International Students Admission Process
Northern Essex Community College is an open enrollment school, and we encourage all students to apply regardless of their GPA . We operate on a rolling admission schedule, so we accept your documents at any time. However, we ask that you submit your documents for admission and an I-20 at least 30 days before the start of semester so you have enough time to get a visa or transfer your SEVIS record from your current U.S. institution.
To ensure you have sufficient time to complete the international admissions process, obtain your F-1 student visa, or transfer your SEVIS record from your current U.S. institution, we recommend submitting all required application materials by our international student deadlines: July 15 for the Fall semester and December 15 for the Spring semester.
International Student Admission Checklist
Application deadlines for F-1 international students are as follows:
- Fall Semester: July 15
- Spring Semester: December 15
Step 1
Submit an online application for admission.
Step 2
Once you have submitted your admissions application, you will receive an email within 3-4 business days which will include your NECC student I.D.
Using your NECC student I.D. you will need to submit the following documents via the International Secure Form Submission page:
- High School Diploma and/or Transcript with English translation
- Evaluation of your secondary school (high school) transcript and/or diploma. Documents must be evaluated by a certified evaluation company. Northern Essex Community College will only accept evaluations from companies listed below:
- College/University Transcripts (if applicable)
- If credits/classes were completed in a University/College outside of the U.S., you must provide a course-by-course evaluation by an evaluation agency listed above.
- If credits/classes were completed in the U.S., please have your current college send your official transcript directly to NECC at enrollmentservices@necc.mass.edu
- Proof of English Proficiency, submit one of the following:
- TOEFL (IBT score of 44)
- Duolingo (score of 75 or higher)
- IELTS (score of 5.0 or higher)
- Formal education completed entirely in English- must be noted on the transcript
- High School education completed in the United States
- College-level work completed in the United States (at least 6 credits not including ESL classes) [subject to review by international student advisor]
- Proof of language proficiency is waived for English speaking applicants from: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Canada (except Quebec), Cayman Islands, Dominica, Ghana, Gibraltar, Grenada, Guyana, Ireland (Northern), Ireland (Republic of), Jamaica, Kenya, Lesotho, Mauritius, Montserrat, Namibia, New Zealand, Nigeria, Scotland, Seychelles, Singapore, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands, Uganda, United Kingdom, Wales, Zimbabwe.
- Passport biographical page (add dependents passport page, if applicable)
- Proof of Financial Support
- Submit a notarized bank letter that meets ALL of the following criteria:
- Written in English and issued within the last 4 months
- Printed on official bank letterhead
- Signed by bank official
- Shows a balance of US$30,925
- Local currency but must be converted to U.S. dollar amount in the official bank letter
- We will not accept documents that are:
- Not in English
- Missing the U.S. dollar amount
- Older than 4 months
- Missing account holder’s name
- If bringing dependents, include the additional funding:
- Spouse – $6,255
- Child – $3,127/per child
- Submit a notarized bank letter that meets ALL of the following criteria:
Additional requirements for students who are already in the U.S. on an F-1 visa:
- Copy of ALL previously issued I-20’s
- Copy of I-94 form (available at https://i94.cbp.dhs.gov)
- Copy of current F-1 visa stamp
Once all of your documents have been submitted and your application is determined to be complete, we will review your application within 3-4 business days.
If you are accepted, the International Office will forward an official acceptance letter and your SEVIS Form I-20 with instructions on how to apply for a student visa at the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate.