Application Process
Start Your Application
How to Apply to the University
Incoming international exchange students must officially apply to Illinois State University for admission through one of our exchange partners.
Submit Your Application
You must submit an Application for Admission to apply to the University.
Click on "Create an account" to create your account. Once you create an account, you should:
Non Degree-Seeking Students
- Apply as a "Non-Degree (Visiting)" applicant on the online form.
- The online application will ask you to select your student type. Select either: "International Exchange – Graduate" if you are currently working on a master's degree or "International Exchange – Undergraduate" if you are currently working on a bachelor's degree.
- The online application will ask you: "What VISA/Permit status would you like to obtain for your studies at Illinois State University?" Select "J-1 (Exchange Visitor)".
- The online application will ask you to: "List all college-level courses that you are currently taking, or plan on taking, before you attend Illinois State University." When listing all of your current classes, you will be asked to list the number of credit hours. The number of credits can align with the credit system at your home university. If your home university does not have a credit system, enter "1" for each class listed.
Degree-Seeking Students
- Apply as a "Graduate" applicant on the online form.
- The online application will ask for you to select your program. If you are a Paderborn Transfer Degree-Seeking student, you should select "Master of Business Administration - Traditional".
- The online application will ask you: "What VISA/Permit status would you like to obtain for your studies at Illinois State University?" Select "J-1 (Exchange Visitor)".
- When prompted, choose "Pay with check or money order later." Upon confirmation that you are an exchange student, the Office of Admissions will remove your application fee.
- Final decisions of your admission are made by your major department, International Admissions, and Graduate School.
Finalize Your Application
- On the Review Application Submission page, you will need to click on "Finalize Application and Pay", but please note that you will not be asked to pay the application fee.
- It is important to save your application often and to keep your password .
Complete Your Checklist
Exchange students applying to Illinois State University will need to upload the following items as part of their application checklist. Once your document has been reviewed and accepted by an International Admissions representative, you will see a checkmark appear next to it.
- Official Letter of Nomination and Academic Good Standing from your home university. See sample.
- Proof of English Proficiency for non-native English speakers. We do not accept letters to prove English ability.
- TOEFL score (minimum: 79 iBT) or
- IELTS score (minimum: 6.5 overall band) or
- Duolingo score (minimum 105)
- Unofficial transcripts in English from your home University.
- Proof that you can fund your entire stay in the U.S.
- You must show sufficient funds for the entire length of your intended period of study. Please refer to the links below for estimates. Your funding sources must represent actual money that you will have access to during your studies.
- Passport photo ID page copy.
After You're Admitted
Complete the After You’re Admitted Steps to ensure you are prepared for your arrival to campus.
After you have been admitted to the university and submitted your J-1 Proof of Finances, you will be issued a DS-2019 document. Your application checklist will contain the F-1 Proof of Finances; please do not use this form as it does not contain accurate financial information. You should instead fill out the J-1 Proof of Finances form; this document is needed in order to apply for your J-1 visa. You will be notified via email when your new DS-2019 is ready.
Read through the Exchange Student Pre-Arrival Guide that contains all kinds of information about when to arrive, how to apply for your visa, course registration, and more.
In the email, you will also be given instructions on how to submit the course request form. You will complete this form by listing all the possible courses you would like to take while at Illinois State University. Please list as many ideas as possible. Illinois State's Course Finder and complete course catalog are available online.
Exchange Student Pre-Arrival Guide
How to Apply for Your J-1 Visa
The form that Illinois State will create so you can apply for your visa is called the “DS-2019” or “Certificate of Eligibility”.
- The type of visa that you will apply for is called the “J-1 Exchange Visitor Visa”.
- You will need to apply for a J-1 visa at your nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate.
- Within the J-1 Visa, there are many categories that indicate a person’s objective of being in the U.S.
- Most exchange students will be categorized as a “Student Non-Degree”. This means that you will be enrolled full time in classes and earning credits, but you will not be seeking a degree here.
- Students who are applying to the dual-degree MBA program or who are seeking a degree at ISU will be categorized as a “Student Masters” or “Student Doctorate” depending on the degree level.