International FAQ

Step 1: Start and complete the online admissions application.

Fill out the online application completely and submit it. The application must be submitted electronically. The admissions application is the same for international and domestic applicants.

Step 2: Pay the $75 international application fee & upload any supplemental documents to your Applicant Portal.

Within one business day of submitting your online application, you will receive an email with instructions for logging into your personalized applicant portal. Through this portal, you will be able to:

• Pay the $75 USD international application fee*
• Upload your unofficial high school transcript if you do not have a copy of an official transcript. If admitted, you will need to send us the official transcript before starting classes.
• Optional: submit or check to see if we have received your ACT and/or SAT scores from the testing agency (optional)
• Check to see if we have received your English proficiency (TOEFL, IELTS, Duolingo, CEFR) scores and/or use the self-reported test score form to submit English Proficiency scores. English proficiency scores are only required if you are accepted to Mines and may be provided after you have received an admissions decision.
• Optional: Upload any other supplemental documents you would like us to review (resume, letter of recommendation, essay, etc.)

Step 3: Send us your high school transcript and credential evaluation**. 

We will accept unofficial and/or official copies of your high school transcript. Unofficial copies may be emailed to admissions@mines.edu. If offered admission, we will need the final, official copy of your transcript.

To submit an official copy of your transcript:

1. Your high school or sponsor may email it to admissions@mines.edu.
2. You or your high school may send us an official copy in a sealed envelope through FedEx, UPS, DHL, USPS or another mail courier.
3. You may bring in an official copy of your transcript in person, as long as the transcript is in a sealed envelope with a stamp or seal from your high school.

**Credential Evaluations

All students who have attended high school outside of the U.S. are also required to submit a credential evaluation to complete their application. A credential evaluation is a comparison of your academic record to standards in the U.S., a verification of validity and a translation of your grades to the U.S.-style system. Please view the following information for a list of exceptions and a detailed explanation of what is needed and how to obtain an evaluation.

Exceptions:

• You attended a high school that follows the U.S.-style curriculum, an AP curriculum or an IB curriculum
• You attended a school accredited by the Middle States Association
• You are fully sponsored by an official government embassy, government agency, or an organization with an active agreement with Colorado School or Mines, such as Saudi Aramco or KGSP
• You attended Taylor’s University in Malaysia

Other details:

• All international transcripts must be accompanied by a certified English translation and course-by-course (aka document-by-document) credential evaluation. The cost for an evaluation ranges from about $160-200 USD.
• The preferred evaluation agencies are World Education Services, (WES) Educational Credential Evaluators, (ECE) and International Education Research Foundation (IERF) but you may use any National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) member that performs high school course-by-course credential evaluations. Remember to designate Mines as a copy recipient of your evaluation.
• After the evaluation agency completes your evaluation, it will be sent to us electronically.

If you see the requirement for a credential evaluation in your applicant portal checklist, and you believe you qualify for one of the exceptions listed above, please email admissions@mines.edu to request a waiver.

We prefer transcripts to be sent to us electronically, but if you need to use a mail service, our address is:

Colorado School of Mines

Undergraduate Admissions

1812 Illinois St. Golden, CO 80401

If we do not have your online application, your transcript, your credential evaluation and your $50 application fee, your application is considered incomplete and will not be sent to the committee for review. Please contact admissions@mines.edu if you have any questions and we will be happy to help!

If you will have completed pre-calculus/trigonometry and physics or chemistry, and your country’s pre-university education (equivalent to U.S. 12th Grade) before arriving to Mines for the fall semester, you are eligible to apply to Mines as a first-year applicant.

Transfer applicants must first meet the high school requirements above. You are then eligible to apply as a transfer student if one of the following applies to you:

• You meet the minimum criteria listed here: https://www.mines.edu/undergraduate-admissions/international-transfer-requirements/
• You are currently, or have been, enrolled as a degree-seeking* student at a college or university in the U.S. that is regionally accredited; or
• You are currently, or have been, enrolled as a degree-seeking student at a college or university outside the U.S. that is nationally recognized by the country’s primary accrediting council/agency; or
• You are currently or have been enrolled in a non-degree seeking program in the U.S. and will have completed 24 semester credits or more by the time you plan to enroll at Mines.

*A non-degree seeking student, sometimes referred to outside of the United States as a non-award/non-study student or auditor, refers to a student who is taking a course at a host university, but does not have the right to earn a degree at the host university. But credits could be earned which are transferable.

International students who attended 4 years of high school in the United States are required to meet the following competency requirements:

• 1 unit of advanced mathematics (trigonometry or pre-calculus) Trigonometry/Pre-Calculus is our minimum math requirement; however, we recommend completing calculus if you have the opportunity to do so.
• 2 units of algebra
• 1 unit of geometry
• 4 units of English
• 3 units of history or social studies
• 3 units of lab science (1 unit must be chemistry or physics)
• 2 units of academic electives

SAT or ACT Scores
International students are not required to submit SAT or ACT scores unless they wish to play varsity sports.

Most international students will pay non-resident tuition and fees. Please see the Non-Resident section of the Financial Aid website here: https://finaid.mines.edu/cost-of-attendance-undergraduate/ for information on the cost of attendance.

International students in the following categories cannot qualify for in-state tuition: F-1, F-2, H-3, H-4 (if the visa holder is the spouse or child of an H-3), J-1, and J-2 (if the J-1 visa holder is a student or trainee), M-1 and M-2. 

If you are an international student and hold a visa type different than one listed above, are a refugee, asylee or are Colorado ASSET-eligible, you may be eligible for in-state tuition after one year of Colorado residence and should contact the admissions office to learn more about how to petition for in-state/resident tuition. 

As long as your I-94 shows “Asylum Granted” you are considered an eligible non-citizen to use the FAFSA to apply for aid.  If you are pending being granted asylum you cannot claim this status. You should be able to provide a copy of your I-94 if needed to show the Asylum Granted status.  You must enter your ARN (alien registration number) on the FAFSA for their status to confirm. Please contact finaid@mines.edu if you have additional questions.

Mines awards very few scholarships for new first-year or transfer international students. If you are eligible, we will invite you to fill out our scholarship application after you have been accepted to Mines. 

The funding we do have for new international students is usually evaluated through EducationUSA’s Opportunity Fund. Please reach out to your local EducationUSA advisor to apply for the Opportunity Fund program and learn if we have a partnership.

Once enrolled, international students may find funding opportunities through an academic department or the Global Education Office.

We also encourage you to visit the website below for additional scholarship opportunities for international students offered by other sources:

Scholarships, Grants, and Fellowships that Accept Applications from Non-US Citizens

If you are experiencing issues with entering your phone number in our online application, please enter 555-555-5555 then send us an email at admissions@mines.edu with the correct phone number(s) after submitting your online application.

In order to receive an I-20, you must first be accepted to Mines AND confirm your attendance by filling out the Student Enrollment Decision Form on your Applicant Portal. You have until May 1st to confirm your attendance. You will receive instructions by email from the Mines International Student and Scholar Services office on how to obtain your I-20 within 2-3 business days of completing the Enrollment Decision Form. If you are conditionally admitted, you will not receive any immigration documents until you are officially admitted without conditions. We must have official proof of English proficiency before your immigration document will be issued.

 If you have multiple valid TOEFL tests, we do accept TOEFL MyBest Scores or will superscore your section scores if necessary.

Undergraduate applicants who do not meet our English proficiency requirement may apply and be conditionally admitted. However, you will not receive any immigration documents until official proof of English proficiency has been obtained. The deadline to provide official scores is May 1.

All students who have attended high school outside of the U.S. are also required to submit a credential evaluation to complete their application. A credential evaluation is a comparison of your academic record to standards in the U.S., a verification of validity and a translation of your grades to the U.S.-style system. Please view the following information for a list of exceptions and a detailed explanation of what is needed and how to obtain an evaluation.

Exceptions:

• You attended a high school that follows the U.S.-style curriculum, an AP curriculum or an IB curriculum
• You attended a school accredited by the Middle States Association
• You are fully sponsored by an official government embassy, government agency, or an organization with an active agreement with Colorado School or Mines, such as Saudi Aramco or KGSP
• You attended Taylor’s University in Malaysia

Other details:

• All international transcripts must be accompanied by a certified English translation and course-by-course (aka document-by-document) credential evaluation. The cost for an evaluation ranges from about $160-200 USD.
• The preferred evaluation agencies are Educational Credential Evaluators, (ECE) and International Education Research Foundation (IERF) but you may use any National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) member that performs high school course-by-course credential evaluations. Remember to designate Mines as a copy recipient of your evaluation.
• After the evaluation agency completes your evaluation, it will be sent to us electronically.

If you see the requirement for a credential evaluation in your applicant portal checklist, and you believe you qualify for one of the exceptions listed above, please email admissions@mines.edu to request a waiver.

Each year, Colorado School of Mines accepts AP, IB and A-level credit from hundreds of students. To determine how these credits may apply to your degree at Mines, please visit the Registrar’s website on Advanced Credits.

You will apply as a transfer student. Our application for international and domestic transfers is the same. Just remember that in the “CITIZENSHIP” section, you should put “Foreign National/International”. If you are not a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, you are always considered an international student. To learn more and apply as a transfer student, click here.

If you are an international student holding an F-1 or J-1 visa, you are expected to attend both orientation programs. If you are an international student, but do not have an F-1 or J-1 visa, you do not need to attend International Student Orientation, only New Student Orientation (and Transfer Orientation if you are an international transfer student). The International Student Orientation program will help to familiarize you with Mines, how the education system works, U.S. customs and lifestyles, visa and immigration matters, the Golden area, and other Mines students.

The New Student Orientation is a separate program that is also required for all new Mines students in order to complete enrollment at Mines. New Student Orientation sessions focus on degree requirements and the registration process at Mines, and offers you the opportunity to meet with academic advisers, new and current Mines students, attend workshops on housing and learn about other campus resources.

Study at the undergraduate level in the U.S. leads to the first university degree, a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) or a Bachelor of Science (B.S.). A bachelor’s degree is generally four years of study, which includes general studies as well as specific studies in your academic area of interest. Students seeking undergraduate studies have either completed secondary school or are planning to transfer from another institution but have not yet completed a bachelor’s degree. A four-year bachelor’s degree or its equivalent from other countries is required for further study at the graduate level.

We have all types of climates in Colorado! Students should come prepared for variable weather: cold days in the winter, hot days in the summer, as well as mild, pleasant days in between. Students should bring warm clothing for the winter months (November – April.) A heavy winter jacket is a necessity. Winter gloves, hats, and boots are also highly recommended. Clothing for rainy weather is also needed. Students at Mines, both male and female, typically dress casually. However, we encourage international students to wear what is comfortable for them and also bring national costumes and appropriate attire to wear for any formal campus events, “dress-up” occasions, and international celebrations.  

Not for AT LEAST ONE YEAR, and probably not until you graduate. You may work off-campus only if you have first received authorization from the DSO and DHS. Please see the ISSS office for more information. Please Note: If you work illegally, you must voluntarily leave the country or face deportation. You cannot be reinstated.

POSSIBLY. On-campus work requires a Social Security card and work authorization letter from the DSO in addition to maintaining your full-time status. You can’t apply for a Social Security card until you are registered and attending school. If you are able to get a job, you may not work more than 20 hours per week while semesters are in session. Jobs are scarce as many students are competing for each campus job. Please see the ISSS office for more information. 

Please visit the ISSS website on visas here: https://www.mines.edu/isss/incoming-students-f-1/ and click on the drop down menu titled, “Which visa is right for me?”  The majority of degree-seeking international students will need an F-1 visa. This page also includes more information on F-1 visas. For more information on J-1 visas for scholars and exchange students, click here: https://www.mines.edu/isss/incoming-students-j-1/.