Application Instructions

To complete your application for admission to YSU, you must send us the following information and documents.

Application Fee

You must pay a non-refundable $30 application fee. Payment must be in the form of a check or money order (do not send cash) payable to "Youngstown State University." This fee must be paid in U.S. funds and the check or money order must be drawn on a U.S. bank. Your application will not be reviewed until the application fee has been paid. Payment of the fee cannot be waived or deferred.

If you are having difficulty in paying the fee because of currency exchange restrictions, you may wish to have a friend or relative in another country pay the fee for you. This is acceptable as long as the check is clearly identified with your full name so that payment can be credited to your application.

Application Form

Refer to the enclosed International Application for Undergraduate Admissions form while reading this section. It will help you as you go along. Please read carefully and follow the directions. Failure to fully complete the application and follow these directions will likely result in unnecessary delays in the processing of your application. You may write in "Not Relevant" or "Unknown" in those spaces on the application that do not pertain to your situation.

Complete the enclosed application by printing in black or dark blue ink. Complete both sides of the form. Send it promptly.

Social Security Number. Write in your U.S. social security number, if you have one, in the appropriate space. If you do not have a U.S. social security number, do not be concerned. An application number will be assigned when your application is received. This number will be used by Undergraduate Admissions and the University Registrar as your student identification number.

Legal Name. Print your full legal name using all capital letters as shown in your passport. Your family name (last name, family name or surname) should come first. Do not abbreviate or supply only the initial of your family name under any circumstances. Because all applications are filed alphabetically by family name, it is important that you use the same English spelling of your name on all correspondence with YSU.

Other Names. List any variations in your names, no matter how small, that might appear on your educational documents. We need to know how your name appears on those documents so that we can match them to your application.

Citizenship/Immigration Status. Complete all relevant parts of this section of the application. Be sure to enter a country, rather than a territory or a region, by "Country of Citizenship." Usually, this is the country that will issue your passport. If admitted, non-U.S. citizens may be asked to verify immigration status with the CISP.

Address in Home Country. Use whatever abbreviations will ensure prompt delivery of mail by your local delivery service. Be sure to complete all other blocks in this section.

Present Mailing Address. Pay special attention to this section. YUS's Undergraduate Admissions Office will send mail to this address only up until the date you indicate. After that date, all mail will be sent to your "permanent residence address."

Spouse or Next of Kin Information

Be sure to complete this entire block.

Employment Experience

Provide detailed information about all employment history. Include Military service.

Certification of Truth Statement

Sign and date your application at the bottom of the application form after reading the Certification of Truth Statement.

Transcripts and Academic Records

Required Documents
Official transcripts, or records of previous academic course work, are required for consideration for admission. This includes work already completed and work currently under way. The types of records which must be submitted vary depending upon the educational system, and may include student books, exam results, diplomas, marks sheets, and transcripts. The records in whatever form should show a complete list of courses taken, indicating the number of weeks and the number of hours as well as the grades (or marks) given. The records should also indicate any diplomas or certificates earned. If you are currently enrolled, you must submit current transcripts (showing all work completed to date) by the application deadline. Final transcripts, reflecting all work completed, should be sent as soon as they become available. Applicants who are unsure what documents to submit should contact the Undergraduate Admissions Office for clarification. (E-mail: enroll@ysu.edu or Phone: 330.941.2000 or Fax: 330.941.3674)

If you attended a university in Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Nepal, or Sri Lanka, you must submit marks sheets from the university. The marks sheets must be certified as true copies of the originals. Marks sheets prepared by the college are not acceptable. If exams are not administered by the university until the final year of the degree program, then you must provide an official letter from the college to verify this fact.

Freshman applicants who have not attended post-secondary schools and transfer applicants who have completed up to one year of full-time college-level study (excluding English as a Second Language courses), must submit the following:

• official results of all school certificates, certificates of education, or matriculation examinations (results slips are not acceptable); and
  
• official transcripts or records for each term or year of study showing courses, credits and grades from each high school or secondary school attended;
• for applicants who have completed post-secondary study, official transcripts or records of all previous or current course work, regardless of length of study or applicability to current field of study;
• an official syllabus or course description for each course taken at a college, university, or institution of higher education outside of the U.S. Syllabi should be submitted in English only. The syllabus is used to evaluate transfer credit and determine if the applicant meets the prerequisites of the intended major.

Transfer applicants who have successfully completed more than one year of full-time post-secondary study (excluding English as a Second Language courses) do not need to submit secondary school records or results of school certificate, matriculation, or certificate of education examinations. However, they must submit official transcripts and syllabi for all college-level work as described above.

Definition of Official Documents

Transcripts and other educational records are official if they are certified and sent by the issuing institution directly tothe Undergraduate Admissions Office. When the policy of the issuing institution prohibits sending the transcripts directly to YSU, an unaltered photocopy of the original, certified by an appropriate official, will be accepted when sent by the applicant. (See Official Certification below.) Course work from one institution reported as transfer credit on another school's transcript does not meet the requirement for an official transcript. Where colleges and universities routinely issue transcripts in English, those documents can be accepted as official.

English Translations

You must provide accurate literal English translations of all foreign language educational documents along with the originals in the native language. Whenever possible, translations should follow the same format as the foreign language original. The accuracy of the translation must be certified either by an appropriate officer at the issuing school or by an appropriate government officer at the Ministry of Education, consulate, or embassy.

Official Certification

Official Certification is usually signified by an original ink stamp or raised seal of the issuing school. This is often accompanied by the original signature of the principal, registrar, or other officer designated to issue official copies of educational records. In cases where the local, state, or national government keeps educational records, the signature of appropriate officer or the raised seal or ink stamp of the appropriate agency will constitute official certification. Certification by a notary public is not sufficient. YSU reserves the right to contact the issuing school or government agency for verification whenever the authenticity of educational documents issued in support of an application is questioned.

When to Request Transcripts to be Sent

It is strongly recommended that you submit the application form to YSU before or at the same time you request that your transcripts be sent. This will facilitate the timely processing of these documents.

If Records are Unavailable

If you are unable to provide a required transcript or academic record, you must provide a written explanation of why the document is unavailable. Whenever it is possible, you should also provide a written statement from the appropriate school or government official to confirm that the document is unavailable. YSU reserves the right to contact the issuing school or government agency to verify if documents are not available.

Academic Test Requirements

International freshman and transfer applicants are not usually required to submit scores from standardized tests such as the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) or the American College Test (ACT). However, if you have spent three or four years in a U.S. high school or if you have attended a school overseas that follows the U.S. curriculum, you would be well advised to take either of these tests. If you have taken or plan to take either test, you may have the results sent to YSU. If you provide test results, they will be considered when reviewing your application for admission. YSU's SAT code is 1976. YSU's ACT code is 3368.