Transfer applicants are students who will have completed at least 12 semester hours of college-level coursework (after high school graduation) OR have attempted at least one semester of full-time coursework and maintained enrollment through the add/drop period (after high school completion).
Application Materials
- Completed Transfer Common Application or Coalition Application.
- Fall 2021 Applicants: To ensure that your application is reviewed for admission, your application and all required documents should be received by the April 1, 2021 deadline
- Application fee of $75
- Official college transcript(s) for all institutions you have attended
- College Report (form available through the Common Application and Coalition Application) to be completed by the Registrar Office or Dean of your current/previous school. All sections must be completed in order for your application to be reviewed. If you are having trouble downloading this form from the Common App or Coalition App, feel free to download this form and have your school email it to transferadmissions@northeastern.edu
- Evaluation from an academic advisor, professor, or employer (online submission through the Common Application or Coalition Application)
- Final high school transcript or GED/HiSET score report
- 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.
- Joint Services Transcript (JST)/Community College of the Air Force transcript for veterans or active duty military
- Mid-term Report (highly recommended) for students who are currently enrolled in courses. Form available online through the Common Application and Coalition Application. If you are having trouble downloading this form from the Common App or Coalition App, feel free to download this form and email it to transferadmissions@northeastern.edu.
- Certified Transcript Evaluation by a recognized credentialing agency (highly recommended). For transfer applicants who have earned credits at an international institution, an evaluation is required to process transfer credits after admission to Northeastern. Transcripts should be evaluated by the Center for Educational Documentation or another recognized credentialing agency and the credentialed evaluation must include the following:
- An indication that the institution is accredited in US terms
- A course by course credit and grade conversion

- 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.
- 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.
- 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 details regarding the portfolio requirements for Studio Art and portfolio guidelines for all other CAMD majors.
Additional Information
Download a copy of the Transfer Application Checklist for a comprehensive list of required information.
Transfer credit policies and course equivalencies listed here.