Applying to take SIL-UND courses

All students wanting to take courses at SIL-UND (including those enrolled at UND during the regular school year and those already accepted into degree programs in linguistics) should communicate with SIL-UND each year that they plan to take summer classes, using the process described on this page. We need this so we can make preparations for you and send you important information and updates before the summer session begins.

If you plan to take SIL courses next summer, you should communicate with SIL first, not with UND. That way, the SIL-UND Registrar can guide you through the application and enrollment process with UND, which varies from person to person.

Requirements for admission to take SIL-UND courses

SIL requires that you meet the following criteria to take its courses:

• A statement of purpose that shows a desire for what the program can provide. (We want to make sure we can meet your expectations.)
• Two years of college, university, or other post-secondary study before the summer begins.
• A minimum 2.75 grade point average (GPA) in all previous college or university study or equivalent (and also a 3.0 GPA in any previous SIL-UND courses).
• Sufficient command of English to study at the university level. (For Deaf students who can use ASL in the classroom, this requirement applies only to written English.)

Exceptions are sometimes made to these requirements; to request an exception, contact the SIL-UND director.

All SIL students must apply to and be admitted by UND as either a non-degree or a degree-seeking student, undergraduate or graduate.  UND has some additional requirements that apply to all SIL students, most notably passing a safety and security screening.  If you want graduate credit for SIL courses, you must also satisfy all requirements for admission to UND's School of Graduate Studies, which includes having completed a regionally-accredited 4-year undergraduate degree or equivalent.

Application procedure and application fees

The application process with SIL has four steps. 

• Step 1: Complete SIL-UND's pre-application form, which primarily requests academic information that helps determine your eligibility for the program and what additional forms need to be submitted. Applications are accepted for a given summer starting the preceding October 1.
• Step 2: Apply to UND, with payment of $35 application fee, or reactivate your prior enrollment.
• Step 3: Complete SIL-UND's pre-arrival form, which requests information about housing, meals, children, and other practical matters that will help us prepare for your arrival.
• Step 4: Send SIL a check for a tuition deposit ($100 per student) and housing deposit ($100 per adult who wants to live in the SIL dormitory). These deposits are refundable if you cancel before May 1. (If, in addition to being a student, you have been invited to serve on staff, see the staff information letter from the school director for special instructions about these deposits.)

The details of these steps vary from one student to the next. After you submit the Step 1 pre-application form and we determine that you are eligible to participate, we will give you a personalized set of instructions for the remaining three steps.

Application dates (all students)

Applications for each summer are accepted starting October 1 of the previous year.

Deadlines and other recommended application dates vary depending on your circumstances, and different deadlines apply to the steps that involve UND and those that involve SIL. Please read the following carefully to determine which deadlines apply to you.

We recommend that you start the application process (submit the Step 1 pre-application form) 2-4 weeks prior to the earliest applicable deadline to allow time for processing. International students should start even earlier; see details below.

With regard to materials that you submit to SIL:

Materials for SIL	Deadlines
Eligibility deadlines for financial aid from SIL-UND. If you miss either of these dates, you will not be eligible for financial aid from SIL-UND. You may still be eligible for aid from other sources.	Complete step 1 by March 15 Complete steps 3 and 4 by April 1
After this date, you may still apply, but you will be charged a late application fee when you register, there may not be time to complete all application requirements with UND (see above), there is no guarantee of housing availability in the SIL dormitory, and deposits are non-refundable.	Complete steps 3 and 4 by May 1

With regard to your application or reapplication to UND and any additional requirements that you may have to complete (transcripts, letters of recommendation, etc.):

Materials for UND	Complete Step 2 (submit all required application materials to UND) by:
Students applying to the M.A. program in linguistics for this summer. If your application is not complete on this date, you may need to enroll this summer as a non-degree student. See the separate page on the M.A. program for further details.	April 15 You should start the application process to UND at least a month earlier, to allow time to get all required materials submitted.
All other students who need to submit applications for admission or readmission to UND (see instructions in your acceptance letter from SIL). If your application is not complete on this date, you might be unable to register for classes after arrival at UND. This date is especially important for students interested in the Graduate Certificate program; see  the separate page on this program for details.	May 1

Special application dates and procedures (international students)

In addition to the requirements listed above for all students, international students must complete extra requirements to apply to SIL-UND. Depending on individual circumstances, these may include:

• demonstrating English proficiency prior to acceptance
• certifying that you have enough money to cover the costs of the program, and any other requirements for obtaining an I-20 immigration form and/or a student visa
• submitting transcripts of undergraduate work

Details are in instructions that you will receive after you submit the Step 1 pre-application form to SIL.

In order to allow enough time to complete these requirements (including delays in mailing things back and forth), international students should complete Step 1 with SIL considerably earlier than U.S. students. Students who do not start early, as recommended here, may not have time to secure a visa.  If visa processing is slow in your country, you should start even earlier than what is recommended here.

Recommended dates for most international students	Submit Step 1 pre-application form to SIL by:	Complete Step 2 (submit all required application materials to UND) by:
If you want to be considered for admission to the M.A. program in Linguistics or the graduate Certificate in Community-Based Literacy for this summer:	January 15	February 1
All other international students:	February 15	March 1

Ready to start the application process?

Once you understand the above information, you may proceed to Step 1 of the application process through our online pre-application form.

Please note: The application forms for a given summer are not ready until the preceding October 1. Please do not use the previous year's form to submit an application prior to October 1.  If you do, we will not act on it until October 1, and you may in addition need to fill out the new form when it is ready.

If you have questions, please contact us.

Proceed to the pre-application form (Step 1)