Pre-Academic Transitions
The Pre-Academic Transitions (Pre-AT) curriculum is meant for students who need additional time to improve their English skills before beginning the Academic Transitions program.
Students in Pre-AT participate in special courses and activities that help them to build the language and academic skills needed in order to advance to AT, such as:
- Academic reading, writing, grammar, and vocabulary
- Actively participating in class discussions
- Writing academic essays using a variety of styles
Questions? Email CAPadmissions@udel.edu.
Minimum English Level
- When applying for the program, students who submit a TOEFL score lower than 64 or an IELTS score lower than 5.0 will be placed in Pre-AT. Learn more about placement.
- Students who did not submit an accepted test score and who test into a level between beginner and high-intermediate on the ELI’s placement exam will be placed in Pre-AT.
Price
Duration
The Pre-AT curriculum lasts 2 months for each level.
The length of time you will spend in the AT program depends on where you begin and whether you continue through AT3.
ADVANCING LEVELS
It is very important that students make academic progress to be in good standing at the ELI and to maintain their visa status. Students pass to the next level demonstrating their ability to meet or exceed the majority of learning outcomes at 73% or above (C or higher) for that level. If the average of a student's grades is below a C at the end of a session, they will repeat that level and be on academic probation for the next session.
Session Calendar
Academic Year 2025-2026
| Sessions | Orientation Dates** | Start Date | End Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Session 3 2026 — 7 weeks | January 5, 2026 | January 5, 2026 | February 20, 2026 |
| Session 4 2026 — 8 weeks | February 26–27, 2026 | March 2, 2026 | April 24, 2026 |
| Session 5 2026 — 7 weeks | April 30–May 1, 2026 | May 4, 2026 | June 18, 2026 |
| Session 6 2026 — 7 weeks | June 25-26, 2026 | June 29, 2026 | August 14 2026 |
| Session 1 2026 — 8 weeks | August 19-21, 2026 | August 24, 2026 | October 16, 2026 |
| Session 2 2026 — 7 weeks | October 15-16, 2026 | October 19, 2026 | December 11, 2026 |
Note about holidays:
The ELI follows the UD policy regarding religious observances.
A comprehensive list of observances can be found on Interfaith Calendar http://www.interfaith-calendar.org/.
