An international applicant is someone who requires a visa to reside and study in the United States. A U.S. citizen or permanent resident who currently lives and studies outside the U.S. is considered a domestic applicant with foreign credentials.
You are considered a first-year/first-time (freshman) if you have never studied or enrolled in any college/university or postsecondary studies after completing secondary school. You're considered a first-year student even if you have advanced standing, for which you may receive university credits. This includes A Levels, International Baccalaureate (IB) and Advanced Placement (AP).
You are considered a transfer applicant if you completed college level coursework after completing secondary school.
Students can continue to submit an application for consideration until capacity is reached.
We recommend that you apply as early as you can in your last year of secondary school. Our recommended filing date is Feb. 1 for fall applicants and Oct. 1 for spring.
Learn about specific requirements and supplemental admission criteria for each program by visiting the course catalog.
Some departments do not grant direct admission to their program until a certain amount of credits have been completed.
The University at Buffalo is sometimes referred to as SUNY Buffalo (UB). UB is the largest and most comprehensive campus of the 64 campus SUNY system. SUNY Buffalo State is a different SUNY campus located in Buffalo, NY.
Use the following when sending scores to UB:
Yes. The Early Application deadline is Nov. 1. Decisions for completed Early Applications will be announced in early December. Decisions for Early Applications completed after Nov. 1 will be announced beginning in mid-December.
Funding varies between programs.
We do not offer full funding to international undergraduate students. First-year international students applying for entry in the Fall semester may be eligible to be considered for the University at Buffalo Flagship Scholarships. In order to be automatically considered for this award, your application for admission must be completed by December 8th. There is no separate scholarship application.
Award decisions are based on a holistic review of your application, and amounts vary from year to year.
If you can take the TOEFL or IELTS again in the near future, and present a new score that meets the admission requirements, your file will be reconsidered. We will be happy to review your application file with the new score and, if your score meets the minimum requirement, perhaps offer a new admission decision.
Yes, credit can be awarded for some Advanced Placement (AP) tests, GCE A-level exam subjects and International Baccalaureate (IB) subjects.
Some departments do accept first-year students directly: architecture, computer science, engineering, exercise science, management, nuclear medicine technology and occupational therapy. Otherwise, students are enrolled as general university students and will apply to their major later, usually during the second year after completing any prerequisites.
As a prospective graduate applicant, you should contact the academic department directly for information about application requirements and procedures, as well as the availability of financial aid. Each department has its own admission policy and available financial grants.
You will receive an email from UB when we have created your application account. This email will include a one-time-use PIN and link to the Applicant Status Portal, where you will upload and submit all your application documents.
The Applicant Status Portal is a web portal that allows you to check the status of your application and submit all of your application materials electronically. You will receive access to this site after you have submitted your application. Anything you need to submit to our office can be submitted using this system.
Any documents that you uploaded though the Common Application or SUNY Application will be forwarded to our office. This can sometimes take a few days from the time your application is received.
If you believe you submitted a document but it is showing as "Missing" on your application status, you can contact our office and we will be happy to look into it.
Logging into your Applicant Status Portal is the best place to check the status of your application. You will receive an email when there is an update to your application.
Once you have decided to enroll at UB, you can secure your seat by making your tuition/enrollment deposit. (Login required.)
The deadline for paying the tuition deposit is May 1 for fall and Dec. 1 for spring.
Tuition deposits are accepted after the deadlines on a space-available basis.
If you decline UB's offer of undergraduate admission, you may request a refund of your deposit prior to the first day of classes of the term to which you were admitted. After this date, tuition deposits are non-refundable.
If you decline UB's offer of graduate admission, please refer to your department's specific deposit refund policy.
All first-year and transfer undergraduate F-1 students will participate in the New to UB orientation programs to help you get a successful start at UB.
In addition to any orientation program provided by your academic department, graduate international students will participate in International Student Welcome. Welcome activities help you get settled before the start of your first semester here.
University at Buffalo Campus Living has more than 7,000 available beds in 18 unique building communities! Our rooms are fully furnished, utilities include high-speed internet/Wi-Fi, and laundry is included.
Residence Halls at UB have on-site dining and academic support, indoor and outdoor activities and easy access to events, and transportation around and off campus. There are many opportunities to get involved and meet new friends.
Housing is offered on a first-come first-serve basis, so be sure to submit your housing application and place the $300 housing deposit before the deadline. If you apply after the deadline has passed, you will be placed on the housing waitlist.
Some students may choose to live off-campus. We believe on-campus housing offers the best experience and best value. There are many options for housing in Buffalo.
Students are expected to arrive in the U.S. by the program start date specified on their I-20 or DS-2019. We strongly recommend arriving earlier to help ensure a successful transition, but we understand that students may occasionally experience delays that are beyond their control.
If you are experiencing visa delays or other unexpected circumstances that will prevent your ability to enter the U.S. by your program start date, International Student Services may be able to issue you a late arrival support letter. Please review the Late Arrival Policy and the process to request a late arrival support letter.
If you do arrive late to Buffalo, you still need to complete your ISS Check-in on UB Global.
UB does not provide transportation to any campus from the Buffalo Niagara International Airport.
We recommend using a taxi or rideshare service to your destination.
When you receive an electronic bill from UB, you must pay before the deadline noted in the bill statement.
You can pay in installments or you can pay it in full. It's up to you.
If you wish to pay in installments, you'll need to enroll in the payment plan program after you are on campus. Pay special attention to the application deadlines.
Once you have been admitted by International Admissions at UB, you will be able to retrieve your UB Person Number and UBIT Name via your applicant status portal, usually within 2-3 days. Additionally, you will receive a One-Time Password via the email address that you used to apply, usually within 2-5 days of your admissions offer. You will use your UBIT name and your One-Time Password to claim your UB account.
If you have previously been admitted to UB in the past, you will not receive a new One-Time Password. If you never used the previous One-Time Password which you were issued, it will still be active and able to be used. If you are unable to access that password, or you have used it but do not recall the password you've established, please contact UBIT directly.
F-1 students are eligible to work on-campus during their academic program if they are maintaining their F-1 status. The work does not need to be related to the student’s field of study and no special authorization is needed; however, there are rules which will need to be followed.
We recommend using the Career Design Center's job search tool. This database advertises both on-campus and off-campus jobs. Filter your search to only look for on-campus jobs, since off-campus work requires separate authorization. The Career Design Center website also offers helpful tips for your job search, how to apply, accept an offer and more.
If you send us a scanned copy of your score report showing that the official score was sent to UB, we can manually match the scores to your application.
UB's school code for TOEFL and SAT is 2925. UB's school code for ACT is 2978.
Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP)
Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS)
Once you've been admitted to the university, you'll begin the process of requesting an I-20. After you submit your tuition deposit and your UB Person Number has been assigned, your Applicant Status Checklist should update to request additional documentation, including:
Once all of the documents on your checklist are submitted, your application will enter a review process. If all immigration requirements are satisfied, an I-20 will be issued. You will receive an email when your I-20 is available to download from your Applicant Status Portal.
Be sure to monitor your email and your portal for updates. We will process all documents as quickly and accurately as possible.
Before the university can issue a Certificate of Visa Eligibility (Form I-20 or DS-2019) to study in F-1 or J-1 status, applicants must demonstrate their ability to cover the estimated cost for the first year of study. Applicants must document financial support equal to or greater than the amounts listed on the International Student Estimated Budget.
Visit UB's Student Accounts website to learn more about tuition and fees, billing and payment, and policies and procedures.
Wondering if the details on your I-20 have been entered correctly? Below are some federal and university standards we adhere to when issuing I-20s.
SEVP Naming Standards: The federal government has implemented a set of standards for how a nonimmigrant name is entered into SEVIS, and how it will appear on your I-20. SEVIS does not allow use of special characters like: æ, ñ, ç. We are advised to use the information entered in the Machine-Readable Zone of a passport when entering names in SEVIS.
City of Birth it is normal for this field to be blank. We will not populate city of birth on the I-20.
Program of Study
Financials
School Attestation
If you will not be able to arrive in the U.S. by your program start date, International Student Services may be able to issue you a late arrival support letter. You may request a late arrival support letter in UB Global. It is important you know University at Buffalo arrival deadlines, and the last date of arrival allowed for Undergraduate and/or Graduate students.
The last day to add or drop Spring 2025 classes is January 29, 2025. In order to maintain F-1 status, students must be enrolled full-time by this date. As soon as you receive your visa, upload a copy in the ISS Check-In so we can lift your New International Student hold and allow you to register for classes. Please reach out to your academic advisor for assistance enrolling in classes.
If you are unable to obtain a visa and enter the U.S. by Monday, January 27, 2025:
Review the New Students web pages for details on the next steps after receiving your I-20.
The University Honors College is a diverse learning community of high-achieving students who crave challenges and seek opportunities to express their intellectual curiosity. As much a community as it is a curriculum, the Honors College is a home where outstanding individuals bond over a shared commitment to excellence, inclusion and civic engagement
Students submitting the Common Application can apply to the Honors College in the Academics section. Students applying with the SUNY Application should complete the Honors College supplemental application.
The University at Buffalo offers scholarships in varying amounts to qualified international students enrolling in the fall. Scholarship awards vary from $2,500-$15,000 per academic year and are renewable for up to four years with good academic standing. Applicants are reviewed for scholarship consideration, no additional application is required.
Students receive an electronic billing statement (eBill). University eBill notifications will be sent to students @buffalo.edu email address after 4:45 PM EST on the billing date.
Students can designate an authorized payer.
View billing dates.
Payment plans are available.
While we proudly carry Buffalo in our university name, in fact, our main campus is located in the quiet suburb of Amherst, about 15 minutes from downtown Buffalo. Amherst has been consistently ranked as one of America’s Safest Cities.
The University at Buffalo has its own police department whose officers patrol the campuses and surrounding areas. All residence halls are secure buildings that only residents can enter using their electronic door cards. Emergency telephones with direct links to the police are located at many places around the campus.
Although we believe that on-campus housing offers the best experience at the greatest value, we know that there are reasons you may choose to live off-campus.
Freedom and flexibility, along with great food, are the core of our meal plans. Here at UB, there is always food close to where you are – and your meal plan offers the best value at all of them.
First-year students living in residence halls are automatically assigned a meal plan to help students transition to college life.
Any registered UB student may purchase a Campus Dining meal plan, whether they live on or off campus.
Students are allowed to own a car, but it is not a necessity. It is often faster and easier for students to walk or take the campus shuttles, especially when they live on campus. Convenient shuttle buses transport students back and forth between UB's campuses, as well to different points on each campus. UB shuttles also take students off campus to the local shopping mall and grocery store. In addition, campus buses are equipped with bike racks and UB participates in a community bicycle-lending program. International students who are considering owning a car or driving while at UB should refer to the ISS driving guidelines.
All international students taking 1 or more credit hour (and their dependents) must carry health insurance coverage available through SUNY (or comparable coverage) for the duration of their academic registration at UB. These policies also apply to J-1 student interns, and are set by SUNY Administration.
There are a number of affordable and comfortable hotels located near the University at Buffalo. When making hotel reservations, please mention that you are visiting UB, as discounts may apply.