Yes, if you are overseas and planning to study in the ELA's intensive English program, or the TOEFL Intensive Program, you will need an F-1 student visa. (Sometimes applicants who are already in the U.S. change their status to F-1.)
Here is the process: When your application is complete, we prepare a letter of admission, a tuition invoice ( or bill) and an I-20 form for you. You will make an appointment with the U.S. Consulate in your country and take these documents with you to apply for your visa. You will also need to pay a $100 SEVIS I-901 fee, which you can do on line at http://www.ice.gov/graphics/sevis/i901/ Your I-20 will be term-specific and tell you the date on which you must report to the ELA to begin your program. If you delay or defer your enrollment, you will need a new DePaul I-20.
The ELA accepts its students directly on a special paper ELA application located at www.depaul.edu/~ela You need to complete the ELA application, including "Part III", which must be signed by your financial sponsor (unless you sponsor yourself). You or your financial sponsor will need to provide an original bank document or bank statement showing a deposit of the equivalent of US$5,850.00. You do not need to provide an educational record or transcript, but you must self-report some basic information on the application. The ELA accepts students who are at least 18 years old, or 17, if they have completed high school. At the time of your application, you need to pay an $80.00 (non-refundable) application fee and a $300.00 tuition deposit. If for any reason you choose not to join our program, you may apply for a refund of your tuition deposit, but you must do so by a deadline which is stated on your tuition invoice.
Our programs take place at DePaul University's Loop (Downtown) Campus, in a building at the corner of Jackson and Wabash, conveniently located near all transit lines. All classes are during the day, between 9:00 and 3:00, Monday through Friday. Some extra elective classes are occasionally scheduled in the 3:00 to 5:00 period. We do not offer classes in the evenings.
At the beginning of the term, we place students on the basis of a 35 minute writing sample, similar to the TOEFL essay, and an Institutional TOEFL. This test is the traditional paper-based test (PBT), which tests listening, structure and written expression, and reading. During the first few days of class, new students work closely with their teachers to make sure they have been placed in the correct level. Occasionally, additional diagnostic testing of students is required. Teachers will sometimes recommend class changes and students then move to new classes. All of these class changes are usually made during the first five days of class.
DePaul University is very interested in receiving applications from qualified ELA students, both graduate and undergraduate, and we assist these students with their applications to academic programs. Every term we conduct a special session for ELA students, to give them information about applying to DePaul. Normally, ELA students are not allowed to visit DePaul’s academic classes, unless this is arranged by an ELA instructor or the ELA director as a part of an ELA class assignment.
The answer to this question depends on your initial placement. Most ELA students take one to two terms (quarters), or longer, before they reach the required TOEFL level (80 iBT, 213 CBT, 550 PBT). Many students reach this level of proficiency while they are studying in the ELA’s High Intermediate level, in the middle of the program. A number of students have moved through the complete ELA program of five levels (five quarters), from Foundations through University Bridge.
The average gain on the TOEFL PBT during one term of study is around +30 points, often higher in the Foundations and Intermediate levels. The higher you move up on the TOEFL scale, the harder it is to make a 30-point gain score during one term.
You pass to the next higher level based on your teachers’ evaluations of your work during a term. You receive grades of Pass ("P"), or a non-passing grade ("RC" = Repeat Course), in each of your courses: Writing, Reading, Grammar, and Spoken English. Sometimes students pass in some classes, and not in others, and then they have what we call a "split schedule", for instance, 2 classes in Intermediate, 2 classes in High Intermediate. Passing courses is independent of progress on the TOEFL test.
Yes, a completion certificate is awarded to those students who pass all four of their classes at the University Bridge level, and a completion certificate is also awarded to students who complete the TOEFL Intensive Program.
Yes, attendance in our program is required, and students who do not maintain their attendance at the 85% level are administratively dropped from the program. Being dropped is especially serious for students who hold an F-1 visa.