International Undergraduate Admissions

DETAILED INSTRUCTIONS ARE BELOW. PLEASE READ THEM CAREFULLY! 

We do not accept documents from the student.

Requirements

Academic Requirements
Transcript Requirements
Math Requirements
English Proficiency Requirements

Other Information

Costs and Fees
Exchange/Visiting Students
Scholarships
Conditional Admission
I-20 Process and Financial Resources (only after being admitted)

Academic Requirements 

First-time Freshmen must:

1. Have a minimum GPA of 2.75 at the secondary (high school).
   • See how to send transcripts below.
   • We do not accept transcripts from the student.
2. Be proficient in English; please review the details about our English requirements below.
3. Provide an acceptable SAT or ACT score or an Accuplacer Math score. Math sub-scores should be a minimum of 520 on the SAT or 20 on the ACT.
   • Only applicants with an SAT or ACT score are eligible for merit-based scholarships.
   • Contact the Ivanhoe International Center for information.

Transfer Students must:

1. Have a minimum GPA of 2.75 at both high school and post-secondary (college) education levels.
   • See how to send transcripts below.
   • We do not accept transcripts from the student.
   • If you are receiving your Associate's degree, you may not need the high school transcript. Contact us for information.
2. Be proficient in English; please review the details about our English requirements below.
   • Within the U.S. only: must have a 'C' or better in English Composition.
3. Must be college algebra ready or take the Accuplacer Math test.
4. Transfer Database - see what classes will transfer.
   • This is an ever-changing database. If you do not see some of your courses, they have not been evaluated.
   • Evaluation of transcripts is not completed until after a student has been admitted.

Transcript Requirements

For a transcript to be considered official, it must be sent directly from the issuing institution to our university. See below for how to send documents.

1. Hard copies of transcripts sent by mail (post).
   • All documents must be certified by an official school or government seal as originals or certified photocopies.
   • The official school or government agency must put these in a sealed envelope with the school or government agency stamp across the seal of the envelope.
   • Example of International envelope
   • Example of US envelope
   • All documents become the property of South Dakota Mines.
   
   
2. Electronic Transcripts
   
   • http://www.parchment.com/
   • eSCRIP-SAFE, the Global Electronic Transcript Delivery Network, supplements traditional paper transcripts by providing high schools, colleges, universities, and third party recipients with a network through which official transcripts are delivered in a secure and trusted environment. Delivery is instantaneous, fully trackable, and most importantly, easy to use. Business processes need not change and joining the network is simple.
   • http://www.studentclearinghouse.org/
   •  School Official
     • A school official can send these to us, however; we must be able to verify the email address is from a school official
     • If we cannot verify the email address, the transcript is not considered official.

Math Requirements

First-time freshman

1. SAT or ACT scores
   • Math sub-scores should be a minimum of 520 (SAT) or 20 (ACT)
   • South Dakota Mines ACT code: 3922
   • South Dakota Mines SAT code: 6652
2. Alternative to the SAT or ACT score: Accuplacer Math test.
   • This is free for students who have already applied.
   • Contact the Ivanhoe International Center for more information on how to set up this test.
   • You are not considered for scholarships with this test. You must have an SAT or ACT score.

Transfer students

1. If you are not college algebra ready, you can take an Accuplacer Math test.
   • This is free for students who have already applied.
   • Contact the Ivanhoe International Center for more information on how to set up this test.
     
2. If you have the equivalent of college algebra or above, we must have syllabi of your classes to evaluate your math readiness.

English Proficiency Requirements

Exempt Country List - If you are a citizen of one of these countries, you are exempt from providing this requirement.

International applicants whose native language is not English must provide evidence of English language proficiency for the application process.

The English proficiency requirement may be fulfilled by meeting one of the following:

*Minimum scores require English proficiency testing upon arrival at the university.

**Upper level scores indicate that no additional proficiency testing is required by the university.  However, additional testing and instruction may be required based on a student’s performance on other placement exams, in the classroom, or by the academic department.

If you have a different English proficiency score, you can contact us to see if it would meet the requirements.  

Scholarships

South Dakota Mines does not offer scholarships specifically for international students

International students are not eligible for South Dakota Mines or federal loan programs and should not apply for this type of financial assistance.

First-time Freshmen

• Merit-based scholarships are for first-time freshmen who have been ADMITTED before January 15 for the fall semester only. There are no spring scholarships. Please see the Scholarships website for information on South Dakota Mines scholarships.

Transfer Students

• There are currently no scholarships available for transfer students.

Graduate Students

• International students are eligible for graduate assistantships. All decisions regarding financial assistance are made in the academic departments, so please contact your department directly.

Conditional Admission

We do not offer intensive English as a Second Language (ESL) program on our campus. Applicants who plan to attend an intensive ESL program in the US prior to attending South Dakota Mines may be eligible for conditional admission. Conditional admission may be granted if the applicant meets admission requirements except for the minimum English score as indicated above.

Once the student has completed the ESL program with satisfactory grades and meets any additional requirements, the student may be eligible for unconditional admission.

Conditionally admitted students are not fully admitted to the University and will not be issued the SEVIS I-20 form (the form needed to obtain the F-1 Student Visa) until the University receives the necessary English proficiency credentials and/or the necessary proof of sufficient funding. A student will remain conditionally admitted until these terms have been satisfied.

We have a standardized agreement with ELS Language Centers - Undergraduate students and graduate students must complete Level 112.

I-20 Process and Financial Resources (only after being admitted)

After you are admitted, you will receive information regarding this process.