Admission requirements
Foreign and US citizens studying outside the United States who are applying as First Year and Transfer students are expected to meet the same requirements for admission as domestic students.

Admission Criteria
Selection of International First-Year Students is based on several criteria: high school curriculum, classroom performance, grade pattern, rank in class (if applicable), SAT I and/or ACT scores, counselor recommendation, essay, and extracurricular activities. Although no specific cutoff is applied to any single measure, a student who has accomplished both a strong academic record and exhibited a variety of academic and personal interests gains the most from the SMU experience. Matriculation to the University is contingent upon completion of the high school diploma (or foreign equivalent). As an independent institution, SMU has no limits on enrollment based solely on geography, and no distinctions in tuition, fees, or other costs based on the home state (or country) of the student.

International Transfer Students follow the same transfer admission criteria as all other students.

English proficiency
Students for whom English is not the native language are expected take an internationally recognized English language test such as TOEFL or IELTS. A score of at least 550 (paper test), 80 IBT on the TOEFL, or 6.5 academic on the IELTS is required for admission consideration.

Students with scores slightly below those mentioned above will be required to successfully complete SMU’s summer Intensive English Program prior to matriculation. Transfer students without an internationally recognized English language test score will be evaluated on the basis of college-level grades in English composition/rhetoric courses.