International Applicants

UCSB is only open for fall admission. The application opens in August and must be submitted by November 30 for the following fall term.

Your academic record will be reviewed by evaluators who are familiar with educational systems around the world. Your coursework and grades will be assessed within the context of your country’s curriculum and grading system.

You should not convert your grades or calculate a UC GPA. Report all coursework and grades exactly as they appear on your official academic record. Your application will be evaluated within the context of your country’s educational system.

Yes. You may apply before final exam results are available. Predicted exam results should be reported in the application. If admitted, you will be required to submit official exam results directly from the examining board and are expected to achieve results consistent with those reported on the application.

The admissions decision is based solely on the information reported in the application. You should not submit transcripts during the application process unless specifically requested by a UC campus. If you accept an offer of admission, you will be required to submit official academic records from all international institutions you have attended.

Secondary school records generally do not need to be translated unless they are in a language with an alphabet other than the Roman alphabet. In that case, official translations are required.

Self-report your English proficiency test scores on the UC application. Students who accept an offer of admission must have official scores sent directly to the campus they plan to attend. Scores must be valid and unexpired at the time of submission.

You may self-report your exam results, including predicted scores, in the UC application. Only students who accept an offer of admission will be required to arrange for official exam results to be sent directly from the examining board to the UC campus they plan to attend.

Students who accept an offer of admission must submit official academic records for grades 9–12, a graduation certificate or diploma, and official examination results. Academic records and graduation documents must be sent directly by the school, and examination results must be sent directly by the examining board.

Admitted students can begin the visa process after submitting the Statement of Intent to Register (SIR). Because the process can take several months, we strongly encourage students to begin the process as early as April.

You must provide proof of funding for your first year to the UCSB Office of International Students and Scholars (OISS) after you have been admitted and submitted your Statement of Intent to Register (SIR).

The Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships website provides a sample budget for approximating the cost of attending UCSB.

Financial aid and scholarships for international students are very limited. As a public university in California, we primarily award financial aid to U.S. residents. International students are responsible for securing private funding to cover the cost of attendance at UCSB. We recommend reviewing the resources provided by the Office of International Students and Scholars regarding available aid and scholarship opportunities.