The Lynch School is home to students from all over the world. More than 76 foreign countries are represented in the graduate population of the Lynch School. International Students provide the Lynch School with a diversity of intellectual, cultural, and geographical perspectives and contribute to its level of sophistication as an informed learning environment.
Please review the Application Instructions, as much of the information is applicable to International Students. You will find exceptions and additional information below. Please note that the zip code field does not work for international addresses. Simply add the zip code to the last line of the address.
Application Fee
Acceptable payment methods include check, money order, or bank draft in U.S. dollars drawn on an American bank. If you apply using the online application, you may also pay by credit card (Master Card or Visa). If a person designated as your liaison in the U.S. is able to pay this fee for you, please have them send it to the address provided in the Application Instructions section.
Transcripts
Submit official academic records (transcripts or mark-sheets) for each year of post-secondary education (college/university), as well as official copies of the degrees you have been awarded. Copies of credentials must be validated by a school administrative officer such as a registrar or an official of the issuing institution, and must be attached to a certified (notarized) English translation.
Admissions Tests Results
Students who speak a language other than English as their native language must provide evidence of proficiency. A minimum score of 550 on the paper-based test, 213 points on the computer-based test, or 81 on the iBT (internet-based test) on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is required. Please enter the Lynch School of Education code 3240 to ensure that the score report is sent to us, as student copies or photocopies are not accepted. You can obtain application forms and information about testing dates for the TOEFL from many U.S. consulates, USIA Centers, and TOEFL centers overseas by writing to: TOEFL Registration CN 6152 Princeton, New Jersey 08541 USA, or by going to www.toefl.org.
The TOEFL score is not required if:
- you are a citizen of Australia, Canada (except Quebec), Great Britain, Ireland, New Zealand, Guyana, an Anglophone country of Africa, or an English-speaking country of the Caribbean;
- you earned your prior college or university degree in the U.S. or one of the countries listed above;
- you are currently enrolled as a full-time student in a U.S. degree-granting program or at an American or English-speaking school in one of the countries listed above and will have completed two academic years of college/university work before beginning your studies at Boston College.
Admission Decisions and Visa Authorizations
Official offers of admission and the award of Lynch School financial aid, if any, will be conveyed by letter. Admitted students must then notify the Lynch School of their intention to attend Boston College, and must submit a Confidential Declaration of Finances Form verifying the student's ability to cover his/her educational and living expenses. The Lynch School will supply this form upon offer of admission. Provided all is in order, BC will issue a Certificate of Eligibility Form for the student's use in obtaining a Visa. You will not submit this form until you have received an offer of admission from the Lynch School of Education.
Finances
In order to attend the Lynch School of Education you must certify that you will have this sum available. Upon admission, the student will need to complete the Confidential Declaration of Finances Form. This form requires you to specify the amounts and sources of funds including any BC financial aid, accompanied by documentation. Generally, not all expenses can be covered by BC financial aid; therefore, students must have personal resources to support their graduate study.
If you are currently in the U.S. on a Visa, you must also fill out the Transfer of Visa Status Form.
The Lynch School will not issue a Certificate of Eligibility (Form I-20 for an F-1 Student Visa or a Form DS2019 for a J-1 Exchange Visitor Visa) unless this form is completed and the necessary certifications are obtained and returned by the date requested. In computing expenses and funds, please note:
- If your spouse will be joining you in the United States you will need to add at least $4,000 to the amount you will be required to certify; if your children will be joining you add at least $2,000 per child
- Students holding the Student (F-1) or Exchange Visitor (J-1) Visas will not be authorized to work except under extraordinary circumstances; therefore, the applicant should not look to employment, either part-time during the academic year or full-time during the summer, as a means of support while at BC. Spouses who accompany students to the U.S. on the F-2 Visa are not permitted to accept any kind of employment in the U.S.
