APPLICATION GUIDE
The admission process,
step by step
In three phases, from your first application click to landing in Springfield. Each step below says what you send, who acts next, and how long it usually takes.
Before you start
HOW TO SHORTEN YOUR WAIT
How you submit your documents shapes how quickly you hear back: review begins only once the file is complete, so send everything together, clearly labelled, with English translations where applicable. Send each transcript as one complete file, not page by page. A transcript that arrives as separate images has to be reassembled before review can start, and that is the most common cause of delay. Send test scores to Drury directly from the exam provider’s portal. Screenshots and student copies are not accepted. When all required documents arrive and meet those standards, we can usually return an admission and scholarship decision within 10 working days.
ENGLISH TEST SCORES
Send your score to Drury University directly from the testing provider’s portal: IELTS, TOEFL, Duolingo or your test’s equivalent. A screenshot or student copy is not accepted as the official record.
BANK DOCUMENTS
A statement or letter on the bank’s official letterhead, dated within the last six months, showing the account holder’s name, the currency, and an available balance covering your first year. Credit card limits and transaction histories are not accepted.
10 days
TO AN ADMISSION DECISION
Working days, counted from when your last required document arrives, not from when you apply.
48 hours
TO YOUR I-20
After your deposit and housing application are received, your I-20 is typically issued within two days.
Varies
VISA INTERVIEW WAIT
Set by the U.S. embassy or consulate in your region. This is the step that decides whether you make your intended start date.
Admission
Steps 1–5-
Step 1: Apply
Create a free account and start your application. There is no application fee, and you can save and return to it. Use the name exactly as it appears in your passport, because it must match your I-20 later.
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Step 2: Submit required documents
Upload them in the application portal or email them to iadmissions@drury.edu. Any document not in English must be translated by a professional translation agency, and transcripts should arrive complete and clearly organized, with grades and subjects legible and every year of study included. Unofficial copies are accepted for review; official documents are required later.
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Step 3: Application review
Review begins only once every required document has arrived. If something is missing, your counselor will email you rather than hold the file silently, so watch the address you applied with.
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Step 4: Admission decision
Admission and scholarship decisions are usually made within 10 working days of a complete, correctly prepared file. Your scholarship is awarded at the same time, on your transcript and English proficiency, with no separate application.
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Step 5: Review costs & scholarships
Work through the cost of attendance against your scholarship so you know your estimated yearly investment before you commit. This figure is also what your financial documentation must support.
Post-admission
Steps 6–9-
Step 6: Pay the enrollment deposit
A non-refundable $500 deposit secures your seat and is credited to your student account after enrollment. Nothing in the visa process can begin until this is paid.
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Step 7: Complete the housing application
All first-year students live on campus. Submit your housing contract so we can match you with a room and roommate. International students are placed before arrival, so you never land without a room.
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Step 8: Receive your I-20
Once your deposit and housing application are in, your I-20 is typically issued within 48 hours. The day it arrives, check your name, date of birth and program dates against your passport and review the financial figures; talk anything unclear through with your counselor.
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Step 9: Review finances & insurance again
Take a second look at estimated costs, payment options, and required international student insurance before you travel, so the first bill holds no surprises.
Arrival planning
Steps 10–13-
Step 10: Schedule your F-1 visa interview
Pay the I-901 SEVIS fee, keep the payment confirmation, and complete Form DS-160 to schedule your F-1 visa interview at the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate. Book the earliest date available even if it is inconvenient. Our team shares tips to help you prepare, and can reissue your I-20 for a later term if the interview does not go your way.
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Step 11: Academic advising & course selection
Once your visa is approved, we send you a Pre-Scheduling Questionnaire (PSQ) so an academic advisor can build your first-semester schedule. Registration order follows the date each questionnaire arrives, so return yours as soon as you receive it.
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Step 12: Complete required forms
The Dean of Students Office will notify you of health, conduct and other required forms to complete before arrival.
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Step 13: Share your arrival information
Submit your flight details so the International Support Services team can arrange airport pickup and welcome you to campus.
Documents to carry on your first entry
Keep every document below in your carry-on, never in checked luggage: officers at the port of entry will ask for them before you reach your bags.
FOR IMMIGRATION
- Passport with your F-1 visa, and flight tickets
- I-20 and 901 SEVIS fee payment confirmation
- University address card and contact person
- Acceptance letter
Who to contact
APPLICATION, DOCUMENTS, I-20
Allen Long
Director of International Admission
DSO · ARO
GENERAL INTERNATIONAL ADMISSION
International Admission
Replies to most questions within two working days