Admissions

• You can apply through the Common App, or
• Apply directly to GVSU online, to get started click Begin Your Application below
• There is NO application fee when applying as an undergraduate student

Begin Your Undergraduate Application

Academic success at Grand Valley State University depends on a student’s ability to communicate effectively in English. Students can prove their language proficiency as outlined below.

Test scores must be sent directly from the testing agency. To fulfill this requirement, you must satisfy at least one of the following criteria.

Most commonly accepted tests:

• TOEFL score: 4.5 (86 on prior scoring scale) 
  • https://www.ets.org/toefl.html
  • TOEFL institutional code: 1258
  • GVSU accepts the TOEFL iBT and the TOEFL iBT Home Edition. We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Scores or TOEFL Essentials.
• IELTS score: 6.5 or above
  • IELTS: Simply email your TRF number to [email protected] and include your full name and GVSU reference number.
• Duolingo score: 105 or above
  • Duolingo: Test results can be submitted directly from the Duolingo portal by searching “Grand Valley State University.” Information about locating test results is available at https://englishtest.duolingo.com/applicants.

Other accepted test:

• Cambridge English: 180 or above
  • GVSU accepts the C1 Advanced and C2 Proficiency exams
  • Cambridge English: Test results can be submitted via your Cambridge Candidate Results Service.
• PTE score: 53 or above
  • PTE: Test results can be submitted directly from the PTE portal by searching “Grand Valley State University.” Information about locating test results is available at https://www.pearsonpte.com/scoring/accessing-and-sending-scores.
• SAT score: 470 or above
  • in the Evidence-Based Reading and Writing section
  • GVSU school code: 1258
  • Please note: To demonstrate English language proficiency, official documents of the original exam results must be sent to GVSU directly from your school or testing agency. https://www.collegeboard.org/
• ACT score: 15 or above
  • in the English section
  • GVSU school code: 2005
  • Please note: To demonstrate English language proficiency, official documents of the original exam results must be sent to GVSU directly from your school or testing agency. https://www.act.org/
• Advanced Placement (AP) English Language: 3 or above
  • GVSU school code: 1258
  • in English Language
  • Please note: To demonstrate English language proficiency, official documents of the original exam results must be sent to GVSU directly from your school or testing agency.
• International Baccalaureate (IB): 5 or above
  • GVSU school code: 2080
  • Completion of International Baccalaureate Diploma Program Higher Level exam ONLY
  • English A: Literature or English A: language and literature
  • English B
  • Please note: To demonstrate English language proficiency, official documents of the original exam results must be sent to GVSU directly from your school or testing agency.
• Michigan English Test: score of 52 or higher. 
  • More information on the Michigan English test.

English Language Proficiency Exceptions

U.S. Education Enrollment:

• An applicant who is not a US citizen student who has earned a diploma, Associate of Arts, Associate of Science, bachelor’s degree, or higher from an accredited U.S. high school, college, or university.
• An applicant has completed 30 or more college credits from a U.S.-based institution with a grade of C or higher in college-level English courses.
• Attended at least two years at an accredited U.S. high school

Exempt Countries List:

• Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Botswana, British Virgin Islands, Canada, Cameroon, Dominica, England, Eswatini, Fiji, Gambia, Ghana, Grand Cayman Islands, Grenada, Guyana, Ireland, Jamaica, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, New Zealand, Nigeria, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Saint Christopher-Nevis, Saint Kitts, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Tanzania, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda, United Kingdom, Wales, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

Official transcripts in English must be sent directly to us by your previous institution to be considered official. Please request that they be sent to us via email to [email protected] (preferred) or mailed to the address below.

Grand Valley State University 
Admissions & Recruitment Office
1 Campus Drive
Allendale, MI  49401
 Note: If your official transcripts are not in English, they must be accompanied by an official English translation.

For undergraduate applicants from West Africa: 

West African Examinations Council (WAEC) results must be submitted to GVSU for an admissions decision to be made. You may submit your results using one of the following methods: 

• Students from Nigeria: 
  • Visit www.waec.org and select the ‘Certificate Access (candidate)” option to create your account. If you already have an account, log in.
  • Follow the instructions in the ‘Certificate Access’ section to access your digital certificate. You will need to provide WAEC with your ID information to verify you are the certificate holder.
  • If you need to recover your candidate number, click ‘Recover Candidate No’ in the certificate access section, and follow the instructions.
  • WAEC will verify your identity and grant you access to your digital certificate.
  • Go to the ‘Share’ section, and select the ‘Request for Confirmation’ option.
  • Input [email protected] as the recipient email address, and fill out the required fields.  
  • Then click ‘Share Certificate’.
• Students from Ghana, Sierra Leone, Liberia and the Gambia should send the follow information from an unused WAEC scratch card to [email protected]: 
  •  9-digit Index Number.
  • Type of Examination (e.g. SSSCE).
  •  Examination Year
  • Card Serial Number found on the reverse side of your Scratch card.
  • 12-digit Personal Identification Number (PIN) on your Scratch card (eg. 012345678912)

Applicants with prior university coursework should submit the following documents as part of their admissions process:

• Official course catalog and/or course syllabi for all courses completed at non-U.S. colleges or universities. If these documents are in a language other than English, ensure that an English translation is provided. Course descriptions/course syllabi can be emailed to [email protected].

If you attended a U.S. community college or university, you can review the transfer course equivalency into Grand Valley State University on the Course Equivalency Guide. Note: Grand Valley State University does not accept transfer credit evaluations conducted by other institutions or private credential evaluation services.

This step is not required to gain admissions into Grand Valley.

After you submit your application form, you will receive an email with instructions to access your Laker Portal. This is where you will see a checklist of application materials that have been received by Grand Valley. Once we've received and reviewed all your application materials, your Laker Portal is also where you'll view your admissions decision.

• Complete the International Application in the button below. 
• There is a $30 nonrefundable application fee, payable by credit card or money order.

Begin Your Graduate Application

One- to two-page personal statement indicating your academic goals and the ways in which this graduate program can help you attain your professional goals. This statement must be typed and signed.

• All transcripts must be sent to Grand Valley directly from the university.
• Original, attested, or certified copy of all academic records from all colleges and/or universities you have attended.
• Diplomas or graduate certificates from all universities where you have earned a degree.
•  If your transcripts are not in English, then you will need to submit an English translated transcript along with the original transcript.

For Indian applicants

We will accept three year Bachelor degrees that meet the following conditions:

• The degrees have been earned in Division I
• The awarding institution has an earned grade of A or better from  India’s National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC)

Graduate Students Applying to GVSU’s College of Computing

If you are applying to a graduate program in GVSU’s College of Computing, you may submit unofficial transcripts to complete your application. A full list of eligible programs can be found [here].  

Please note: Unofficial transcripts are only accepted for graduate applicants to the College of Computing. All other graduate programs require official transcripts at the time of application.

Required Transcripts:

• You must submit transcripts from all post-secondary institutions where you earned a bachelor’s degree or higher.
• You may submit either unofficial or official transcripts during the application process.

Important Enrollment Requirement:

• If you are admitted and choose to enroll, you must submit final official transcripts before the last day of your first semester at GVSU.
• If official transcripts are not provided by this deadline, any future course registration will be canceled, resulting in the termination of your SEVIS record . We strongly encourage submitting official transcripts as early as possible.

Transcripts for Degrees in Progress:

• You may submit an unofficial transcript showing in-progress coursework (a personal copy is acceptable). If admitted, you will be required to provide a final official transcript showing all grades and confirmation that the degree was awarded.

How to Submit Transcripts

Unofficial Transcripts

Submit through the graduate application portal. These must:

• Be legible, uploaded in order, and include your name, date of birth, and other identifying information.
• Include an official English translation if the documents are not in English.
• Include a degree certificate (if applicable) when the transcript does not clearly show that a degree was awarded.

Official Transcripts

Must be sent directly from your institution either:

• Electronically to: [email protected] (preferred)
• By mail to:
  • Admissions and Recruitment Office
  • Grand Valley State University
  • 1 Campus Drive
  • Allendale, MI 49401

Note: If your official transcripts are not in English, they must be accompanied by an official English translation.

For admission, all international students must take one of the approved English proficiency exams, except for students from English proficiency exam waiver countries.

All test scores must be sent from the testing service.  We are not able to accept unofficial test scores.

• TOEFL score: 4.5 (86 on prior scoring scale) 
  • https://www.ets.org/toefl.html
  • TOEFL institutional code: 1258
  • GVSU accepts the TOEFL iBT and the TOEFL iBT Home Edition. We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Scores or TOEFL Essentials.
• IELTS score: 6.5 or above
  • IELTS: Simply email your TRF number to [email protected] and include your full name and GVSU reference number. PTE: 53
• Duolingo score: 105 or above
  • Duolingo: Test results can be submitted directly from the Duolingo portal by searching “Grand Valley State University.” Information about locating test results is available at https://englishtest.duolingo.com/applicants.
• PTE: 53 or above

English proficiency exam waiver countries:

• Antigua & Barbuda, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Botswana, Canada, Dominica, Fiji, Gambia, Ghana, Grand Cayman Islands, Grenada, Guyana, Ireland, North Ireland, Jamaica, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, New Zealand, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, South Africa, St. Christopher-Nevis, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & Grenadines, Swaziland, Tanzania, Trinidad & Tobago, Uganda, United Kingdom, Virgin Islands, Zambia, and Zimbabwe

Several graduate programs will require the GRE for admission.  The general GRE code for Grand Valley is 1258.  If you are applying to a program that requires a CAS application system, please use the GRE code for that application.  If your program does not require a CAS application, then use code 1258.

Additional program requirements

Grand Valley welcomes transfer students from U.S. and international colleges and universities.

As part of the application, we will ask you to provide an original, official transcript from your current college or university. The transcript must show the classes you have taken, the number of credits or hours that are assigned to each class, and the grade or mark that you received. 

In order to give credit for non-U.S. courses, we will need course descriptions. Course descriptions are not required for colleges and universities located in the U.S., as those courses will be reviewed automatically. The course descriptions are not required for admission, but if they are submitted with the application, your courses can be reviewed quicker. Course descriptions can be sent directly to [email protected].

Please also review the “All International Students” section above.

Grand Valley State University is committed to assisting all members of our community in providing for their own safety and security. The Annual Security and Fire Safety Report is available on the Grand Valley State University Police Department website at www.gvsu.edu/gvpd/. If you would like to receive a printed copy of the Annual Security and Fire Safety Report, you can stop by the Facilities Service Building or you can request a copy be mailed to you by calling (616)-331-3255. The report contains information regarding campus security and personal safety including topics such as: crime prevention, fire safety, university police law enforcement authority, crime reporting policies, disciplinary procedures, and other matters of importance related to security and safety on campus. The report also contains information about crime data for three previous calendar years. Statistics include reported crimes that occurred on the campus, in certain off-campus buildings or property owned or controlled by GVSU and on public property within or immediately adjacent to and accessible from the campus. This information is required by law and is provided by the Grand Valley State University Police Department.  

Title IX of the Education Amendment Act of 1972 requires that all entities receiving federal funds or financial assistance prohibit sex discrimination and sexual harassment in their education programs and activities. Learn more about Title IX at www.gvsu.edu/titleix/.

Our privacy policy is available for review.

Grand Valley State University is committed to assisting all members of our community in providing for their own safety and security. The Annual Security and Fire Safety Report is available on the Grand Valley State University Police Department website. If you would like to receive a printed copy of the Annual Security and Fire Safety Report, you can stop by the Facilities Service Building or you can request a copy be mailed to you by calling (616)-331-3255. The report contains information regarding campus security and personal safety including topics such as: crime prevention, fire safety, university police law enforcement authority, crime reporting policies, disciplinary procedures, and other matters of importance related to security and safety on campus. The report also contains information about crime data for three previous calendar years. Statistics include reported crimes that occurred on the campus, in certain off-campus buildings or property owned or controlled by GVSU and on public property within or immediately adjacent to and accessible from the campus. This information is required by law and is provided by the Grand Valley State University Police Department.  

Title IX of the Education Amendment Act of 1972 requires that all entities receiving federal funds or financial assistance prohibit sex discrimination and sexual harassment in their education programs and activities. Learn more about Title IX.

You are responsible for notifying the Admissions Office in writing of any new or additional criminal charges filed against you subsequent to submitting this application and prior to attending classes.

Grand Valley State University is an Antidiscrimination, equal opportunity institution. It encourages diversity and provides equal opportunity in education, employment, all of its programs, and the use of its facilities. It is committed to protecting the constitutional and statutory civil rights of persons connected with the university. 7/20