Lawrence University is a college of liberal arts and sciences and a conservatory of music in Appleton, Wisconsin. Our welcoming community of 1,500 undergraduates comes from more than 50 countries all over the world. With about 15% of our students and faculty coming from beyond the United States, Lawrence is one of the most internationally diverse colleges in the country. Take the first step toward joining our community by using the Common App or the Lawrence App, whichever you prefer.
International Admissions
How to Apply
Lawrence accepts the Common Application or the Lawrence Application, whichever you prefer. In addition, we require the following:
Secondary School Report
Requested via your application, your school counselor will be prompted to complete their portion of these forms online via the Common Application or Lawrence Application process.
Teacher Evaluation
Requested via your application, your recommender—who must be of a core academic subject, including mathematics, science, English, or social sciences—will be prompted to complete their portion of these forms online via the Common Application or Lawrence Application process.
Secondary School Transcript
Request an official transcript be sent to Lawrence through your counselor or other school official. Transcripts may be uploaded online or sent via email, fax, or physical mail.
English Language Proficiency Test Scores
An official TOEFL, IELTS, SAT, or ACT report is required for all international students whose native language is not English, or whose previous instruction was not in English for a minimum of 7 years. Lawrence's code for the SAT, ACT, and TOEFL is 1398.
If you native language is English or you have received instruction in English for a minimum of 7 years, you may request to waive the Proficiency requirement through a signed letter from your counselor or other school official stating your proficiency level and/or years of English experience.
Proficiency may be demonstrated by any one of the following:
- TOEFL Internet Based: 90 out of 120
- TOEFL Computer Based: 233 out of 300
- TOEFL Paper Based: 577 out of 677
- IELTS: 6.5 out of 9 overall band score
- SAT: 580 on Evidence-Based Reading and Writing
- ACT: 24 out of 36 on English/Writing
Passport Copy
A scanned copy of the personal information page of your passport must be uploaded directly to your online portal or e-mailed to admissions@lawrence.edu.
Interview
All applicants are strongly encouraged to interview.
Chinese citizens are required to complete an interview via Skype, IntitalView, or Vericant.
Certification of Finance Form
Available via your online portal, all applicants must complete the Lawrence Certification of Finance form no later than five days after your application deadline. No other forms (i.e. CSS Profile, etc) will be accepted in it's place.
Supporting financial documentation is required as part of the Lawrence Certification of Finance form. Please see the Scholarships & Financial Aid section below for more details.
Conservatory Students Only
Students applying to our Conservatory of Music must also complete an audition, music teacher recommendation, and music resume. More information can be found on the Conservatory Admissions webpage.
Transfer Students Only
Transfer students—students who have attended a college or university prior to applying to Lawrence—must include all of the above items, as well as an official reviewed college transcript. Lawrence requires a Course by Course Evaluation Report directly from ECE (Educational Credential Evaluators).
Transfer applications are reviewed under the following timelines:
| Entry Term | Application Deadline | Certification of Finances Deadline | Admission &Scholarship Notification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Apr. 1 | Apr. 6 | May. 15 |
| Winter | Nov. 1 | Nov. 6 | Nov. 15 |
| Wpring | Feb. 1 | Feb. 6 | Feb. 15 |
Tracking Your Application
Within 48 hours of submitting your application, you will receive an email with instructions to log in to your online portal. This portal can be used to monitor the status of your application, upload documents, and complete your Certification of Finance form.
Scholarships and Financial Aid
The total cost of attendance—including tuition, room, board, and fees—for the 2016-17 academic year is $54,498 USD.
Merit-based scholarship as well as need-based financial aid is available to international applicants. Applicants are most competitive for admission if they can contribute a minimum of $20,000 USD per academic year toward the cost of attendance.
If you receive scholarship and financial aid, you will learn about it at the time you receive your admissions decision from us. Once you have been awarded your scholarship and financial aid, you cannot lose it; the same level of scholarship and aid will be awarded annually through graduation.
All students will be automatically considered for merit scholarships simply through their admissions application.
All applicants must complete the Certification of Finance form via your online portal within five days of your application deadline.
When completing the Certification of Finances form, you will be asked to upload supporting financial documents, which may include:
- An official bank statement showing available funds/savings
- A letter or other documentation from an employer verifying income
- Letter of financial support from sponsor program or loan agency
- Any combination of the above
If you have further documentation beyond any of these that may help us make a proper assessment, we welcome the opportunity to review it.
We accept attested (copied and notarized) and/or faxed copies of financial documents, as well as emailed documents. We reserve the right to request all originals at any stage in the admissions process.
VISA Information
When admission is granted, the admissions office will issue a letter of acceptance and related admissions information, including SEVIS ID number for your I-20 (Certification of Eligibility) form or a DS-2019 (for J-1 exchange students and scholars).
The visa application process varies by country. Typically, you need to take the following steps:
- Pay the $200 SEVIS fee
- Make an appointment with the nearest US Consulate
- Take the admission letter, the I-20 (or DS-2019) for J-1 students), a valid passport, and proof of financial support to the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate for an F-1 (student) visa (or J-1 visa for exchange students)
Please check the nearest US Consulate or Embassy website for the most up to date information.
Admitted Students
When admission is granted, the admissions office will issue a letter of acceptance and related admissions information, including SEVIS ID number for your I-20 (Certification of Eligibility) form or a DS-2019 (for J-1 exchange students and scholars). The student should: (1) pay the $200 SEVIS fee, (2) make an appointment with the nearest US Consulate, (3) take the admission letter, the I-20 (or DS-2019) for J-1 students), a valid passport, and proof of financial support to the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate for an F-1 (student) visa (or J-1 visa for exchange students).
Undocumented Students
Undocumented students are awarded financial aid in similar fashion to US citizens in regard to Lawrence University scholarships and grants. If this applies to you, please submit the following:
- The CSS Profile: Lawrence University's CSS PROFILE code: 1398
- Parent 2015 tax return and Parent W-2 Form (if applicable) : Note: Lawrence does not receive documents through the College Board IDOC service. Tax documents should be emailed, faxed or mailed directly to the Financial Aid Office.
Standardized test scores
If your first language is English, you are welcome but not required to submit your ACT or SAT results.
If you have been in the United States, and have enrolled in an academic program in which your instruction has been entirely in English for more than eight years, you are welcome but not required to submit your standardized test results.
If you have been in the United States, and have enrolled in an academic program in which your instruction has been entirely in English for less than eight years, please submit one of the following: TOEFL, ACT, SAT, IELTS or A level scores.