Apply As An International Student

To facilitate a successful visa process, our application deadline for international students is June 1st. All materials, including transcripts, letters of recommendation, and proof of financial eligibility must be submitted at this time.

Note: Visa wait times vary significantly from country to country, so we encourage all international students seeking F-1 visas to apply earlier when possible, particularly if they are applying from countries with long wait times.

Information concerning visa wait times may be found on the travel.state.gov website. International students with existing F-1 visas or who hold Canadian citizenship may apply after June 1st, but are encouraged to apply earlier.

If you have questions or concerns regarding any requirements or our application timeframe, please contact the Office of Admissions.

Please take note of the following information:

ACPHS is located in Albany, New York, in the Eastern Time Zone (EST) and Eastern Daylight Time (EDT), which is four or five hours behind Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). All ACPHS events and communications will be scheduled within the Eastern time zone.

Students who repeatedly miss appointments without advanced notice or are unreachable via email may be unsubscribed from communications from ACPHS.

All in-person events, such as campus tours and open houses, take place at our Albany, NY campus unless otherwise specified. We welcome international students to attend any of our on-campus events, but please note that we are unable to provide logistical or financial support for student visits.

• Curricular Practical Training (CPT) – CPT is alternative work/study, internship, or cooperative education arranged with the approval of the student’s program, or any type of required internship or practicum that is offered by sponsoring employers through cooperative agreements. CPT takes place during the academic year and MUST be undertaken prior to the completion of a course of study. Students in F-1 status must have been lawfully enrolled in school on a full-time basis for at least one full academic year before becoming eligible for practical training.
• Optional Practical Training (OPT) – Students are eligible after one year of academic work to use 12 months of employment.
• Economic Hardship – Students must provide supportive documents to apply for employment through this process.
• On Campus – Students are eligible to hold paying positions on campus once approved through the Primary Designated School Official (PDSO) and the Office of Financial Aid. The student must obtain a United States Social Security Number to be employed by the College.

The SAT examination is optional for all first-year students for the Fall 2024 and Spring 2024 entry terms. For more information or to register, please visit the College Board.

The PCAT examination is optional for all incoming P1 students with a GPA > 3.0. For applicants with a GPA < 3.0, the PCAT is recommended.

For graduate students, please refer to your respective program's apply page regarding the GRE.

Applicants who are not U.S. Citizens or U.S. Permanent Residents and who do not have at least four years of coursework in which English was the primary language of instruction, are required to submit an English proficiency exam.

Options are:

• TOEFL: A minimum score on the TOEFL of 474 paper-based (70% of the maximum score of 677), or 84 Internet-based (70% of the maximum score of 120) must be achieved to be considered for admission.
• Duolingo: A minimum score of 110 is required
• IELTS: A minimum score of 7 is required

SAT and ACT test scores will be optional for all first-year students for the Spring 2024 and Fall 2024 entry terms. If you have already taken the SAT or ACT tests, we encourage you to submit your scores to enhance your application. If you're applying to joint programs, you may be required to submit test scores to other colleges as a part of their application process.

A completed Foreign Credentials Evaluation from World Education Services (WES) or ECE course by course evaluation may be required.

First-year applicants, unless providing a transcript in English from a well-known English language or international school, should complete a document-by-document report.

If you've completed college/university/post secondary coursework, you must submit a course-by-course report.

SEVIS is the government information system managed by the College for current and incoming students. The database stores all necessary information about each student attending the College who is in the United States on an F-1 visa. Students are charged a College SEVIS fee and also a separate government SEVIS fee upon acceptance and entry into the College. The government fee can be paid online once the student receives his or her Form I-20, Certificate of Eligibility from the College. Students are responsible for updating their information every semester through the Primary Designated School Officer of the College (PDSO).

To obtain a student visa to study in the United States, a student or student's sponsor, must have liquid funds to support the related expenses. Please visit the student visa process for more information.

The College will issue a student the Form I-20 document which is required to apply for the F-1 visa. In countries other than Canada, the student may have to meet with the United States Consulate in their home country to approve the visa and obtain a passport for travel to the U.S. as a foreign student. Currently, the College is only eligible to process I-20 documents for F-1 students.