Skip to content

How to Apply for Exchange

 

To study at Iowa State University for a semester or academic year on exchange, you must be attending one of Iowa State’s exchange partners. You will need to work with your home international office on the process. Students whom are nominated by their home institution will receive further application details from their exchange coordinator at Iowa State.

 

 

Iowa State University is comprised of different colleges, all of whom do things a little differently. Each exchange to Iowa State is coordinated out of a college or the Study Abroad Center. You will be assigned an exchange coordinator based on which office coordinates your exchange program. Your exchange coordinator will be listed out on the application page for your program. This person will help you with the application process and will be a resource for you prior to arriving.

 

Partner Universities will be sent a link to a form that must be completed for each student being nominated. After nominations are submitted, the nominated students will be contacted by their exchange coordinator at ISU on how to complete their application in ISUAbroad.

 
 

August Entry: March 15
January Entry: October 15

Late applications may be considered on a case by case basis. You should contact your home institution and exchange coordinator for more details.

 

Your application will have multiple requirements to complete. Some require you do additional forms. If you have questions about the application, contact your exchange program coordinator. The other requirements include:

  • Official academic transcript 

  • Evidence of Financial Support
    • For the 2024-2025 Academic Year, exchange students need to show support equaling $8,017.50 for one semester if admitted as an undergraduate student or $8,548.50 if admitted as a graduate students. Students planning on coming to ISU for a full year must show $16,035 if admitted as an undergraduate student and $17,097 if admitted as a graduate student.
    • You will find more information about what kind documents you can use to show the financial support in your application.

  • If planning on taking graduate level courses – copy of Bachelor’s Diploma

  • Academic or Calendar Year Students: You must enter which courses you'd like to take in for both semesters, this is only to give us an idea which academic areas you are interested in. Your second semester courses will most likely change, and thats okay! An academic advisor will assist you with your second semester courses while you're here at ISU.
There is also a $55 application fee which will be deferred and placed upon your first U-Bill.
 

Once you have completed your ISUAbroad application, your application will be reviewed and sent to the Office of Admissions. After your application has been processed, you will receive an acceptance letter and your DS-2019 in the mail. Your application status in ISUAbroad will change to "Accepted". At that time, you can "Commit" to your application in ISUAbroad. You'll then see new information for your to review before arriving at Iowa State.