Link
There are three options for sending school transcripts.
- Request a school guidance counselor or school officer to email the documents to international.admissions@uc.edu.
- Add your school guidance counselor or school officer's name and email to your Common App. When the application is submitted an email will be sent from Common App to the school guidance counselor or school administrator. The email will have a link for the transcripts to be uploaded to the University of Cincinnati.
- Student applicants can email transcripts to international.admissions@uc.edu or a UC International Admissions Counselor email address.
- Transcripts sent by the student applicant are unofficial. If the student is admitted and confirmed to enroll at UC, the student must have a high school guidance counselor send the trancripts, examination results, and proof of graduation. There are two methods to send these documents:
- Email to international.admissions@uc.edu or a UC International Admissions Counselor email address.
- Upload via the Common App Counselors and Recommenders website the final school report, official final transcripts, examination results, and proof of graduation.
- Transcripts sent by the student applicant are unofficial. If the student is admitted and confirmed to enroll at UC, the student must have a high school guidance counselor send the trancripts, examination results, and proof of graduation. There are two methods to send these documents:
How to send A-Level and IB transcripts.
English Requirements
English proficiency is a requirement for all international students. This can be demonstrated by submitting a test score or meeting one of the four English exemptions.
- SAT or ACT test
- English test
- There are 4 conditions for being exempt from taking a standardized test to demonstrate your English proficiency.
College | SAT | ELS | IELTS | Cambridge | TOEFL | Duolingo | ACT | PTE | |
College of Arts & Sciences | 520 Evidence-Based Reading & Writing | 112 Graduation | 6.0 Overall minimum of 5.5 on each section | 169 minimum Recommended exam: C1 Advanced |
66 iBT minimum of 15 on each section | 95 | 20 English | 46 | |
College of Education, Criminal Justice, & Human Services | 520 Evidence-Based Reading & Writing | 112 Graduation | 6.0 Overall minimum of 5.5 on each section | 169 minimum Recommended exam: C1 Advanced |
66 iBT minimum of 15 on each section | 95 | 20 English | 46 | |
College of Engineering & Applied Science (Engineering programs) | 520 Evidence-Based Reading & Writing | 112 Graduation | 6.5 Overall minimum of 6.0 on speaking, minimum 5.5 on each section | 176 minimum Recommended exam: C1 Advanced |
79 iBT minimum of 20 on speaking, minimum of 15 on each section | 105 | 20 English | 53 | |
College of Engineering and Applied Science (Engineering Technology programs) | 520 Evidence-Based Reading & Writing | 112 Graduation | 6.0 Overall minimum of 5.5 on each section | 169 minimum Recommended exam: C1 Advanced |
66 iBT minimum of 15 on each section | 95 | 20 English | 46 | |
Lindner College of Business | 520 Evidence-Based Reading & Writing | 112 Graduation | 6.5 Overall minimum 5.5 on each section | 176 minimum Recommended exam: C1 Advanced |
79 iBT minimum of 15 on each section | 105 | 20 English | 53 | |
College of Design, Architecture, Art, & Planning | 520 Evidence-Based Reading & Writing | 112 Graduation | 6.5 Overall minimum of 6.0 on speaking, minimum 5.5 on each section | 176 minimum Recommended exam: C1 Advanced |
79 iBT minimum of 15 on each section | 105 | 20 English | 53 | |
College of Design, Architecture, Art, & Planning - Design & Architecture | 520 Evidence-Based Reading & Writing | 112 Graduation | 6.5 Overall minimum 5.5 on each section | 176 minimum Recommended exam: C1 Advanced |
79 iBT minimum of 20 on speaking, minimum of 15 on each section | 105 | 20 English | 53 | |
College of Medicine | 520 Evidence-Based Reading & Writing | - | - | - | - | 105 | 20 English | - | |
College of Nursing | 520 Evidence-Based Reading & Writing | - | - | - | - | - | 20 English | - | |
College of Allied Health Sciences | 520 Evidence-Based Reading & Writing | 112 Graduation | 6.0 Overall minimum of 5.5 on each section | 169 minimum Recommended exam: C1 Advanced |
66 iBT minimum of 15 on each section | 95 | 20 English | 46 | |
College-Conservatory of Music | 520 Evidence-Based Reading & Writing | 112 Graduation | 6.0 Overall minimum of 5.5 on each section | 169 minimum Recommended exam: C1 Advanced |
66 iBT minimum of 15 on each section | 95 | 20 English | 46 | |
Blue Ash College | 520 Evidence-Based Reading & Writing | 112 Graduation | 6.0 Overall minimum of 5.5 on each section | 169 minimum Recommended exam: C1 Advanced |
66 iBT minimum of 15 on each section | 95 | 20 English | 46 | |
Clermont College | 520 Evidence-Based Reading & Writing | 112 Graduation | 6.0 Overall minimum of 5.5 on each section | 169 minimum Recommended exam: C1 Advanced |
66 iBT minimum of 15 on each section | 95 | 20 English | 46 |
- ACT: Request score report be sent electronically from the ACT to University of Cincinnati (code 3340)
- Cambridge Assessment English: Request score report be sent electronically to University of Cincinnati from Cambridge English and email a copy of your results. In the email, include student's date of birth and UC application number to international.admissions@uc.edu for online verification.
- Duolingo: Request score report be sent electronically from Duolingo English Test account to University of Cincinnati.
- ELS: Request ELS certificate be sent from ELS Center official to international.admissions@uc.edu
- IELTS: Email score report to international.admissions@uc.edu for online verification or request score report be sent electronically from IELTS test center to the University of Cincinnati Undergraduate Admissions
Note: Do not request scores to be sent to the Graduate School or a specific college/department. - PTE: Request score report be sent electronically to University of Cincinnati from Pearson Test of English and email a copy of the results to international.admissions@uc.edu
- SAT: Request score report be sent electronically from College Board to University of Cincinnati (code 1833)
- TOEFL: Request score report be sent electronically from ETS to University of Cincinnati (code 1833)
Math Requirements
Math proficiency is required for scholarship eligibility and admission for most colleges. This can be demonstrated by submitting test scores from one test.
- SAT
- ACT
- University of Cincinnati Math Placement Test (MPT)
View colleges that require a math test or advanced level credit for admission.
A math test is required for scholarship eligibility.
College | ACT | SAT | MPT | IB/A-Levels Predicted Scores |
---|---|---|---|---|
College of Arts & Sciences | — | — | — | — |
College of Education, Criminal Justice, & Human Services | — | — | — | — |
College of Engineering & Applied Science | X | X | X | X |
Lindner College of Business | X | X | X | X |
College of Design, Architecture, Art, & Planning | X | X | X | X |
College of Medicine | X | X | X | — |
College of Nursing | X | X | — | — |
College of Allied Health Sciences | X | X | X | — |
Blue Ash College | — | — | — | — |
Clermont College | — | — | — | — |
- SAT or ACT: Download score report and email to international.admissions@uc.edu or request score report be sent from SAT or ACT.
- Math Placement Test (MPT): Do not send. UC Testing Services will send score report.
Letter of Recommendation
The letter of recommendation is preferred but not a requirement to complete an undergraduate first-year application. A letter of recommendation is a document that highlights a student's character traits, classroom and academic strengths, and work ethic to aid them in their application process. The person that writes the recommendation should be a school guidance counselor, teacher, coach, or job/volunteer supervisor. Parents and other family members are not permitted to write a student's letter.
There are two options for sending a letter of recommendation:
- Within the Common App add the person's name and email address. When the application is submitted that person will receive an email request to upload the letter of recommendation. The document will be attached to the student application.
- Have the person that wrote the letter of recommendation email the document to international.admissions@uc.edu or the UC International Admissions Counselor email address.
A letter of recommendation sent by the applicant will not be accepted.
Admission Decision Process & Timeline
To learn about the decision process and timeline, visit our information webpage.