Application Supporting Documents

During the application process for undergraduate students, we may ask for or require supporting documents to help us understand your academic history. Transcripts are the most-common item we need.

You will find complete instructions on how to submit documents below, and we’re always here to help if you have any questions.

Are you missing items?

If you have submitted your application, you can check your status to see if your application is missing materials. We also will email reminders.
CHECK YOUR STATUS

Application fees and waivers

The application fee for CSU is $50 unless:

  • You are a Colorado student. All Colorado students qualify for Free App EVERY Day at CSU.
  • You are a U.S. military active duty, veteran, reserve, or National Guard member.
  • Your fee can be waived because it presents a financial hardship.

To pay your fee or request a waiver:

Freshman (first-year) applicants:

  • If you live in Colorado or attend(ed) a Colorado high school, choose “Free App EVERY day” in the CSU section.
  • If you qualify for a fee waiver based on federal income guidelines – even if you are a Colorado student – request a Common App fee waiver in the Common App section so that you can receive a fee waiver from all schools you apply to via Common App.
  • If you do not qualify for a fee waiver or free application, you’ll be prompted to pay your $50 application fee before you can submit your application.

Transfer applicants:

  • If you live in Colorado or attend(ed) a Colorado high school and/or college, your application automatically will be free – no action is needed.
  • If you are not a Colorado student, you’ll be prompted to pay your application fee OR submit your fee waiver request after you submit your application.

More information about our waivers, fees, and refunds is here.

Transcripts

In order to be official and satisfy our application requirements, your high school transcript must be submitted through one of the following options:

  • Your high school can upload your transcript directly to the Common Application (preferred). Freshman (first-year) applicants only.
  • Your high school can send your transcript via a secure site electronic submission service such as Parchment, Naviance, Scoir or National Student Clearinghouse. High school transcripts uploaded with Parchment college transcripts are unofficial.
  • Your high school can mail your transcript to Colorado State University, Office of Admissions, 1062 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins CO 80523-1062.
  • Transcripts can be emailed to [email protected] by a high school official, but they may need additional verification. Transcripts emailed by students, even if they originated with the high school or district, may not be accepted as official.
  • Hand-delivered transcripts will only be considered official if they are brought to Admissions in a sealed school envelope, stamped or signed across the seal. These may need additional verification.

You are responsible for contacting your high school to request that transcripts be submitted to CSU; we will not request transcripts on your behalf.

PDF format is preferred.

If you already have graduated from high school, you may have to contact your district office rather than your high school to request your official transcript be sent to CSU.

Some high schools will not release transcripts until you have paid and/or signed a release. Make sure you do this well in advance of the application date.

Do you have an international high school transcript? Contact the International Enrollment Center (IEC) at [email protected] if you are having difficulty securing an official transcript.

Submission of falsified documents or information at any point in the admission process is grounds for rejection or dismissal.

You are responsible for contacting each college/university to request that transcripts be submitted to CSU; we will not request transcripts on your behalf.

Follow the transcript request instructions of the college/university sending us the transcript. If both mail and electronic options are available, electronic transcript submission is preferred.

  • Most colleges send transcripts via Parchment or the National Student Clearinghouse, though other secure services exist. In Parchment, be sure to request Colorado State University, Fort Collins as the receiving institution. If you’re prompted for a school code, use 4075.
  • Official college transcripts can be mailed by the issuing institution to Office of Admissions Colorado State University, 1062 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins CO 80523-1062.
  • Transcripts uploaded to your admissions dashboard or uploaded by you as part of a Parchment college transcript request are unofficial and will not complete your application.
  • Hand-delivered transcripts will only be considered official if they are printed on secure paper and brought to Admissions in a sealed school envelope, stamped or signed across the seal. They may need additional verification.
  • College transcripts sent via email are generally not considered official. If email submission from a prior college/university is the only service offered, the email must come directly from the issuing institution to [email protected] and must specify that email is the only delivery option available. Transcripts delivered by email may need additional verification.

We require one official transcript from every institution* you’ve ever enrolled at, regardless of the age or type of credit and whether credit was earned. This includes transcripts for dual/concurrent enrollment during high school. If you enrolled and then withdrew from classes, we require a transcript reflecting withdrawal or a letter of non-enrollment issued by the college/university.

*Transcripts are not required for work completed at schools that are not regionally accredited.

Failure to disclose all institutions attended or submission of falsified documents or information at any point in the admission process is grounds for rejection or dismissal.

Personal statements, academic explanations, and letters

Freshman applicants are required to submit a personal statement (called the “personal essay” in the Common Application). Transfer applicants are not required to submit a personal statement.

You can type OR paste your personal statement into your Common Application application before submitting it. The length must be between 250-650 words. Check out some tips for guidance and inspiration.

Your personal statement is your opportunity to help us understand what makes you unique beyond your grades and transcripts. It will be reviewed during your admission decision; it is not a factor in scholarship decisions.

The prompts you choose from are:

  • Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.
  • The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?
  • Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?
  • Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?
  • Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.
  • Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?
  • Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you’ve already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.

If you’ve had erratic trends in grades, a downward trend in recent work, recurring weakness in a particular subject, or gaps in your enrollment (for example), use the academic explanation section in your application to address these circumstances directly. Be sure to include steps you’ve taken to address the challenges, what you’ve learned about yourself, and factors that will help you be successful at CSU.

We do not require a letter of recommendation for any applicants in the admission and scholarship review process.

If you choose to submit a recommendation to support your application, it may be considered during our review, but it will not be given much weight. You may opt to submit a recommendation through the Common Application or as a PDF or Word document attachment emailed to [email protected].

Test scores

CSU does not require ACT or SAT scores. If you submit scores, they will be added to your application, but they will only be reviewed if you email us at [email protected] to request that they be considered.

Even when requested, scores are not given much weight in the admission decision. Test scores are not used as the basis for declining an application or for consideration in the scholarship award process.

ACT or SAT results can be used for composition placement after admission.

You can submit official test scores directly through the testing agency. Please allow up to three weeks for CSU to receive official score reports.

  • ACT
    • Use school code 0504
  • SAT
    • Use school code 4075

You can upload a PDF of your ACT or SAT student score report on “My Application” tab in the Future Ram Dashboard.

You can email us your student score report. Be sure to include the full report with all of your subscores, the test date(s) and your name visible. We prefer scanned score reports or full PDFs over screenshots or photos.

We’ll accept test scores from your high school transcript as long as all subscores and test date(s) are included.

AP, IB, CLEP, High School Equivalency (GED/HiSET)

Official scores are required in order to be awarded college credit and to meet direct entry requirements for competitive majors. AP and IB courses are considered an indicator of academic rigor in our admission review, but scores (self-reported or official) are not weighed in our decision.

College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) scores and high school equivalency exam results (including GED, HiSET, and other state exams) must be submitted as official score reports, sent directly to CSU from the testing agency. Score reports submitted by students may be subject to additional verification. We do not consider self-reported scores.

  • College-Level Examination Process (CLEP)
  • GED
  • HiSET
  • TASC – The TASC Test was discontinued in 2022. For help with exam scores, please contact the testing center where you took the TASC exam or the high school equivalency coordinator in your state.

TOEFL, IELTS, PTE English proficiency results

Evidence of English proficiency is required for international applicants seeking direct admission to CSU.

You can submit official test scores directly through the testing agency. Please allow up to three weeks for CSU to receive the official score reports. We do not consider self-reported English proficiency results in our decision process.

You can upload a PDF of your TOEFL, IELTS or PTE student score report in the Admissions Dashboard section of the Ram Start Checklist.

You can email your score report, and we’ll match it to your application. Make sure you include the full report with all of your subscores, the test date(s), and your name visible. We prefer scanned score reports or full PDFs over screenshots or photos.

English proficiency can be satisfied using ACT, SAT, AP or IB results as well.

We do not consider self-reported English proficiency results in our decision process.

Immigration documents

Only international students in need of a student visa are required to submit immigration documents.

International applicants are expected to include immigration information as part of their application for admission. Immigration information is not considered in the admission decision, but the official admission packet and I-20 or DS-2019 are shipped only after immigration information has been received, verified, and approved.

Immigration Information Form

  • Complete and submit this secure online form using the link emailed within one week of submitting your application or via your application status page in RAMweb.
  • You’ll be prompted to specify the sources of your intended financial support, information about any dependents who will be traveling with you, and the shipping address for your immigration documents.

Passport

  • Securely upload a copy of the identification page of your passport within your application status page in RAMweb.
  • Your passport must be valid for at least six months beyond your first day of classes.
  • Be sure to submit copies of the identification pages for any dependents traveling with you.

Financial Support

  • Securely upload your financial support documents (such as bank statements or funding letters from your government or other agency) within your application status page in RAMweb.
  • You must demonstrate the ability to meet or exceed your estimated expenses.
  • Because institutional scholarships do not cover the full cost of attendance, you must be able to demonstrate outside funding.

Immigration documents can also be emailed as a PDF attachment to [email protected]. Be sure your documents clearly list your full name and your CSU ID number to be matched with your application. Your immigration documents will be reviewed and verified after you’ve been admitted.

FAQs

We recommend that you submit your application first so we can send you instructions to check your application status online and get tips for completing your application. Do not wait until you have all support documents ready before you submit your application.

We’ll quickly match your transcripts or other support documents to your application whether they arrive before or after your application is submitted.

Yes. We will send email reminders about what’s needed to complete your application. You can also check your online application status for up-to-date information about missing items. Once we begin processing your application, your online application status will reflect the most current information.

Many materials take time arrive at CSU and then must be matched to your application. Most documents are matched with applications within a day or two, but please allow up to five business days. Check with us before re-sending documents you know you’ve submitted.

These instructions are for undergraduate applicants only. Graduate students seeking guidance on how to submit support documents should refer to graduateschool.colostate.edu/apply/.

General submission info

Except for official academic records, most additional documents can be uploaded within your online applicant status page or emailed as PDF or Word documents to [email protected]. Make sure each document includes your full name and date of birth or other identifying information (not SSN).

If necessary or preferred, additional support documents can be submitted by mail to Office of Admissions, Colorado State University, 1062 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins CO  80523-1062.