OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY
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Admission Requirements
Oregon State University has a holistic admissions process that considers the various skills, abilities and achievements of each applicant with the goal of identifying and admitting students who have what it takes to succeed at OSU. As part of our review, we'll be looking at:
OSU is test-optional. Learn more about your options. Test scores, if you elect to submit them, are never the sole or primary reason for an admissions decision; they are always considered in context and as supplemental information.
OSU does not require letters of recommendation except when a student is appealing a denial. Letters of recommendation provided may be reviewed in our holistic review process.
High school students must graduate from standard (private) or regionally accredited (public) high schools. If you are not graduating from an accredited high school see Home School Requirements and nontraditional student requirements for additional information.
Oregon State is also looking for students who bring unique views and experiences to our campus. We are looking for students who go above and beyond the minimum whether in talent, academic ability or potential. Combined with academic strengths, evidence of these characteristics may be considered in our review of applicants for admission.
Applicants who are ineligible to re-enroll at any college or university that they attended within the last seven years for student conduct reasons will be automatically declined admission at OSU. Applicants who are unable to re-enroll at a previous college or university for academic reasons will be considered for admission only if they meet OSU’s minimum academic requirements.
Students who completed a significant amount of their education in a country outside the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, English-speaking Canada, or New Zealand may be asked to submit English proficiency test scores. The tests must have been taken within the last two years from the term you are applying for.
Applicants who have already graduated high school or received a GED and have earned fewer than 24 transferable quarter college credits (16 semester credits) will be reviewed for admissibility based on BOTH high school work or GED scores, and any transferable coursework. Applicants who have already graduated high school are not required to submit SAT/ACT scores to be reviewed for admission. Learn more about GED student requirements or nontraditional student requirements.
Deadlines for all available terms can be found here.
Oregon State's Early Action option provides some applicants with an earlier admission decision and scholarship notification (if eligible) and allows applicants more time to make campus visits and to consider their options.
New freshmen wishing to be considered for admission as part of the Priority Application round must apply by February 1. Documents required to make a student’s file complete must be received by the Office of Admissions by February 15.
Applicants who do not meet these deadlines will be considered for admission on a space-available basis and will likely wait to get a decision on their admission to OSU (Corvallis) until mid-March.
Applications must be submitted before 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time to meet the deadline.
A complete application consists of the application, fee, and all required supporting documents (i.e. transcripts, test scores if you opted to include them, citizenship documents, etc.). It can take days or weeks for your transcripts and test scores to arrive, so we recommend requesting these items be sent to our office well in advance of the deadline date.
You are responsible for submitting all materials well in advance of the deadline in order to avoid complications/delays in delivery and because additional information may be required before your application can be fully processed and reviewed.
Navigating which application to choose can be tricky, as it depends on your citizenship, visa type, etc. Please be prepared to provide the following information as requested as soon as you apply so that we can ensure your application gets reviewed appropriately.
If you are a permanent resident of the united states, please submit a copy of the front and back of your Permanent Resident Card. If your card is expired, please submit a copy of your expired card and your extension approval document.
If you are an asylee or refugee, please submit a copy of the letter from USCIS confirming your status approval. If your asylee or refugee application is still pending, please submit a copy of the letter from USCIS confirming your application was received, and contact your admissions advisor or our customer service team so we can assist you. We will ask you what your current immigration status is and advise you accordingly.
If you have Temporary Protected Status and are currently on a valid visa, please apply through our Office of International Admissions. If you have Temporary Protected Status and are not on a valid visa, please submit a copy of the letter from USCIS confirming your status approval with your application to Domestic Admissions.
If you are an undocumented student, please reach out to your admissions advisor for further assistance.
If you are a Citizen of American Samoa, Palau, the Republic of Marshall Islands, or the Federated States of Micronesia, please submit a copy of your passport or I-94 document.
If you will need a visa to attend OSU, or are currently in the United States on any kind of visa, please apply through our Office of International Admissions
Oregon State University requires all applicants to submit official transcripts from any regionally accredited institution they have attended. While it may be possible to conduct an admission evaluation based on unofficial documents, we strongly recommend applicants educated abroad submit their official transcripts as early as possible to avoid delays. Applicants who are admitted on unofficial transcripts will receive a hold on their student record which cannot be moved until official documents are received. It is in your best interest to submit your official transcripts earlier rather than later so your course registration is not impacted.
Once all documents are received, our specialized international admissions team will review your application. Please note this process may take an additional 2 weeks beyond OSU’s standard admissions review time. We encourage applicants who are educated abroad to apply early whenever possible.
As a general rule, you will be asked to submit whichever documents are standard for your country in the college/university application process. Oregon State University strongly recommends you submit your official documents at the time of your application. Although we may be able to conduct a review based on unofficial documents, you will receive a hold preventing course registration on your student record which cannot be moved until all official documents are received. Generally, these documents might include, but are not limited to:
If your documents are not issued by your institution in English, we will request an official copy of your documents in the Native Language, as well as a certified English translation.
Oregon State University does not accept WES evaluations.
Visit this page for details on sending transcripts and other documents.