International Students

You have a home here.

Wherever you call home, you are welcome at Wake Forest University. Thousands of international students choose Wake every year for its blend of extraordinary academics, infectious spirit, and research, internship and extracurricular opportunities—all offered in a classic campus setting with fewer than 5,500 undergraduate students.

Our Center for Global Programs & Studies (GPS) offers a variety of activities, programs and resources to support the international students on campus, especially those sponsored by Wake Forest on an F or J visa. There are a variety of campus organizations that cater specifically to international student interests, including The Globe and Chinese Student & Scholar Association (CSSA) to name a few. The international community at Wake Forest is relatively small yet helps create a rich global presence on campus.

Defining international student status

International student status is based on citizenship rather than where you attend school or your permanent residence. You are considered an international student if you will need a visa sponsored by Wake Forest for the duration of your studies. If you are an international student attending high school in the U.S., you must submit additional information required of international applicants. If you are a citizen of the U.S. studying abroad, this additional information is not necessary. Students who have received their permanent residence cards are considered U.S. citizens and apply accordingly.

The application process

International applicants may apply for Early Decision, Early Action (for first-generation college students), or Regular Decision. Early Decision is a binding agreement to enroll if you are admitted.

What do I need to include with my application for admission?

Applicants will be asked to pay the application fee and include the items below as part of their application.

Required:

• $85 application fee*
• Undergraduate Admissions Application
• Official high school transcript
• Secondary School Report
• Teacher Recommendation Form
• TOEFL/IELTS/Duolingo (international students only)
• Early Decision Agreement – only for those students applying Early Decision I or II to Wake Forest University

Optional:

• Counselor Recommendation
• Supplemental Questions
• Video Interview
• Virtual Interview 
• SAT/ACT scores
  • Scores are only required if you indicate in your application that you want them considered. We accept self-reported scores as part of our application review process. If you take a test multiple times, please simply be sure to report all test scores to us; we will superscore them. Please be aware that we expect all enrolling students that wanted their test scores considered to submit their scores from the official testing center during the summer prior to their arrival on campus.
• Mid-Year School Report – for reporting senior-year grades, usually at the completion of an academic term

For additional information, refer to the What you need to apply section on our I’m Ready to Apply page.

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* Our approach at Wake Forest is holistic: helping the whole person. Wake Forest’s commitment to that philosophy starts with assisting you with fee waivers, if needed. Please simply indicate on your application if you would like an application fee waiver, and we will follow up with you. 

Special consideration for all international applicants

• Certified transcripts are required from each secondary school, college or university attended. A record of at least four years of schooling is needed in order to evaluate the application. Detailed information concerning courses taken and grades received must be listed on these records. If necessary, transcripts should be translated into English with the originals sealed and attached.
• All international students whose first language is not English are required to submit a TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo score. We accept self-reported test scores.
• In addition, international students are encouraged to share their voices using our optional video interview question or submit video interview through other video platforms such as InitialView or Vericant.
• Wake Forest does not require applicants to submit an SAT or ACT score in the admissions application. If submitting scores, please know that we accept self-reported scores.

Student Visa

Admitted international applicants who pay the admission deposit will be issued an I-20 form. Upon receipt of the I-20, the student may apply for an F-1 visa for study at Wake Forest University. The Center for Immigration Services and Support will assist you throughout the matriculation process.

Testing information

International Transfer Applicants

All international students who have received credit from a post-secondary institution and would like to apply to Wake Forest must apply as a transfer student. This includes applicants who wish to enroll with first-year status and/or zero credit transfer.

In addition to the items outlined above, transfer applicants must submit the Dean’s Statement for Transfer Students. Students applying for transfer are required to have all official transcripts translated into English. There is no guarantee of credit transfer.

Unfortunately, Wake Forest cannot offer any financial or scholarship assistance to international transfer applicants.

Visit our Transfer Students page for additional information.

Financial aid and scholarships for international applicants

Regrettably, Wake Forest University does not offer any need-based financial aid to foreign national students. Unless a foreign-national applicant is offered a merit scholarship (see below), he or she must show sufficient support with the Confidential Financial Information for International Applicants Form before the University will consider an applicant for admission.

International students are eligible for most merit-based scholarships, including a number of our full-cost awards (Carswell, Gordon, Reynolds, and Stamps Scholarships). The regular application also serves as a scholarship application, so there is no separate form to complete. There are the four major scholarships at Wake Forest; however, these are available to the entire applicant pool and are highly selective. All competitive applicants must be not only excellent students and promising scholars, but also creative leaders who are able to influence others in directions likely to benefit society. They will have achieved unusual distinction in the classroom and beyond.

Successful applicants have pursued the most challenging curriculum available to them and have achieved grade point averages (often the top 1 percent) and testing scores that place them in the top few percentage points in comparison to their peers. Further, potential candidates have typically been leaders in a variety of extracurricular pursuits and won recognition for their abilities at the regional, state, or national level. All finalists are notified 1 March.

Please visit the Wake Forest Merit-Based Scholarship Programs page or email scholarships@wfu.edu if you have additional questions about our merit-based or talent-based scholarships.

U.S. or dual citizens living abroad

U.S. or dual citizens living overseas apply to Wake Forest using the same application as all other domestic national students.

All applicants may apply Early Decision or Regular Decision. Early Decision is a binding agreement to enroll if you are admitted. Please be sure to review the application materials to ensure your application is complete before submission.