There has been a growing awareness and concern in recent years about the language proficiency and academic preparedness of refugee/immigrant students at the post-secondary level. Using this population at the General College, University of Minnesota, as subjects, this paper investigate's the relationship between English language proficiency, as measured by standardized language proficiency tests, educational background in L1 and L2, length of residency in the United States, and academic success, as measured by second-year grade point average. Subjects were 52 students enrolled in an academic "bridge" program for refugee/immigrant students at the University of Minnesota. Basic information was collected about the students from various sources: the Michigan English Language Assessment Battery (MELAB); a school profile questionnaire; the Michigan Test of English Language Proficiency; the Michigan Aural Comprehensive Test; and test scores on various academic aptitude examinations. Results showed a negative correlation between years of education completed in the United States, length of residency in the United States and academic success. The most important predictor of academic success was the number of years of schooling completed in the student's native country, followed by the student's objective test score on the MELAB. Results suggest that the refugee/immigrant students at highest risk at the post-secondary level are those who experienced interruption in their education and completed high school in the United States. Implications of these findings and directions for future research are discussed. (Contains 56 references.) (GLR)