International Applicants
Visa Request and Financial Certificate Form
The George Washington University may not admit an international applicant or send a student visa document (I-20 or DS-2019) until the applicant has submitted financial certification showing sufficient funds to pay for educational expenses. The process to obtain a student visa from a U.S. consulate abroad usually takes at least three months. For this reason, we strongly recommend that you submit your financial certificate when you send in the rest of your application materials. The financial certificate is included in the online application and the regularly printed application materials. If you need a copy of this form, you may download it by clicking the icon below.
Download the financial certificate. (PDF)
Transcripts from International Institutions
Transcripts from institutions outside of the United States must be evaluated by an accredited independent evaluating agency – no exceptions. The evaluation should be a detailed document including all course titles, credit hours, grades, grade point average (GPA), United States degree equivalency, and date of degree conferral. Only if we receive an official copy of this detailed course-by-course evaluation does the applicant not need to submit official copies of their international transcript. Some of the agencies we have worked with include:
Educational Credential Evaluators
http://www.ece.org/
Josef Silny & Associates
http://www.jsilny.com/
World Education Service
http://www.wes.org/
English Language/TOEFL Requirements
Applicants whose native language is not English or who are not citizens of countries where English is an official language are required to submit either TOEFL or IELTS scores in addition to the GRE or MAT. Please use the institution code 5246 to have your TOEFL and TWE scores sent to the GSEHD admissions office. A code for IELTS scores is not required. If you receive a TOEFL score of 550-599 (on the paper test) or 213-249 (on the computerized test) or 80-100 (on the internet-based test) you will be required to take an English for Academic Purposes course within the first semester of your graduate degree program. The course information will be included on your admission decision letter. TOEFL and IELTS scores may not be more than two years old.
http://programs.columbian.gwu.edu/eap/placement
Applicants who receive a TOEFL score below 550 (on the paper test) or below 213 (on the computerized test) or below 80 (on the internet-based test) are not eligible for admission to our graduate program. For the Academic IELTS, an overall band score of 6.0 with no individual score below 5.0 is required for admissions.
Please note: TOEFL and/or IELTS is not required of students:
- Whose native language is English.
- Who have a bachelor’s or master’s degree, with a minimum two years course study, from an institution in a country where English is the native language (the U.S. and territories, Great Britain and territories, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada).
For more information on English Language Requirements at The George Washington University, please click here.
