A transfer applicant is anyone who has enrolled at a postsecondary institution after obtaining a secondary school diploma in the United States or in their home country.

Applicants may apply online or on paper using the Common Application. There is a US$65.00 fee for all applications.

How to Apply

To be considered for admission to AU as a transfer student, your application and supporting documents must be submitted by the appropriate deadline and must include all of the following:

Completed Common Application form, including essay
Academic records with official transcripts
One or two letters of recommendation (optional)
CV or resume
Demonstrated English proficiency* (minimum TOEFL iBT 90/paper based 550, IELTS 6.5, or PTE 53)
Completed Certification of Finances form and bank letter
Application fee of US$65.00

* International applicants transferring from U.S. postsecondary institutions who have completed two university-level English writing courses (non ESL) with grades of C or better at an AG-rated, regionally accredited college or university, or with grades of B or better at an AP-rated college, are exempt from submitting scores from these examinations.

Important: A completed application means that the application form and all other documents listed above, including the Certification of Finances for International Students (CFIS), must be submitted on time by the indicated deadline. Please note that late applications will significantly reduce your chances of being admitted, as well as disqualify you from merit scholarship consideration.

Your Academic Records

To be considered for admission to AU, you must have strong academic credentials, which may include proof of both a rigorous secondary and postsecondary school curriculum.

If you have completed less than one year of full-time academic study at a postsecondary institution in the United States or overseas at the time of application (i.e. you have less than 24 semester credits per the U.S. system of higher education), please submit all of the following:

Your secondary school diploma and academic credentials (examination results and certificates, transcripts, etc)
Your postsecondary academic credentials or transcripts
SAT I scores (only if you completed high school in the United States)

Please include any examination results such as GCSE, GCE, Bagrut, Tawjihi, French Baccalaureate, CAPE, Attestat, Abitur or Secondary School Leaving Certificates. Contact the international admissions office with any questions regarding submission of documents.

Certain exam results such as, but not limited to, IB, WAEC, GCE, GCSE, and CAPE must come directly from the examination board or authority. Under special circumstances, we will also accept certified copies of these examination results from EducationUSA overseas advising centers. (www.educationusa.info/center.php)

If you have completed at least one year of full-time postsecondary academic study at the time of application, submit only your postsecondary academic credentials. No SAT scores or secondary school academic records are required.

In either case, please have academic records from each secondary and/or postsecondary school you attended sent directly from those schools to American University. These records should be submitted in their original language and accompanied by official English translations if applicable. You may submit certified or notarized copies of your original official transcripts if your country issues only one copy of your academic documents.

Advanced Credit for Postsecondary Coursework

Courses completed at accredited postsecondary institutions within or outside the United States may be eligible to receive transfer credit.

If you are transferring from a two-year postsecondary institution, the maximum number of credits that may be transferred is 60. If you are transferring from a four-year postsecondary institution or university, the maximum number of credits that may be transferred is 75.