Application Instructions
International Gateway Program
Please review and follow the steps on this page to ensure that each application requirement is completed and received by Drexel University.
Before beginning your application, please review the information about Gateway Admission Criteria, including the list of available undergraduate majors.
Prerequisites and Deadlines
|
Application Deadline |
Term Start Date |
| Fall Entry |
July 15 |
September 23 |
| Winter Entry |
November 1 |
January 3 |
| Spring Entry |
January 31 |
March 31 |
Required Materials
International Gateway Application
You must create a new account in order to begin your application. Please click on "Apply Now."
To ensure your application is processed quickly, please indicate a first and second choice of undergraduate majors on your application. Click to review the list of available majors for International Gateway.
Gateway applicants must pay a nonrefundable application fee of $65.00 U.S., which should be paid online when you submit your application.
Official transcripts must be sent directly from your educational institution to Drexel.
Four (4) years of secondary school transcripts are required for all applicants. You are required to submit official transcripts (with notarized English translation) from every secondary and post-secondary school attended. Transcripts must reflect grades and coursework for grades 9, 10, and 11. Please refer to Drexel's Transcript Requirements for International First-Year Applicants as a guideline.
Students who have completed high school must submit official transcripts (both original and translated in English, if necessary) for grades 9, 10, 11, and 12, along with a graduation certificate or diploma.
Transfer students must submit the above, including official transcripts (both original and translated in English, if necessary) for all post-secondary coursework completed and in progress.
What is an official transcript?
A transcript is official only when it is sent directly from an institution to Drexel, or when it is officially signed, stamped in color, and sealed.
You must take the TOEFL, IELTS, PTE (Pearson Test of English) or Duolingo, and request that scores be forwarded to Drexel.
- For TOEFL, use school code 2194 for Drexel University.
- For IELTS, request your testing center to send an official report to Drexel English Language Center.
Students with other scores (SAT, ACT, Trinity ISE, etc.) should email gateway@drexel.edu to find out if your scores are acceptable.
Some majors recommend or require a portfolio. If your major is listed below, please follow the portfolio guidelines carefully and submit materials that will strengthen your application. Portfolio materials must be submitted in SlideRoom. Please note that all work submitted becomes part of the application and will not be returned. Click to see a list of majors with portfolio requirements.
Meet a representative of Drexel's Westphal College for a portfolio review and receive helpful feedback prior to submitting your application. We participate in portfolio review days with the National Portfolio Day Association and Preview: The International Portfolio Review Forum.
Applicants to the following programs must submit a writing supplement.
Custom-designed: Please write a 500- to 800-word vision statement/essay describing in detail what you want to study, what you hope to accomplish during your time in the program, and why your educational goals cannot be met by pursuing a traditional Drexel major, a double major, or a major combined by minors. Your vision statement/essay should also include how you expect this program to prepare you for life after college, detailing what career or pursuits the custom-designed major will facilitate and how you plan to impact the world. Finally, the vision statement/essay should contain a plausible plan of study for achieving your goals by drawing upon two or more existing Drexel programs. A sample vision statement can be found on the Custom-Designed Major Prospective Students page.
Westphal College - All Majors (listed below): Please write a short essay describing why you are interested in pursuing your major of choice. What have you done that prepares you to study in your major of choice? (Maximum 500 words)
- Animation & Visual Effects
- Art History
- Dance
- Fashion Design
- Game Design and Production
- Graphic Design
- Interior Design
- Photography
- Screenwriting & Playwriting
- Design & Merchandising
- Entertainment & Arts Management
- Film & Television
- Interactive Digital Media
- Music Industry
- Product Design
- Virtual Reality & Immersive Media
Dance majors are required to audition. Auditions can be done live or by video. Visit Westphal College's Dance Auditions page for guidelines.
Mailing Address
For Application Materials
Drexel University
Application Processing
3141 Chestnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA
Discover Drexel
During the admissions process, you'll have the opportunity to check your admission status online. Once your application has been processed, you'll receive access to Discover Drexel using your email address and password created during the application submission.
Admissions Decisions
International Gateway applications are reviewed on a rolling basis during the application period. You will receive email notifications on the status of your application during the review process and once a decision has been made.
Admission to International Gateway is not admission to Drexel University as a full-time, matriculated student. You must successfully complete the Gateway program before you can be admitted into an undergraduate, matriculated program. View more information at the Gateway Completion Requirements page.
If you are offered admission to Gateway, please be sure to review the information for Admitted Gateway Students.
Notices and Disclosures
Please refer to Drexel's Consumer Information and Student Right to Know page for policies that pertain to all prospective and enrolled students.
Drexel University abides by the provisions of Public Law 93-380, which grants the student the right to examine admission files that are part of the student's permanent "Educational Record." Please note that "Applicants for Admission" are not granted rights under this legislation. Once an "Applicant for Admission" becomes a "Student" by enrolling and attending Drexel, any admission file that becomes a part of the student's permanent "Educational Record" becomes available to the student for review. Applicants should understand that only the transcripts, CEEB, SAT, Achievement Test Score Reports, and those portions of the application generated by the student will become part of the student's permanent "Educational Record" upon enrollment.
No other information or material gathered or submitted in the admission process will be retained as part of the student's permanent "Educational Record." Statements or evaluations provided by any individual do not become part of the student's permanent "Educational Record" and will not be available for the student's review.
All documents that you submit, or are submitted on your behalf, in support of this application for admission to Drexel University become the property of the University and will under no circumstances be released to you or any other party. In accordance with the provisions of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, all admission decisions are given to the applicant only. No decisions on applications are revealed over the telephone.
Drexel University, in compliance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act), publishes an annual report for current and prospective students and employees. This report contains important safety information and crime statistics for the previous three years. These statistics pertain to reported crimes that have occurred on campus in certain non-campus buildings, or properties that are owned or controlled by Drexel University, and on public property within, or immediately adjacent to and accessible from, the campus.
Download a copy of the most recent Annual Security Report [PDF]. Printed copies of this report are also available by calling the Public Safety Administrative Office at 215.895.1550.
For more information about the services provided by the Drexel University Department of Public Safety, please visit the Department of Public Safety website.
Drexel University is accredited through a voluntary, peer-review process coordinated by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE). In addition, the International Gateway program is accredited by the Commission on English Language Program Accreditation (CEA).
You can view further information and disclosures about Drexel University at the Required Information for Students and the Public Provost webpage.