Undergraduate Catalog 2020-21 
    
    Mar 18, 2024  
Undergraduate Catalog 2020-21 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

International Students


International applicants may direct any questions about the application process or University to Associate Academic Dean, Peter Kimmel.

Admissions Documents

We welcome international students to Castleton. 

Before we can process an application for admission, we must have assurance that international students meet Castleton's academic and financial requirements.  An international application is considered complete when the following have been submitted:

  1. International Application for Admissions
  2. Financial statement demonstrating the ability to finance the total cost of attendance
  3. Admission test scores such as TOEFL, IELTS, and/or SAT/ACT
  4. Personal statement
  5. Recommendation letter(s)
  6. Official transcripts
  7. A copy of passport ID page
  8. An application fee

Scholarships

Incoming international students may find information about 2020-2021 scholarships here.

Orientation

The International Student Office sponsors an orientation program for all new international students at Castleton.  This orientation specific to international students precedes Castleton's orientation for all new students.

International Seminar

In addition to international student orientation, first-year international students enroll in the iSeminar, a one-credit course that meets once per week in the fall semester to provide them with a basic orientation to the culture of higher education at Castleton and in the United States.

The course has two upper-class students who serve as mentors for international students during their first semester at Castleton. 

Pathway Program for English Language Learners

For those international students who do not meet the university's English language proficiency requirement for admission but who are otherwise academically qualified, Castleton offers a  Pathway Program for English Language Learners (Pathway Program).  This program blends university coursework with intensive English instruction .  Students in the Pathway Program take a combination of academic courses and developmental English courses.  The academic courses fulfill degree requirements, the English courses do not.  The program is 30 weeks long, subdivided into two sessions corresponding to the university's semesters (15 weeks each).  English language assessment takes place at the end of each session and if a student reaches the required level of proficiency, s/he may enter full-time into a degree program at the start of the following semester.  Students enrolled in the Pathway Program receive all the benefits of any Castleton student.   

The Process

1. Upon arrival at Castleton, students who did not meet the University's minimum TOEFL or IELTS test scores (or did not submit scores prior to enrollment) will take an institutional assessment to determine their English skill level.

  • Students who meet the English language proficiency requirement will be enrolled full-time in a certified degree program of study.
  • Students who do not meet the English language proficiency requirement will be enrolled in the Pathway Program.

2. At the end of the first semester of the Pathway Program, students will be re-assessed.

  • Those who assess out of the Pathway Program will be able to register for any university courses (and continue to have English support as needed).
  • Those who do not assess out of the program will continue in the Pathway Program for a second semester.

3. At the end of the second semester, students who do not meet Castleton's English language requirement for admissions may be subject to dismissal from the University.