At Drake, we pride ourselves on our vibrant community of diverse students from 40 U.S. states and 46 countries. Whether you come from around the state of Iowa or around the world, Drake University welcomes you.
Since we review each application for admission individually, there is no single, inflexible set of standards—such as GPA, test score, or years of courses.
As you complete your application, make sure that all required documents are submitted by the appropriate deadlines.
June 1 is the priority deadline to submit your application and supporting materials for entry to Drake in the fall term that begins in August. Applications received after the priority deadline will be considered on a space-available basis. November 1 is the priority deadline for entry to Drake in the spring term that begins in January.
Students applying for the PharmD program for Fall 2017 must submit the application to the Pharmacy College Application Service (PharmCAS) by December 1, 2016. The Drake Supplemental Form and fee must also be submitted to Drake University by December 1.
The sections below provide specific information for each component of the international transfer student application.
Mailed applications and all other mailed supplementary materials should be labeled with your full name and date of birth and directed to:
Office of Admission
Drake University
2507 University Ave.
Des Moines, Iowa 50311-4505
Complete one of the following:
Choose either method to apply. Both options are given equal consideration for admission. There is no application fee when applying online.
Students who intend to apply to the pre-pharmacy program MUST choose the Drake Standard Application path and select pre-pharmacy as their major in any of the applications. Please also designate an alternate choice for area of study.
If you wish to improve your language proficiency before beginning an academic program at Drake, you may apply for admission to an academic program at the same time that you apply for the Intensive English Program. With the exception of the pre-pharmacy program, Drake offers conditional admission to those applicants who meet the University’s academic requirements, but first need to improve English language skills.
Original or certified true copies of academic records or transcripts in official form, including external examination results, must be submitted by the educational institution (school, college, or university) directly to Drake either by mail or electronically.
Photocopies, scans, or faxes of academic records submitted by students without a fresh seal or stamp of the school, college, or university attended will not be accepted as official until verified by a school official or educational authority. Academic records are not considered to be official if certified by notaries, commissioners of oaths, or translators, regardless of how they are submitted. An admission decision will be made once all official academic records are submitted to the Office of Admission.
Any translated record should be an exact translation (not interpretive) and be accompanied by the official, original-language document. Transcripts from U.S. high schools, colleges, or universities should be sent directly from that institution to the Office of Admission.
Contact the Office of Admission at international@drake.edu if you have questions about your academic records.
If you have earned less than 24 semester hours of college credit at the point of applying for admission, you may choose between submitting a test score or arranging a test-flexible interview. If you have earned more than 24 college credit hours at the point of application, you do not need to submit a standardized test score or have an interview.
Those who choose to submit test scores will need to have an official copy of either the ACT or SAT sent to the Office of Admission from the appropriate testing agency.
The TOEFL requirement is 71 for the iBT and the IELTS requirement is 6.0 in order to enroll in courses on a full-time basis. With the exception of the pre- pharmacy program, Drake offers conditional admission to students meeting the admission standards but who do not meet the language-proficiency requirements for immediate entry into a degree program.
We strongly recommend that you send TOEFL or IELTS test scores to Drake during the admission process. If you do not submit official TOEFL or IELTS test scores to Drake prior to your arrival on campus, you must sit for the TOEFL upon arrival at Drake.
The essay/personal statement is optional.
Should you choose to provide an essay with your application, we encourage you to use one of the essay prompts provided in the Drake application or Common Application. Or, other topics might include: Why do you want to transfer to Drake? What would you like us to know about you, your academic history, or your experiences? Is there additional information you would like to share to give context to your transcripts?”
We review all applications, with or without an essay, with equal attention.
You will need to provide information about principal extracurricular, community, and volunteer activities in order of their interest to you. Be sure to include the length of time you participated in each activity. In addition, list any academic distinctions or honors you have received. Please do not send individual certificates of achievement.
A letter of recommendation is encouraged, but not required. A letter of recommendation can be sent directly to:
Office of Admission
Drake University
2507 University Avenue
Des Moines, Iowa 50311-4505 U.S.A.
Recommendations may also be emailed to admission@drake.edu.
As an international student, you must submit documented evidence of financial support for educational expenses. The 2018-19 Financial Certificate must be signed by you and your sponsor and either countersigned and sealed by your sponsor's bank, or a separate letter or statement may be issued to support the information provided on the certificate.
This document can be sent to:
Office of Admission
Drake University
2507 University Avenue
Des Moines, Iowa 50311-4505 U.S.A.
The renewable International Student Grant may offer a partial award toward financial need. This grant, however, will not provide full funding; although it may be awarded along with other scholarships, the total combined aid will not exceed 40% of the total cost of attendance.
A link to the grant application process is provided within your Drake admission application.
Please view the Scholarship and Financial Aid Opportunities for International Students for more information.
Music
In order to be admitted to the Department of Music, and to be considered for scholarship awards as a Music major, Music minor, or non-major participant, prospective students are required to audition with Drake Music faculty. To learn more about upcoming Department of Music audition dates and audition requirements, visit the Department of Music Audition Information page.
Theatre
In order to be admitted to any of the B.F.A. Theatre Arts degree programs or the Musical Theatre minor, and to be considered for a Departmental Fine Arts scholarship award, prospective students are required to audition/present their portfolio either on campus at the Drake Theatre Audition Day or the National Unified Theatre Auditions. To learn more about upcoming Theatre audition dates and audition requirements, visit the Theatre Arts Off Campus and On Campus Auditions page.
