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HOW DO I APPLY?

International student application to College of the Desert and the Intensive English Academy is easy and the response time is fast! Just complete these simple steps and you can begin your studies in beautiful Palm Springs, California!  


College of the Desert is accepting applications for the Fall 2013 semester!

STEP 1:

Download and complete the International Student Application.  You can then mail or email the completed file (with all listed documents) to our office for processing. 

Click here to complete the International Student Application.

If you are unable to download the application, you may send request to cdelgado@collegeofthedesert.edu or by submitting Request Additional Information form.


STEP 2:

Submit the following 7 items by the listed deadline to:

College of the Desert, International Student Program
  43-500 Monterey Avenue, Palm Desert, CA 92260, USA

  1. International Student Application
  2. $30.00 Application Fee (non-refundable)
  3. Proof of high school/secondary school completion
  4. Verification of financial sponsorship of $17,000
  5. TOEFL/IELTS or EIKEN score is required for direct admission to the college.
    • See "English Proficiency" section below. TOEFL is not required for Intensive English Academy
  6. Copy of the information page from your passport
  7. Housing Application (with $30 non-refundable application fee)


STEP 3:

Applications will be processed within 2-3 business days.  Upon receipt of acceptance documents and the I-20, contact the US Embassy in your home country to apply for the F-1 visa

 


 

ENGLISH PROFICIENCY REQUIREMENT:

Direct admission to College of the Desert requires a TOEFL, IELTS or STEP Eiken Test Score as listed below:

TOEFL

IELTS

STEP EIKEN

Admission to College of the Desert:

400 PBT or
      32 iBT

3.5

Pre-2 Grade

Admission to the Intensive English Academy:

Not Required

Not Required

Not Required

 

TOEFL:  Our institution code is 4085. For more information about TOEFL test locations, please visit www.ets.org/toefl.

IELTS:  For information about IELTS, please visit www.ielts.org. IELTS is jointly managed by the British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia and the University of Cambridge ESOL Examination.

STEP/EIKEN:  For information about the EIKEN test, please visit www.eiken.or.jp/ryugaku.  

 

Students will be placed into academic and credit-ESL courses based on college assessment tests.  Students scoring between 400-450 or 32-45 on the TOEFL should expect to take primarily ESL classes upon arrival. The TOEFL, IELTS and EIKEN are not used to determine placement.

 

English Proficiency Waiver Options:

Students who have attended an ESL school in the USA may be able to waive the TOEFL/IELTS/EIKEN requirement. College of the Desert has agreements with the following schools and will waive the English proficiency requirement if students have completed the specified level as listed below:

 

ESL School Name: Level Required for TOEFL waiver:
COD's Intensive English Academy (IEA): Completion of Level 3
EF Language Schools: Completion of EF Level 107/108
ELS Language Schools: Completion of ELS Level 108
FLS International: Completion of FLS Level 7
Language Studies International (LSI): Completion of LSI Advanced Level
Mentor Language Institute: Completion of Advanced Level
POLY Languages Institute: Completion of POLY Avanced Level
UC Riverside IEP: Completion of UCR Level 600 of UAPP

 

APPLICATION DEADLINES and PROGRAM DATES:

Application deadlines:

  • Fall semester - July 15
  • Spring semester - December 15

Applicants are encouraged to apply as early as possible.  The above dates are the last day we can accept applications.

 

Semester dates:

  • Fall 2013: August 26 - December 16, 2013
  • Spring 2014:  January 24- May 23, 2014

 

TRANSFER STUDENTS:

Students who are currently studying in the United States and would like to transfer to College of the Desert or the Intensive English Academy must submit the International Student Application and the Transfer Form. The Transfer Form must be completed by your current Advisor in order to have your SEVIS record transferred to our institution. Please download our Transfer Form.  Application deadlines for transfer students are on a rolling admission basis. Early application is encouraged as admission cannot be guaranteed for those applying after the published deadlines.