International Admission > Apply to DePaul > Types of Admission > Freshman

Freshman

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​A freshman applicant directly enters university after secondary school (high school). If this is not your situation, review the How to Apply webpage to determine your applicant type.

You are considered an internatio​nal freshman applicant if you have been educated outside of the U.S. at any time during secondary school (high school).​​

DePaul University recognizes that educational systems are different across the world. Review the required secondary school documentation and English proficiency requirement needed for admission by your home country below.

Requirements By Country

Application Process

Apply by submitting the Common Application.

Application Deadlines:

Program Deadline Admission Decision by
Early Action Nov. 15 Dec. 15
Regular Notification Feb. 1 Mar. 15
School of Music Dec. 1 April 1
 The Theatre School Jan. 15 April 1

  * Applications will be considered on a space-available basis after February 1st. This excludes programs in the School of Music and The Theatre School.

Once you have submitted the Common Application, you will gain access to the DePaul applicant portal, Blue Demon Domain. Your applicant checklist will prompt you to pay the $40 application fee. Your application will not be reviewed until the application fee has been paid. 

What to Submit:

Transcripts and/or Secondary School Exams - Review "Requirements by Country" section to determine the required secondary school documentation by country.  

Final Transcripts/Proof of Degree Completion - Admitted students are required to submit final secondary school  (high school) transcripts and/or proof of degree completion (A-Levels, WAEC, CBSE, High School Certificate, etc.) before enrolling at DePaul.  

How to Submit Transcripts:

Transcripts, secondary school exams and English translations can be submitted by any of the following methods:

Email - Transcripts can be emailed directly to International Admission at international@depaul.edu

Naviance or Parchment Exchange - If your secondary school (high school) uses Naviance or Parchment Exchange, then your school can upload transcripts and/or secondary school exams electronically through the Common Application.  Documents received electronically through Naviance or Parchment Exchange are considered official.

SCRIP-SAFE - Official transcripts submitted through SCRIP-SAFE should connect with the "DePaul University Undergraduate Admissions" account on the website.

Mail - Transcripts can be mailed directly to International Admission. 

International Admission

1 East Jackson Boulevard, Suite 9300
Chicago, Illinois 60604 USA

Reminders:

If you were admitted based on unofficial credentials, you must submit official transcripts in order to enroll.

If you mail original documents to DePaul University, they can be returned to you if you specifically make the request in a cover letter at the time of submission.

If you bring original documents to the International Admission office, photocopies can be made and the original documents can be returned immediately during the visit.

Unless specifically requested back at the time of submission, all documents become property of DePaul University and will not be returned at a later date. 

College Level Examinations - Credit By Exam

Students participating in AP, CLEP, IB and/or International A & A/S Level exams, may earn college credit at DePaul.

Official scores must be sent directly to DePaul.  Scores will not be accepted from high school transcripts.  Learn which exams DePaul accepts, the scores required and course credits on the Credit Given By Exam webpage.

If your transcripts/secondary school exam results were issued in a language other than English - In addition to the original language documents, you will need to submit word-for-word English translations for all pages submitted.

If your transcripts and/or secondary school exams results were issued by the school or testing agency in English, you do not need to submit additional translations.

Students educated outside the U.S. for secondary school (high school) are required to submit an exam score that meets our English proficiency requirement.

If your English proficiency scores are below the minimum requirement, you might be considered for Conditional Admission.  

Students can demonstrate proof of English proficiency by one of the following:

Test Exam English Proficiency Requirement  Send Scores to DePaul
TOEFL 80 on the IBT TOEFL with no subsection lower than 17  ETS TOEFL
School Code: 1165
IELTS Academic 6.5 on the IELTS Academic IELTS 
Duolingo English Test (DET) 115 on the DET DET
SAT minimum evidence based reading and writing score of 540 CollegeBoard SAT
School Code: 1165
ACT minimum reading score of 18 and English score of 20 ACT
School Code: 1012
PTE Academic minimum English academic score of 53 N/A
Revised TOEFL Paper-delivered Test 59 on the PdT overall with no subsection lower than 17 ETS TOEFL
School Code: 1165

TOEFL, IELTS Academic and PTE Academic exam scores are valid for two years.  SAT and ACT exam scores are valid for five years.  Scores that are older will not be accepted.

We will waive the English proficiency exam requirement for students who have completed the following coursework and achieved the minimum following results:

Curriculum / Exam Minimum Result
International Baccalaureate (IB) English A: Language & Literature IB grade of 5 or letter grade equivalent (HL and/or SL)
Advanced Placement (AP) English Language & Composition Score of 4 on the exam AND/OR a grade of B in the class
British Curriculum (I)GCSE (O levels) English First Language Result of D (letter scale) or 3 (number scale)
British Curriculum GCE (AS/A levels) English Language and/or English Language & Literature Result of C 

Exception: Students whose secondary education (for all years of secondary/high school) took place in one of the countries below are exempt from the English proficiency requirement.  Students born in one of these countries, yet educated elsewhere for secondary education, are required to satisfy the English proficiency requirement.

Antigua & Barbuda, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Canada (English speaking provinces), Cayman Islands, Dominica, Fiji, Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guam, Guyana, Ireland, Jamaica, Kenya, Leeward Islands, Liberia, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, New Zealand, Nigeria, Solomon Islands, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Trinidad & Tobago, Turks & Caicos, Uganda, United Kingdom (including Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland), Vanuatu, Windward Islands, and Zambia.

Submission of SAT or ACT Scores is not required for admission if you are applying from outside the United States. However, if you choose to submit SAT or ACT scores, we will accept self-reported test scores beginning winter quarter, 2018-19. You can list test scores on your Common Application. You will also have the option to add self-reported test scores through your Blue Demon Domain portal throughout the application process.

If you choose to enroll at DePaul and you self-reported your SAT or ACT scores, you must submit official test scores prior to the start of your first term. These can be sent directly from the testing agency.

DePaul's School codes are:

  • ACT: 1012
  • SAT: 1165
Self-reported SAT or ACT scores will also be accepted as proof of English language proficiency. Please note that if you submit another exam as proof of English (IELTS, TOEFL), you must provide a copy of your score report before your application can be reviewed.

Students that studied all four years of secondary school (high school) at either a U.S. accredited or International Baccalaureate (IB) secondary school located in and/or outside of the U.S. may be eligible to apply Test Optional. Contact International Admission to determine eligibility.

More information can be found on the Test Optional FAQs webpage.

Conditional Admission

If your English proficiency scores are below the minimum requirement, you might be considered for Conditional Admission.  Conditional admission can be offered to students that meet the academic qualifications for admission, but whose English proficiency is lower than admission requirements.​

Scholarships ​

Freshman applicants for the Fall, Winter and Spring terms are automatically considered for academic scholarships based on their academic record at the time of admission. Scholarships range from $9,000 - $25,000 per year and are renewable for three additional years. DePaul does not offer need-based scholarships to international students.

Financial Aid

U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents are considered for need-based financial aid upon filing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).