How to Apply

Here are all the important steps any student should know about applying to Ithaca, including some scenarios that may not affect you.

You can go back to our main apply page if you'd like a version of this list customized to your situation.

STEP ONE: Apply online!

Ithaca accepts the Common Application exclusively. Just fill out the Common Application and the required Ithaca supplement online.

Transfer students should be sure to select the Common Application for transfers. If you have applied to Ithaca before, you may be able to reactivate your previous application.

Apply now via the Common Application

If you need to use the printed version of the Common Application, you can download a PDF of the application and our supplement on the Common Application site.

STEP TWO: Submit your forms.

If you're applying as a freshman, we'll need the secondary school report, midyear report, and teacher evaluation forms you'll find on the Common App website. Depending on your high school's policy, your teachers and counselors may choose to complete the forms online. If you need to submit by paper, you should print the appropriate PDF forms from the Common Application site and give them to your guidance counselor.

For transfer applicants, the Common Application online requires a personal essay that details your academic goals and past experience.

Transfer students will also need:

  • Official high school transcripts
  • Official college or university transcripts
  • Letter of recommendation or instructor evaluation form from a professor, adviser, or dean of students
  • $60 application fee (undergraduate applications only)

Please note:

  • Ithaca College does not currently use the Common Application's "College Official's Report."
  • Transfer opportunities to physical therapy (PT) are competitive and based on available space.

International applicants must send us these additional items:

  • A complete and original secondary school transcript or marks sheet (grades) that bears the school seal and certifying signature of a school authority. Also submit official transcripts from all universities attended. Applicants must provide a certified English translation of all transcripts that are not in English.
  • A letter of recommendation from the principal, school head, or college counselor, sent directly from your school to Ithaca College.
  • Proof of English proficiency from TOEFL scores (see the Admission FAQ "What sort of testing is required of international students for admission to Ithaca?").
  • Test results (optional) of the SAT or the ACT with Writing.
  • Certification of Finances form (see the right sidebar on the web page www.ithaca.edu/admission/intl/?item=2334).

Please note: international students do not need to send an application fee. Ithaca College has waived that requirement. Instead, select the Institutional Fee Waiver on the Common Application.

Music and theatre programs require an audition or interview. Be sure to contact the appropriate department to schedule yours as soon as possible.

Learn more:
Audition requirements for music
Audition/interview requirements for theatre

Is Ithaca College your top choice for college? Applicants for the fall semester may benefit from applying for an Early Action or Early Decision deadlines.

Learn more about our early decision and early action options.

To confirm that there are no additional requirements for the program of study you're interested in please visit our special requirements page:
/admission/apply_requirements/

STEP THREE: Should I send my scores or not?

You may send us your standardized test scores if you like, but you don't have to.

Most students have the option to either submit SAT or ACT scores as part of their admission file, or withhold them altogether from consideration. Students must either arrange for official scores to be sent from the testing agency or check "no" in response to the Standardized Test Score Consideration question on the Common Application Supplement.
  • Students who are home-schooled or who attend high schools that provide only descriptive report cards (rather than alphanumeric grades) must submit either SAT or ACT scores.
  • Applicants whose native language is not English are required to submit official results of a test of English proficiency. 

If you choose to go test optional but have already sent your scores, simply check “no” on the Supplement and we will remove them when considering your application.

Want to send us your scores?

Make sure the proper testing agency sends us an official score report electronically before the application deadline (your high school will have request forms).

Ithaca College School Codes:

  • CEEB (SAT) 2325
  • ACT 2772

If you took the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) we'll need a score report for that as well. Our recommended scores are 213 or higher on the TOEFL computer version, 80 or higher on the Internet-based version (iBT), and 6.0 or higher on the IELTS.

A score of 600 or its equivalent on the critical reading section of the SAT exempts applicants from the testing requirement.

For reporting test results, the Ithaca College code for TOEFL is 2324. There are no university and college codes for IELTS. 

STEP FOUR: Apply for financial aid.

To apply for financial aid, you must submit both the College Scholarship Service (CSS) Profile application and the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The priority deadline to apply for need-based financial aid is February 1.

Apply for financial aid online: CSS Profile  |  FAFSA