International Students Transferring to LLU

International consideration

"International student status refers to any student who is not a US citizen or a US citizen who has studied outside the United States and intends to transfer coursework or a degree from a country other than the United States."

International students must be independent and self sufficient, and when applying, must meet the following criteria as well as all requirements from their program of choice.

Where to start

Please review the LLU International student application information along with the following information on this page which applies to the School of Allied Health Professions.  Also review program information for the Allied Health program you are applying for.

Before you apply

You will need to have your transcripts evaluated by a LLU approved Transcript evaluation service. Transcripts from Evaluation services not LLU approved will not be accepted and the student will be required to resubmit them to an approved evaluation service . We recommend you start this process before you apply to LLU since this process can take additional  time to complete.

You may also want to complete the english profiency requirement by taking the TOEFL exam.

Apply online

All students are encouraged to apply online at Loma Linda University. We do not accept paper applications by post. If you are having problems with the online application, please contact us so we may assist you. There is a nonrefundable application fee at the time of submitting your application.

If you are applying to the Doctor of Physical Therapy Entry-Level program or the Physician Assistant program please apply using the following services.

Application periods

You may apply online anytime year around or as designated by the program. 

Acceptances

Acceptances to the school are not granted immediately once you submit an online application. Please allow time for us to receive, review, process, and verify your application and transcripts. The process can take several weeks or months normally and can vary from student to student. Apply as early as possible to ensure you meet program deadlines.

All requirements, transcripts, and test scores must be submitted, received, and reviewed before an acceptance can be granted. This includes the evaluation, transcripts, application, and fee. Provisional Acceptances cannot be granted early until the admissions process has occurred.

Once your confirmation deposit is processed you will receive your LLU Login and PIN in the mail. 

Qualifications for Application

You will need to fulfill all admissions and program requirements including course prerequisites and requirements, plus meet all international student financial responsibilities, to be considered to your chosen program.

What to send when applying to Loma Linda University

• Submit the online application.
• $60 (US currency) application fee
• Transcript evaluation from an LLU approved evaluation center
• Request all official transcripts sent by your former institutions
• Three personal recommendations (part of the online application)
• TOEFL test results

Please DO NOT send...

• Your own transcripts.  They must be sent directly from your previous institutions.
• Past course syllabi
• Personal resumes
• Other unrelated admissions documents
• Proof of admission requirements sent through email. (This includes test scores, scans of transcript evaluations, test etc. These must be sent directly from governing bodies to be deemed official.)
• Social networking friend invites (ie, web rings) via email 
• Large email attachments

Your application is incomplete until we receive all the required elements.

Once accepted at Loma Linda University, the student will need to send the following to the University before the first quarter registration is cleared...

• Student confirmation to hold spot in the class
• Deposit designated within your acceptance letter usually $100-$500 depending on program. 
• International student deposit of $8,000 in US currency to be applied to your last quarter of study.
• You will need to provide health records to LLU Student Health Services, including immunization records before attending class. Immunizations that are required include the MMR, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, TB skin test, and varicella (chicken pox).
  Go to your new student portal for completion.
• Background check - Go to your new student portal for completion.

Checking application status

Admission decisions are made by the department and notifications are sent by the admissions office. The program director or department will have the most up to date status or can check on the status of a student.  You will be notified once a decision has been made.

Please allow additional time for International Student Acceptances.  International applications typically take longer to verify and review. 

Corresponding to LLU

• Some items sent to LLU (i.e., test scores, evals, recommendations, payments) may not show up as being received right away even though the tracking is confirmed as received. The delay maybe from mail being manually opened, reviewed, and entered, or the info is in transit to the records office from the school. Please allow extra time for items to be posted once they have been received on campus.
• Express Mail (DHL, Fed Ex, UPS) Documents are delivered and signed for in our University receiving department. It takes extra time for documents to be delivered and documented in our Admissions and Records Departments once they have been initially signed for with the express service.
• Automated email notifications and updates are sent out periodically by our admissions system. Contact us if you have questions regarding your submitted info. There are instances when we have received information and it's in the process of being entered into the system.
• Please do not submit requests to LLU or to the School of Allied Health Professions to join personal, social or free calling websites. We do not reply to requests to join these lists.

Points of contact
If you have further questions after reviewing our online information, please contact the following persons by email. They can provide further detailed information for international students.

When contacting us it is helpful if you can let us know if you have applied or plan to apply. Please provide your program of interest.
Due to time differences, please allow ample time for responses via email.

• Everett Lohman - Post-professional Physical Therapy Programs
• Madge Oh - Occupational Therapy Program
• Roxie Williams - Physician Assistant Program
• askalliedhealth@llu.edu - All other SAHP programs 
• Martin Aguirre - International student assistance (transfer questions)
• Helen Martinez - Admissions Director - (transcript issues)
• International Student Services

We request that you do not email multiple contacts regarding the same issue or questions at the University. The above contacts can help you directly.

Time issues

• Loma Linda University is located in the Pacific time zone.
• We are available Monday through Friday during normal business hours except on Friday when we close at noon.
• Our school offices are closed from Friday noon, 12:00 p.m., through Monday morning at 9:00 a.m. School offices or personnel do not review or respond to email over the weekend.
• Loma Linda University runs on a quarter system. Fall, (autumn) winter, spring, summer.

Transcripts/Mark Sheets

Official transcripts or mark sheets must be attested by the affiliated university and sent directly from that institution to admissions processing at Loma Linda University. Do not send sealed transcripts on behalf of yourself, they will not be accepted as official.

Request Transcripts

You will need to request official transcripts to be sent from each college or higher educational institution you have attended. High school transcripts are also needed for students who do not have a previous associate's or bachelor's degree or if your program requires proof of high school math.

• Official college transcripts must be sent to us directly from ANY and ALL colleges you have attended. If you have difficulty in having your institution send your transcript directly to us please contact us, and we will provide you with an official letter.
• Official transcripts MAY NOT be hand-delivered or sent in by the student but must be sent directly from previous educational institutions. Hand-carried or sealed transcripts that are sent along with other application materials or from the student are not considered official copies even if the seal is unbroken.
  
• All official transcripts must be submitted before admission acceptances can be offered. Applicants will be given a one-quarter grace period in which to have their final transcripts forwarded to us. Second quarter registration will not be permitted without receipt of the final transcripts. If you are enrolled in back-to-back semesters/quarters with LLU, make sure you request final transcripts to be sent from your previous school to LLU as soon as possible. Students who have not cleared registration or have holds on their accounts will not be allowed to attend class.

Please contact Helen Martinez, our admissions director if you have issues regarding this procedure.

School Codes

Have transcripts and evaluations sent to the following address:

Admissions Processing
Loma Linda University
Loma Linda CA 92350

Immigration Documents

Please submit your LLU application and supporting documents early! LLU must have time to process all necessary immigration documents and send them to you for your processing. Governmental papers take time. Please be sure to apply early and have your transcripts and evaluation sent early so we will have time to offer an acceptance and then follow the standard immigration procedures to get you here before your classes begin.

English Proficiency

TOEFL Exam

Courses at Loma Linda University are taught in English and proficiency of the language is a requirement. Lectures are often delivered at a rapid rate and note taking is expected. Term papers, theses, and exams are expected to be written in clear and correct English. Therefore, it is necessary for the prospective student to possess a high proficiency in the English language.

Regardless of nationality or citizenship, an applicant whose native language is not English and whose secondary education has been given outside the U.S. is required to pass the TOEFL, the MTELP, or their equivalents.

Requests to waive the requirement for an approved test of English proficiency must be submitted to the University Academic Affairs Committee. The request must include adequate justification for the waiver. An applicant may be not offered acceptance before the waiver request is approved.  Please contact the International Student Affairs office to begin the process.

NOTE: As a reminder, all visa applicants are required to have a personal verbal interview with a visa officer. If the interviewing officer feels that the level of English communications is inadequate for the level of study, they will deny the visa. Therefore, this waiver has consequences when not taken seriously.