Admission decisions are based on a review of your previous school records, including your overall GPA and standardized tests such as the TOEFL, SAT, ACT, or IELTS; a personal essay; two teacher recommendations; and a list of your extracurricular activities.

Those seeking admission as first-year students must have completed high school or the equivalent. Those seeking admission as transfer students must be well-qualified with 30 academic semester hours or more of college credit from a regionally accredited institution in the United States, or outside the U.S. with transcript evaluation by AACRAO (American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers) or ECE (Educational Credential Evaluators). Each course you have completed will be evaluated.

A minimum TOEFL score of 79 on the internet version, 213 on the computerized version or 550 on the paper test is required for admission. For more information on TOEFL, please visit the TOEFL website. We also accept IELTS testing and require a score of 6.5.

American Language Academy™ (ALA) provides intensive English language program classes for students who require additional English language study prior to beginning their academic studies at Salem. Under an official memorandum of understanding between ALA and Salem College, students may be admitted to Salem College upon completing the ALA course of study in lieu of the TOEFL test, provided that they meet all other Salem admission requirements.

ALA™ Students may receive a Conditional Letter of Admission (CLA) to Salem College upon enrollment in our intensive English program. To apply for admission to American Language Academy™ , please visit www.ala.edu or email admissions@ala.edu for more information.

BCIS of the United States requires all prospective international students to provide documented evidence of your financial resources before the issuance of the immigration form I-20 (application for F1 student status) or IAP-66 (application for J1 student status). At Salem, the required amount for the first full academic year is US $38,703. This amount is based on our estimate of tuition and fees, room and board, books and supplies, medical insurance and miscellaneous living expenses. Some financial aid is available for international students; however, the college is unable to provide full scholarships.

We are able to offer limited financial assistance to non-immigrant undergraduate students. If you and your family can contribute toward your educational expenses, and if the academic program you are interested in is offered at Salem, we welcome your application. Please fill out the International Application for Financial Aid and the Certification of Finances (see form downloads below). The majority of your educational expenses must be provided by you and your family.

Salem cannot offer any sponsors to aid in your education. If you have specific questions or concerns about financial aid, please see affordability, e-mail us at admissions@salem.edu or call 011-336-721-2621.