You are considered a first-time freshman applicant if:

• You are still in high school
• You graduated from high school or earned your GED, but did not enroll in a degree-seeking program at a college or university

If you took college courses in high school, plan to attend a college summer session immediately after you graduate from high school, or are in a dual-enrollment program (receiving your high school diploma and an Associate’s degree at the same time), you would still apply as a freshman.

You are considered a transfer applicant if:

• You will have completed at least 12 semester hours of college-level coursework (after your high school graduation).
• You have attempted at least one semester of full-time coursework and maintained enrollment through the add/drop period.
• You already received your bachelor’s degree from another college or university but you are choosing to apply for a second bachelor’s degree.

If you are currently in a dual-enrollment program, earning your high school diploma and an Associate’s degree at the same time, you should apply as a freshman. Dual-enrollment courses can be considered for transfer credit.

If you’re an international student or are applying from a college or university located outside of the United States, you should also read the International Applicants page.

Application Requirements:

• Your Common Application or Coalition Application
  • Your application must be submitted by the deadline, along with either the application fee ($75) or a fee waiver request.
• Academic Records:
  • Your College Report must be submitted by the Registrar’s office or Dean’s office at your current or most recent college/university.
  • Your college or university transcripts must be submitted directly to Northeastern from all colleges and universities which you previously attended.
  • Your official final high school transcript must be sent directly from your high school.
  • Please review “Additional Required Materials” below for further information.
• An Academic Evaluation must be sent by a college professor, academic advisor, or employer.
• Optional Standardized Testing: For applicants applying for the 2021-2022 academic year, Northeastern University is test-optional and does not require standardized testing to complete an application for admission. Under the new policy, whether graduating from a U.S. or an international institution, you will be able to choose whether to submit standardized testing or not. If you do not submit standardized testing, you will not be penalized or disadvantaged. All applicants will be fully considered for admission to Northeastern. For additional information on Northeastern’s test-optional policy, a complete list of tests which Northeastern will consider, and information on submitting your results to Northeastern, please review our Testing Policy.
  • In recent years, Northeastern has required standardized testing from transfer applicants who have not completed more than one year of full-time college coursework (24 or more college credits) following high school graduation. Standardized testing was not required from transfer applicants who’ve either completed more than one year of full-time college coursework (24 or more college credits) following high school graduation or graduated from high school more than 5 years ago.

• English Proficiency: All students, regardless of citizenship must demonstrate English language proficiency when applying to Northeastern. You can satisfy the requirement in the following ways:
  • You are a native English speaker.
  • You will complete 4 consecutive academic years before enrolling at Northeastern in a high school or university where native English was the primary instructional language -AND- you submit an English Proficiency Waiver Request through your Application Status Check portal.You submit, along with your application, official test results directly from the testing agency for one of the following English language proficiency tests:
    • C1 Advanced
    • C2 Proficiency
    • Duolingo English Test
    • IELTS Academic
    • PTE Academic
    • TOEFL iBT(CEEB Code: 3667)
    • For prospective students applying for the 2021-2022 academic year, Northeastern will also consider results from the TOEFL iBT Special Home Edition and the IELTS Indicator. Results from the TOEFL ITP Plus for China will not be accepted.
  • Please see the International Applicants page for more information

• If you are applying to the College of Arts, Media and Design, you may be required to submit a creative portfolio through SlideRoom.
• If you are a U.S. Citizen, U.S. Permanent Resident or eligible noncitizen applying for need-based financial aid, you must submit the FAFSA and CSS Profile.
• If you are an international student, you must submit the Declaration and Certification of Finances (DCF). Please read the International Applicants page for more information.

At Northeastern, we understand that homeschool applicants come from a variety of academic backgrounds and structures, and carefully consider every element of the application through our holistic review. In order to best consider our homeschool applicants, we require additional documents that provide an in-depth look at your individual homeschool experience. Please see a list of these additional requirements below.

Forms:

• Completed Homeschool Application Form
• Academic portfolio and transcript consistent with state guidelines
  • Please provide grading rubric alongside transcript

Standardized Tests:

• SAT/ACT Testing: Northeastern has a standardized test-optional policy for students applying for the 2021-2022 academic year. Under the new policy, applicants are not required to submit standardized test scores, but have the option to do so if they choose.

Guidance Counselor and Teacher Recommendations:

• Your counselor recommendation may come from a parent or a primary instructor
• Teacher recommendations may come from a tutor, online teacher, or teacher from a course taken outside the home. We are flexible based on the structure of your homeschool experience
• An additional letter of recommendation is recommended, but not required.*
  • *if your teacher and counselor are the same person, an additional letter of recommendation is required.
  • Additional recommendations can come from an art teacher, an employer, a coach, etc.

If you have specific questions regarding the application process as a homeschooled student, please direct them to Assistant Directors of Admissions Ali Rogers (a.rogers@northeastern.edu), Katie Condgon (k.annis@northeastern.edu), or Nils Leitz (n.leitz@northeastern.edu).

For applicants applying for the 2021-2022 academic year, Northeastern University is test-optional and does not require standardized testing to complete an application for admission.

• Under the new policy, whether graduating from a U.S. institution or an international institution, you will be able to choose whether to submit standardized testing or not. If you do not submit standardized testing, you will not be penalized or disadvantaged. All applicants will be fully considered for admission to Northeastern, including the University Honors Program, and for any merit scholarships.
• If you choose to submit standardized testing, you should submit results from the test, or tests, which best capture your academic preparation and abilities in the classroom. While there is no advantage in submitting results from more than one test, all results provided will be reviewed by the Admissions Committee and factored into your admissions decision. Northeastern will consider results from any of the following:
  • SAT (CEEB Code 3667)
  • ACT (College Code 1880)
  • International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma
  • AP Exams
  • IB Higher Level Exams (if you are not a Diploma candidate)
  • SAT Subject Tests
  • General Certificate of Education (GCE) Advanced Levels (A-Levels)
  • Northeastern will also consider results from nationally recognized high school graduation or university entrance exam. You can review the complete list here.
• Results can be submitted officially or self-reported through your Application Status Check portal. Predicted grades submitted directly to Northeastern by your High School will be considered by the Admissions Committee for select exams. For additional information, please read the “Submitting Results” section below.
• Non-native English-speaking applicants must continue to submit official results from an approved English Language Test or request a waiver through the Application Status Check. For additional information, continue reading or please visit the International Applicants page for our English Language Proficiency policy.

Please review frequently asked questions regarding our standardized testing policy.

Submitting Results to Northeastern

Northeastern will only review standardized testing if results are received in one of the following ways:

• Officially from the testing service or exam board.
• Self-reported by the applicant through their Application Status Check.
• Predicted grades from certain tests will also be considered if submitted by a designated high school official.

Scores which were submitted in any other way will not be considered by the Admissions Committee. Examples include: SAT or ACT results which were included on your High School Transcript; scores which were self-reported on your Common Application or Coalition Application; or score reports which were downloaded from the College Board or ACT. In each instance, we recommend instead self-reporting your results through our Application Status Check portal.

Official Results

Northeastern will consider official results which were sent directly to Northeastern from the testing agency or examination board for any of the following tests:

• SAT, SAT Subject Tests or AP Exams from the College Board (CEEB Code 3667)
• ACT from the ACT (College Code 1880)
• IB Diploma or IB Higher Level Exams from the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO)
• Final examination results certificates or score reports from any national or international examinations, including the GCE Advanced Levels, which were sent by the testing agency, examination board, or as a certified copy of the original sent directly to Northeastern by a designated school official, from a verifiable school email address.

Self-Reported Results

• Northeastern will only consider self-reported results which were submitted directly to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions through your Application Status Check.
• Self-reported results will be considered when your application is reviewed for admission to the university. Upon choosing to enroll, all self-reported results must be verified by sending official results from the testing agency or examination board.

Predicted Results

• Predicted results from national or international examinations will be reviewed by the Admissions Committee, if final results are not available by the application deadline.
• Predicted results should be submitted with the High School Transcript, Secondary School Report, or Counselor Recommendation; or submitted by a designated school official from a verifiable school email address, using either Northeastern’s Predicted Grades Request Form or your high school’s own predicted grades form.
• Since your admissions decisions will be partially based on your predicted results, Northeastern reserves the right to withdraw an offer of admission if your final results are not within an acceptable range of your predicted results.