International Applicants

Approximately one in every six students at North Park Theological Seminary comes from outside the United States, and our whole community is enriched by the global diversity international students bring. The Office of Admission is here to help you in the application process and in the transition to life in the United States.

Application Requirements

In addition to completing the section in the Seminary application entitled "International Students Only," please note the following requirements for international applicants.

1. Affidavit of Financial Support

The United States government requires that international students be able to show evidence of sufficient financial resources that will allow a year of study in the United States. The evidence must be shown before permission to enter the country is granted. This means international students need to show personal or family resources or sponsorship from friends, churches, or scholarships that would permit them to pay for schooling and living expenses. (More than one sponsor is allowed for each student.) This evidence is recorded in an Affidavit of Financial Support. We will send you this affidavit once we have received your application, or you may download it here.

2. Test of English as a Foreign Language

All international students for whom English is not their primary language must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and have their scores sent directly to North Park University from the testing agency. North Park's school code for the TOEFL is 1556.

The TOEFL is now administered in several formats. Please consult this table for the minimum score requirements for immediate admission to a seminary degree program. All students will be re-examined upon arrival in the United States by the director of North Park's English as a Second Language (ESL) program regardless of the original TOEFL scores.

TOEFL scores for immediate admission
Test type:	Paper	Computer	Internet
Minimum composite score:	600	250	100
Minimum Listening/Reading sub-score:	60	25	22
Minimum Speaking/Writing sub-score:	60	25	25

If your scores are slightly lower, you may be admitted simultaneously to the seminary and to North Park's English as a Second Language (ESL) program.

TOEFL scores for dual ESL/seminary admission
Test type:	Paper	Computer	Internet
Composite score:	550-599
Listening/Reading sub-score:	55-59	21-24	17-22
Speaking/Writing sub-score:	55-59	21-24	20-24

Applicants who score below a 550 on the TOEFL may seek admission to North Park's ESL program and can request that their application materials be forwarded there. If North Park ESL accepts your application, then you will be accepted to the ESL program only and will still need to attain a sufficient score in the TOEFL to gain admittance to the seminary later.

We do not recommend that a student who scores under 500 enroll in North Park's ESL program if you hope to gain admittance to the seminary. Even with a year of ESL studies, it is rare that one can raise the score more than 50 points.

It is possible for a student to enroll in the ESL program, pass the courses, but still fail to achieve a sufficient score on the TOEFL exam. The minimum TOEFL score is still needed for seminary admission. Graduation from North Park's advanced ESL level does not guarantee admission to the seminary.

3. Transcripts

Students who have attended any post-secondary educational institution outside the United States and Canada must:

• have their original academic transcripts sent directly to us, and also
• have those transcripts evaluated by an agency that will provide us with an academic translation of the documents.

One such organization we highly recommend is Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc (ECE).

4. Immunizations

The state of Illinois requires all students to have had vaccines for tetanus/diphtheria (a primary series and a booster within the last tenyears), rubella, mumps, and red measles. An immunization record form will be sent out with the I-20 to an accepted student and must be properly filled out in order to register for classes.

5. Visa

Students are responsible for attaining their own visas once they have received the I-20, using the I-901 form for SEVIS (Student and Exchange Visitor Information Service). See further information about obtaining an F-1 visa.

Application Deadlines

	Fall terms	Spring terms
Currently outside the U.S.
— needing I-20 issuance	June 1	November 1
Currently inside the U.S.
— on an F-1 visa (at another school, transferring to North Park)		December 1
— on a B-1 or J-1 visa (needing change of status, see notes below)		October 1

• B-1 and J-1 visas may not expire more than 30 days prior to the first day of classes.
• Application must be submitted 30 days or more before B-1 or J-1 visa expires.
• Supporting documents for a change of status must be submitted 21 days or more before a B-1 or J-1 visa expires.