International Students

Gutenberg College has welcomed international students since its founding. International students find a welcoming atmosphere, an academic experience grounded in reading and discussion, and an encounter with American cultural and social life. Gutenberg College is authorized under federal law to enroll non-immigrant alien students. Gutenberg has graduated students from the Republic of Moldova, Argentina, Canada, and Lithuania. An interview is required.

There are three applications for Gutenberg College. All are online.

• Admissions Application (required)
• Financial Aid Application (optional)
• Residence Application (optional)

The Admissions Committee invites applications from students who possess the following qualities: intellectual curiosity; a willingness to work hard; a disposition to work cooperatively with others in learning through discussion; an interest in reading complex works and discussing them; and a desire to build a worldview oriented toward goodness.

The Admissions Committee will make a decision about acceptance with three weeks of receiving a completed application. Because of the integrated nature of Gutenberg’s curriculum, all full-time students are admitted as freshmen.

Early application is encouraged since the process of applying to study in the United States can take time, and may be logistically and financially involved.

Overview of Studying in the United States

A general overview of what is involved for an international student to study at a college or university in the United States is available at: https://studyinthestates.dhs.gov/students.

Order of Application for International Students:

1. The student completes the Admissions Application.
2. If accepted, Gutenberg will issue an official Letter of Acceptance to the student.
3. The student provides Gutenberg College with financial documentation that proves the student has sufficient funds to live in the U.S. without a job for one academic year.
4. If the student’s financial documents show that the student has sufficient funds, Gutenberg College can issue the Form I-20 to the student.
5. After receiving Form I-20 from Gutenberg College, the student may then apply for the F-1 Student Visa at the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate.

Admissions Application Checklist:

• Application
• Two Essays responding to the questions:
• Two Recommendation Forms
• Test Scores (SAT, ACT, or CLT)
• High School Transcript
• High-school diploma or G.E.D. certificate and written description of course of study
• College transcripts (if pertinent)
• Interview
• Application Fee

Additional Requirements for International Students:

• Student Visa and Form I-20
• Evidence of Sufficient Financial Resources
• English Language Requirement (TOEFL and TWE Test Scores)

The following materials are required for Admissions Applications:

1) Application

In the application, you will give Gutenberg College general background information about yourself and family.

2) Essays

The Admissions Committee will rely most heavily on your essays to determine whether you are a fit for Gutenberg College. Your other application materials will factor into Admissions decisions, but the essays are really the most significant part.

There’s no one right thing to say in an essay. An honest, well-crafted essay is the best kind to write. Please write an essay-form response to each of the following questions:

1. Essay 1: What aspects of Gutenberg College have made you interested in attending?
2. Essay 2: What role do you think Christianity should play in how we learn and what we learn?

3) Recommendation Forms

Gutenberg College requires that two recommendation forms be completed: one recommendation form from someone who knows that the applicant’s academic capabilities are commensurate with Gutenberg’s demanding curriculum and another recommendation form from someone who can attest to the applicant’s maturity/readiness to tackle the personal issues raised and discussed throughout Gutenberg’s Great Books program. These forms are emailed to recommenders at the request of the applicant from within the applicant’s online Admissions Application.

4) Test Scores (SAT, ACT, or CLT)

All applicants must take one of three tests: the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), the American College Test (ACT), or the Classical Learning Test (CLT). Homeschooled students and students without a traditional high school diploma or a G.E.D. certificate will be required to achieve one the following test scores to be eligible for admission:

• SAT: 530 or better on the Evidence-Based Reading and Writing section or a combined score of 980 or better on the Evidence-Based Reading and Writing section and the Math section
• ACT: 19
• CLT: 58

Test scores should be sent to Gutenberg College.

• Gutenberg College’s SAT code is 2605.
• Gutenberg College’s ACT code is 5024.

5) High School Transcript

Applicants should request their official high school transcripts to be sent directly from their high school to Gutenberg College either via email (office@gutenberg.edu) or by post (Admissions, Gutenberg College, 1883 University Street, Eugene, OR 97402).

6) High School Diploma or G.E.D.

Applicants should send a copy of high-school diploma or G.E.D. certificate with a written description of course of study. For high school applicants who are applying before graduation, please provide an anticipated graduation date. Send a copy of your diploma to Gutenberg College after you have received it.

7) College Transcripts

Applicants who have attended other colleges prior to applying to Gutenberg College should request their college(s) to send an official copy of their transcripts to Gutenberg College.

8) Interview

Interviews are required for all international students. To set up an interview, email office@gutenberg.edu.

9) Application Fee

Your non-refundable application fee will finalize your application. Early Decision fee is $25. Regular Decision fee is $40. Late Decision fee is $60.

Student Visa and Form I-20

International students who wish to study at Gutenberg College will need to obtain an F-1 Student Visa at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate. To obtain an F-1 Student Visa, the applicant must have Form I-20 issued by Gutenberg College, which will be the visa sponsor.

For more information on applying for an F-1 Student Visa, go to: https://studyinthestates.dhs.gov/2018/08/students-prepare-your-visa-interview.

To receive Form I-20 from Gutenberg College, an applicant must meet our requirements for admission and provide evidence of sufficient financial resources to study and live in Eugene, Oregon, for one academic year.

Financial documentation may include a personal bank statement from the student and/or family who may be supporting the student financially, scholarship, government educational loan, or an Affidavit of Support.

An Affidavit of Support is signed by an individual, usually a relative, who is committed to accepting financial responsibility for the international student’s study abroad. The person who signs the Affidavit of Support then becomes the student’s financial sponsor. An Affidavit of Support is legally enforceable. The sponsor’s responsibility lasts until the student either completes the degree or submits new evidence of financial support other than the sponsor. An Affidavit of Support must include the name and birthdate of the student, dates of study at Gutenberg College, and a statement agreeing to fund the student’s tuition, fees, and living expenses for one academic year. The Affidavit of Support must be signed and dated by the sponsor, and a bank statement or evidence of financial solvency must be included with the signed Affidavit of Support.

Scholarships for International Students can be found here: https://www.internationalscholarships.com/

Working While Enrolled at Gutenberg College

U.S. Law limits the amount and nature of work that an international student may do in the United States during his or her degree program. During an initial period as an international student in the United States, students may only work a limited number of hours on the campus of the college in which they are enrolled. International students who anticipate needing to work in the United States during the course of their degree program should carefully read the “Study in the States” portion of the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security website: https://studyinthestates.dhs.gov/sevis-help-hub/student-records/fm-student-employment/student-employment-overview.

Due to Gutenberg College’s small size, on-campus working opportunities are limited. Given limited on-campus working opportunities, an international student who wants to enroll in Gutenberg College will need to provide evidence to the College in the form of official documentation that he or she has the necessary financial resources to complete the first year of the program without having to work in the United States should on-campus work be unavailable.

After the initial period of study in the United States, students may work off-campus, but off-campus working opportunities are also limited. For more information about the eligibility to work off-campus, go to https://studyinthestates.dhs.gov/working-in-the-united-states.

English Language Requirement

To ensure a smooth transition into their academic programs, Gutenberg College will accept the English language test provided by Trinity College London (TCL) for students who achieve the following Integrated Skills in English (ISE) Levels:

ISE II (B2) with ‘Merit’ in Reading, Writing & Listening and ‘Pass’ in Speaking
OR
Score of 98 (with a subscore of 105 in ‘Reading’ & ‘Writing’)

These scores will be deemed sufficient by Gutenberg College.