Admissions Criteria

Stony Brook is a selective institution. We will give your application individual attention, weighing many factors to gauge your potential to succeed at Stony Brook.

Academic Criteria
If you are a freshman applicant, you must have completed the highest level of secondary education in your country of residence. We look for a strong secondary academic program with courses in math, natural sciences, and English, (or, if English is the language of instruction, another language).

If you have attended any college or university after graduating from secondary school you must apply as a transfer student. Successful applicants have usually completed 24 credits with a cumulative grade point average of 2.5 (on a 4.0 scale) or 15 credits with a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale). If the applicant has earned fewer than 24 credits, high school transcripts must also be submitted.

English Proficiency
All applicants must prove their English proficiency. The TOEFL (Test Of English as a Foreign Language), IB TOEFL (Internet-based TOEFL), or IELTS International English Language Testing System) examination, or SAT must be taken by anyone whose native language is not English, even if you have attended high school in the United States. If you are a transfer student and have not completed a college-level writing course at a U.S. college or university (or received a grade below a C in the course), one of the aforementioned exams is required for you as well.

We require a minimum composite score of 213 (computer-based) or 550 (paper-based) on the TOEFL exam or a minimum SAT Critical Reading score of 430. For the IB TOEFL, we require a minimum score of 80, and for the IELTS, a score of 6.5 or higher is required. Satisfactory completion of Stony Brook's Intensive English Center program at the advanced level with a grade of B or better will be accepted in place of a TOEFL score. For more information on Stony Brook's Intensive English Center, please call (631) 632-7031 or visit www.stonybrook.edu/iec.

Financial Documentation
It is also necessary to provide financial documentation which indicates that the applicant has sufficient funding to pay for all educational and personal expenses while in the United States. The amount considered as sufficient funding may vary from year to year.