What are your deadlines?

Freshman Applicant Deadlines

Transfer Applicant Deadlines

Students who apply after the deadline will be considered on a case-by-case, space-available basis.

What is Early Decision?
If Rider University is your first and only college choice, you are invited to apply for Early Decision admission. If you file your application no later
than November 15 (including the Early Decision Supplement), you will be notified of an admission decision by December 15.
If an audition is required for your area of study, you must schedule the November date in order to participate in the Early Decision Program.

You will be required to respond to our offer of admission by February 15 by making a $500 non-refundable deposit. If your application is
deferred, it will be reevaluated in March and you will receive a final decision in early April. Denied students will not be reconsidered in the same
academic year.

NOTE: “Binding” means that you must commit to attend if your application is accepted by submitting the necessary deposits. If you are admitted
under early decision, you must agree to immediately withdraw any regular decision applications you have made to other colleges.

What is Early Action?
Rider also offers an Early Action program for students who are strongly considering Rider University, but who desire the flexibility of applying to
other institutions.  Early Action is a non-binding option whereby you are not required to submit your deposit for tuition/housing until May 1, 2009. As an Early Action applicant, you will be notified of an admission decision no later than December 15, 2008. If an audition is required for admission to your area of study, you must schedule the November date in order to participate in the Early Action program.

What documents must I submit with my application?
Click here for information about the undergraduate admission process.

Will Rider waive my application fee?
As Rider does not provide need-based financial assistance, Rider University does not waive the application fee for international applicants. 

What is your minimum TOEFL requirement? IELTS requirement?
550 paper based, 213 computer based, 80 iBT. 6.5 IELTS.

Do you accept students conditionally?
Rider does not accept students conditionally. All applicants must meet the admission requirements, including English language proficiency.

Does Rider offer an ESL program?
No, Rider does not offer an ESL program.  A limited amount of language support is available.

Do you ever waive the TOEFL?
Rider University waives the TOEFL for students attending American/International High Schools for more than three years who have submitted SAT I results.  For some students, though, submitting TOEFL scores may still help your application. The TOEFL may also be waived for undergraduate transfer applicants who have earned a 'B' or better in an English Composition course (not ESL) at a U.S. university.

Do you require the SAT?
Rider requires the SAT for students who have been attending American/International high schools for more than three years.  The SAT is strongly recommended for all applicants.

Do you accept AB and IB credits?
AP: Credit is typically granted for scores of 3 or better.
IB: Policy is under review. Credit may be granted on a case-by-case basis. In general, credit is considered for scores of 5 or better on Higher Level examinations.

Can I apply online?
You can apply online for undergraduate study using the Rider University Application or the Common Application.  You must separately submit your documents by mail, including the International Student Supplement (certification of finances). You may also download and print the entire Rider University application, and submit the application by mail.

Do my documents need to be translated?
Rider requires that all documents submitted must be in English.  If your documents have been translated, please also submit the original foreign language documents.

What do you need for certification of finances?
All students who plan to hold an F-1 visa must submit the International Student Supplement as well as supporting documentation. Please visit our financial information page for more information.  

What are acceptable supporting financial documents?
In addition to completing the International Student Supplement, documentary evidence of your financial ability to pay for school must also be provided. All forms must be originals (except tax documents), translated to English, and less than six months old.

Is a credential evaluation required for transfer students?
Rider will make every attempt to evaluate your transfer credits in-house, when possible.

In some circumstances, Rider may request that your credentials be evaluated outside the university. In this case, we recommend that you obtain a course-by-course evaluation performed by World Education Services, a professional credential evaluation agency. The WES evaluation converts educational credentials from any country in the world into their U.S. equivalents. It describes each certificate, diploma or degree that you have earned and states its academic equivalency in the United States. 

More information can be found at: http://www.wes.org/ or by contacting:
World Educational Services
Bowling Green Station
P.O. Box 5087
New York, NY 10274-5087
1-212-966-6311
info@wes.org

Where can I find information about the Post-Baccalaureate Pre-Medical, Pre-Dental and Pre-Veterinary Studies program?
The Post-Baccalaureate premedical studies program is offered through the College of Continuing Studies. Students who wish to attend full-time can obtain a student visa. In addition to the Post-Baccalaureate program application, you must also fill out the International Student Supplement and supply supporting financial documentation.