Resident Program
Baker College is authorized under the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service to enroll nonimmigrant students who wish to pursue a full-time undergraduate or graduate degree.
We welcome and encourage application from international students. However, because our international student population is small, Baker College does not maintain special international student services or an international student center.
Start the Application Process Early
Give Yourself plenty of time. You should request application forms and special instructions at least one year before the semester you want to begin.
- Your application must be filed at least 120 days prior to the beginning of the semester in which you expect to enroll.
- If your application is approved, Baker College will mail a letter of acceptance and a Form I-20 directly to you.
- If you are a nonimmigrant student, you need to present the I-20 upon application for a student visa in your country and again upon arrival in the United States.
To help you get started, we have combined the forms and information you need in one packet:
- Download and print the International Student Packet PDF.
- After you fill out and complete the International Student Packet, submit all the information to the Baker College campus you plan to attend.
Campus Residence Halls
Most of the students who attend Baker College are from the Michigan area, live at home, and commute daily to campus. For students who want to live on campus, we have student residence halls on our Cadillac, Muskegon, and Owosso campuses. These residence halls may close between terms. If so, you may need to arrange for other accommodations for that time period.
International Student Special Requirements
International students (except commuting Canadians) must fulfill student visa requirements and make an advanced tuition deposit. (See “Tuition Deposit –International Students” under the Financial Services information in this Handbook) International students are required to take the TOEFL examination and earn a minimum score of 64 on the TOEFL iBT Test for admission to the college. This requirement may be waived if the official language of the country of education is English, achieved a minimum SAT score of 450 on Evidence Based Reading/Writing, or an IELTS score of 6.0 or greater. Commuting Canadian students commuting from Canada are required to complete only an I-20. Applicants who would like to transfer credits from an institution outside of the U.S. must have their transcripts/degrees evaluated by an organization affiliated with the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES; naces.org). The results of the evaluation must be sent from the evaluation companies directly to the Baker Enrollment Center. Official evaluations must include U.S. degree equivalencies (for degrees transferred), course grades, and overall grade point averages (GPA).
For more information as to the TOEFL please visit the ETS website at: https://www.ets.org/toefl
International Applicants – Center for Graduate Studies
International applicants must possess both written and oral competence in the English language. English proficiency is determined by the following criteria:
• International students at the graduate level are required to take the TOEFL examination and earn a minimum score of 79 on the TOEFL iBT Test or a score of 7.0 or greater on the IELTS for admission to the graduate school.
Applicants who completed their undergraduate degrees at institutions outside the U.S. must have their transcripts/degrees evaluated by companies in the United States such as Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc., or the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES). The results of the evaluations must be sent from the evaluation companies directly to the Center for Graduate Studies. Official evaluations must include U. S. degree equivalencies, course grades, and overall GPAs. Applicants wishing to study in the U. S. must fulfill student visa requirements and make advanced tuition deposits.
International Students – Running Start
International students for any dual enrollment program must fulfill student visa requirements and make an advanced tuition deposit. International Running Start students are required to take the TOEFL examination and earn a minimum score of 61 on the TOEFL iBT Test or achieve an IELTS score of 5.5 or greater. A personal interview may also be required.
Health and Accident Insurance
The United States does not have free medical facilities, so we encourage you to obtain health and accident insurance as a necessary precaution during your studies at Baker College. This type of insurance is often available through your own country at affordable rates. If you do not have health and accident insurance coverage upon arrival, you should obtain insurance in the United States prior to enrolling at Baker College.