We know you might have a lot of questions about studying at Saint Louis University, especially if it will be your first year of college. We've provided answers to questions we frequently hear below.
SLU-Madrid's response to COVID-19
General Questions
SLU-Madrid has remained open continuously since the fall 2020 term, thanks to the collaboration of our entire campus community to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission on campus. Students safely returned to in-person classes, attended classes online or combined both modalities. Going forward, we will continue to provide guidance to study abroad and degree-seeking students as they prepare for their studies in Madrid.
The Spanish government updates a list of high-risk countries and travel restrictions and requirements every week. Always check potential restrictions in both Spain and your country of origin.
SLU-Madrid suggests that all students provide proof of full-time student status, either via a valid student visa (non-EU passport holders) or a copy of their admission letter (EU citizens).
We are monitoring this situation closely and will email students with any major changes.
As of June 11, 2021, Spain and the European Union are not requiring vaccinations for students to initiate or continue their studies. Therefore, SLU-Madrid does not currently require that students get the COVID-19 vaccination. Please note that a vaccination record and/or booster may be required for entrance into Spain.
The burden of staying safe on campus is largely vested in our student population and their commitment to protecting our community. If you are eligible, please consider getting one of the COVID-19 vaccinations that has been approved by the European Union (Pfizer-Biontech, Moderna, Astra-Zeneca, Jansen/Johnson&Johnson, Sinovac or Sinopharm), or completing your booster.
Yes, campus is open, and we gladly accept visitors! Please fill out the Campus Visit form, or send us an email at admissions-madrid@slu.edu to schedule.
If you're a prospective student but can't make it to campus, let's connect virtually! We've updated resources on our Virtual Visit page, and we have frequent information sessions in both English and Spanish so that you can learn more about us. Follow and interact with us on social media (@slumadrid on Instagram) to find out about our community and life on campus.
We are confident that we can hold in-person classes but have a contingency plan in place in the event that local or national restrictions prevent us from holding in-person classes.
Fall 2022 First-year and Transfer Applicants
Yes, we welcome your application for fall 2022 if you are an EU passport holder. You'll find us on the Common Application, or you can choose to apply through our SLU application. Please note that the application deadline has passed for students who require a Spanish student visa, but we encourage you to consider submitting an application for spring 2023.
We understand the difficulties of studying online at home during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Admission decisions can be made with the coursework and grades provided on a seven-semester transcript. Final transcripts are due prior to registration for the second semester at SLU.
If you chose to postpone enrollment, take a gap year or take courses closer to home, please include information about this in your application. Any university-level courses should be disclosed and transcripts sent to SLU for transfer credit and merit scholarship consideration.
SLU-Madrid is ACT/SAT test-optional for students in the U.S. secondary system. We want you to focus on the contributions you can make to campus, not how well you tested on an exam. As admission decisions are holistic, we will use the academic performance average of grades 9-12 (or local equivalent) to make merit scholarship decisions in addition to reviewing your essay, letters of recommendation and any other supporting documents.
No. We will honor AP/IB scores as they have amended their policies due to COVID-19. You can reference our AP/IB credits transfer page to see what credits will be awarded by score.
Yes, as long as they appear on an official transcript from the high school or college.
Generally secondary schools can submit documentation through a digital document system like Parchment. If electronic submission is impossible, we will accept electronic documents directly from a school official, such as a college/career counselor.
Yes. SLU-Madrid accepts Duolingo scores as proof of language proficiency for admission to the university. However, for placement into the appropriate English classes a TOEFL or IELTS are preferred to see university-level academic English. Students who only present a Duolingo will need to take a TOEFL prior to entry or during orientation for placement.
Admitted and Confirmed 2022 students (First-Year, Transfer and Study Abroad)
No. We recognize the significant stresses of this school year, and changes in your GPA after admission to the University will be evaluated in light of the COVID-19 situation.
Yes. Degree-seeking students can defer their admission and scholarship (if applicable) for up to one full academic year. Please email the Office of Admissions if you choose to do so.
Yes, your scholarship would move to the deferred semester. If you were to take more than 24 university credits at another institution before coming to SLU, your application for admission would be re-reviewed as a transfer applicant, and you would be considered for transfer scholarships.
We recognize that the current public health crisis may bring unexpected financial hardships to students and their families, and we are committed to supporting students during this challenging time. We encourage students facing financial hardships to contact the Office of Financial Aid at financialaid-madrid@slu.edu.
Yes. See the tuition reimbursement schedule found on our Tuition and Fees page under Class Refund Policy. SLU-Madrid can also defer your confirmation fee and housing fees to a future semester or process a refund.
If you take classes at an accredited institution in the American university system, we can generally review courses for transfer credits. We can assist in identifying the courses you should take to ensure that they would transfer. If you take more than 24 credits at the university level (after graduating from high school), we will review your application again as a transfer student.
SLU-Madrid provides visa documentation that includes an official letter of invitation, an official document stating specifics of the program of study and proof of non-deductible health insurance. Students who do not hold a European Union or U.S. passport will need to make payment for one full semester's tuition for SLU-Madrid to issue your student visa documentation. If your consulate remains closed or is not processing student visas, we suggest deferring your enrollment by a semester.
Those in possession of a student visa issued by a Spanish consulate are able to travel to and enter Spain, so long as they are not experiencing any symptoms of COVID-19 and have completed the travel requirements in place, which you can find on the Spain Travel Health page.
However, if you are unable to obtain a student visa due to consulate closures or cannot travel, please contact the Office of Admissions at admissions-madrid@slu.edu to speak about options for deferral or a refund.
Traveling to Spain as a minor depends on two factors: your nationality and when you turn 18.
While your consulate is the best source of visa requirements, additional information is available on our Visas for Spain page.
Students in possession of a student visa for Spain may enter the country up to 15 days before the start of their semester. As a reminder, you must apply for a residency card within 30 days of entry to the EU, so SLU-Madrid does not recommend arriving outside of this time frame.
All travelers to Spain must complete a health control form no earlier than 48 hours prior to departure, either via spth.gob.es or the Spain Travel Health app. The website and the app will allow you to generate a QR form to be checked by the airline company prior to departure to Spain. You must also show this QR code at your point of entry in Spain.
In addition, all travelers must have one of the following:
- A certificate of vaccination issued by authorities of your country of origin from
within 14 days after the date of administration of the last dose of the complete vaccination
schedule and no more than 270 days since your last dosage or booster. This includes
the EU digital COVID certificate, the CDC vaccination card or a similar verification.
The vaccines accepted shall be those authorized by the European Medicines Agency or those that have completed the World Health Organization's emergency use process. Currently, these vaccines are those produced by Pfizer-Biontech, Moderna, Astra-Zeneca, Jansen/Johnson&Johnson, Sinovac and Sinopharm.
Or
- A negative Active Infection Diagnostic Test (AIDT) prior to arrival in Spain. The tests that are currently accepted are PCR test (RT-PCR of COVID-19), a Reverse Transcription Loop-Medicated Isothermal Amplification (RT-LAMP) or Transcription-Mediated Amplification (TMA) tests taken no more than 72 hours prior to departure. Rapid antigen tests (RAT) are now accepted if taken no more than 24 hours prior to departure.
Or
- A certificate of immunity if you have fully recovered from COVID-19 in the last six months.
It is each student's responsibility to be aware of national and local restrictions at the time of intended travel to Spain; restrictions can and do change frequently.
Note that those traveling from a country or territory considered to be a low incidence or risk-free zone, may be able to enter Spain without the need of one of the aforementioned documents.
Spain's vaccination and booster campaigns have been successful, with a large percentage of the population over 12 having received all three shots. As of Feb. 1, 2022, a booster shot is not required in Spain, but we strongly urge you to get boosted if your last round was more than 270 days ago. You may get the booster after 150 days (Pfizer and Moderna) or 90 days (Jansen and AstraZeneca) from your last dose.