Application/Enrollment Process for exchange students
Please click each section to learn more about the application/ enrollment process for exchange students. As you can see, class registration information is only shared with accepted students.
Exchange program applicants must go through the nomination process by each partnered university per immigration regulations. In other words, any student who is not nominated by the home university cannot apply for the exchange program. Students who are interested in participating in the SUNY Oswego exchange program must reach out to their home university regarding the nomination process.
Although each university has its own requirements to select students for nomination, exchange program applicants must meet English proficiency scores, GPA, and financial requirements. Below are details about each requirement:
English Requirement
Students who are not native in English or whose degrees at the home universities are not instructed entirely in English must provide minimum English proficiency scores of either 71 TOEFL iBT, 6.0 IELTS, or B2 on the Cambridge English Scale. Minimum English proficiency scores for Master's level exchange students are 79 TOEFL, 6.5 IELTS, or C1 on the Cambridge English Scale. SUNY Oswego only accepts English proficiency scores that were taken within two years of the submission date. Students who are instructed entirely in English are required to submit a letter, certificate, or transcript.
GPA Requirement
Students must meet 2.5 out of 4.0 GPA requirements to be nominated for the SUNY Oswego exchange program. Please reach out to your home university to confirm if your GPA would meet the requirement.
Financial Requirement
Nominated students will be asked to provide the financial documents when they submit the online application. Please reach out to your home university to confirm the minimum amount to participate in the exchange program for each semester. Please note that the financial requirements are different for free tuition students and fee-paying students. The financial requirement asks for the minimum amount to participate in the program and it may be different from the tuition and fee that the student is required to pay as the tuition and fee is subject to change.
IMPORTANT: Accepted exchange students are advised to start paying the bills upon arrival and no later than the first Friday of the semester. Student bills are usually not finalized before the semester start date, thus, students are highly advised to hold off paying the bills until they arrive on campus.
Nomination Deadline
Partnered universities are informed that the nomination form should be submitted by:
- April 1 for the Fall/August semester.
- October 1 for the Spring/January semester.
Please note that class registration information will be shared with accepted students only. IMPORTANT: For successful completion of the exchange program, professors at SUNY Oswego advise exchange students to take 2 major-level classes and 2 general education-level classes. Students who need to take particular classes to meet the home university graduation requirement are not advised to apply for the SUNY Oswego exchange program as there's no guarantee that students can register for certain classes.
After the nomination deadline, nominated students will receive an email with the online application link. Nominated students are asked to provide the following documents:
- Financial documents (IMPORTANT: Accepted exchange students are advised to start paying the bills upon arrival and no later than the first Friday of the semester. Student bills are usually not finalized before the semester start date, thus, students are highly advised to hold off paying the bills until they arrive on campus.)
- Transcripts
- English proficiency scores
Application Deadline
Nominated students are required to submit the online application by:
- April 15 for the Fall/August semester
- October 15 for the Spring/January semester
Accepted students will receive emails from the Office of International Student and Scholar Services within a month of the application deadline. Accepted students will receive emails regarding the immigration document Form DS-2019 to schedule the visa interview.
In the meantime, accepted students are advised to complete the pre-registration steps to be able to register for classes which include:
- Lakernet ID activation
- Health requirements
- Housing application
- International Acknowledgment Form
- ID photo submission
IMPORTANT: Accepted exchange students are advised to start paying the bills upon arrival and no later than the first Friday of the semester. Student bills are usually not finalized before the semester start date, thus, students are highly advised to hold off paying the bills until they arrive on campus.
Accepted exchange students will receive emails regarding the class registration process and the earliest date that they can register for classes. Please scroll down to see frequently asked questions about class registration.
Please refer to the Accepted Students page and Current Students page to prepare for your arrival at Oswego. Please keep in mind that all incoming students must attend the New International Student Orientation per immigration rules.
Frequently Asked Questions
About the class registration from exchange students
Yes, exchange students study at SUNY Oswego as non-degree-seeking students meaning they are not tied to any specific major. For this reason, exchange students can take different major classes as long as the class is not closed and is not limited to certain major programs and students meet the pre-registration requirements. Instructions on resolving registration errors will be shared with accepted students only.
In the same light, graduate-level students can also take undergraduate-level classes as long as the class is not closed and is not limited to certain major programs and students meet the pre-registration requirements.
IMPORTANT: For successful completion of the exchange program, professors at SUNY Oswego advise exchange students to take 2 major-level classes and 2 general education-level classes. Students who need to take particular classes to meet the home university graduation requirement are not advised to apply for the SUNY Oswego exchange program as there's no guarantee that students can register for certain classes.
Exchange students study at SUNY Oswego as non-degree-seeking students meaning they are not tied to any specific major. For this reason, exchange students are not assigned to advisors but student buddies. Details about student buddies and how to reach them will be shared with accepted students only. Accepted exchange students will be able to work with student buddies to resolve class registration errors.
It is worth noting that student buddies cannot register for classes on behalf of exchange students. Exchange students who were able to resolve errors but register for classes by themselves following instructions that are provided to them.
Accepted exchange students will receive emails with instructions on how to register for classes once they are accepted.
Exchange students study at SUNY Oswego as non-degree-seeking students meaning they are not tied to any specific major. For this reason, exchange students may encounter multiple registration errors. To resolve the errors, accepted students are provided with the resource on how to resolve class registration errors. Students can follow the instruction and/or complete the J-1 Class Registration Worksheet which will notify your student buddy that you need further assistance.
J-1 Class Registration Worksheet is designed for exchange students to inform student buddies so they are not required to provide all of the 10 classes. IMPORTANT: For successful completion of the exchange program, professors at SUNY Oswego advise exchange students to take 2 major-level classes and 2 general education-level classes. Students who need to take particular classes to meet the home university graduation requirement are not advised to apply for the SUNY Oswego exchange program as there's no guarantee that students can register for certain classes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here we have gathered immigration related questions as well as campus living topics for J-1 visa holders.
Calendar dates for current and upcoming semesters can be found from the College calendar page. The semester begin date is written as Instruction begins and the end date is end of student teaching.
Exam/Program |
Minimum Score |
TOEFL iBT | 71 |
IELTS | 6.0 |
Cambridge English Scale | C1 |
Additional scores may be considered on a case-by-case basis; please view this document for a complete list of English proficiency scores that are currently accepted for admission to the university. Please note that conditional admissions is not available for exchange students.
For J-1 students, there can be instances where your account is on hold or you cannot register desired classes beacuse of pre-requisite courses. Don't worry, your academic advisor will assist you during the Orientation. What you need to do is bring a list of courses you would like to take including the course number, title and time.
Residence Life and Housing offers the list of Things for you to bring and Things for you and your roommate to discuss. ISSS also provides a Packing list for incoming international students. From the items that you cannot find in your home country or items that are cheaper in US to textbooks, this list of retail stores and websites will guide you where to buy things.
You need to fill out the form and submit it before the deadline.
You should be able to see your bill online at Myoswego.
Please follow the steps in order to view/save your invoice.
1. Log in to Myoswego (click single sign-on)
2. Go to Financial Services tab
3. Click View/Pay Account
4. Click View or View all to pull up the invoice of your desired term
If you have any inquiry regarding your bill, contact stuaccts@oswego.edu.
SUNY Oswego accepts Cash, Check, Credit Card (MasterCard, Visa, Discover, American Express) and international wire transfer. Check out the Payment Options page to see the entire list of available payment options.
If you have any inquiry regarding your payment options, contact stuaccts@oswego.edu.
Yes, you can work on-campus for up to 20 hours per week. Check out openings as well as application process.
Please note in order for you to be paid, you need a Social Security Number (SSN). Therefore, once you got a job, please bring an Employment Verification letter to our office, 102 Sheldon Hall during walk-in hours. We will assist you how to apply for SSN.
Once you are hired, ask your on-campus employer for the Employment Verification Letter. Bring the letter to our office at 102 Sheldon Hall during walk-in hours (Monday to Friday, 1:30 PM to 4:30 PM) or upload your employment letter here. From there we will provide you the ISSS Office letter as well as the instruction of applying for Social Security Number. Please note that you can work without SSN, but you will not be paid until you have SSN.
Find out if you need a visa page will help you to find out if you need a visa to enter Canada. Contact us at isss@oswego.edu, if you are required to submit any document that needs to be issued by our office.