An Experience You’ll Remember

As Maine’s largest community college, we offer a variety of academic programs that will prepare you to begin an exciting career or continue your education after graduation. SMCC has students of different ages, backgrounds and ethnicities, and offers a wide spectrum of clubs and activities that celebrate and support the diversity that exists on our campus. We are excited that you’re considering studying at SMCC and guarantee it’s an experience you won’t forget.

Visa Information:

If you are applying from out of the country the deadline for submitting your application and all other required documents is:

Fall Semester:  July 1st
Spring Semester:  December 1st
Any applications not received by the deadline will be moved to the following semester.

Get to Know the Area

SMCC has two great campuses that you can attend as an international student. Choose from our oceanfront South Portland Campus outside of Portland, one of Maine’s most popular cities, or our Midcoast Campus in Brunswick, a vibrant coastal town. To learn more about our campuses, visit our Locations webpage.

Living On Campus

SMCC has three residence halls, two on its South Portland Campus and one on its Midcoast Campus in Brunswick. Living on campus allows you to enjoy the full college experience and make a great connection with the SMCC community. To learn more about living on campus, visit our housing webpage.

Getting Involved

SMCC is not just a place to get an education, it’s a place to grow personally and make lifelong connections. Engagement opportunities are boundless including student government, a student newspaper, popular interest clubs, recreation clubs and athletics. To learn more about the numerous opportunities for involvement, visit our Life at SMCC webpage.

International Student Admissions Process

Want to attend SMCC as an international student? Follow these steps:

  1. Check out our academic programs webpage to get an overview of our degree and certificate programs.
  2. Submit the following materials to the SMCC Admissions Office
    by mail to:
    2 Fort Road
    South Portland, ME 04106
    by fax to:
    207-741-5760
    or by email to admissions@smccME.edu.

About TOEFL Scores

The following TOEFL scores are the minimum scores necessary to attend and will place you into developmental, English courses.

  • Computer-based: 61
  • Paper-based: 500

The following TOEFL scores will place you into college-level English.

  • Computer-based: 79
  • Paper-based: 550

For information on how to take the test, visit the Educational Testing Services TOEFL website.

About IELTS Scores

The following IELTS scores are the minimum scores necessary to attend and will place you into developmental English courses.

  • IELTS Academic: 5.5

The following TOEFL scores will place you into college-level English.

  • IELTS Academic 6.0

For information on how to take the test, visit the International English Language Testing Service IELTS website.

What happens next?

Once you are an accepted student, we will prepare your student I-20 form. You will need to apply for your student visa to be able to study in the United States.

Keep in mind that as an international student attending with an F-1 you:

  • Need to maintain full-time status, which is 12 credits or more per semester
  • Can work on-campus, if positions are available

Additional Resources for International Students

Browse the information below for information that may be helpful for studying abroad: