International Students

Hope College welcomes international undergraduate students who want to study at one of the best liberal arts colleges in the United States.

Learn about transfer credits for AP and IB exams.

Admissions Process

Application Requirements

To apply to Hope as an international student, please submit the following items:

Common Application or Hope College Application
Secondary school transcript (submitted by your guidance counselor)
Official transcripts from any post-secondary school attended
Verification of Financial Support
Evidence of proficiency in English

Undocumented Students

We understand that applying for college as an undocumented student can be a daunting task, and we are here to support you. Although undocumented students (including those with DACA status) are designated as international applicants at Hope College, this should not affect the admissions process. For more information on what this means, we encourage you to reach out to Jim Crawley, Director of Global Recruitment.

English Proficiency

International students must demonstrate their English proficiency through one of the following:

TOEFL: Minimum score of 79 with no sub score less than 18.
IELTS: Minimum score of 6.5 with no sub score less than 6.
Duolingo: Minimum score of 105.
GTEC: Minimum score of 1200.
Pearson PTE Academic: Minimum score of 58 with no band below 53.
Attendance for two or more years at a secondary school where the curriculum is taught in English. We still may require the TOEFL or IELTS depending on your record.

Students from countries where English is the native/primary language (see list below), or who have been attending an international secondary school for at least two years where the language of instruction is totally in English, are usually exempt from having to show English proficiency. However, verification of proficiency may still be requested if any information indicates there is an English language deficiency. This decision is at the discretion of the Director of Global Recruitment.

TOEFL-Exempt Countries

Antigua and Barbuda
Australia
Bahamas
Barbados
Belize
Bermuda
Botswana
British Caribbean
British West Indies
Canada (except Quebec)
Cayman Islands
Cook Islands
Dominica
Fiji
The Gambia
Ghana
Gibraltar
Grenada
Guyana
Jamaica
Kenya
Lesotho
Liberia
Malawi
Malta
Mauritius
Micronesia
Namibia
Nauru
New Zealand
Nigeria
Papua-New Guinea
Philippines
St. Kitts and Nevis
St. Lucia
St. Vincent
Sierra Leone
Solomon Islands
South Africa
Trinidad and Tobago
Uganda
United Kingdom
Zimbabwe

Costs and Scholarships

As part of the application process for international students, applicants are required to verify that they have full financial support for their studies at Hope College. The student, parent, or sponsor must show, by way of a signed verification form and bank statement, that they have sufficient resources available to pay for the annual expenses, minus any scholarship that is being offered. Although you need only show sufficient financial support for at least the first year, it is assumed by the College, and by the US Customs and Immigration Service, that this support shall continue on an annual basis for the duration of study at Hope College.

2022–23 Estimated Annual Expenses for Attendance (two semesters):

Tuition & Fees: $39,000
Room & Board: $12,000
Books & Health Insurance: $4,000
Total: $55,000

* Personal expenses vary by student and are not included in the estimated budget. Students should plan for $2,000–$3,000 for these expenses. Summer expenses are not included as students are rarely enrolled in summer classes.

PLEASE NOTE: In general, families must be able to pay $30,000–$35,000 per year to attend Hope College. The actual amount required will depend on any scholarship offered to the student.

International Student Scholarships

International students applying as a degree-seeking student to Hope College will automatically be considered for a merit-based scholarship of up to $25,000. Primary considerations to determine the amount being awarded include: quality of secondary school classes, grades/marks received in these classes, your personal statement, and a review of your activities and leadership. The scholarship offer will be given at the time of admission. This award is renewable for a total of four years as long as the student remains in good academic standing.

Transfer Credits

To review how your credits earned at U.S. institutions may transfer to Hope, start with our Transfer Equivalency System (TES).

If you have attended a college or university located outside the U.S., you must provide not only an original transcript with translation sent directly from that institution, but you will also need to provide syllabi for all classes that you wish to be considered for transfer credit.

You may transfer a maximum of 65 community college (2-year) credits, and up to 96 credits in total. In meeting graduation requirements, the final 30 credits must be completed at Hope.

Courses must be 100-level ( first year of university) or higher to be considered for transfer; remedial and developmental courses will not transfer. Math courses must be pre-calculus or higher; college algebra and lower courses do not transfer.

Students intending to transfer college credits from other institutions should have their official transcript from an accredited college or university mailed directly to the Hope College Registrar’s Office. Faxed transcripts and courses listed on high school transcripts will not be accepted.

You can learn more about the credit transfer process at Hope College by visiting the Registrar’s website.

Ready to apply to Hope? Get started now

Standardized Test Scores

Although an ACT or SAT exam is not required as part of the international undergraduate admission process, Hope College strongly encourages students to submit one of these exam scores reports, if possible. The ACT English or SAT critical reading score could meet the English proficiency requirement in place of another form of verification of proficiency. Students with an ACT or SAT score may receive higher consideration for scholarship as well.

Students should request that the testing agency send scores directly to Hope College. Hope’s TOEFL and SAT code is 1301; the ACT code is 2012.

Housing

Living on campus is not only an integral part of the Hope College experience for all students, but it is also a requirement if you are receiving an international student scholarship. We invite you to learn more about our residential communities here.

Meet Your Reps

Jim Crawley

Director of Global Recruitment

616.395.7648
crawley@hope.edu

More About Me