Admission to the University

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Admission of International Students

The University of Mississippi welcomes the enrollment of qualified international students. Any applicant who does not hold U.S. citizenship, regardless of where he or she resides, is considered “international” and must check “international student” on his or her online application.

International students fall into the following categories:

• Degree-seeking students: Applicants intending to enroll in an academic degree program, applying for “conditional admission,” or intending to take courses in preparation for a graduate degree program or for personal enrichment.
• Exchange students, incoming study abroad students, visiting students, etc.: Applicants interested in studying abroad at the University of Mississippi.
• Intensive English Language (IEP) students: Applicants interested in improving their English language skills.
• Summer College for High School Students Eligibility and Enrollment through the Office of Outreach: High school applicants interested in earning college credit through UM’s Summer College for High School Students.
• Accelerator Program: Applicants who do not initially meet the English language proficiency minimum score and/or the minimum grade-point-average may enroll in an undergraduate accelerator program.

Application Forms, Fees, and Deadlines

International students interested in undergraduate admission must apply online. A nonrefundable application fee of $60 (subject to change) must accompany the online application. Applications submitted without this fee will not be processed. International applicants are strongly encouraged to apply for admission no later than six months prior to their desired enrollment term. Priority application deadlines are April 1 for fall term admission and October 1 for spring term admission, but admissions are on a rolling basis. (Fall term begins in mid-August; spring term begins in mid-January.)

Requirements and Criteria for International Admission

The documents required to accompany the online form and application fee, and the criteria for admission to a degree program, depend on the applicant’s classification and on where he/she has received his/her previous education.

Classification

International Freshman: An international applicant who has completed the equivalent of 12 years or more of elementary and secondary schooling based on his/her country’s educational system and who has never attended a college or university.

International Transfer: An international applicant who has already completed course work at the higher education level (college or university), including a person who holds a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent from an accredited college or university and who is interested in taking additional undergraduate course work.

Location of Prior Education:

Abroad: The secondary school from which the freshman applicant graduated, or the college or university from which the transfer applicant is transferring, is outside the U.S.

U.S.-outside Mississippi: The high school from which the freshman applicant has graduated, or the college or university from which the transfer applicant is transferring, is located within the U.S. but outside the state of Mississippi.

Mississippi: The high school from which the freshman applicant has graduated, or the college or university from which the transfer applicant is transferring, is located within the state of Mississippi.

Supporting Documentation

International Freshman/Transfer applicants graduating from a secondary school or transferring from a college or university abroad must provide the following items and meet the following criteria. Submit in hard-copy format to the Office of International Programs or to Ole Miss International electronically the following items:

1. Official or officially certified transcripts and degree certificates.
   • Freshman:
     • Official English language transcripts from secondary school(s) attended; degree certificate if already graduated
     • Evidence of college preparatory curriculum, achieving a minimum 3.00 cumulative high school grade-point-average on a 4.00 scale (or its equivalent)
   • Transfer:
     • Official English language transcripts from all colleges and universities attended; degree certificate if already graduated
     • Minimum 2.50 cumulative college or university grade-point-average on a 4.00 scale (or its equivalent)
     • Students who have completed less than 30 credits (or the equivalent of one year of full-time enrollment) at a college or university: Official English language transcripts and degree certificates from secondary school(s)
2. Copy of passport identification pages, if available, to help ensure accuracy of name and birth date
3. Affidavit of Financial Support if intending to hold F-1 or J-1 visa status. Although not required for admission, submitting the affidavit with other application materials expedites the admissions/enrollment process.
4. English proficiency test score. Please see below.

International Freshman/Transfer applicants graduating from a secondary school or transferring from a college or university in the U.S., whether in Mississippi or elsewhere, must meet the admissions requirements as listed in the section titled Admission of Freshman and Transfer Students in this catalog. Additionally, they must provide:

1. Copy of passport identification pages, if available, to help ensure accuracy of name and birth date
2. Affidavit of Financial Support if intending to hold F-1 or J-1 visa status. Although not required for admission, submitting the affidavit with other application materials expedites the admissions/enrollment process.
3. English proficiency test score. Please see below.
4. Copy of their U.S. visa or I-94 form (H4, L2, etc.), permanent resident card, or other documentation related to one’s status in the U.S.

Pre-Professional Programs

Undergraduate international applicants may be admitted to pre-professional programs. But admission to a pre-professional program does not guarantee admission to the corresponding professional program. Admission to professional programs, to which Mississippi residents have priority consideration, is generally determined after students have completed a set of core courses as determined by the program. Undergraduate international students are not eligible for admission to the schools of Medicine, Nursing, and Dentistry.

English Language Proficiency Requirements for Undergraduate Admission to the University

The ability to communicate effectively in the English language is critically important to students’ academic and personal success as well as to safety in laboratories and other academic and research environments.

International applicants whose primary language is not English and/or who have completed their secondary or tertiary education primarily outside of the U.S. must submit official scores from the acceptable tests in the table below. English language proficiency requirements may be met by providing qualifying test scores. To be considered official, test scores must be sent directly from the testing agency to the university and be less than two years old. The school code for the University of Mississippi is 1840.

¹Valid only within the institution in which it is given.

University of Mississippi “My Best™ Score” Policy

The University of Mississippi accepts TOEFL iBT “My Best™ Score” reports as proof of the English Proficiency requirement for any applicant applying for freshman undergraduate or transfer undergraduate admissions.

If a “My Best™ Score” is submitted, the Total Score must be a minimum of 79, with no “My Best™ Score” subscore lower than 19.

Exemptions

The following applicants are exempt from submitting one of the above English language proficiency scores:

• International applicants who show evidence of having completed the Advanced Plus Level at the University of Mississippi’s Intensive English Program with a grade of B or higher (see iep.olemiss.edu for further information).
• International applicants who apply for admission as degree-seeking freshmen and who have completed all four years of high school education at, and graduated from, an accredited high school in the U.S. Such applicants must, however, comply with the admission standards for domestic (i.e., U.S.) applicants as stated in the undergraduate catalog.
• International applicants who apply for admission as degree-seeking transfer students and who have completed at least 30 credits, including two English Writing/Composition courses, at an accredited institution of higher education in the U.S., and who have earned a cumulative grade-point average of 2.00 or higher on a 4.00 scale, and a grade of 2.00 or higher on a 4.00 scale on each of the English writing/composition courses.
• International applicants who have earned a higher education degree (including the equivalent of an associate or bachelor’s degree) in one of a group of countries listed on the English Language Test Requirement exemption list.
• Citizens of one of a group of countries listed on the English Language Test Requirement exemption list.

Applicants with English proficiency scores that are lower than the above minima may be admitted as follows:

• Applicants with scores of 69-78 TOEFL IBT; 5.50 IELTS; or 47-52 PTE-A may be admitted but are required to enroll in IE 090 English for International Students and IE 091 Academic Writing Lab for International Students during their first term of enrollment at the university and, if necessary, in subsequent terms until they complete the courses successfully. (Successful completion of IE 090 and IE 091 means student must receive a C grade or higher on both courses IE 090 and IE 091.)
• Students who lack an acceptable English proficiency score and who wish to be considered for an exemption from the IE 090/IE 091 requirement may choose to take the English Placement Test upon arrival at the university.
• Conditional admission may be granted to applicants with English proficiency scores below 69 TOEFL IBT; 5:50 IELTS; 47 PTE-A who meet all other requirements for undergraduate admission, provided that they submit a written request to the Office of International Programs and ask for “Conditional Admission status.” Students granted conditional admission will be permitted to enroll in undergraduate academic courses only after demonstrating satisfactory English language proficiency as required for unconditional admission (see above).

Please note that admission to the University of Mississippi’s Intensive English Language Program requires a separate application process in addition to the application process for conditional undergraduate admission (see iep.olemiss.edu/how-to-apply).

Intensive English Program

620 All American Drive
662-915-1560
iep@olemiss.edu

The Intensive English Program (IEP) provides English language instruction for international students who wish to study at the University of Mississippi or other institutions in the United States. The IEP offers classes in speaking and listening, reading, writing, and grammar at four different ability levels as well as content-based courses such as American Culture, Intercultural Communication, and Pronunciation. Full-time students are registered for between 18 and 20 hours of non-degree credit. In addition to its intensive program, the IEP plans and offers cultural activities as well as encourages its students to participate in on- and off-campus events. The program follows the university semester schedule and includes one eight-week session in the summer. Special shorter programs are available upon request.

IEP students are considered to be international students and are subject to all regulations and fees pertaining to international students. Application forms are available from the Intensive English Program (see iep.olemiss.edu/how-to-apply for more information). Attending the IEP does not guarantee admission into an academic program at the University of Mississippi. Tuition and fees for the Intensive English Program are listed in the Fees and Expenses section (see iep.olemiss.edu/cost for more information).

Undergraduate Accelerator Programs at the University of Mississippi

Students who do not meet the minimum English proficiency score or the grade-point-average minimum of 3.00 may enroll in Ole Miss International’s Accelerator programs.

Students must have a minimum 2.5 grade-point-average on a 4.00 scale (or its equivalent) to enroll in the Accelerator Programs. Applicants for the Accelerator Programs should apply online at omi.olemiss.edu/undergraduate/apply-now.

Estimated Costs

See the estimated minimum cost of attending the University of Mississippi for each 12-month period. Costs include tuition (including base tuition and nonresident fees), the international student service fee, anticipated health insurance costs, and the estimated costs for housing, meals, and books.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services requires international applicants who intend to hold F-1 or J-1 status to provide evidence of solvency to meet the estimated costs (as set by the university) of at least the first year of study prior to the issuance of Form I-20 (Certificate of Eligibility for Non-Immigrant [F-1] Student Status for Academic and Language Study) or Form DS-2019 (Certificate of Eligibility for Exchange Visitor [J-1] Status). Evidence of solvency must be provided as part of the Affidavit of Financial Support.

International Student Scholarships

Please contact the Office of International Programs for information on scholarships for international undergraduate students.

Health Insurance for International Students

The University of Mississippi requires all international students who hold a temporary nonimmigrant status and who enroll in academic courses to have adequate health insurance coverage. Therefore, all international students, with the exception of those with H-1 status, will be automatically enrolled in the university-contracted student health insurance policy upon their registration for university courses for fall and spring semesters, with the cost of such policy subsequently added to each student’s bursar bill. The policy includes health/medical insurance coverage as well as medical evacuation and repatriation of remains in the event of a medical emergency or death. Exemptions to the health insurance policy will be considered on the basis of pre-stated conditions on a case-by-case basis.