ABDULLAH GÜL UNIVERSITY

DIRECTIVE ON THE SELECTION AND PLACEMENT OF INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

IN UNDERGRADUATE – BACHELOR’S DEGREE PROGRAMS

SECTION ONE

Purpose, Scope, and Legal Basis

Purpose

Article 1 – (1) The purpose of this directive is to regulate the conditions imposed on applications from
International Students to Abdullah Gül University (AGU) Bachelor's Degree Programmes, and to
regulate the principles and procedures for registration and acceptance of International Students.

Scope

Article 2 – (1) This directive covers the procedures for application and enrolment that must be followed
by International Students when applying to study on Bachelor's Degree Programmes at Abdullah Gül
University.

Legal Basis

Article 3– Procedures concerning international student applications, admissions and registrations are
carried out within the framework of the “Principles Governing International Student Admissions” drawn
up by the Council of Higher Education and “Abdullah Gül University Rules and Regulations Governing
Undergraduate Studies” and its related directives.

Definitions of Terms

Article 4 - (1) The abbreviations used in this document mean;

a) ACT: “American College Testing” exam,

b) AGU: Abdullah Gül University,

c) GCE AL:“General Certificate of Education Advanced Level” certificate,

d) IB-Diploma: “International Baccalaureate Diploma” certificate,

e) Residence Permit: The document showing that the international people can spend a certain period of
time in our country,

f) IMS: Abdullah Gül University English Proficiency Exam,

1
g) SAT: “Scholastic Aptitude Test” exam,

h) TOEFL: "Test of English as a Foreign Language" exam

i) TRNC: Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus,

j) International Student Selection and Evaluation Committee: The committee selected by the Rector and
that takes care of international student applications,

k) Rector: Abdullah Gül University Rector,

l) Senate: Abdullah Gül University Senate,

m) University Board (UYK): Abdullah Gül University Board,

n) HEC: Higher Education Council.

SECTION TWO

Applications Conditions and Process, Selection, Placement, Foreign Language Proficiency, Registration

Application Conditions

Article 5 – (1) The candidates with degrees from high schools equal to Turkish high schools satisfying
the conditions of this announcement can apply to undergraduate programs (to receive BS or BA
degrees) at Abdullah Gül University (AGU) provided that they follow the instructions in this
announcement.

The candidates satisfying one of the following citizenship conditions are eligible to apply to degree
programs under this announcement:

a) Foreign national students;

b) Natural born citizens of the Republic of Turkey who have been permitted by the Turkish
Ministry of Interior Affairs to abandon their citizenship and who hold an “Official
Document for the Use of Rights Granted by the Turkish Citizenship Law” (it might prove
useful for such applicants to review the laws governing Turkish citizenship);
c) Natural born citizens of a foreign country who later acquired Turkish citizenship or such
applicants who have dual citizenship;
d) Turkish citizens who completed their entire secondary education in a foreign country other
than Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC);
e) TRNC citizens having residency in the TRNC who completed their secondary education in
the TRNC and received a General Certificate of Education Advanced Level (GCE AL),
commonly referred to as an A-level qualification, and such applicants who completed their
secondary education between 2005 and 2010 in another country and received a GCE AL.

2
 (2) Detailed application requirements, country-specific accepted exams list, international exams list,
application period and registration dates, program quotas and tuition fees will be determined by the
University Board every year and announced on the University website.

(2) Applications will not be accepted from:

a) Turkish Nationals having completed their secondary education in Turkey or in Turkish

Republic of Northern Cyprus,
b) Citizens of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (except those having residency in the
TRNC who completed their secondary education in the TRNC and received a GCE AL, and
such applicants who completed their secondary educations between 2005 and 2010 in
another country and received a GCE AL);
c) Applicants with dual citizenship whose Turkish citizenship results from being born in
Turkey (except those who completed their entire secondary educations in a foreign country
other than Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus/those who completed their entire secondary
educations in a Turkish school in a foreign country other than TRNC);
d) Applicants with dual citizenship whose one citizenship is that of the Turkish Republic of
Northern Cyprus (except those having residency in the TRNC who completed their
secondary education in the TRNC and received a GCE AL, and such applicants who
completed their secondary educations between 2005 and 2010 in another country and
received a GCE AL);
e) Turkish citizens who completed their secondary educations at a school within Turkey that is
either affiliated with the Embassy of a foreign country or that is a foreign high school (this
provision also applies to applicants with dual citizenship whose Turkish citizenship results
from being born in Turkey).

Online Application Platform

Article 6 – (1) Details regarding the application process will be available on the university's web page at
the beginning of the Application period. Applications will be carried out on the University’s online
application platform. Applications failed to be delivered within the deadlines or failed to show all the
necessary documents for application cannot be processed.

The application documents should be uploaded to the university’s application system; the applications
via fax, mail or e-mail will not be accepted. Accepted students must submit the originals of the
documents at the time of enrolment.

Necessary Documents for Application:

Article 7 – (1) Students are required the following documents in the application;

a) Verified copy of high school diploma. (If it is not in Turkish or English, verified translated copy
in one of these languages will be attached. The School, Embassy, Consulate or Notary Public can
be the authority that verifies the copy of the diploma.)

b) 2) Exam Score Document: Verified copy of the exam result used for application. (The School,
Embassy, Consulate or Notary Public may be the verification authority).

3
 c) 3) Application form: It should be completed online during application. The printed, and signed
form should be submitted during the enrolment if admitted.
d) 4) The photocopy of the page of the passport with the photograph of the candidate, as well as the
page bearing the passport expiry date, if not provided on the passport photo page.
e) 5) High school transcripts showing all courses taken and grades received. (The official transcript
certified by the high school should be submitted during enrolment if admitted).

Completion of Admission and Position Securing

Article 8 – (1) All accepted students need to transfer a pre-registration tuition fee deposit (or pre-
registration dormitory fee deposit for students not subject to tuition fee payments) within the 7 days
following the announcement of their admission status in order to secure their position at AGU. This pre-
registration deposit will then be deducted from their Tuition or Accommodation fee, depending on their
nationality or scholarship situation, if any was granted. If no payment was made within the 7 days
following the announcement of the student’s admission status, the University will consider that the
student would have withdrawn his right as accepted student, and has therefore the right to offer the
vacated position to another eligible student.

Abdullah Gül University pre-registration deposits according to Faculties:

Faculty Pre-registration Deposit

Minimum one-semester tuition
Faculty of Engineering
fee or 4-month dorms fee
Minimum one-semester tuition
Faculty of Architecture
fee or 4-month dorms fee
Minimum one-semester tuition
Faculty of Life and Natural Sciences
fee or 4-month dorms fee
Minimum one-semester tuition
Faculty of Management
fee or 4-month dorms fee

Students who are not subject to tuition fee payment (such as Syrian nationals or scholarship awardees)
will be required to pay a pre-registration deposit of minimum 4-month dorms fee instead, which will
then be deducted from their dorms fees (or refunded after registration if the student is staying off-
campus).

In case students are not able to pay their pre-registration deposit in Turkish Lira (TRY), they may
transfer minimum one-semester tuition fee payment or 4-month dorms fee payment as a deposit to the
University US Dollar bank account instead.

Payments in US Dollars will be converted to TRY in the beginning of the month following the reception
of the payment, using the University’s bank conversion rate.

(2) Abdullah Gül University policy on refunds

The pre-registration tuition or accommodation fee deposits used to secure the seat offered to accepted
students is strictly non-refundable. No post-securing cancelation reason, including visa denial or delay,
may lead to a refund.

Students who have secured their seat at Abdullah Gül University via the payment of the pre-registration
deposit understand and accept the University’s no refund policy.

4
Assessment of Applications

Article 9 – (1) Assessment of applications and the placement of candidates are at the discretion of the
Abdullah Gül University. Those with exam scores below the limits determined by the University
Administration and those who do not comply with other application conditions are not considered for
application process. Applications are evaluated according to the rules determined by the University
Administration under the condition that the quota would not exceed 35% of the total allocation for the
Turkish students.

Admission Results and Waiting List

Article 10 – (1) The final list of accepted students will be published on the University’s website at the
end of the application period along with an official waiting list to be used in case of withdrawal of an
accepted student.

(2) A letter of acceptance will be sent to candidates who are eligible for registration by the relevant unit.
Using this letter, candidates are required to obtain their Turkish Student Visa ("Education Visa") from a
Turkish Embassy. This visa is necessary to enter Turkey and register to the university.

(3) In case of any sort of written cancellation of previously accepted students and their withdrawal from
their rights as accepted students, the University will then contact waiting list students to offer them the
vacated positions.

Application for Scholarships

Article 11 – (1) All accepted students are considered for the award of the “Free Tuition Scholarships”
AGU created for its International Students (covering the tuition fee of the student).
The above-stated scholarship will be awarded by the AGU Scholarship Committee based on a fair point
system.
This scholarship is awarded to Faculty students only and will cover the entire duration of the program
the student applied for.
A scholarship will automatically be suspended if the awardee does not maintain his/her CGPA above
2.0.

English Language Proficiency Exams accepted by AGU

Article 12 – (1) English is the language of instruction at Abdullah Gül University with the exception of
foreign languages classes.
International applicants therefore must show proof of English proficiency in order to be accepted into
one of the University’s Faculties. If applicants fail to show proof of one of the following English
Proficiency exams, they can still receive admission and be registered into the University’s Language
School until their English level is considered sufficient by the Language School to study at the Faculty
level.

a) TOEFL: Test of English as a Foreign Language

− TOEFL (PBT) 537, TWE 4.0
− Computer based TOEFL (CBT) 203, TWE 4.0
− İnternet based TOEFL (IBT) 75, TWE 19

TOEFL scores are submitted to AGU via the official ETS website with AGU’s Institution (DI) Code
(B426).

5
 b) İMS: Abdullah Gül University English Proficiency Exam (To be taken in AGU in September
2018)
Students will take 5 skill-based exams (Listening, Speaking, Writing, Reading, Linguistic
Aptitude) graded out of 5 points (Total 25 points) and need a minimum of 24 to pass.

c) Students who have completed high school 100% in English may be exempted from the AGU-
IMS exam by either providing valid Cambridge or Edexcel GCE A- or AS-Level certificates (see
our GCE validity requirements on page 8), or by submitting a letter, signed and stamped by a
high school official, stating that the student completed all high school years in their institution
and that their medium of instruction is 100% English.

Registration

Article 13– (1) All students are required to submit the originals of the following documents during the
enrolment:

a) Original High School Diploma and Exam Results

b) Acceptance Letter sent by AGU
c) Equivalency Diploma/Certificate (Denklik Belgesi)
d) Valid Passport and a copy of it
e) 4 Color Photos: 4,5 x 3,5 cm biometric photos must have been taken in the past 6 months
f) Bank Receipt of the Paid Semester Tuition Fee (or paid dormitory fee)
g) English Language Exam
h) A proof of Health Insurance Plan covering the student in Turkey from the registration date until
the January following registration to the University (at least).

SECTION THREE

Miscellaneous and Final Provisions

Health Insurance

Article 14 – (1) Students who have been admitted to the University are required to obtain health
insurance unless they have social security that is valid in Turkey. International students should apply to
SGK for General Health Insurance within three months after their registration to the University.
Otherwise, they will not be able to apply later until the end of their studies.

Responsibilities of International Students

Article 15 - (1) International students who come to Turkey for studying are responsible for;

a) Completing procedures and obtaining the required documents according to Turkish laws,

b) Informing the International Office and Registrar’s Office within 15 days about the changes in their
personal or academic situation,

6
c) Renewing their residence permit and health insurance within the legal given time during their studies,

d) Informing the relevant offices and obtaining new copies in case of a loss of their passport or residence
permit cards.

Conditions for which provisions do not exist in this Directive

Article 16 – (1) In conditions for which provisions do not exist in this Directive, the provisions of the
University’s other regulations apply.

Validity

Article 17 – (1) This Directive is effective as of University Board Decision.

Implementation

Article 18– (1) This Directive is implemented by the Rector of Abdullah Gül University.