Undergraduate International Applicants

International students are a valued part of the Judson University community. Preparing to study in the United States involves a lot of paperwork, but the International Office is available to assist both incoming and continuing students.

Non-immigrant international students must follow the regulations of the Immigration and Naturalization Service. These include, but are not limited to: continuing as a full-time student and not accepting off-campus employment without authorization from the designated school official and, when required, the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service.

For more information, please contact the International Office, or visit the International website page.

All incoming students must submit the admissions documents found on the Admissions page of the catalog for their program. Additional documents required of international students are provided below.

Students not currently in the U.S.

If you are applying to Judson and are not currently studying in the United States: The application deadline is June 1 for fall and October 1 for spring.

Required Documents

  • Send Judson University one of the following test scores (NOTE: the TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo scores are required for non-native English speakers):
    • The official results of the American College Test (ACT) or the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) sent by the ACT program or College Board respectively.
    • This is required for Architecture students and for students with a high school GPA under 2.75. For all other students, it is highly recommended.
    • TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) - our TOEFL Institutional code is 1351 and our required score is 550 (paper-based) 213 (computer based), or 79 (internet based)
    • IELTS (International English Language Testing System) - our required score is 6.5
    • Duolingo - our required score is 100
  • Official transcripts from your high school and/or college (as listed on the Admissions page) must first be sent to a NACES member for evaluation. To find out what official documents to send please visit their website, https://www.naces.org/members and carefully review the document and fee requirements. Evaluated transcripts should be sent by the organization directly to Judson University. Note: U.S. transcripts do not need to be sent through an evaluator, but can come directly to Judson.
    • International Student Athletes can use InCred. Records sent to the NAIA for athletic eligibility determinations can also be used for InCred evaluations. InCred speeds up the document submission process by allowing records to be sent electronically. To obtain additional information please visit InCred directly.
  • Fill out (or have a financial sponsor fill out) the Certificate of Finances and send it to Judson using the International Finance Certificate. Note that your sponsor must accurately pledge what they are able to provide for every year you are enrolled at Judson.
  • Provide a copy of your passport; this is necessary in order to register you with SEVIS.

Procedure

Once all the above items have been received, in addition to those listed on the Admissions catalog page, and the Director of Admissions has evaluated them for compliance to Judson standards, you will be admitted. An admit letter will be sent to you. At this point, you must transfer $400 to Judson University. The $400 will be applied to your student account and covers your enrollment ($250) and housing ($150) deposits.

Once you have deposited, you will receive an I-20 Information Form for you to fill in and send back to the International Office. We will then register you with SEVIS (the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System) and will issue you a Form I-20, which you will use to apply for your student visa to study in the United States.

The I-20 is a United States Immigration document that shows that you have been admitted to Judson University and it shows your financial aid from Judson. This document must be presented at your local United States Embassy, along with a receipt proving that you have paid the $350 SEVIS fee (see https://studyinthestates.dhs.gov/2012/06/paying-your-i-901-sevis-fee for details). Your local US Embassy will also require a copy of the Certificate of Finances and your sponsor's bank statements. At that point the US Embassy will make the decision to give you the F-1 Student Visa to study in the United States.

Students currently in the U.S.

If you are applying to Judson and are currently an F-1 student in the United States: The application deadline is July 1 for fall and November 1 for spring.

Required Documents

  • Official transcripts from your current U.S. school should be sent directly to:
    Judson University
    Office of Admissions
    1151 N State St.
    Elgin, IL 60123
    No additional evaluation services are required.
  • Official transcripts from your high school and/or college (as listed on the Admissions page) must first be sent to a NACES member for evaluation. To find out what official documents to send please visit their website, https://www.naces.org/members and carefully review the document and fee requirements. Evaluated transcripts should be sent by the organization directly to Judson University. Note: U.S. transcripts do not need to be sent through an evaluator, but can come directly to Judson.
    • International Student Athletes can use InCred. Records sent to the NAIA for athletic eligibility determinations can also be used for InCred evaluations. InCred speeds up the document submission process by allowing records to be sent electronically. To obtain additional information please visit InCred directly.
  • Fill out (or have a financial sponsor fill out) the Certificate of Finances and send it to Judson using the International Finance Certificate. Note that your sponsor must accurately pledge what they are able to provide for every year you are enrolled at Judson.
  • Provide a copy of your passport; this is necessary in order to update your information with SEVIS.

Procedure

Once all the above items have been received, in addition to those listed on the Admissions catalog page, and the Director of Admissions has evaluated them for compliance to Judson standards, you will be admitted. An admit letter will be sent to you. At this point, we'll provide you with a Transfer Request Form. You'll complete this form and take it to the International Office at your college or university, requesting that they release your SEVIS record to us before the start of the next session. This will enable us to issue you an I-20 from Judson without interrupting your F-1 status here in the States.