Apply to GCC

A complete application, including all required application materials, must be submitted by the deadlines listed below. You are a transfer student if you are currently studying in the US on an F-1 visa. You are a visa holder if you are currently in the US on any visa status other than F-1 or if you hold a valid F-1 visa but are currently living overseas. If you are not currently in the US, you are considered a first time student to a US college (overseas applicant), even if you are enrolled in a college/university in your home country.

Application decisions will be returned within 10 business days of a complete file being received.

FALL SEMESTER  

• Applications Open: February 1
• Overseas Applicant Deadline: July 10
• Transfer Students/Visa Holders Deadline: August 1

SPRING SEMESTER: 

• Applications Open: August 1
• Overseas Applicants Deadline: November 30
• Transfer Students/Visa Holders Deadline: January 15
  • ^{Visa holders who wish to enroll in the six-week Winter Session must apply by Dec. 1. We cannot admit overseas applicants to the Winter Session at this time.}

SUMMER SESSION:

• Applications Open: February 1 
• Overseas Applicants Deadline: May 15
• Transfer Students/Visa Holders Deadline: July 15

Current F-1 students who will transfer to GCC should also review our Transfer to GCC guide to understand additional deadlines that apply to you.

Applications received after the stated deadlines will be automatically deferred to the next term.

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All documents submitted become property of GCC and cannot be returned. You may send certified copies; non-English documents require a certified English translation. Students under 18 may apply in their final year of high school but must submit final transcripts before enrollment.

All applicants must submit the following:

Application Form -SAVE TIME BY REVIEWING OUR APPLICATION GUIDE! This provides a step-by-step guide on completing the application and instructions for answering certain questions. Please DECLINE any ID.Me verification of your account. ID.Me is intended for US citizens or residents.

$60 Non-Refundable Application Fee - paid via our Credit Card Authorization Form. The credit card holder must complete this form. After filling all fields, a "Click to Sign" button will appear for secure submission. 

Educational Records - Please see requirements below. Unofficial documents may be submitted for review, but official documents will be required upon admission. Non-English documents must include a certified English translation. We recommend using a certified translator through the American Translators Association.

• Secondary/high school school students - Submit proof of high school completion by providing your transcripts. If your transcripts don’t show your graduation date, include a graduation certificate or diploma. If you haven’t graduated yet, you can apply with in-progress transcripts but must submit final documents before enrolling at GCC. You do not need to submit high school records if you’ve completed at least one term of college or university.
• College/university students - Submit transcripts of all colleges/universities you have attended.  
• English Language school students - Submit your ESL transcripts along with your educational transcripts. If you completed the required level at a GCC Partner ESL Program, your English Proficiency requirement is met. If your school is not a partner, you may still qualify for our Credit ESL program by showing proof of completing an advanced level at your language school. See the Credit ESL section below for more details. 

Proof of English Proficiency - GCC accepts the following tests and minimum scores for admission; tests must have been taken within the last 2 years to be considered valid for admission purposes:

Test Type	Minimum Score Required for Admission to Credit ESL "Bridge" Program	Minimum Score Required for Full Admission
TOEFL iBT	3 - tests on or after 1/21/26  45 - tests prior to 1/21/26	5 - tests on or after 1/21/26  100 - tests prior to 1/21/26
IELTS	4.5	7.5
Duolingo	75	130
Cambridge	154	191
EIKEN	Grade 2	Grade 1
Michigan Language Assessment* *Please use this link for $25 off the test fee	A2 (27-39)	B2 (53-63)
Pearson Test of English (PTE)	A2	B2

• The English Proficiency Requirement is Waived for:

  • Students who attended a high school or college/university where English is the primary language of instruction (must be listed on transcripts) for two or more years immediately prior to transferring to GCC 

  • Citizens of the following countries in which English is the official and primary language: Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Canada, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Ireland, Jamaica, New Zealand, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, United Kingdom

  • Students with proof of appropriate Level Completion from one of our partner ESL Programs. Please see the Partner ESL Programs section for more information.

Affidavit of Financial Support Form and supporting Bank Statement(s) 

Copy of passport picture page

Students in the US* must also submit:

Copies of Current Immigration Documents:

• Visa Page
• I-94
• Current Form I-20 or DS-2019, if applicable

Applicants to the Transfer Preparation Program (TPP) - submit your admission letter detailing any prerequisite requirements for admission to another school, if applicable

 

*Students in the US on F-1 visas should review our Transfer to Glendale Community College guide to ensure you maintain status. If you are currently in the US on a visa other than F-1, please review our Change of Status section prior to applying.

^{Note: Undocumented students do not qualify for a change of status. If you do not have legal status in the US, you will apply through the Office of Admissions and Records as a new student. We also encourage you to make use of GCC's Dream Resource Center.}

Academic Programs

You can view a complete list of our degree and certificate programs here. Not sure what major you're interested in? Explore our learning and professional pathways to help find your perfect program! Feel free to also explore GCC's Catalog of courses and the reasons to choose GCC.

Please note that I-20s may only be issued for credit programs. Non-credit and online-only programs are not eligible for I-20s. Specifically, the programs we are unable to issue I-20s for are:

• Pilot Training
• Real Estate - AS
• Any certificate under 12 total units & all Business Division Certificate Programs
• Skill Awards

Nursing Programs

Students applying for the ADN Registered Nursing program will first be admitted into the AS in Health Sciences to complete pre-requisites for the program. Transfer students who have already completed pre-requisites may apply for the Nursing program after obtaining your GCC Student ID. Should you be accepted to the Nursing program, your admission will be changed from the AS in Health Sciences. Should you not be accepted, you can inform our office if you wish to withdraw your admission to GCC or continue enrollment in the AS in Health Sciences program.

Fees

International Student fees are listed on GCC's Enrollment Fees page, where you can also find information about the payment plan offered by the Tuition Office. Most programs are 60 units, and you will pay for your tuition after you enroll in courses. F-1 students are required to enroll in 12 units a term, per immigration regulations.

Our Credit ESL "Bridge" program is designed to help international students with a lower level of English expertise transition to academic learning. Students admitted to the Credit ESL "Bridge" program will take transitional English language courses alongside academic classes. Students who are admitted into the Credit ESL program are determined to have at least a conversational level of English and meet the following requirements:

• Be comfortable studying in English
• Understand and be able to use basic English grammar in speaking and writing
• Be comfortable with US academic vocabulary
• Be able to understand main ideas expressed in English, even in complex discussions, when the ideas are explained or illustrated with multiple examples.
• Identify an author’s or orator's major themes when they are explicitly stated or easy to infer from the context and make connections between those themes.
• Speak in English about general or familiar topics with only minor hesitancies and use vocabulary that is sufficient to discuss general or familiar topics.
• Produce simple English texts that express ideas on an issue or summarize relevant information from multiple sources.

You can learn more about the program structure on the Credit ESL page.

Not Ready for Credit ESL? If you do not meet our English proficiency admissions requirements, or are admitted to Credit ESL but are not yet comfortable speaking and learning in English, you can instead consider attending an English language program before attending GCC. Please see our Partner ESL Programs section for more information. 

Our Transfer Preparation Bridge Program (TPP) is intended for students who have been admitted to another institution but need to take pre-requisites to satisfy admission requirements before attending that institution. The TPP may also be used to raise a GPA at another institution. After being accepted to the TPP, you can enroll in or transfer to GCC to take up to 2 semesters or 24 units of work to complete these pre-requisites. Units taken may also be applied to a Glendale Community College associates or certificate program, should you decide to remain at the institution and change majors into one of our academic programs.

As the TPP is not a formal degree program, it does not qualify for curricular practical training (CPT) or optional practical training (OPT), however, you can still engage in on-campus employment while enrolled at GCC.

To apply for the TPP, select the appropriate option on the Supplemental Questions page. You may choose any major you wish, however, your I-20 will be issued with a generic degree code appropriate for this customized program. Please review application requirements in the "Application Form & Requirements" tab on this page.

Concurrent enrollment is offered to international students who are currently enrolled at another SEVP-certified school and who will enroll at GCC as a visiting student. This means you will not transfer your SEVIS record to GCC and will maintain enrollment at your current school.

APPLY FOR CONCURRENT ENROLLMENT 

Concurrent enrollment applicants need to submit only the following items:

• Online Application Form - select the appropriate option on the Supplemental Questions page. SAVE TIME! Our Application Guide provides a step-by-step guide on completing the application and instructions for answering certain questions.
  
  
• $60 Non-Refundable Application Fee - paid via our Credit Card Authorization Form. This form must be completed directly by the credit card holder. When all fields are completed a "Click to Sign" option will appear at the bottom of the form which allows secure submission to our office.
  
  
• Copy of your passport picture page and I-94

CONCURRENT ENROLLMENT APPLICATION DEADLINE

Submit a complete file by the Transfer Student Deadline; classes fill quickly and we generally cannot accept late applications. Enrollment in your desired class is not guaranteed. Please check GCC’s Class Schedule tab for course availability before submitting your application. The application fee will not be refunded if your desired course is full or not offered at GCC in the term for which you are applying.

WHAT TO EXPECT AFTER APPLYING

• Allow up to 10 business days for processing.
  
  
• You’ll receive your GCC Student ID after applying, but you can’t register for classes until you get an admissions notice. Enrollment is only available during open registration—concurrent enrollment students are not eligible for priority registration. 
  • If your class requires a prerequisite, meet with an academic counselor through Drop-In Counseling and bring a copy of your transcripts. Be sure to mention that you're a concurrent enrollment student and do not need to complete the Online Orientation.
  • If your class is waitlisted, you must email the instructor to request a permission code to enroll. Instructor contact info is in the GCC Directory. Note: Most professors won’t check email until a few days before classes start.
• Your concurrent enrollment request is processed for one term only. You must reapply for each session if you wish to continue concurrent enrollment.  

GCC is proud to partner with the following local English as a Second Language programs. Students who complete the levels listed at these institutions can transfer to GCC without needing to take English Proficiency exams. Please view each program's information and contact them directly with any questions you have regarding their program or enrollment.

• American English College (AEC) - Advanced Level
• CSU Northridge - Intensive English Program (IEP at Tseng College) - Level 7
• CSU, Long Beach - American Language Institute (ALI) - Level 4
• CSU, San Marcos - American Language & Culture Institute (ALCI) - Level 104
• ELS Language Centers (ELS) - Level 109
• GEOS English Academy - Level 5/High Intermediate Level
• KAPLAN International Colleges - High-Intermediate Level
• Language Systems International - Advanced Level 6
• LASC, American Language & Culture - Advanced Level 6
• Mentor Language Institute (MLI) - High-Intermediate Level
• Poly Languages Institute  - Advanced Level 6 
• Rosemead College of English - Advanced Level 5
• Universal Placement Program - Level 14
• USC International Language Academy - Level 5

A change of status lets nonimmigrant visa holders request a new status from USCIS without leaving the US. If approved, it changes your status, but does not grant a new visa. GCC supports most change of status applications (see below for B/tourist visa holders).

To determine if a change of status is appropriate for you:

1) Carefully read the Change of Status FAQ before applying. GCC has prepared this guide to help you determine if a change of status is in your best interest. Please consult with an immigration attorney if you need more guidance to make a decision. ISO staff cannot provide additional information or legal advice.

2) To apply for a change of status, select "Other" as your visa type and indicate you won’t travel outside the US on the Supplemental Questions page. We will follow up to confirm your plans and provide further instructions at the time of admission.

3) If you choose not to apply for a change of status, select "Other" as your visa type and indicate you will travel outside the US on the Supplemental Questions page. Make sure to apply by the overseas applicant deadline.

B/Tourist visa holders must use premium processing for GCC to support a change to F-1 status (see Change of Status FAQ). If you can’t afford the fee or are uncomfortable with the risks, you’ll need to apply for an F-1 visa overseas (see #3 above).

^{Note: Undocumented students cannot obtain status through a change of status. If you do not have legal status in the US, you will apply through the Office of Admissions and Records as a new student. We also encourage you to make use of GCC's Dream Resource Center.}

Interested applicants who do not currently have F-1 status must contact us at gcciso@glendale.edu prior to applying to discuss whether Reinstatement will be supported or if Re-Entry will be required. Reinstatements are supported in limited cases. In most cases, you will be advised to obtain a new I-20 to re-establish status via travel.

^{Note: Undocumented students cannot obtain status through a reinstatement. If you do not have legal status in the US, you will apply through the Office of Admissions and Records as a new student. We also encourage you to make use of GCC's Dream Resource Center.}

Session dates can be found in the calendars on the Important Dates page. The following general session dates have been provided for planning purposes. 

• FALL SEMESTER - begins late August.
  • Transfer students/visa holders admitted to the Fall may also enroll in Summer Session (June/July). 

• SPRING SEMESTER - begins late February.
  • Transfer students/visa holders admitted to the Spring may also enroll in Winter Session in January.

• SUMMER INTERSESSION - start dates June through July.