International Applicants

International students are an important component of the Franklin & Marshall community with approximately 10 percent of the student body coming from abroad.  Students who have lived and studied abroad add richness to the campus, bringing with them backgrounds and experiences of other cultures whether they are citizens of another country or American citizens who have been educated outside of the United States. 

Students who are considered "international" for admission and financial aid purposes are citizens of countries other than the United States. Students who have American citizenship or are permanent residents of the US, regardless of where they have lived, are considered as United States citizens during the application process, although they will be incorporated into the international community in many ways throughout the process including an invitation to the International Orientation. 

Students who have strong academic backgrounds, are fluent in English and are searching for an excellent liberal arts education are encouraged to apply. We are fortunate to have funding for international students, although it is limited. 

Application Information

Tuition

Financial Aid for International Students

Credit/Advanced Standing for Entering Students

Countries Currently Represented at F&M

Application Information

We are delighted that you are interested in applying to Franklin & Marshall College.

Students may apply for admission to Franklin & Marshall using the Common Application since we use the Common Application exclusively.  If you are applying for financial aid, we use our own Financial Aid form for International Students.  If you wish to apply Early Decision, there is also an Early Decision Supplement that must be filed with the Application.  You may also apply with the paper application or on-line with the Common Application.

Applications of international students are evaluated by deliberation of the academic record, standardized test scores, extracurricular activities and recommendations from teachers and counselors.  The fact that students are coming from a different background and environment is also a consideration in the decision process and we look to admit students from all parts of the world.

A picture of the applicant is requested with the application.

A $50 application fee is also requested, but in the case of financial hardship, this fee may be waived. If this is the case, please send a letter from your counselor or headmaster requesting a waiver along with the application.

Deadlines

Deadlines are the same for international students as for domestic students.

Regular Decision: February 1 (with notification April 1)

Early Decision I: November 15 (with notification of decisions December 15)

Early Decision II: January 15 (with notification of decisions February 15)

Early Decision

Franklin & Marshall encourages students to apply Early Decision if they have decided that the College is their first choice.  Students may apply Early Decision regardless of whether they are asking for financial aid.   We offer two rounds of Early Decision since many students are not ready to make a final decision about their college choice until later in the process.  The two application deadlines are treated in exactly the same way, so there is no penalty for applying in January as an ED candidate.

Testing

SAT: International students are required to take the SAT I except in the case where students live in a country that does not offer the test, in which case the file will be evaluated without those scores. In some cases, students will submit other test scores such as the GRE or ACT. The Standardized Test Option, which is available for domestic students, does not apply for international students.

In circumstances in which the SAT exam is not available until January, we will accept scores from the January exam date.  Students in this situation must indicate their intention to take the exam in the score portion of the application.

Official scores should be sent to F&M and our CEEB Code is 2261.

To facilitate the application reading process, it is helpful if students sent a copy of their SAT score reports along with the completed application.

TOEFL / IELTS: The TOEFL or other recognized test of English language ability such as the IELTS is required for those students whose native language is something other than English and who are not studying in English.

Financial Aid for International Students

Qualified students should not hesitate to apply to Franklin & Marshall College, regardless of their finances. Because of its commitment to a diverse student body, Franklin & Marshall provides financial assistance to international students. However, this assistance is limited and competitive. If admitted, international students are awarded financial aid according to the College's policies which determine a student's financial need.

International applicants are eligible for merit-based scholarships.   There is no need to apply for these scholarships as candidates are chosen during the decision process and the awards are given with the admission decision.

Franklin & Marshall has generous, but limited, funding for international students.  Those fund are available in the form of grant money, loans, and work study. Grant money need not be paid back to the college.   Loans must be repaid after graduation.  Work study is money

in the aid package earned by students working on campus for ten hours per week.  The average "package" equals more than half the annual cost of tuition, room and board at Franklin & Marshall. Generally, the more aid an international applicant needs, the more competitive the admission process is.

In order to apply for financial aid, families of international students must fill out the Franklin & Marshall International Financial Aid Form and send that completed form to the Office of Admission (with their Application for Admission).

Before a student can receive immigration documents, they must prove that they have available funding to enroll at the College and must fill out an "Ability to Pay Form" or Certificate of Finances.  These forms should include the financial aid award for those students with aid packages.

Additional Financial Aid information is available from the Office of Financial Aid.

Credit/Advanced Standing for Entering Students

Advanced standing is awarded to students for students in several different curricula.

International Baccalaureate (IB)

Franklin & Marshall recognizes the International Baccalaureate as an excellent program both academically and philosophically and therefore offers advanced standing for students who have achieved well in the program.

IB Diploma recipients with a total score of 30 or more are awarded 8 course credits (one full year) toward a degree at Franklin & Marshall College . IB Certificate recipients receive one or two course credits (depending on discipline) for each Higher level examination passed with a score of 5 or higher.

College Board Advanced Placement (AP)

Franklin & Marshall will give credit to students who have received either 4 or 5 on Advanced Placement examinations. The College grants college credit if the subject matter of the Advanced Placement course and examination is comparable to that covered in a elementary course offered by a Fraklin & Marshall department.

Other examination programs

French Baccalaureat and German Arbitur recipients may be granted credit for up to one full year toward a degree at Franklin & Marshall. In addition, the College generally awards credits to students who have passed the British "A-Level" examinations with a grade of C or higher. Other course credits from foreign countries are evaluated on an individual basis.

Countries Currently Represented by F&M Students

Be in touch with a Franklin & Marshall student from your country!  Click here to send an email to the Office of International Students.  Be sure to mention which country you are from.  

Find out more about international students at Franklin & Marshall by visiting our website.