Admission as an International Student
International students attend the University of California, Davis, from many countries around the world. There were 87 different countries represented on the Davis campus in the 1998-1999 academic year, by an international student population of approximately 1,100 students, as well as an equal number of visiting international faculty and researchers. To be eligible for admission to the University, international students need to meet specific academic and financial qualifications.
Freshman Admission
Prospective students attending school outside of the U.S., seeking admission as freshmen, must complete secondary school earning superior marks in academic subjects. International students applying to UC Davis from California high schools are considered for admission using the same eligibility criteria as California residents. The eligibility of applicants who have attended both foreign and U.S. high schools will be evaluated using both foreign and U.S. academic records. UC Davis welcomes competent, qualified applicants from around the world. There are no quotas for international students.
Required Tests for Freshman Applicants
The Scholastic Assessment Test I (SAT I) and three Scholastic Assessment Test II (SAT II) are required. Subject tests include Writing, Mathematics Level 1 or Level 2 and one test in one of the following areas: English literature, foreign language, science or social studies. These tests are required from international students graduating from U.S. high schools, American-type schools abroad, and applicants from countries with educational systems that do not have national, external examinations at the end of secondary school.
Freshman applicants are strongly encouraged to take these tests early because many preliminary admission decisions are made on the basis of test scores and marks. Official scores must be reported to UC Davis no later than the end of December of the year they apply. For information concerning these tests, contact the following:
SAT Program
1425 Lower Ferry Road
Q10
Trenton, NJ 08618
Phone: (609) 771-7600; e-mail: sat@ets.org
Transfer Applicants
Priority is given to prospective transfer students who are prepared to begin their junior or third year of study at UC Davis. Coursework from other colleges and universities is considered transferable if the applicant completed the course at an institution that is recognized by the University of California and is comparable to coursework offered at UC Davis. Students attending colleges or universities outside of the U.S. should be aware that many foreign technical institutes are not recognized and that vocational coursework is not transferable.
International students applying to transfer to UC Davis from California colleges or universities are considered for admission using the same eligibility criteria as domestic students. Applicants who have attended both foreign and U.S. colleges and universities will be evaluated using both foreign and U.S. academic records.
Note: It is not possible to disregard any college or university work undertaken.
Required Academic Records
International students are responsible for providing UC Davis with official academic transcripts and/or certificates beginning with secondary school records. College and university records should indicate subjects taken; grades or marks earned; rank in class; number of academic terms per year; number of weeks in each academic term; and number of hours per week devoted to lecture and laboratory. Certifications must be provided for any university or government examinations the student has passed. Certified English translations of all academic records are required. To apply for undergraduate admission, send records directly to the following:
Undergraduate Admissions and Outreach Services
University of California
178 Mrak Hall, One Shields Avenue
Davis, CA 95616-8507
U.S.A.
To be considered for admission at other UC campuses, send copies of your records directly to the other campuses.
Opportunities for International Students in Engineering
The College of Engineering at UC Davis receives many more applications for undergraduate admission than can be accommodated. As a result, the college can only accept a few applications for the fall quarter from international students who have superior records. You may apply for admission if you meet the following criteria:
Freshman applicants: You must be attending and graduating from a school in the United States. Applications from students completing secondary school outside of the U.S. will not be accepted.
Transfer applicants: You must be a student attending a California community college, completing the lower division requirements for the College of Engineering, and be at the junior level (60 semester/90 quarter units) at the time you enter UC Davis. Applications from students attending other colleges and universities will not be accepted.
If you are interested in applying for admission in Engineering majors at other University of California campuses, you must contact each campus directly for information about admission.
TOEFL
The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is a requirement of admission for applicants from abroad or for those with little schooling in the United States, when English is not the applicants' native language. International students attending secondary school in the United States will be required to present TOEFL results if they have attended an American school for less than two years. To be considered for admission, UC Davis requires a minimum score of 550 on the paper based TOEFL or 213 on the computer based TOEFL. You may call (609) 771-7100, e-mail toefl@ets.org, or go to http://www.toefl.org for information.
Estimated Costs for 2000-2001
For the 2000-2001 academic year, international students seeking nonimmigrant visas must guarantee $27,500 is on deposit, in a bank, available for their support for the first year of study. It is estimated that tuition and fees will be $15,500 and minimum living expenses will be $12,000. Financial aid is not available to international students. International students with nonimmigrant visas must anticipate paying full fees for the duration of their stay at UC Davis. Fees are subject to change without notice.
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