International Applicants

All international applicants for whom English is not their first language are required to demonstrate they possess the level of communication skills necessary for thriving in Davidson’s dynamic, immersive and academically challenging educational environment. To satisfy this requirement, we accept results from TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo’s English Test (DET). The SAT and ACT tests do not satisfy this requirement. 

Davidson will waive this requirement for students whom:

• Are from a country where English is an official language
• Are taking English A as part of the IB diploma
• Spent four years of high school studying in the United States

If your English Proficiency requirement is not automatically waived based on the criteria above, please send an email to admission@davidson.edu with "English Proficiency Waiver" in the email subject line after you submit your application.

Please provide the following information in your request:

• Full name as it appears on your application
• Date of birth
• Reason for requesting the waiver (one of the reasons listed above)

If you take the DET, we require you share your score with Davidson College from the Duolingo dashboard. If you take the IELTS or TOEFL, we require these results sent to us from either the testing agency or your high school counselor; we will not accept scores submitted directly from students or self-reported on the application. We have found students who achieve test scores in the following ranges or higher are best prepared to study and learn at Davidson College:

• DET: 130
• IELTS: 7
• TOEFL iBT: 5.0 (score scale 1-6)/100 (score scale 0-120)

As a community of scholars dedicated to leadership and service, our interest in you as an international applicant goes far beyond test scores. Your success at Davidson is dependent upon your conversations with professors, your interactions with your roommates and classmates and your desire to proactively pursue your goals and take advantage of our community’s resources. In your application, we want to get to know you personally, hear your unfiltered voice and see how you interact in an unscripted environment.

To learn this, we strongly recommend international applicants to submit materials from InitialView or Vericant Interview in order to demonstrate their communication skills and ability to converse about academic topics. InitialView conducts an unscripted conversation and proctors an open-ended writing sample. Vericant offers options that include speaking and writing. We do not offer fee waivers for InitialView or Vericant.

Learn More About InitialView

Learn More About Vericant

International students seeking financial assistance must apply for need-based aid at the time of applying for admission. Applications for financial assistance from international students submitted after admission to Davidson are not accepted, nor will they be accepted during their duration of enrollment at Davidson. The Financial Verification Form, which includes instructions, will be available on your Davidson application portal after you submit the Common Application or Coalition Application.

Financial Aid for International Students