International Applicants

Boston University Summer Term High School Programs are full-time academic summer programs. The Research Internship Program is not open to international students. International students who are coming to the United States for the purpose of participating in one of BU Summer Term’s High School programs must have an F-1 student visa. In order to receive a student visa, you must apply for an I-20 from Boston University. Please follow the instructions below in order to apply for your I-20 and F-1 student visa.

How to Apply

Applying for your Form I-20: Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant (F-1) Student Status

Applying for the I-20 is the first step in receiving an F-1 student visa. I-20s are for international students registered full time for summer study at Boston University. In order to be issued an I-20, international students must submit all of the following:

  • International Student Data Form
  • Summer Immigration Document Application
  • Letter from your parent (or sponsor) stating your name, their name, and their willingness to cover all of your education expenses for the duration of your summer study
  • A letter from your parent’s (or sponsor’s) financial institution stating that they have sufficient funds to cover your summer expenses ($8000 for High School Honors, $3000 for Summer Challenge)
  • Registration form for Summer 2—International High School Honors students should submit a Registration form with their application to the High School Programs office.
  • Copy of valid passport

Note: All of these above forms should be mailed with your completed application.

I-20s and acceptance packets will be sent by courier (FedEx or DHL) within three weeks of receipt of completed application materials.  Once you have received the I-20, you should immediately apply for the F-1 student visa.

Applying for the F-1 Student Visa

Please visit instructions from the Boston University International Student Services Office for details on how to obtain the F-1 student visa once you have received your I-20.

Contact Us

Please call or e-mail us if you should have any questions about the process for obtaining the I-20 or student visa. We have not encountered any problems with our students getting student visas for our high school programs, but you should leave yourself plenty of time when applying to the program to ensure that you receive your student visa well in advance of your attendance this summer.

Contact Information:
Phone: 617-353-1378
E-mail: buhssumr@bu.edu