George Mason University: Acceptance Rate, Fees & Courses

• Visit the George Mason University Admissions website.
• Choose your application type.
• Complete the online application form.
• Submit your high school transcripts.
• Submit your SAT or ACT scores.
• Submit two letters of recommendation.
• Write an essay.
• Pay the application fee.
• Application deadlines:

• Early Action: November 1
• Regular Decision: February 1
• Transfer: March 1

1. International Freshman

• Certified official, original transcripts from all secondary schools as well as official results from any leaving certificates or university entrance exams taken. A certified English translation must be submitted for any documents not already in English. All application materials are property of George Mason University and will not be returned to the applicant, nor shared with another individual, institution, or organization under any circumstances.  
• Official scores from SAT or ACT. International students have the option to submit SAT or ACT scores with your application or apply Score Optional. Score Optional Consideration allows for highly qualified students to be evaluated without standardized test scores. 

Optional Consideration can be be found at the bottom of our Freshman Admission page.

• Applicants to Computer Science or Engineering majors may be considered without SAT or ACT scores if they have completed four years of high school mathematics course. One course designated as a higher level than Algebra II must be completed by the senior year. All math courses must be completed with equivalent grades of a B or higher.

• Verification of English language proficiency.  Non-native English-speaking applicants are required to meet the University’s English Proficiency requirement. 
• Secondary School Report (PDF) and counselor recommendations. We suggest sending two (2) letters of recommendation, one from a high school counselor and one from a teacher. There is no special recommendation form and letters can be submitted electronically or via e-mail to admissions@gmu.edu.  Applicants who have been out of school for more than five years are not required to submit this form.
• An optional, but strongly encouraged Personal Statement or Essay of approximately 250 words explaining to the Office of Admissions why YOU want to attend university study. Tell us about yourself and your experiences that have led to this decision. Submit your statement online when prompted during the online application process or within the Common App.

• Resume for any applicant with gaps in enrollment.

• International Freshman

• A certified English translation for documents not already in English
• A certified course-by-course evaluation for all post-secondary level studies completed outside of the U.S at institutions that do not hold an accreditation in the United States from the organizations found here.  GPA and Degree equivalencies must be included with your course- by-course evaluation.  All fees charged by translators or external evaluators must be paid by the student. We require an evaluation from one of the following:
• Educational Perspectives
• Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE) 
• World Education Services (WES) 
• SpanTran The Evaluation Company
• International Education Evaluations, LLC (IEE)
• Or any company recognized by NACES 
• Verification of English language proficiency. See English proficiency requirements website.
• An essay. Although optional, applicants are encouraged to use the essay to provide information about their background that can’t be gleaned from a resume.
• Resume for any applicant with gaps in enrollment.

Transfer applicants with fewer than the equivalent of 24 university credits are required to submit a secondary school transcript.

• International Graduate
• An earned baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education, or international equivalent, verified from copies of unofficial transcripts uploaded to the online application Self-Service Center. Note: Due to admissions deadlines, graduate students are sometimes admitted before conferral of a bachelor’s degree. Students who are awaiting conferral of the degree will be permitted to register for their first semester. However, continuance in any graduate program requires an official transcript which verifies conferral of a bachelor’s degree.
• Copies of unofficial university transcripts and any earned degree uploaded to the online application Self-Service Center from all universities attended.
• All transcripts from colleges or universities outside the United States must be translated into English, if applicable, and submitted for evaluation to the Mason Office of Admissions. Mason will provide evaluation service free of charge for all international transcripts, however, some programs may request an outside evaluation be completed. Because of volume, more time may be needed to process applications requiring a Mason evaluation. For expedited service, students may submit their documents to any NACES member organization at their own expense. For suggested NACES evaluation services, please reference the International Transfer Requirements section above.  If you decide to use an external evaluation service or if your program requires an outside evaluation, GPA and Degree equivalences must be included with your course-by-course evaluation. The Office of Admissions has final authority on all evaluations.
• Verification of English language proficiency. Please see English language requirements page.
• Official GRE, GMAT, LSAT, or MAT or other official test scores, as required by your program sent directly to Mason from the testing agency.
• Other supplemental materials specified by your academic program such as essays, departmental forms, portfolios, or interviews.

• George Mason University accepts a variety of standardized exams for admission. These exams include:

• SAT: The SAT is a standardized test that is used to assess students' readiness for college-level work.
• ACT: The ACT is another standardized test that is used to assess students' readiness for college-level work.
• Advanced Placement (AP) Exams: AP exams are college-level exams that students can take in high school.
• International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma: The IB Diploma is a rigorous academic program that students can complete in high school.
• CLEP Exams: CLEP exams are college-level exams that students can take to earn college credit.
• SAT Subject Tests: SAT Subject Tests are subject-specific exams that students can take to demonstrate their knowledge in specific areas.