Application tips

Do I need to enter a Social Security Number (SSN)?: No. Providing an SSN is completely voluntary and will have no effect on the processing or consideration of your application. If you do not have a U.S. SSN, simply leave that field blank and proceed.

What format should I use for my date of birth?: Always enter your date of birth in MM/DD/YYYY (month/day/year) format—this is the U.S. standard. For example, a person born on November 10, 1997, would enter 11/10/1997.

I am an international student. What should I select for veteran status?: If you have never served in the U.S. Armed Forces and are not a spouse or dependent of someone who has, select No for the first question and Neither for the second question. Most interational students on F-1 visas will select these options.

This is one of the most common errors international students make.

Please read carefully before selecting your citizenship status.

Which citizenship status should I select?: If you are currently on an F-1 student visa or you are planning to apply for an F-1 student visa to study at Metro State, you must select:
"International Visa Holder or Seeker"
Do not select "U.S. Citizen or Dual National with U.S. Citizenship" unless you actually hold U.S. citizenship.

What is my "current International Visa status?"

If you already have an F-1 visa (or any other international visa), select "I have an International Visa"
If you are applying from outside the U.S. and do not yet have a student visa, select "I am seeking an International Visa"

Which visa type should I select?: For most international students coming to study at Metro State, select F1—Nonimmigrant Academic Student from the visa type dropdown. This is the standard student visa for full-time academic programs.

Very common mistake

Many students on OPT or CPT select "No" for this question—but the correct answer is "Yes"

"Are you currently attending school in the United States?"—What should I select?

Select "Yes" if any of the following apply to you:

You are currently enrolled in a U.S. undergraduate or graduate program
You are currently on OPT (Optional Practical Training)—you F-1 status is still active
You are currently on CPT (Curricular Practical Training)
You are currently enrolled in a U.S. English Language School or community college
You hold an active F-1 visa tied to a U.S. institution, even if between semester

Note: Selecting "No" because you are on OPT and not physically in class is incorrect. OPT is part of your F-1 program, so you should select "Yes" because your F-1 status is still active.

What is the difference between "country of citizenship" and "country of birth?"

Country of citizenship—the country you are a legal citizen of and whose passport you currently hold
Country of birth—the country where you were physically born, which may be the same or different from your country of citizenship

Both fields are required. Enter them accurately as they appear on your passport.

Why is an international address required?: Because you indicated you are an international visa holder or seeker, the form requires you to enter an international (home country) address in addition to any U.S. address. This is your permanent home address in your country of origin. Do not skip this field.

How do I enter my phone number?

Local (U.S.) phone number—enter in the format XXX-XXX-XXXX (example: 123-456-7890). Enter your U.S. number in both the "Home Phone" and "Mobile Phone" fields if you only have one number.
International phone—enter your country/city code in the first box (example: 91 for India, 49 for Germany) and your full phone number in the second box.

Important

All school names must be entered in English, using only standard English characters, even if your school's official name is in another language.

"Are you currently a High School Student?"—What do most international transfer students select?: If you have already graduated from high school, select "No." Only select "Yes" if you are currently still enrolled in high school at the time of application.

I attended high school outside the U.S. What do I select for "High School State" and "High School?"

For High School State, select the state where you attended if it was in the U.S. If your high school was outside the U.S., you can select any state—the next field is what matters.
For High School, select "Other – International" from the dropdown.
You will then see a text field labeled "Other High School Name"—enter your school's name here in English.

My high school's name is not in English. How do I write it?

Write the name of your high school in English transliteration—spell it out phonetically in English characters, even if the original name uses a different script or language.

Incorrect: Würzburg High School (German characters not accepted). Correct: Wuerzburg High School (English transliteration).
Incorrect: गुरुकृपा विद्यालय (Non-Latin script). Correct: Gurukrupa Vidhyalaya (English transliteration).

This applies to school names in all languages—Spanish, German, French, Hindi, Arabic, Chinese, Korean, and any other language. Always use the English spelling or phonetic equivalent.