International Applicants
The application for an international student is the same as for a domestic student, with a few extra requirements. Visit the Application page for more information about the requirements, and read below for additional International Applicant requirements.
Scholarship Aid for International Students
Unfortunately, SLAI’s grant funding restricts our ability to offer financial aid to only domestic students. We cannot offer financial assistance to international applicants.
Additional Application Requirements for International Applicants
Due at time of application:
(upload these materials after submitting your application via the application dashboard)
- TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo score (A SAT or ACT score can also be accepted)
- Translation of your current academic transcript (if necessary)
- Copy of your passport
- Completed International Certification of Finances Form (include a bank statement with your submission)
Due after acceptance:
- $250 International Fee
- Includes Visa Processing and Transfer, and an optional additional overnight stay after the program ends. This is in addition to the tuition cost and $75 application fee.
- Proof of USA health insurance
- All international students will need to submit documentation showing they have health insurance coverage while on campus. Students will be responsible for purchasing their own health insurance for the short term they are on campus. Health insurance documentation will be due in June and is only required for accepted students.
English Proficiency Information:
In addition to TOEFL and IELTS, we accept Duolingo English Test scores! Visit the Duolingo English Test score site to take the test and send your results directly to us at Carleton.
Students with scores in the following ranges are best prepared to study and learn at the Summer Liberal Arts Institute:
- Paper-Based TOEFL – 600 and above
- Internet-Based TOEFL – 100 and above
- Computer-Based TOEFL – 250 and above
- IELTS – 7.0 and above
- Duolingo English Test – 120 and above
Student Visas
All international students attending the Carleton Summer Liberal Arts Institute must apply for an F-1 visa, unless you fall into one of these categories:
- Are a U.S. citizen or permanent resident
- Are currently attending a high school within the United States in F-1 status and plan to return to that institution in the fall. We will need confirmation from a high school administrator that you are registered for the fall.
- Are in the U.S. in a non-immigrant status other than as F-1 and that status allows you to be a full-time student.
SLAI is a credit-earning program, therefore, a tourist visa (B visa) does not permit you to receive academic credit and will not be sufficient to attend SLAI.
The information below is an abbreviated introduction to the complicated regulations that govern student and exchange visitors to the United States. For complete information on obtaining a United States Student Visa, visit the U.S. Department of State website here.
Receiving your Certificate of Eligibility
International students and exchange visitors who have been offered admission to the Summer Liberal Arts Institute and have accepted it receive a SEVIS generated Certificate of Eligibility (I-20 form) from Carleton. Our office will contact students to make sure we have received all the necessary documents to issue you an I-20.
SEVIS is an internet-based system used by the U.S. government to track the arrivals, departures as well as continued enrollment, academic training and other important related activities of students and exchange visitors.
Form I-20: Certificate of Eligibility for non-Immigration (F-1) Student Status
This is the basic document which F-1 students use to obtain student visas from U.S. consulates and embassies abroad, as well as to enter and exit the United States during the program of study, and to transfer from one school to another.
Once we have finished processing your I-20, we will email you a copy. It will be your responsibility to set up a meeting with your U.S. consulate to complete the visa request process. Many consulates are booked out 30+ days; please set up a meeting as soon as you are able.
Please notify our office once you have completed your meeting and purchased your plane tickets for arrival.
The I-20 document, together with documentary evidence of financial ability to attend Carleton College, and the student’s passport (valid for at least six months beyond the date of a student’s projected arrival date), should be submitted to the nearest United States consulate or embassy abroad for issuance of an entry visa (except Canadians, see below). The visa is affixed directly to the student’s passport.
This visa “stamp” is important only for entry into the U.S.
Please be advised that although visas may be applied for earlier than the 120 days prior to the program start date, the consulate will not issue you the visa any earlier than within the 120 day time frame.
Students may not enter the U.S. earlier than 30 days prior to the program start date.
Canadian citizens who will enter the United States to study are subject to the same visa requirements. However, Canadians are not required to apply for an ENTRY visa (F-1). To enter the U.S., Canadians are required to present to an immigration inspector at their port of entry the following: proof of SEVIS fee payment, valid passport and I-20, and financial documentation.
An entry visa is not a guarantee of entry into the U.S. The bearer of a visa is subject to inspection at the port of entry (POE) by U.S. Immigration officials, who have the authority to deny admission. Therefore, the recipient of a visa should carry with him/her, for possible presentation to immigration inspectors, all the evidence submitted to the Consular Officer when the visa was obtained.
Most students enter the United States on an F-1 student visa for the purpose of completing a degree program at an American educational institution. The F-1 visa is affixed to a page in a student’s passport by a U.S. Consular Office abroad. It allows a person seeking F-1 Student Status to enter the U.S. To obtain this entry visa, the international student must present the following documents, in addition to the visa application forms, to the Consular section of a U.S. Embassy or Consulate abroad:
- Certificate of Eligibility: Form I-20
- Valid passport
- Documentary evidence of financial support
- Certified bank statement or statement of income
- International Student Certification of Finances
- Admissions letter from SLAI
- High school transcript
- TOEFL and/or SAT Scores
- Receipt of paid SEVIS fee
Entry for F-1 Students:
Upon entering the United States, the international student must present the same documents (see above) plus the entry visa to the U.S. Immigration official.
Traveling to Campus
With the added complications of flying internationally, our office offers extra accommodations for our international students. The international fee covers room and board for an extra day after the program to give international students more travel options. For 2024, this flexibility would allow international students depart on July 27th. If you choose to depart on July 26th, please do not book your return flight leaving earlier than 3:30pm.
Our office encourages international students to opt into the provided shuttle (more information will be included in your acceptance materials). Additionally, we will make sure there is someone at the airport to greet each student and bring them to campus. We understand that international flights may not have the best arrival time options, so please communicate with our office as you plan your trip and we’ll work with your transportation needs.
Once you arrive to campus and check in with our office, please let them know you’re an international student. We’ll need to make a copy of your visa for our records.
