Application Checklist

An international student is someone who will attend college in the United States on a visa (including F-1, H-4, L-2). You will need the following items in order to complete your application:

Note: If you are an international student coming to UT on an exchange program (J-1 visa), your application process is different from the steps below. Please visit the Programs Abroad website for your requirements.

Required

• VIP (Vol In Progress) application or the Common Application
• $50 application fee (Fee waivers are not available to international applicants.)
• Official transcript(s)
• English proficiency

Optional

• Recommendation letters (academic, professional, or personal)
• Supporting statement

Additional Application Requirements for Certain Programs

Additional requirements are necessary in order to review your application if you are interested in the following programs:

• College of Architecture and Design
• College of Nursing
• Pre-Pharmacy Direct Admit Program
• School of Music
• Tickle College of Engineering

To view individual requirements, please visit the application requirements page.

Application Review

UT has a competitive but holistic admissions process by which we evaluate every part of your application, primarily taking into account your experience and preparation in academic areas as well as other factors including:

• Rigor of your high school curriculum
• Difficulty of senior-level coursework
• Extracurricular or leadership activities
• Awards
• Special talents or skills
• Optional supporting statement
• Optional letter(s) of recommendation

Optional Supporting Statement

A supporting statement can provide crucial information to aid the admissions staff in reviewing your application. What do you want us to know about you? It can include your academic interests, achievements, involvement in the community, obstacles you’ve overcome, or other aspects of your background and experiences.

Application Status

After you submit your application, you can check your application status by visiting your VIP Portal. It’s important to check your portal often to see important communications from the university along with a list of any materials we still need to make an admissions decision. You can also upload supporting documents in your portal.

When we make a decision on your application, you will get an email instructing you to check your VIP portal.

Application Portal

Official Transcripts

Request your high school or college to send us official transcripts electronically (PDF) or by mail to:

The University of Tennessee
Office of Undergraduate Admissions
320 Student Services Building
Knoxville, TN 37996-0230

USA

If you have completed any high school academic work outside the United States, we will calculate an academic core grade point average based on years 9, 10, 11, and any part of year 12 that you have completed. Your submitted transcript of academic work must also have a certified literal translation into English for any documents submitted in other languages.

If you have completed any college coursework outside the United States, you must have a course-by-course evaluation of your transcript by one of these companies. UT will only be able to process an application after receiving the necessary report from the evaluation company.

Companies offering evaluation services include:

• Academic Evaluation Services
• Educational Credential Evaluators
• International Education Research Foundation
• Josef Silny & Associates Inc.
• SpanTran: The Evaluation Company
• World Education Services Inc. (WES)

Demonstrate English Proficiency

Unless you are a US citizen, permanent resident, or a graduate of a high school, college, or university in the United States, applicants must demonstrate English proficiency by:

• Providing proof of citizenship of a country from the approved list of official English language nations.
• Providing an official high school, college, or university transcript validating English was the language of instruction.
• Receiving a TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) score of 523 on the paper-based test or 70 on the Internet-based (iBT). UT’s code is 1843.
• Receiving an IELTS (International English Language Testing System) minimum score of 6.5.
• Taking the ACT (English score of 21 is required) or SAT (evidence-based reading and writing score of 540 is required). Scores must be received from the ACT or the Educational Testing Service. Copies are not acceptable. UT’s ACT code is 4026 and SAT code is 1843.
• Completing the ELS 112 intensive program.
• Completing the UT English Language Institute’s (ELI) core intensive curriculum with a recommendation from the ELI faculty.

Note: The ACT or SAT is required of all US citizens (including dual citizens) and permanent residents.