Main Campus Admission

Application Procedures

The Mount seeks students who can benefit from our academic program and contribute positively to our community. Candidates for freshman admission to the University should have followed a four-year college preparatory course of study, including the specific coursework listed below, and be students of good character.

All first-year student  offers of admission and merit scholarships are based on a holistic, personalized review utilizing a weighted GPA calculated through junior year of high school, supporting application materials, and demonstrated interest in attending. Required items are: official high school transcript, at least one (1) academic letter of recommendation. Optional items are: Personal essay, additional letters of recommendation, resume, standardized test scores. Please see below for Mount St. Mary’s full Test Optional Policy.

All offers of acceptance are conditional, and are subject to review. An offer may be rescinded based on conduct or academic achievement inconsistent with the original application. A criminal history is not disqualifying for admissions to the university.

All students, regardless of the type of application used, will receive the same consideration for admission.

Before enrolling in classes at Mount St. Mary’s University as a degree seeking student, a student must provide their final official transcripts (including proof of high school graduation for first-year students).

The University will also consider students who have completed a recognized equivalent in place of a high school diploma, as well as students who are beyond the age of compulsory attendance.  Appropriate documentation of academic history must be provided.

Freshman Admission

Students seeking regular admission as a first-time college student should submit their application to the University as early as possible in the senior year, but no later than March 1. Admissions decisions are made on a rolling basis. Applications received after March 1 will be considered on a space-available basis. However, students whose files remain incomplete after due dates for credentials submission have passed will be withdrawn from admissions consideration.

Students who have identified Mount St. Mary’s as one of their top choices may choose to apply for admission under the Early Action Program. These students must submit all the application materials, including high school transcript through the junior year and additional materials (see requirements under Regular Freshman Admission) by November 1 of the student’s senior year. The Admissions Committee will evaluate the application and inform the student of its decision no later than December 25. Note that this early notification plan is nonbinding and, for those offered admission, does not require a response before the standard candidates’ reply date of May 1.

In order to be considered for admission, we require that students submit a completed online application. We also request the following additional pieces as part of a student’s application package:

• An official high school transcript(s) should be sent directly from your high school to the Admissions office. Your high school may send it electronically through an official transcript sending service. We recommend that students complete a minimum of 4 years of English, 3 years each of mathematics and science, 2 years of one foreign language, and 3 years of social studies/history (required).
• High school counselor or teacher recommendation (required).
• Test scores from the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) and/or the American College Testing program (ACT) and/or the Classic Learning Test (CLT). Either direct results from the testing agency or results included on official school transcripts are acceptable. The University’s SAT code is 5421, and its ACT number is 1726  (optional).
• Personal statement or essay (optional)
• Resume or list of activities/leadership/employment/athletics/service (optional).

Test Optional Policy

In Fall 2019, and effective for the students applying to start in Fall 2020, Mount St. Mary’s has adopted a test optional policy. This decision was made in order to align admissions practice with the university’s mission and history as a liberal arts institution, as well as to remove barriers to access and promote equity. The university wishes to attract students who flourish in conversation with each other and the global community, and seek to become ethical leaders living lives of significance. We believe that standardized test scores do not accurately represent many students, especially those from historically underserved and underrepresented populations, and do not accurately predict success in the student-centric and collaborative academic experience central to the Mount.

All first year student applicants (except for homeschool and international applicants) are eligible for admissions and scholarships without submitting their scores, but may do so if they believe their scores add to their overall academic story. International students who are in a non-English language based high school curriculum must submit either SAT, ACT, TOEFL or IELTS scores. Homeschool students must submit either SAT, ACT, CLT scores or a transcript from an accredited college  showing at least 12 completed credits.

Division I athletes will still be required to submit their test scores to the NCAA to determine eligibility, but these scores are not required to receive an admissions decision or merit scholarship.

Campus Visits

We strongly encourage prospective students to visit the Mount campus. While we welcome visitors throughout the year, we recommend that students visit when the University is in session. We are happy to arrange a campus tour, which are led by current Mount students, as well as coordinate individual appointments for meetings with faculty, coaches, or other administrative offices such as Financial Aid, Accounting & Finance, and the Registrar’s Office as well.

Please go to www.msmary.edu/visit or call the Admissions Office at 800-448-4347 to make arrangements for your visit. While a personal interview is not a required part of the admission process, it can be helpful in providing us a more complete and personal understanding of you as an individual.

Advanced Placement

For those who have taken Advanced Placement Tests through College Board, the University will grant appropriate credit; course waivers and credit are determined by the test grade and existing University policy. These credits may apply to major, minor, elective or some of the core curriculum requirements and will be recorded on the University transcript with a grade of Pass (P) when the official report is received from College Board. Generally, AP grades of three or better will receive University course credit. The AP credit policy is listed below.

*Students who receive a score of 5 may opt to continue the study of the language at the 300 level and be eligible for six additional credits of prior learning.

International Baccalaureate

To students who have achieved scores of 4 or higher, Mount St. Mary’s awards credit for higher level exams only. Actual distribution of credit will be determined on a case by case basis.

Dual/Concurrent Enrollment

Students who are taking college courses while concurrently enrolled in high school will be granted appropriate credit. These credits may apply to major, minor, elective or core curriculum requirements and will be recorded on the University transcript with a grade of Pass (P) when the official transcript is received directly from the institution granting the grade/credit. Regardless of the number of college credits earned while a high school student a student will still be considered for first year student admission.

Transfer Students

Mount St. Mary’s welcomes transfer students coming from either a two or four year regionally accredited institution who wish to continue their education. Students who have enrolled in courses at another college or university after the completion of high school are considered transfer students. We welcome students for both the fall and spring semesters. Students must be in good academic and disciplinary standing, and be eligible to return to the institution from which the student is transferring. Generally, transfers are required to have a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.5 on a 4.0 scale.

Students who wish to transfer need to keep in mind that at least half of the credits in the major and minor fields and certain core curriculum courses should be taken at the Mount. (In any case, a minimum of 30 credit hours must be completed at Mount St. Mary’s as a graduation requirement.) No more than 75 credits will be accepted for transfer.

The University tries to be flexible with respect to core curricular requirements for transfer students. Courses from the students’ previous institutions may fulfill many of the University’s core requirements.

Transfer students will receive a preliminary evaluation of their remaining core and major requirements. All traditional academic courses from accredited institutions are eligible for transfer; no remedial or developmental courses will be considered. Only grades of C- or higher will be accepted for transfer; all courses transferred are listed on the transcript with a grade of Pass (P) and are not counted in the cumulative average.

Transfer students should submit all application materials by June 1 for fall entrance or by December 1 for spring entrance. An application for transfer admission should include:

Completed and submitted transfer application.

A final official copy of your secondary-school transcript. (This is typically waived for those who have been out of high school 10 or more years.)

Official transcripts are required from each post-secondary institution.

At least one letter of recommendation from a professor who has taught you in an academic course; if not, then at least one personal recommendation (an employer, for example).

The Admissions Office will normally notify transfer applicants of its decision within two weeks of the completion of the application. Scholarships are awarded on a competitive basis and are determined at the time of your admissions decision. Transfer applications received after the deadlines will be considered on a space-available basis.

Undergraduate Non-Degree Seeking Students

Mount St. Mary’s University undergraduate programs offer undergraduate courses for individuals interested in non-degree studies for continuing education, professional development, personal enrichment or as a visiting college or high school student. Up to twenty-four credits taken as a non-degree seeking student may apply towards degree requirements for an undergraduate degree. Students must take pre-requisites specified. Students who have never taken coursework at Mount St. Mary’s University must complete the non-degree seeking undergraduate application prior to registering for courses.

International Students

Mount St. Mary’s seeks and encourages the cultural diversity that international students bring to the campus. Each year we enroll a number of international students, and approximately one dozen different countries are represented in the student body.

International students normally apply as freshmen and should meet the March 1 application deadline for fall entrance.

International applicants should submit the completed freshman application form, along with an international transcript evaluation. Mount St. Mary’s now uses SpanTran, an accredited international evaluator to translate international transcripts into an American grading scale so that we can best assess your candidacy. Please note that we require the course-by-course evaluation option when using this service.

International students for whom English is not the native language are required to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). A minimum score of 550 on the paper-based test, 83 on the internet-based test, or 80 on the computer-based test is necessary to be considered for admission.

Once offered admission, international students who will enroll must provide:

• A certified bank statement or affidavit of support documenting that adequate funds are available to pay the full educational and living expenses in the United States for each year of enrollment. Limited academic scholarships, ranging in amount up to but not more than about one-third of the total budget of educational and living costs, may be available to international applicants with especially strong academic credentials and TOEFL and SAT results.
• A Mount St. Mary’s medical form, indicating completion of the required United States immunizations, as well as immunizations required by the native country.

See the Registrar’s webpage for more information on requirements for international students: www.msmary.edu/academics/registrar/student-visas.html

Veterans and Military Personnel

Mount St. Mary’s is authorized by the Maryland Higher Education Commission to accept for full-time or part-time study veterans who have met the admissions standards of the University.

Veterans are required to abide by the regulations of the Department of Veteran Affairs as well as those of the University.

The University Registrar serves as the VA-certifying official. Newly enrolled students who are eligible to receive veteran benefits should contact the University Registrar at the outset of their studies.

Mount St. Mary’s University participates in the Yellow Ribbon program. Students in the Yellow Ribbon program will have 100% of their tuition and fees paid from a combination of VA funds and Mount St. Mary’s funds.  The students are not eligible to receive funds from either source in excess of tuition and fees.  For information, contact the University Registrar at 301-447-5215 or va.emmitsburg@msmary.edu.

Mount St. Mary’s adopts and supports the Principles of Excellence for service members, veterans, spouses, and family members. This covers key areas relating to federal military and veteran educational benefits programs.

Residency Age Policy

Students who are 16 years of age or younger or who are 23 years of age or older at the time they will be living on campus must request permission in writing to reside on campus. These requests must be submitted to the Dean of Students or designee in writing and will be handled on a case by case basis. Mount St. Mary’s University requires this formal request to advise appropriate housing placement for individuals meeting the criteria described above. Students permitted to reside on campus who are 16 years of age or younger or 23 years of age or older may be subject to semester reviews where residential eligibility is examined, and Mount St. Mary’s University reserves the right to make housing decisions based on individual circumstances.