English as a Second Language Program
Program Lead: Udambor Bumandalai
Phone: (435) 283-7443
Email: udambor.bumandalai@snow.edu
Snow College has one of the best English language programs in the Western United States. With its small classes, convenient campus, and excellent teachers, Snow College offers some real advantages over larger schools.
Snow College ESL classes are divided into four levels. Students attend classes five days a week for four or five hours a day. At Snow you will improve your skills in grammar, listening, reading, writing, and speaking.
| Session | Program Dates | Mandatory New Student Orientation | Final Exam |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall Session 1 | Aug. 27 – Oct. 16 | August 23 – 24 | Oct. 15 – 16 |
| Fall Session 2 | Oct. 22 – Dec. 13 | October 21 | Dec. 10 – 13 |
| Spring Session 1 | Jan. 8 – Feb. 27 | January 6-7 | Feb. 26 – 27 |
| Spring Session 2 | Mar. 11 – May 1 | March 10 | Apr. 28 – May 1 |
| Summer | May 12 – July 3 | May 9 | July 2 – 3 |
Mission Statement
The ESL Program prepares students of limited English proficiency to become fully engaged in the Snow College community. Through innovative and conventional methodologies, the ESL program fulfills this mission. The ESL program continues to build on the excellent reputation it has enjoyed since its beginning in 1978.
Placement Policies
Students whose native language is not English are matriculated into regular academic courses in one of two ways. Students may not change tracks once they have been admitted.
Track One: Unconditional Admission
In order to qualify for this track, students whose native language is not English may be admitted unconditionally to Snow College. In order to qualify for this track, students must graduate from a secondary school, submit a score of at least 63 iBT (15 on each of the four sections) on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or 6.0 on the IELTS, 100 or higher on Duolingo and satisfy a writing requirement. The writing requirement may be satisfied in one of two ways: students may pass ESL 1051 (a required course for all students whose native language is not English) with a B (85%) or better, or they may take the Test of Written English (TWE) and submit a score of 4 or higher. After meeting these requirements, Track One students will be allowed to register as full-time academic students.
Track Two: Conditional Admission
Students whose native language is not English may be admitted conditionally to Snow College. In order to qualify for this track, students must graduate from a secondary school, but do not need to submit a standardized test score for their English language proficiency level. Students in this track are admitted directly into the ESL program. Students whose Duolingo score is below 100, TOEFL score is below 63 iBT or 500 PBT, or IELTS score below 6.0 are automatically admitted to this track. All students in this track are given a placement test prior to arrival at Snow College. A non-refundable $25 fee is required for the placement exam. Payment is made online through Flywire .
After taking the placement test, Track Two students are placed into one of four different levels. Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3 students take a full-time ESL curriculum. These students do not take regular academic classes. Level 4 students are permitted to take one or two academic classes (up to 4 credits) depending on their academic history, advisor's recommendation, credit hours, academic courses, and the academic instructor's recommendation.
Exit Criteria
Students in the Snow College ESL Program must satisfy two criteria before exiting the ESL program and matriculate as full-time academic students. They must pass all their required ESL courses with a minimum grade of B (85%) or higher, and they must achieve a minimum score of 65 on the Oral Language Proficiency Interview (OLPI) Test. This test is administered to all Level 4 students each session until they achieve the minimum required score and matriculate as regular, full-time students of the college.
