You will need to send original or certified copies of your home country’s credentials as part of your application. Please refer to our Secondary School Credentials page to find the admission requirements for the country (or countries) in which you studied. You must also submit a copy of any terminating or qualifying examination results or certificates.

All documents written in a world language must be accompanied by a notarized English translation. Please note that both documents are required—the original in your first language and the English translation.

If your first language is not English, you must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language Internet Based Test (TOEFL iBT), International English Language Testing System (IELTS), or the Duolingo English Test (DET). If English is your first language, but you speak another language at home, you may consider submitting English proficiency results to demonstrate fluency.

Duolingo English Test (DET)

Duolingo English Test website

BU accepts results for the Duolingo English Test (DET) as evidence of English proficiency, which combines an English proficiency test with a brief video interview. Students who are most competitive for admission will have a total score of at least 125-135. Please note that BU requires both the total score and all subscores of the test. We will review your subscores for consistency within each subject area.

Test of English as a Foreign Language Internet Based Test (TOEFL iBT)

BU accepts results for the Test of English as a Foreign Language Internet Based Test (TOEFL iBT) as evidence of English proficiency.* Students who are most competitive for admission will have a composite score of at least 90-100 and minimum scores of 20 in each section. The Board of Admissions looks closely at the score for each section as well as for consistency across all subscores within each single language proficiency test.

Indicate on the TOEFL registration form that you want your test results sent directly to Boston University.

The TOEFL code for Boston University is 3087.

TOEFL website
Email: toefl@ets.org

For testing in the US, Canada, Puerto Rico and US Territories, call 877-863-3546.

For testing in other countries, call 609-771-7100.

**Please note that BU accepts the TOEFL Internet-based Test either in the in-person format or the TOEFL iBT Home Edition.  BU is unable to accept the IELTS Indicator, TOEFL ITP Plus, and TOEFL Essentials exams at this time.

International English Language Testing System (IELTS)

BU accepts results for the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). A total/overall score of 7 or higher will also satisfy BU’s English Language proficiency requirement for all programs.* BU will also review your component scores for consistency within each subject area.

IELTS website

We accept official results submitted directly from the testing service. Please provide the testing service with the following information:

Account Name: Boston University Undergraduate Admissions
Address: 881 Commonwealth Avenue, 6th Floor
City: Boston
State: MA
Zip code: 02215

**Please note that BU accepts the TOEFL Internet-based Test either in the in-person format or the TOEFL iBT Home Edition.  BU is unable to accept the IELTS Indicator, TOEFL ITP Plus, and TOEFL Essentials exams at this time.

English Proficiency Waiver Request

Proficiency waiver requests for undergraduate applicants must be received by the application deadline and must accompany a complete application. The decision to waive the English proficiency requirement is at the discretion of the Board of Admissions. To submit a waiver request, please complete the English Proficiency Waiver Request Form.

All students who will be studying on an F-1 Student Visa or J-1 Exchange Visitor Visa are required to submit financial documentation and we recommend submitting these items along with your application. Complete the Confidential Statement for Financing Studies & Sponsorship Support Confirmation to submit documents confirming available funds for the annual costs of study, such as online deposit accounts or a signed bank letter verifying the ability to pay educational expenses. All documented sources of support must be:

• Current (within 12 months of starting date at Boston University)
  • For example, for students enrolling in Fall 2025, financial documents must be dated between 9/2/2024 – 9/2/2025
• Written in English
• Readily available or liquid (stocks or non-liquid investments are not acceptable)
• The name of the owner of the bank account must match the name of your sponsor signing the Confidential Statement for Financing Studies & Sponsorship Support Confirmation form

You may submit these materials with your Common Application. On the My Colleges tab, select Boston University. You will find the link to upload your documents in the Other Information section of the Application Questions.

You may also upload these documents and view a comprehensive list of all required, received, and uploaded materials for your application in the MyBU Applicant Portal under the “Application Status” page.

Be sure to keep copies of all documents sent to the University. You will need this information for:

• Getting a student visa from the US Consulate
• US Customs and Border Protection upon entry to the United States
• Transferring from another US school

Early Decision Applicants: Students applying Early Decision or Early Decision 2 are required to submit their financial documentation by the application deadline. Please note that the Board of Admissions will not be able to proceed with an academic review of your application without the above documents.

Boston University is test optional for first-year applicants applying for fall 2023/spring 2024.

• This policy applies to all undergraduate schools and colleges at Boston University as well as all scholarship programs.
• International students will be required to submit the TOEFL, IELTS, or DuoLingo English Test as the primary means for evaluating English-language proficiency.

Prospective students and applicants must decide for themselves whether or not to include standardized test scores with their application for admission to Boston University. When making this decision, we ask students to consider the totality of their academic record, their contributions both in and out of the classroom and to their communities, and whether they feel confident that the sum of these experiences fully reflect their academic ability and potential.

Students have the ability to indicate whether they would like us to consider their standardized test scores when they apply. Once you have submitted your application, this answer cannot be changed.

If you would like your standardized test scores considered:

Boston University accepts self-reported standardized test scores on your application. You may also submit your official test scores via the testing agency, or through the self-report form on the MyBU Applicant Portal.

Please note: If you submit self-reported standardized test scores, an official score report from the testing agency will be required before enrolling at Boston University. If there are discrepancies between self-reported and official standardized test scores, your enrollment at Boston University may be rescinded.

When sending official scores, the BU codes are:

• SAT: 3087
• ACT: 1794

BU superscores both the SAT and ACT. To take advantage of superscoring, we recommend including all your test scores if you take more than one test or take a test multiple times. For both the SAT and ACT, BU uses the highest score of each section, regardless of test date, to best represent you as an applicant.

• If you’ve taken the SAT more than once, you can select which results you want to send to us using Score Choice. We only consider the highest SAT scores submitted.
• For the ACT, we recalculate a new composite score using the highest score from each section, regardless of test date.