ADMISSION INFORMATION
There are six admission programs each identified by the type of applicant seeking to enroll in academic courses. Each program is further distinguished by a set of admission requirements.
General Admission Requirements
- Admissions Application
- Official Transcripts (high school and college if applicable)
- Health Evaluation (not required at the moment)
- Copy of Passport
Note: submit all supporting documents to [email protected]
An applicant seeking admission under the Regular Student Program is a person who has earned a high school diploma or high school equivalency diploma.
An applicant seeking admission under the Early Admissions program maintains concurrent enrollment in high school and is under the age of 18.
Additional Requirements:
- Applicant must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher.
(If GPA is below 3.0 but not lower than 2.0, counselor's recommendation is required).
- A recommendation from the applicant's high school counselor or principal attesting to the applicant's ability to perform academically at the college level.
- Placement at or above the College's EN 095 level.
An applicant seeking admission under the Ability-to-Benefit program is a person who is 18 years or older and does not have the equivalency of a high school diploma. An applicant under the ability to benefit is classified as a non-degree student and must successfully complete a high school equivalency diploma by the end of the first year of study prior to continued enrollment.
Additional Requirements:
- Placement at or above college level English composition (EN 101) and college algebra (MA 132).
An applicant seeking admission under the Visiting Student Program has attended a college or university and is seeking to enroll in no more than a year as a non-degree seeking student.
An applicant seeking admission under the Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) program is a resident of a Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) state or U.S. territory and seeks to enroll in a degree program at reduced WUE tuition rate of 150% of the resident rate.
WICHE states include: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii,
Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota,
Utah, Washington, Wyoming, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana
Islands. Your residency alone is does not guarantee you the WUE rate.
Additional Requirements:
- Be a US Citizen or Permanent Resident.
Students under WUE will be considered residents for tuition paying purposes. To maintain WUE program status, students must maintain satisfactory academic progress. Limited or Restricted-Entry Programs Certain programs may have enrollment limits and/or other program criteria. In addition to general admission requirements Limited or Restricted-Entry programs may require special application procedures, completion of certain course requirements, and meeting minimum criteria to be considered.
An applicant seeking admission to Northern Marianas College with an F-1 visa or status must complete requirements for admission under the F-1 Nonimmigrant Student program.
- Official exam results from the TOEFL or IELTS test. The Northern Marianas College institutional TOEFL code is 0781. Original score sheets must be mailed to NMC from the testing organization. Students may request a waiver of this requirement in writing and substitute with NMC English placement score report. Score reports must be received by the admission application deadline. NMC Placement Tests are administered by: Testing Services | [email protected] |
- Completed Form I-20 Application.
- A completed and notarized International Student Declaration of Finance Form; Students must identify funds obligated to their cost of attendance for a minimum of 1 year. The form must be supported by an official copy of Financial Guarantee or bank statement (be sure to provide the original bank statement with the date account was opened, average and current balance, not more than six (6) months prior to the term you will enroll at NMC. If the applicant has a sponsor, a completed Form I-134, Affidavit of Support and the sponsor's valid, government-issued ID must be submitted.
Important
Admission Application Dates
- Fall Semester (August - December) - July 01 Deadline
- Spring Semester (January - May) - November 01 Deadline
- Summer and Intersession terms are closed for students seeking admission under the F-1 Nonimmigrant Student Program.
- A. Admission to Academic Programs
- Applicants who wish to enroll in an academic program at the college must present evidence of English language proficiency. If the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is used to satisfy this requirement, the applicant must attain a score of at least 500 (on the paper-based TOEFL) or 61 (on the internet-based TOEFL, known as the iBT). If the International Language Testing System (IELTS) is used to satisfy this requirement, an IELTS overall Band Score of 5.5 or better is required, and a minimum IELTS individual Band Score of 5.0 on each module is recommended. The director of the Office of Admissions and Records may accept other proof of English language proficiency for
admission purposes, such as ACCUPLACER or COMPASS test results.
- B. Admission to English Language Institute
- Applicants for admission with a TOEFL or IELTS score below that required for admission into an academic program, may only be considered for admission into the English Language Institute. Students admitted to the English Language Institute will not be allowed to enroll in courses outside those officially designated as part of the program unless and until they have met all of the prerequisites or other course requirements. Students admitted into the English Language Institute may not enter an academic program until placement in EN 101.
- C. Financial Support
- Evidence of financial support will be required prior to issuance of the I-20 form. Northern Marianas College has no scholarship or financial aid provisions for foreign students; therefore, students must be fully prepared to meet the necessary financial obligations for the full time they will be in the United States. The colleges estimate a student's average expenses for one academic year to be:
- Tuition and Fees: $7,140
- Living Expenses: $12,000
- Books: $2,000
- Health Insurance: $820
- Total: $21,960
- D. Dependent Financial Guarantee
- Evidence of financial support for dependents of F-1 (spouse and dependent children) is also required: $7,500 per year for spouse and $10,140 per year for each child. Note: Students whose F-1 student visa/status is terminated due to non-compliance with immigration and enrollment requirements must reapply for admission.
Students admitted to the College under the F-1 Nonimmigrant Student Program will receive an NMC Admission Letter and a document called the Form I-20 Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status, which is the application for an F-1 visa. The following 5 steps provide a quick guide to the process for obtaining an F-1 visa. More information about required documents and procedures can be found at the U.S. Department of State.
Complete the non-immigrant visa application, Form DS-160 online. The form will require that you upload a photo. Step 2: Make payment online for the SEVIS I-901 fee ($200). This fee is collected by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program to support the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS). Instructions for completing this step is located at: .
Step 3: Make payment for the visa application fee ($160) at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate. Specific information on where to pay the visa application fee can be found at the web site of the U.S. Embassy in your country.
Step 4: Make an appointment for a visa interview at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate. More information about the process of scheduling an interview in your country is located at: http://www.usembassy.gov/.
Step 5: Go to your scheduled visa interview. Bring a valid passport (must be valid for at least six months beyond your period of stay in the United States. You must also bring your Form I-20 and the SEVIS payment receipt. Bring any financial documents to demonstrate how you will pay for your education and any documents that might help demonstrate why you will return to your country.
Conditional Admission
The College may confer admission to applicants who come under the
Regular Student admission program for one term under the following
conditions:
- 1. Incomplete Admission Application. Applicants may receive a
conditional admission offer upon submission of an admission application
and required fee, but must submit required supporting documents within
sixty (60) calendar days of their initial enrollment.
- 2. Students with a Cumulative GPA below the 2.0. High school
graduates
with a cumulative GPA below the required minimum 2.0 requirement may be
provisionally admitted for one term, but must meet requirements under
academic probation and suspension policies and procedures to continue
enrollment.
Readmission
Students who have not enrolled for two consecutive semesters must
reapply for admission under the appropriate admission program. Students
returning after Academic Suspension or Dismissal must meet with an NMC
Counselor and academic advisor to develop a written plan of remedial
action and a proposed course of study for the term in which the student
plans to enroll. The written plan of remedial action must be submitted
as part of a student's readmission review.
Students who are readmitted into a certificate or degree program enter
the program under the requirements set forth at the time of
readmission.
Application and Admission Notification
When all information, forms and documents are received, applicants for
admissions will be notified by postal or electronic mail of their
admission to the College.
All documents, transcripts and forms submitted by applicants during the
admissions process become the property of the College and will not be
returned to the student, or forwarded on behalf of the student to any
other institution. Unsealed or faxed copies are not official.
Applicants who knowingly falsify transcripts or test scores will be
denied admission to or will be deregistered from the College.
Cancellation of Admission
An applicant's admission to the College will be canceled if she or
he
fails to register for the term for which she or he has been admitted.
Transfer Students
Upon admission, students seeking to transfer credit from another
institution must submit a Request for Evaluation of Credit form to the
Office of Admissions & Records during the first semester of
enrollment.
A student with transfer credits from an institution that is not
accredited by one of the six regional associations of colleges and
schools (Middle States Association, New England Association, and
Western Association) may be subject to credit evaluation by a course
articulation agency at the student's expense. NMC reserves the right to
determine which transfer credit/credits is to be accepted after the
Office of Admissions and Records receive the official student credit
evalution report.
Coursework from an accredited college or university is transferrable to
NMC provided the course is the equivalent of NMC's 100 level or above,
and the grade received is a "C" or better.
Additionally, in order for a transfer course's credit to be accepted as
a substitution for an NMC course credit, the transferring course
curriculum must correspond with the curriculum of the NMC course and be
accepted as deemed by the Department Chair of the program and the
Registrar.
Transfer credit refers to credit earned at other regionally accredited
institutions that is accepted at Northern Marianas College. Transfer
credits may be counted as NMC electives where no equivalency is
determined. However, only credit necessary for the completion of the
degree program selected by the student will be accepted for application
to the degree. Students seeking transfer of credits may be required to
furnish a course catalog from the institution(s) previously attended.
Courses for which transfer credit is sought are subject to departmental
evaluation for equivalency. Grades received for transferred courses are
not calculated in the student's GPA.
Credit Conversion:
Students with quarter credit hours will have these credit hours equated
to NMC credits according to the following formula: .67 x number of
quarter credit hour(s) = semester credit hour(s), rounded to the
nearest whole number. Credit fractions of .5 and above will be rounded
up. Transfer credit will be awarded in whole numbers only. If,
following conversion from quarter to semester credit hours, the credits
awarded for a given course are fewer than the credits for NMC's
equivalent course, the student will be considered to have met the
course requirement if the difference is 1 credit or less.
Transfer Credit Limit:
A maximum of 75% of transfer credits may be applied toward an NMC degree or certificate program. 25% of NMC program requirements must be earned through NMC credits.
Foreign Language Credit:
First-year (elementary) or second-year (intermediate) foreign language credit is not granted either by examination or by course completion in a student’s native language. “Native language” is defined as the language spoken in the student’s home during the first six years of his or her life and in which he or she received instruction in all subjects through the seventh grade.
Workforce Training:
Coursework recommended for academic college credit at the lower or upper division level by the American Council on Education's (ACE) National Guide to College Credit for Workforce Training by reviewed organizations, businesses, and unions to the government and military will be considered for transfer to the extent that the credit is applicable to NMC degree or certificate programs.
NMC will accept other foreign language courses not offered at NMC, from
other institutions, if a student passed the course with a minimum grade
of "C" or better, for at least 3 semester-hour credits.
The maximum number of credits that NMC will accept for foreign language
course from another institution is 4 semester-hour credits.
The student will have met NMC's foreign language requirement provided
that the foreign language is other than the student's native or primary
language, and the course is not a conversational language course.
To have credit for educational experience evaluated, applicants with
military experience should submit the following with their application
form:
- Complete Admissions requirements; and
- Submit a Joint Services Transcript (JST)
Credit will be awarded as recommended by the American Council on
Education (ACE) Guide, to the extent that the credit is applicable to
the degree the student is seeking at NMC.
Academic programs/departments determine the transfer credit hour limits
in their areas. Credit for courses completed through the U.S. Armed
Forces Institute will be evaluated on the same basis as transfer credit
from collegiate institutions.
Evaluation of Credit from Foreign Institutions:
Courses earned at foreign institutions will be evaluated for transfer credit if the institution is recognized by the highest authority for postsecondary institutions or equivalent in that country and a comprehensive, course by course with GPA evaluation is performed by an NMC approved foreign credential evaluation service. Approved foreign credential evaluators include the following:
- Center for Applied Research, Evaluations, & Education, Inc. www.iescaree.com
- Education Evaluators International, Inc. www.educei.com
- Education International, Inc. a. www.educationinternational.org
- Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc. www.ece.org
Students who wish to use a foreign credential evaluation service not listed as an approved service provider must obtain prior approval from the Registrar.
NMC may award course waivers or credits for students who submit
official Advanced Placement (AP) scores to the Office of Admissions and
Records.
A student receiving a score of 3 or higher on an official College Board
Advanced Placement test will be given credit with a grade of P for the
corresponding course; except for CH 124, which requires a score of 4.
The Registrar will determine which NMC course corresponds to the
appropriate Advanced Placement test. A listing of those AP tests and
NMC courses will be kept on file in the Office of Admissions and
Records.
The College Board’s College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) has been the most widely trusted credit-by-examination program for over 50 years, This rigorous program allows students from a wide range of ages and backgrounds to demonstrate their mastery of introductory college-level material and earn college credit. Students can earn credit for what they already know by getting qualifying scores on any of the 34 examinations.
Please refer to the following:
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