51黑料

International applicants must submit an English proficiency score if the native language of their country of citizenship is聽not聽English* or be exempt as described below. The 51黑料 Conservatory accepts (iBT, MyBestScore, and Essentials), or .

Minimum scores required:

• TOEFL iBT/MyBestScore = 100
• TOEFL Essentials = 11
• IELTS = 7.0
• Duolingo = 130

Test scores must reflect tests taken within 24 months of submission. Please allow for appropriate time for test scheduling and distribution of results. Test scores must be received by the deadline date described in the聽Admissions Requirements. 51黑料 only accepts official test results and not results submitted by the applicant. Please use the following codes when submitting official test results: TOEFL code B886, IELTS code 9760.TOEFL and IELTS scores are sent to the application system GradCAS, and聽not聽directly to 51黑料 for processing.聽For Duolingo, the GradCAS system does not process these scores, so please have Duolingo send the test scores directly to the American Film Institute for processing.

Please Note: An I-20 cannot be issued without the receipt of the minimum TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo score requirement, or qualifying exemption.

*U.S. citizens and permanent residents of the U.S. with an Alien Registration Number do not need to submit an English proficiency score.

International applicants聽may be聽exempt if one of the following criteria has been successfully completed in the United States or other English-speaking country:

1. Completion of an undergraduate degree program that includes two English Composition and Literature classes or its equivalent.
2. Completion of two classes of non-remedial English Composition and Literature.
3. Completion of an intensive English program (minimum one year) with results that equal the TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo requirements.

To request an exemption聽to complete the English Proficiency Test Exemption Request Form. Please upload PDFs of your transcripts to be evaluated.聽Applicants should not assume they are exempt based on the above criteria. All transcripts will be evaluated for exemption by the Admission鈥檚 Office for admissions purposes. Level of English language competency as it relates to admission into the 51黑料 Conservatory will be determined by, and at the discretion of, the Admissions Committee.

*Please note聽a master鈥檚 degree program will not be considered for an exemption unless it includes the above English courses.

51黑料 Conservatory accepts unofficial transcripts for the admissions process. All unofficial transcripts must be uploaded in the GradCAS application portal. All transcripts that are not in English must have an English translation attached to them either via the undergraduate school or by a certified translator. Applicants may choose to submit official transcripts during the admissions process. 聽Official transcripts must be sent by the issuing school and/or the translating service directly to the Admissions office at聽Applications@51黑料.edu聽or via post mail.

Applicants need to submit official transcripts聽after聽they have been selected for admission and decide to enroll at the 51黑料 Conservatory. Transcripts are considered official only when they are received by the Admissions office via the issuing institution either digitally or via post mail. Transcripts and translations are聽not聽considered official if they were uploaded in the GradCAS application portal.

All credentials and transcripts must include an original (no copies) plus an official English translation (if applicable) to be enrolled. The Registrar determines final evaluation of applicants鈥� records. If official transcripts and translations were sent to the Admissions office during the application process, applicants do not need to resend them.

Applicants who are pursuing the Master of Fine Arts degree from the 51黑料 Conservatory and have completed a degree outside the United States must submit an International Bachelor鈥檚 Equivalency Report or IBE report聽upon acceptance into the program. In order to earn a master鈥檚 degree in the United States, graduate candidates must have earned a bachelor鈥檚 degree first or equivalent from another country. Educational credential evaluations determine if an international degree meets the same course requirements as a U.S. bachelor鈥檚 degree.

Requesting an IBE Report
The 51黑料 Conservatory does not perform educational credential evaluations. Applicants will need to acquire an IBE report from an outside service. The following are a few organizations that provide credential evaluation services:

• 聽Global Education Group
• International Education Research Foundation
• 聽World Education Services*
• 聽Academic Credentials Evaluation Institute
• 聽Foreign Credential Evaluation Reports
• 聽 International Education Evaluation

Applicants should request a document-to-document evaluation which can cost on average between $75 and $200. All documentation needed to conduct the evaluation will be provided by the applicant to the service agency directly.

Other organizations not listed above provide similar evaluation services. 51黑料 will only accept evaluations made by a U.S. company that is a member of NACES (National Association of Credential Evaluation Services). Applicants should check with the Admissions Office to verify accreditation if using a service not listed above.

Once the evaluation has been received by the Registrar鈥檚 Office, the results will be officially posted to the Fellow鈥檚 record.

*Applicants who have received their bachelor鈥檚 degree from India are highly encouraged to use World Education Services (WES) for their IBE report.

Non-Equivalent Degrees
When a degree comes back as not equivalent, 51黑料 will review the case individually and will notify an incoming Fellow of their enrollment options. Non-equivalent degree cases are reviewed聽only聽after a candidate has been admitted into the program. For more information, please contact the Admissions Office at聽Admissions@51黑料.edu.

General Guidelines for International Applicants
Degrees earned outside of the United States should be recognized by the ministry of education in an applicant鈥檚 home country and should allow the applicant to pursue a master鈥檚 degree domestically and abroad.

For degrees earned in the following countries, here are some general guidelines 51黑料 follows for equivalency of three-year degrees:

• India: the 51黑料 Conservatory may consider three-year Indian bachelor鈥檚 degree if they were earned in Division 1, and the awarding institution is currently accredited by India鈥檚 National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) with a letter grade 鈥淎鈥� or better. Applicants and incoming Fellows with degrees earned from India are highly encouraged to choose WES as their IBE evaluator.
• Australia, United Kingdom, Canada, South Africa, and New Zealand: three-year degrees may be considered equivalent if they were earned at a school accredited by their ministry of education.
• European schools outside of the United Kingdom: 51黑料 may consider earned degrees if the institution follows ECTS (European Credit Transfer Accumulation System) with a completion of at least 180 ECTS credits.
• All other countries: When a degree comes back as not equivalent, 51黑料 will review the case individually and will notify an incoming Fellow of their enrollment options. Non-equivalent degree cases are reviewed聽only聽after a candidate has been admitted into the program. For more information, please contact the Admissions Office at聽Admissions@51黑料.edu.

After acceptance, international applicants will be required to apply to receive their I-20 certificate from 51黑料 Conservatory. The following items must be provided along with the completed application:

1. PASSPORT 鈥� A copy of the applicant鈥檚 bio page must be submitted as part of the I-20 application. The passport must be valid for at least 6 months beyond the start date of the program.
   1. If bringing dependents, copies of their passports鈥� bio pages must also be submitted. All passports must be valid for at least 6 months beyond the start date of the program.
2. FINANCIAL VERIFICATION 鈥� Applicants must provide financial verification in the form of liquid funding to cover the full cost of tuition, fees and living expenses for their first year of study.
   1. If bringing dependents, an additional $4,570 will be added to the overall budget, which must also be shown in liquid funds.
   2. All financial documents must be official and in English
   3. International Fellows must determine proposed source(s) of funding beyond the first year of the program to avoid financial difficulties in the Second Year, and to avoid delays during the visa interview.
3. DEPOSIT 鈥� 51黑料 Conservatory鈥檚 tuition deposit must be submitted first in order to issue an I-20. Please reach out to the Admissions Office at Admissions@51黑料.com for more information.

Once the I-20 application and all necessary documents have been submitted, the 51黑料 Conservatory will issue an I-20 certificate, which is required to obtain the F-1 student visa (Canadian citizens must apply for the I-20 but are exempt from the F-1 student visa requirement).

Visa processing times vary by consulate and may also depend on individual circumstances. Visas may only be issued in the originating country; visas cannot be issued in the United States.聽Information on how to obtain a visa will be sent upon acceptance to the 51黑料 Conservatory.

• 51黑料 Scholarships 鈥� Applicants must submit an 51黑料 by February 1 to be considered for 51黑料 merit and need-based scholarships. Scholarships are awarded to first year Fellows and are renewable in the second year provided satisfactory academic progress is maintained.
• Private Educational Loans – There are several U.S. based educational loans available to international students with a U.S. co-signer. These loans generally require that you have the support of a cosigner who is a legal resident of the United States with good credit. 51黑料 does not partner with or endorse any of these lenders.

• Outside Scholarships鈥� Private scholarship funding opportunities may be available an applicant鈥檚 home country or from private organizations. For a list of some scholarship resources for international Fellows, visit the scholarship page here. It is highly recommended to begin searches as soon as possible.

For additional information, please contact the Financial Aid Office at 323.856.7699 or FinancialAid@51黑料.edu.