Application Materials
- Completed Common Application or Coalition Application
- Application fee of $75
- Guidance counselor and teacher recommendations
- Secondary school transcripts with final junior year grades. First-semester or first-trimester grades should be submitted when they are available; first-quarter grades are not required. If you have been out of high school for more than one year, you must send the most up to date version of your transcript. Transcripts should be evaluated by a recognized credentialing agency (For transfer applicants who have earned credits at an international institution, please visit The Center for Educational Documentation).
- Early Action and Early Decision candidates should send their first-term grades as soon as they are available.
- 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. 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) or ACT (College Code 1880)
- International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma or Higher Level Exams (if you are not a Diploma candidate)
- AP Exams or SAT Subject Tests
- GCE Advanced Levels
- Northeastern will also consider results from over 100 national exams. Please review the Testing Policy tab on the Application Information page for a complete list.
- All students must share the scores they would like considered in their application through the Application Status Check. This allows students the most control over the tests that are attached to their file. Students who indicated they would like to be test optional may not self-report, though you may control your Test Optional status through your Application Status Check. Please review the Testing Policy tab on the Application Information page for additional information.
- Students may change their Test Optional choice (I would like testing to be considered in my application OR I would not like testing to be considered in my application) through the following dates. After these dates, Test Optional preference will be locked in for that round of admission consideration.
ED I: November 10
EA: December 1
ED II: January 10
RD: February 1 - 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 visit the International Applicants page for our English Language Proficiency policy
- English Proficiency: All students, regardless of citizenship must demonstrate English language proficiency when applying to Northeastern. You can meet the requirement if:
- You are a native English speaker.
- You will complete four 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:
- 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 Students page for more information.

- Portfolios are required for Studio Art, and are encouraged for majors within the College of Arts, Media and Design. Beginning in Spring 2018, a portfolio is no longer required for Music Technology applicants. Northeastern uses SlideRoom for online portfolio submissions. Visit these pages to learn more about details regarding the portfolio requirements for Studio Art and portfolio guidelines for all other CAMD majors.
- Non-U.S. citizen applicants are required to submit the Declaration and Certification of Finances (DCF) form for their application to be considered complete. The Certification of Finances is designed to assist colleges and universities in obtaining complete and accurate information about the funds available to international applicants. As Northeastern is unable to offer state or federally-funded financial support to international applicants, the process of verifying the financial resources of students is essential.
- General Equivalency Diploma (GED) recipients should provide their official GED score reports and their most complete high school transcript.
- Non-traditional grading policies: Students who attend schools where narrative evaluations are used instead of traditional letter grades are required to submit the narratives to complete their applications.
- Home-schooled applicants: See Special Documents tab in our Application Information page.