• Log into your CU & ME (Undergraduate/Exchange Students) or Moodle (Graduate Students) for detailed information on your to-do list.
• Take a virtual tour of the campus.
• Get familiar with campus life and student activities. Soon after you arrive, we'll host an activities fair where you can learn about all student organizations, and clubs will be on display to check and join.
• Make sure you can log into all of your CU accounts: CU & Me, email, PeopleSoft and Moodle.
• Report any visa status updates or arrival plans to the International Center.

Undergraduate students live on campus. After completing your housing contract, we will provide more information about your housing assignment.

Graduate students are responsible for finding their own off-campus housing. Your program will provide information on Moodle for off-campus housing options.

All students must have health insurance. You can be covered under a parent or guardian's policy, carry your own or enroll in Clarkson's Student Health Insurance Plan.

You can get to Clarkson University by air, bus or car. Learn more about your transit options, as well as what you'll need to get into the U.S.

Reaching Potsdam

If you're flying, the best way to get to Potsdam is through a U.S. airport, as there is no public transportation from Canada. Most students arrive in Syracuse, NY, about 140 miles away, and take an Adirondack Trailways bus to Potsdam.

Reaching Schenectady (Capital Region Campus)

Many airlines fly into and out of Albany International Airport, connecting the region to almost any destination. It is only a 40-minute flight to New York City. Taxi and rental car services are available from Albany International, which is about a 15-minute drive from campus. Amtrak’s (rail) Schenectady station is on State Street in Schenectady, a 10-minute walk or short taxi ride from campus. The Greyhound bus station is on State Street, a 15-minute walk or short taxi ride from campus.

Documents

In addition to a visa, you'll need to present several other documents to Customs & Border Protection (CBP). These include:

• Passport – You need a valid passport that will not expire within the next six months. 
• Form I-20 or DS-2019 – Have a paper copy of Form I-20 or DS-2019 for the school/program you plan to attend.
• SEVIS fee receipt.
• Form I-94 – Provide this form to the CBP officer who will record your arrival into the U.S. If you arrive via air, you will complete the form electronically; if you come through a land border, you will complete a paper version that will be attached to your passport/visa. Please write legibly. Your I-94 admission number/record will provide the date you arrived, status upon arrival (F/J) and duration of status (D/S).

If you're an undergraduate, pick up your room key from Residence Life. Review your orientation activities and other tasks on CU & Me.

If you're a graduate student, go to your apartment before checking in with your program, which will share important arrival and orientation information.

After settling in, complete your arrival check-in at International Student and Scholar Services. Please bring the following:

• Passport/visa.
• Form I-20/DS-2019.
• Address in Potsdam (if living off campus).

Pick up your photo ID at Campus Safety (Educational Resources Center – ERC Suite 1200).

Check your email and confirm you can access all necessary computer programs. Email the OIT Help Desk or call 315-268-4357 (HELP) if you need password or other assistance.

Complete one of these online applications:

• Clarkson University Freshman Application
• Common Application

These applications are for first-time college students. If you have already earned some university credit, you should apply as a transfer student.

After completing your Clarkson University Freshman Application or Common App (Step One), we'll still need some additional materials and information. Please submit the following items by the applicable admission dates and deadlines:

• Official secondary school transcript, mark sheets or national exam scores. If you have already taken graduation exams, you must provide the result report. This includes WASSCE (West Africa), CAPE (Caribbean), Grade 12 boards (South Asia), etc.
• Two letters of recommendation.
• Test optional: SAT/ACT scores. If submitted, the scores will be taken into consideration during the admissions process. Clarkson also accepts self-reported test scores.
  • Clarkson SAT code: 2084
  • Clarkson ACT code: 2698
  • Review all score submission policies (see section below).
• Official English proficiency test scores, unless you are applying from a country with English testing waivers. Acceptable tests and minimum scores are:
  • TOEFL: 80
  • IELTS: 6.5
  • Duolingo English Test: 115
  • PTE: 56

SAT/ACT

• Clarkson strongly recommends that international applicants provide SAT/ACT scores.
• International applicants may send unofficial SAT or ACT scores. These may include scores reported by you on the CommonApp, those that appear on your high school transcript, or scanned copies uploaded in your application.
• Upon enrollment, students must provide official scores. Clarkson reserves the right to withdraw an offer of admission if there is a discrepancy in self-reported scores versus official scores.

English testing

• If you have taken PTE or Duolingo, you should submit official scores.
• For who took IELTS, please upload your TRF form, which can be verified online.
• TOEFL-takers should upload a scanned copy of your score report. Official scores will be required upon enrollment.
• English testing is waived if you have earned at least 550 on the SAT Evidence-Based Reading & Writing section, or if you are providing IB or A-level results.
• Visit this page for information on country-based waivers. If your country does not appear here, you must provide test scores.

National exams

• If you have completed high school, school leaving exams are required (WASSCE, CAPE, A-levels, etc.).

Complete one of these transfer student applications online:

• Clarkson Transfer Application
• Common Application

• Dean of Students Recommendation Form, which is available in the admission portal.
• Official transcripts from each college or university you have attended. If you attended college outside of New York State, please provide course descriptions.
• Letters of recommendation are not required but will be considered during the application review process. The recommendations can come from a professor, employer, former teacher, coach or another professional.
• Personal statement (250-500 words) describing a special interest, experience or achievement that is important or meaningful to you.
• All transfer students must submit a final high school transcript. All transcripts in languages other than English should be translated.
• Official English proficiency test scores, unless you are applying from a country with English testing waivers. Acceptable tests and minimum scores are:
  • TOEFL: 80
  • IELTS: 6.5
  • Duolingo English Test: 115
  • PTE: 56

If you have earned fewer than 24 hours of credit at your current college or university, you will need to submit:

• Official high school record.
• Test optional: SAT/ACT scores. If submitted, the scores will be taken into consideration during the admissions process. Clarkson also accepts self-reported test scores. See Guidelines. 
  • Clarkson SAT code: 2084
  • Clarkson ACT code: 2698

Complete the Graduate School Online Application Form.

Submit the following supporting materials:

• Transcripts for all studies completed after high school.
• GRE or GMAT test scores, if required by your program of interest. 
  • GRE Institution Code: 2084
• Two to three letters of recommendation from a faculty member or professional reference. (Number varies depending upon the program.)
• English proficiency test scores, if applicable:
  • Accepted tests with minimum acceptable scores are: TOEFL (80), TOEFL Essentials (8.5), IELTS (6.5), PTE (56) or Duolingo English Test (115). We do not automatically waive this based on language of instruction, nor do we accept university certificates. The IELTS General Edition is not accepted.
  • TOEFL Institution Code: 2084
  • IELTS: You must provide a scanned score report. No institutional code is needed.
  • Duolingo and PTE: Request official scores be provided to Clarkson Graduate School.
• Personal statement or essay (250 - 500 words).
• Résumé or CV.

Applicants who are not U.S. citizens or U.S. permanent residents (green-card holders) will likely need to secure a student visa. (If you already have a visa, you may not require another. To learn more, please refer to Nonimmigrants: Who Can Study?, a document published by the U.S. Student and Exchange Visitor Program.)

In order to get a student visa, Clarkson will provide you with a Form I-20. To receive this, you must show proof of financial support. There are two ways to show proof of finances:

• After making the enrollment deposit, complete and return the Certification of Finances (PDF), included in the admission portal. This form requires you to show specific amounts of support and the sources of this support. Your sponsors or parents must sign this form, as well as a bank official.
  Or: 
   
• Provide a certified letter from your sponsor indicating the amount of support available each year, along with a supporting letter from a bank official.

Please visit the International Center to learn more about this process.