Aerial photo of two students walking near the library with the international signpost in the foreground
  1. Admission & Financial Aid
  2. Apply as an Undergraduate
  3. Application Process
  4. International Admission

International Admission

Application process

Live and learn alongside students from the U.S. and from more than 70 other countries at a college where international students are a vital part of our community. Diverse people and perspectives make our college a vibrant and energizing place, which is why Mount Holyoke has welcomed and supported international students from the beginning. International students make up over 25% of our student body — creating all kinds of opportunities for personal and academic growth.

What does it mean to be an international student?

The College defines international students as those who do not hold U.S. citizenship or U.S. permanent residency or qualify for U.S. refugee or DACA status. Of course, the perspectives and life experiences of U.S. students who live abroad, as well as U.S. permanent residents, refugees and DACA students are recognized and valued, even though they are not considered traditional international students.

Regardless of citizenship, first- year applications are reviewed according to the country in which a student is educated. This means that if you’re an international student who attends school in the United States, your application will be reviewed by the domestic admission staff. Transfer applications are reviewed by our transfer admission team, regardless of citizenship or the country of the transfer institution.

If you’re an international student who is transferring from another higher education institution, please apply as a transfer student. If you are an international student over the age of 25, please apply through the Frances Perkins Scholars program.

Application materials

To apply, please submit the following items:

  • Common Application or Coalition Application on Scoir.
  • Secondary School Report, including official high school transcript.
  • Counselor recommendation.
  • Two teacher evaluation forms.
  • Mount Holyoke writing supplement (optional).
  • Interview (optional).
  • Standardized test scores (optional).
  • Fine or performing art supplement (optional).
  • English Proficiency Test Scores (for nonnative English speakers).
  • Early Decision Agreement (if applicable).
  • Midyear report for Regular Decision applicants only (due February 15).
  • International Financial Declaration, IFD (this form is required for non-U.S. citizens who are not seeking need-based financial aid. A link to the form will appear in the application status page checklist if it is required).
  • CSS Profile (required of students applying for need-based financial aid).

Submitting documents

Translations. If your secondary school documents and letters of recommendation are not in English, professional translated documents must be submitted. Many Education USA offices offer low-cost translation services. Translations are also required for any documents submitted to Student Financial Services.

Official documents. Transcripts, standardized test results and English proficiency results are expected to be submitted as official documents. English proficiency test results (Cambridge Academic English, Duolingo English Test, IELTS, Pearson and TOEFL) may be self-reported by uploading a PDF of the score report to the applicant portal using the English Proficiency Results link. English proficiency scores reported within the Common App or Coalition App do not meet Mount Holyoke's English proficiency requirement. SAT and ACT results reported within the Common App or Coalition App will be considered for admission. All admitted students who choose to enroll must submit official (send directly to Mount Holyoke from the test agency) test results prior to entering Mount Holyoke.

Using an agent. It is not necessary to hire an agent to achieve admission to Mount Holyoke College. If we detect a portion of an application was completed by someone other than the applicant, that application may be denied. In addition, the contact information on the Common or Coalition Application must be the student’s. We do not communicate with agents.