International Students - How to Apply

We're so excited you're interested in North Central College and everything we have to offer! We know the application process can seem overwhelming, so we want to make it as easy as possible. 

Apply for Direct Admission

1. Complete Online Application

 Select one of the following:

• North Central Online Application: To start your application, you’ll need to create a North Central account if you don’t already have one. Then, select Start a New Application and select First-Year/Transfer for the application type. 
• Common Application

2. Submit Official Transcripts

All Applicants: 

• Official high school transcripts/records and certification of graduation.
• Transcripts should include all grades earned in the most recent three academic years. 
• If you haven't yet graduated, please submit official transcripts for the three most recent years and send your certificate after graduating. 

Electronic transcripts must be sent directly to North Central College by the issuing institution through one of the following sources:

• Credentials eScrip-Safe
• National Student Clearinghouse
• Parchment (formerly Docufide/Avow)
• Common Application Portal 

If your school or Ministry of Education does not use any of these sources, please have them send an official transcript in a sealed, school envelope via postal mail to our office at:

North Central College
Office of Admission
30 North Brainard St.
Naperville, Illinois 60540 USA

Transfer Applicants

• Applicants who have attended university-level classes must also submit official transcripts/mark sheets for all university-level course work. 
• Course descriptions (in English) are required for any university-level courses taken at institutions located outside of the U.S.
• If you attended an institution outside of the U.S., you must submit a course-by-course evaluation for U.S. equivalency by one of the following companies affiliated or recognized by the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES).
  • The Evaluation Company (discount for NCC applicants)
  • World Educational Services (WES)
  • Education Credential Evaluators (ECE)

Please note: North Central does not consider emailed transcripts to be official transcripts. 

3. Submit Documentation of English Proficiency 

Every international applicant is required to demonstrate a minimum level of English language proficiency. Applicants can meet our English proficiency requirement in a variety of ways! Please see the options listed below.

Option 1: Attend all years of secondary school in which English is the language of sole instruction AND complete secondary school in one of the countries listed below.

• Anguilla
• Antigua and Barbuda
• Australia
• Bahamas
• Barbados
• British Virgin Islands
• Canada (except Quebec)
• Cayman Islands
• Dominica
• England
• Federated States of Micronesia
• Ghana
• Grenada
• Guyana
• Ireland
• Jamaica
• Kenya
• Liberia
• Monserrat
• New Zealand
• Nigeria
• Northern Ireland
• Palau
• Scotland
• Seychelles
• Shetland Islands
• St. Kitts-Nevis
• St. Lucia
• St. Vincent and the Grenadines
• Singapore
• Trinidad and Tobago
• Turks and Caicos Islands
• U.S. Territories including American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Virgin Islands

Option 2: Submit test scores.

Required Scores for Direct Admission with Excel Coursework

Students whose test scores fall within the ranges listed below are eligible for direct admission to undergraduate study and will take Excel coursework during their first semester at North Central College. Excel coursework is advanced, credit-bearing, English language coursework that counts towards your degree and helps you graduate. Learn more here!

Required Scores for Direct Admission

Option 3: Coursework from one of the curriculums listed below.

• U.S. college/university English coursework: Grade of C or higher in two English composition courses
• Successful completion of the intermediate level of the Intensive English Program in North Central College's English Language Institute
• International Baccalaureate (IB): Minimum grade of 4 (or letter grade equivalent) in English A: Language & Literature
• British Curriculum (I)GCSE (O levels): Minimum result of C or 4 in English First Language
• British Curriculum GCE (AS/A levels): Minimum result of C in English Language and/or English Language & Literature
• Attend and complete an American international school abroad earning grades of C or higher in English courses
• Attend and complete a U.S. high school earning grades of C or higher in English courses without EL support
• Complete intermediate level of U.S. high school EL coursework and interview with ELI staff

*For questions or concerns about the accepted options listed above, please contact your admission counselor at inadm@noctrl.edu.

4. Submit Personal Statement

Select one of the following prompts and respond in 250 words or less. Personal statements can be uploaded to your applicant portal or emailed to International Admissions. Statements listing extracurricular activities and awards will not be considered.

• Explain how you will use your North Central College education to achieve your career goals. Consider how you will utilize your time at North Central (examples: participation in clubs and activities, on-campus employment, summer internships, athletics, etc.) to enhance your academic experiences while at North Central and prepare you for post-graduate life. Please provide one to two specific examples.
• Tell us about your involvement in extracurricular activities in high school or university. Choose one to two activities that you were very involved in and explain how you will use your experiences in those activities to get involved and be a leader on North Central College's campus.

Apply for Conditional Admission

Students who meet all academic requirements for admission, but do not have the required level of English proficiency may be considered for conditional admission. Conditional admits begin their studies in the Intensive English Program in North Central's English Language Institute (ELI), and upon successful completion of this program, they transition to full-time undergraduate study. For more information email the ELI at eli@noctrl.edu or send them a WhatsApp +1 (331) 231-9161.

Timeline for application review

Once your application is complete, we can review your file and let you know your admission status and scholarship eligibility withint approximately two weeks.

Please Note: All admissions documents, including official transcripts, become a part of a student's official file and cannot be returned to the applicant or forwarded to another institution. Once an applicant submits a document or official transcript, it is the property of North Central College and will not be returned.