Graduate Application Information – Prior to Fall 2024

Admission criteria are established by both the Graduate College and by the graduate program.

• Iowa State requires a bachelor’s or higher degree from a regionally-accredited college or university prior to beginning graduate studies. Because holding a degree from a regionally accredited institution is a fundamental requirement for graduate study at Iowa State University, no appeals to waive this requirement are considered.
• International degrees must be comparable to a US bachelor’s degree or higher from a college or university regionally accredited/recognized by the Ministry of Education in that country.
• 3-year degrees from India, Bangladesh, Canada (excluding Quebec), Nepal, and Pakistan are not accepted. 3-year degrees from other countries are reviewed on an individual basis.
• A minimum cumulative grade point average equivalent to at least a 3.0 on a 4.0 scale (B grade) is required for admission.
• The English proficiency requirements of the Graduate College and the graduate program to which you have applied must both be met prior to enrollment.
• There is no university-wide requirement that graduate applicants submit results from the Graduate Records Examination (GRE) or the Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT); however, most programs do require one or the other.

Our graduate application form is only available online. The $100 application fee for international students is nonrefundable. If you prefer not to pay the application fee by credit card, you may complete and print the online application, and attach your personal check. All checks should be in US dollars and made payable to Iowa State University.

Multiple programs

If you wish to apply to multiple programs, you will incur multiple nonrefundable application fee charges (e.g., $200 for two programs; $300 for three programs). You will not need to submit multiple copies of your supporting application materials, as those will be made available to all programs to which you apply.

Fee waivers

The only fee waivers offered are to Vietnam Educational Foundation (VEF) finalists(not semi-finalists). This is accomplished by checking “yes” to the question on the international graduate application asking if you are a VEF Finalist.

Name

Your family name (last name or surname) should be entered first. It is important that you use the same spelling and order of your name that appears on your passport. If variations of your name (i.e., maiden name, etc.) will appear on examination score reports or academic records, please provide those variations in the space provided. If you have only one name, please enter it in the last name or surname field.

Address

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) require that international students requesting a student visa provide a residential address outside the United States. We recommend you avoid using PO Box addresses whenever possible as express mail carriers will not deliver to PO boxes.

Universities attended

Please list your most recent university first, including the one you are currently attending. Note for Indian applicants: Please list the university that will award your degree, NOT the affiliated or constituent college in which you are enrolled.

Grade Point Average (GPA)

On the application, you are asked to provide your cumulative GPA at the undergraduate level (and graduate if appropriate). You should use the grading system used at your institution, and provide the maximum attainable score as well. For example, for U.S. schools, one would write “3.0/4.0.” Students graded on percentage systems might write 80/100%. Examples of other systems include: 2nd Class Upper/1st Division; 7/10; 13/20, etc.

Statement of Purpose

The Statement of Purpose is part of the actual application form. There is a strict limit of 500 words, so we encourage you to be succinct. You can either add your statement of purpose in the field provided on the application form, or upload it as a PDF. Please choose one option, not both. Once submitted, no changes can be made, so please proofread your statement (as well as all other entries) carefully before submitting your application.

Online recommendations

Iowa State University prefers that you use the online letter of recommendation process. By including your recommenders’ names and email addresses on the application form, they will be sent an email with a link to our online Letter of Recommendation form after you submit your application. Emails to your recommenders will not be sent until you pay the application fee and submit your application. More details are provided in the Letter of Recommendation section of these instructions.

All examinations should be taken at least six weeks prior to the graduate program’s application deadline to ensure timely receipt and processing of results. Test results must be sent directly from the testing agency to our institution to be considered official.

Please upload copies of any examination results you have as they may help the university locate your official test scores when your application is processed.

English proficiency

Nonnative English speakers must meet the university’s English proficiency requirement in one of the following ways:

1. Submit official results from one of the following exams. The minimum requirements of both the Graduate College and the graduate program to which you are applying must be met. The minimum scores accepted by the Graduate College are:

   • Internet Based TOEFL (iBT) 79
   • Paper-Based TOEFL (PBT) 550
   • IELTS 6.5
   • Pearson Test of English (PTE) 53
   • DuoLingo English Test 105 (approved through spring 2025 semester)

   Official TOEFL exam results must be sent directly from the Educational Testing Service to Iowa State electronically. Our school code is 6306. Official IELTS and PTE results should be sent directly by the testing agencies to the Office of Admissions, Iowa State University, 100 Enrollment Services Center, Ames, IA 50011-2011.

2. Earn a bachelor’s or higher degree from a country where English is the only official language, such as the following. (Complete list available from Admissions.)

   • Australia
   • Bahamas
   • Barbados
   • Belize
   • Bermuda
   • Canada (exc. Québec)
   • Dominica
   • Ghana
   • Grenada
   • Guyana
   • Ireland
   • Jamaica
   • Liberia
   • New Zealand
   • Nigeria
   • Uganda
   • United Kingdom
   • United States (exc. PR)
   • Zambia
   • Zimbabwe

Graduate Records Examination (GRE)

Most programs do not enforce strict cut-off scores. Rather, they review an applicant’s complete application package and credentials before making a decision. Official GRE results are sent electronically by the Educational Testing Service. Our school code is 6306. No Department Codes are required, but if you have selected one, it will not impact the delivery of your results.

Graduate Management Aptitude Test (GMAT)

The GMAT is accepted or required of applicants to business-related programs. Please check the Program Requirements page to determine if your program of choice requires it.

Academic records are called different names in different countries. In the US, we call them official “transcripts.” In India, the acceptable documents are referred to as “annual marksheets;” in Spanish-language countries, they may be called certificado de studios; in France, relevé de notes. Records bearing the original stamp or seal of the school official responsible for issuing such records (the registrar, principal, controller of exams, etc.) are considered “official.” Records certified by lecturers, professors, or any other school officials who do not hold primary responsibility for maintaining the academic records of the institution are not official. Academic records printed from a school’s website are also not accepted.

Applicants from India

We require semester or annual marksheets. College-issued transcripts will only be accepted from autonomous colleges. Consolidated mark sheets are not accepted unless all attempts, retakes, and failures are included. When uploading marksheets to your application account, select “Transcripts” not “Exams.”

Translations

Academic records should be in the official language of the country in which they were earned. If that is not English, an English language translation should be uploaded in addition to the official foreign language academic record. We will accept literal (not interpretative) English translations from any qualified translator.

Previous Iowa State students

If you were previously enrolled at Iowa State, you do not need to request your Iowa State transcripts; the Office of Admissions will obtain them directly.

This form is required for the purpose of issuing the visa eligibility form (Form I-20). No Form I-20 will be issued until we receive documentation that you have sufficient financial resources to cover your annual expenses. 

The Financial Statement should be uploaded to your application account, not sent by email. While your application will be reviewed without this form, the lack of financial documentation will cause a delay in the issuance of your documents.  If you choose to wait until you receive our admission decision before submitting financial information, you will be sent an email detailing what documents are required prior to the issuance of your official admission documents, including your letter and I-20.

Consult the Estimated Annual Expenses for the amount of money a typical student spends in the current academic year at Iowa State. U.S. consular officers typically require that an amount equal to one full year of support be readily available, such as in a bank, and that you have a documented source of support for the following years. For confidentiality purposes, we strongly urge you to cross out the bank account number on any bank documents prior to uploading. If your government or another agency is sponsoring you, the letter of award should include the dollar amount of the scholarship, the number of years it will be provided, and the degree for which the support is given.

Graduate assistantships

Graduate assistantships are awarded on the basis of academic and/or professional excellence. Recipients receive tuition reduction and a stipend (salary) to work approximately 10 or 20 hours per week on assigned professional responsibilities, such as teaching or research. Assistantships do not always cover the full cost of attendance; in those cases, the applicant must cover the remaining costs. We ask that you indicate the maximum amount of funds you can provide for your own support annually on the Financial Statement.

In order to save you the time, effort, and expense of mailing supplemental application materials such as academic records, departmental forms, and financial documentation, Iowa State encourages you to upload your supplemental materials at the time that you complete your online application for admission.

Uploaded materials will be used to make the admissions decision. Only if you are offered admission to Iowa State will you be required to submit official academic records and financial documents. Do not send any hard copy academic records until you have been offered admission and have decided to matriculate.

Documents may be uploaded at the same time that you submit your online application, or at a later time. The following are required:

• Scanned copies of official academic records and degree statements issued by any institution where you earned (or will earn) a bachelor’s or comparable undergraduate degree, and any institution attended after that (e.g., graduate work, postgraduate diplomas, etc.)
• Student copies of your examination results (GRE, GMAT, TOEFL, IELTS, etc.)
• Any supplemental forms or materials required by the graduate program as indicated in the Program Requirements
• The Graduate Financial Statement and supporting bank document.

Please do not upload the following:

• Secondary and/or pre-university records
• Merit certificates or certificates of participation
• Undergraduate records of only one semester enrollment or 15 credits or less unless taken after your degree
• Web-based advising reports or online transcripts
• Transcripts labeled “unofficial”or “grade report”
• Credential evaluations (i.e., WES, ECE, etc.)
• Theses or dissertations

Scanning tips

• Save your documents as a PDF files. We will not accept TIFF, JPEG, or Word files.
• If scanning transcripts from multiple schools, scan them as individual files.
• When scanning an English translation of a foreign language document, scan the English translation first.
• Ensure that the institution name and other identifying marks are not missed during the scanning process.
• If your academic record includes a legend or key which provides information on the university grading scale, please include one copy of that page.
• Scan the document at the lowest resolution possible to produce a legible document (maximum 300 dpi). The file size cannot exceed 3MB (3,000 KB).
• If the scanned file is still too large, make a photocopy of the document and then scan the photocopy.
• Please review the image after scanning to ensure it is legible. If it is not, delete it, and experiment with different scanner settings until you find one that results in a legible document.

Managing your documents

Once you have submitted your application, a list of the unofficial documents attached to your application can be found in this section of the Online Application System. You can also upload new documents at any time. A link is provided to the Program Requirements page of the program(s) to which you are applying so that you can ensure you submit all required supplemental documents.

Difficulty in uploading/scanning

We understand that not all applicants have the ability to prepare scanned legible documents for upload to the online application system. Your application will receive full consideration as long as your official transcripts are in the Office of Admissions by the appropriate deadline.

Important note

Iowa State reserves the right to rescind any offer of admission if any discrepancies are found between your uploaded and official academic records and test scores, if altered or forged records are submitted, and if any essay, personal statement, or other supplemental materials include plagiarized information. If this information is discovered after matriculation at the institution, disciplinary action may be taken up to and including dismissal from the university.

Upon receipt of the online application, all required academic records (transcripts), and satisfactory examination results, the Office of Admissions logs in your materials and make them available to the graduate program(s) to which you have applied. If you have not uploaded the required academic records, your file will be marked “Incomplete” and an automated email will be sent to you informing you that a required academic record is missing.

Each graduate program has its own processes for file review. Some may notify you when an item is missing; others consider it the applicant’s responsibility to meet their published requirements, and will not contact you.

Some graduate programs do their review on a rolling basis, and others wait until February or March to begin their review. Please contact the graduate program directly for information on when their decisions are usually made.

The graduate program makes its admission recommendation to the Graduate College for the Dean’s approval and then a final review in the Office of Admissions. Until the Graduate Dean has approved the admission recommendation, and the Office of Admissions has conducted their final review, the program’s decision is unofficial. Once approved by the Dean, the Office of Admissions receives the electronic file for their final review. After the Office of Admissions conducts the final review, formal action is taken.

Some departments notify the applicant of their recommendation to the Graduate College; others prefer to wait until the Graduate College has approved the decision and formal notification can be sent by the Office of Admissions.

Notification of admission

If you are approved by the Graduate Dean for admission to the university, the Office of Admissions reviews the following:

1. If you will be on an F-1 or J-1 visa, Admissions reviews your financial documents to ensure you have made satisfactory arrangements to cover your educational and living expenses (and those of any family members) for the duration of your program. If not, you will be notified what is missing. If you have sufficient private funds, a full scholarship, or have been given full funding by the graduate program, your file will be released for issuance of the visa eligibility form (I-20 or DS-2019).
2. Your academic records will be reviewed, and you will be instructed to send hard copies of your official final academic records and degree statements. You should send them to the Office of Admissions at the address at the end of this document.
   
   Important note:
   If all records are not received by the deadline you are given, your admission maybe cancelled and your I-20 or DS-2019 terminated in the US Student and Exchange Visa Information System (SEVIS).
    
3. The official admission letter (and I-20 Form) will be emailed to international students living abroad. International students living in the U.S. will receive the official admission letter by U.S. Mail.
4. All materials submitted in support of your application of admission become the property of Iowa State University and will not be returned in original or copy.

The official admission letter (and I-20 Form) will be emailed to international students living abroad. International students living in the U.S. will receive the official admission letter by U.S. Mail.