Please note: This is NOT the most current catalog.
Admissions Procedures
http://www.stolaf.edu/admissions/
St. Olaf encourages applications from all interested persons
and seeks to assemble a student body which reflects a variety of geographic,
cultural, economic, racial, ethnic and religious backgrounds. We seek
to fill each class with a diverse and energetic group of students who
are eager to undertake the challenges of a liberal arts education. We
admit those we believe will have a successful experience and in determining
admission we consider academic achievement, academic aptitude and personal
qualifications as well as leadership and significant involvement in
school and community.
If you have questions about the application process please
contact the Admissions Office at (800) 800-3025. Many students find
a campus visit helpful in their search for a college. If you would like
information about scheduling a campus visit, please contact the campus
visit coordinator at 800-ASKOLAF (800) 275-6523.
RECOMMENDED PREPARATION
A secondary school program combining breadth and depth
is an excellent preparation for study at St. Olaf. Advanced Placement
or enriched courses, when available, are particularly helpful. We recommend
a program of study that includes the following:
- Four years of English;
- Three to four years of mathematics;
- Two to three years of natural science;
- Three to four years of social studies; and
- Two to three years of the same second language, including
study in the senior year.
We advise students to pursue an academically rigorous
high school program that emphasizes creativity, writing and critical
analysis. Analytic and quantitative skills developed in such courses
as trigonometry and pre-calculus are important for all students. In
addition, we encourage students to take academic electives such as computer
science, economics, the fine arts, geography, journalism, sociology,
speech and world history. Keyboarding, word processing, health and physical
education, while valued, are not substitutes for academic subjects.
Students who have not pursued the program of studies suggested
above but who are looking for a challenging academic program are encouraged
to arrange to meet with an admissions representative. Careful attention
is given to each application and explanations of special circumstances
are appreciated. St. Olaf offers entry-level courses designed to meet
the diverse needs and qualifications of entering students.
Application Requirements
In making admission decisions, each application is reviewed on its merits,
without regard to financial need. Applicants to St. Olaf must submit:
- A $35 application fee.
- The St. Olaf Application for Admission, available from
the Admissions Office, or the Common Application, available from high
school guidance offices or online at www.stolaf.edu/admissions/onlineapp.
(St. Olaf is among the colleges that accept the Common Application
(CA) form, either paper or on-line. Students using the CA are assured
of the same consideration given to applicants who use the St. Olaf
form. St. Olaf applicants using the Common Application must also submit
the St. Olaf Common Application Supplement which is available from
the Admissions Office.)
- An official transcript from an accredited high school
or equivalent (see below). This transcript should include grades as
follows:
- Early Decision: Through the junior year
- Early Action: Through first quarter or first trimester
of the senior year
- Regular Decision: Through first semester or second trimester
of the senior year
- Scores from either the American College Test (ACT)
or the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT1) (see below). Please consult
the Admissions Office if you have any questions.
- Two letters of recommendation from teachers of academic
subjects. Candidates are also welcome to submit personal recommendations
from coaches, music instructors, pastors and others who know the candidate
well, but such recommendations are optional.
HIGH SCHOOL TRANSCRIPT
An official transcript of the high school academic record
should be sent by the high school to the Office of Admissions. The transcript
must show the record of completed high school work, rank in class (where
provided) and aptitude test scores. This transcript should include grades
as follows:
Early Decision: Through the junior year (courses
in progress senior year)
Early Action: Through first quarter or first trimester
of the senior year
Regular Decision: Through first semester or second
trimester of the senior year
COLLEGE ENTRANCE TESTS
Anxiety about test scores is a significant concern for
many college applicants. Often this anxiety is inappropriate for St.
Olaf applicants. Of the academic factors considered, the single most
important is the achievement record as shown by the candidate's high
school transcript. Test results are an important, but clearly secondary,
factor. Applicants are advised to take either the ACT or SAT early in
the college admissions process, but preferably not later than January
of the senior year. High school guidance offices have information on
the tests, test dates, testing centers, and registration procedures.
TYPES OF APPLICATION
Three types of application — Early Decision, Early
Action, and Regular Decision — are available to students:
- Early Decision Application
Candidates for whom St. Olaf is the first choice may choose to apply
under Early Decision. Under Early Decision, qualified candidates who
apply by November 15 of the senior year in high school will receive
an admission decision mailed by December 15. Early Decision is a commitment
application process which means that Early Decision candidates agree
that St. Olaf is their first choice and that an offer of admission
will be accepted within ten days of notification of admission or within
ten days of a financial aid decision and that the candidate will not
initiate any new applications at other colleges upon committing to
St. Olaf. Early Decision candidates must take the SAT or ACT before,
or very early in, the senior year so that the test results will reach
the college no later than November 15. St. Olaf expects that all candidates
who apply under Early Decision will honor their commitments. Students
who do not feel that they can honestly abide by the requests made
under Early Decision should apply under our Early Action or Regular
Application procedure. Candidates who are unsure as to whether or
not Early Decision is appropriate should contact the Admissions Office
for more information.
- Early Action
Candidates who wish to be considered for the Buntrock Regent Scholarship
(the top academic scholarship at St. Olaf) or who are interested in
earlier notification of admission should apply under Early Action.
Early Action candidates must complete their application by December
15 of the senior year. Early Action admission decisions will be mailed
on February 1. High School transcripts for Early Action candidates
must include grades from first quarter or first trimester of the senior
year.
- Regular Application
Candidates not applying under Early Decision or Early Action will
be considered for admission using our regular application procedure.
Regular Application candidates may apply at any point during their
senior year, but are encouraged to apply no later than February 1
to receive full consideration by the admissions committee. Second
trimester or fall semester grades must have been received by the Admissions
Office before an application will be reviewed. Admission decisions
are sent on a rolling basis beginning March 1.
ADMISSION TO THE BACHELOR OF MUSIC
PROGRAM
St. Olaf holds individual auditions for students who apply
to the Bachelor of Music program or who wish to be considered for a
music scholarship. Candidates must submit a taped audition by January
15 of the senior year. For more information about auditions, contact
the Music Department at (507) 646-3297. Students applying to the Bachelor
of Music program must be admitted to the college prior to admission
to the Bachelor of Music Degree. Bachelor of Music candidates may use
any of the types of application including Early Decision, Early Action,
or Regular Decision.
ADMISSION OF TRANSFER STUDENTS
College courses completed in accredited liberal arts colleges
and universities may be transferred toward a St. Olaf degree. Students
who transfer to St. Olaf from other colleges are required to follow
the regular application procedure and submit an official college transcript
for each college attended and a completed dean's form (available from
the St. Olaf Admissions Office) from the dean of students of their most
recent college or university. After the official transcript is submitted
to the Office of Admissions, the assistant registrar will provide the
transfer applicant with a written evaluation of credits accepted by
St. Olaf.
A maximum of 18 courses may be transferred. St. Olaf requires a residency
of 17 courses over the equivalent of two years. The grades earned at
other institutions are entered on the St. Olaf record but are not calculated
in the St. Olaf Grade Point Average.
"Transfer Courses and Credits," as follows and
in the Academic Regulations section of this catalog, contains important
information about limitations on future transfer courses taken at other
colleges after a student transfers to St. Olaf. Transfer students should
also refer to the credit scale printed later in this chapter. Questions
should be directed to the Office of the Registrar at (507) 646-3015.
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
The Office of Admissions welcomes applications from American
and international students from around the world. A minimum TOEFL score
of 550 on the paper-based exam and 213 on the computer-based exam is
required for non-U.S. citizens seeking admission. The application deadline
is February 1 for admission the following September.
Services to international students include airport pickups,
special orientation sessions, peer counselors, intercultural programs,
friendship family program and academic, financial and U.S. Immigration
counseling.
St. Olaf College was approved for non-immigrant students
by the Immigration and Naturalization Service on December 15, 1983,
file number SPM 214F0253.000, and is authorized under federal law to
enroll F-1 and J-1 non-immigrant students.
NATIONAL CANDIDATE REPLY DATE
Students admitted under Early Action or Regular Decision
must notify the Admissions Office of their college choice by May 1 of
the senior year, which is the national candidate reply date. To confirm
enrollment, an initial payment is to be made on or before May 1 and
will be credited towards the student's comprehensive fee. An additional
payment is due by June 15 to confirm the student's intention to enroll.
These payments are neither refundable nor transferable.
ADVANCED PLACEMENT AND CREDIT
The fields in which Advanced Placement and credit may
normally be obtained are: art (history and studio), biology, chemistry,
English, French, German, government, history (European or American),
Latin, mathematics, music, Norwegian, physics, politics, psychology,
Russian and Spanish. See the Academic Regulations section of this catalog
for details on Advanced Placement credit.
TRANSFER COURSES AND CREDIT
Consult the "Transfer to St. Olaf" portion of
the Academic Regulations section of this catalog for details.
SPECIAL AND PART-TIME STUDENTS
"Special" students are defined as short-term
(one year or less) students who do not plan to graduate from St. Olaf.
Such students must apply for special admission status with the Admissions
Office and submit transcripts from any colleges previously attended.
"Part-time" students are those who intend to
graduate from St. Olaf and who register for fewer than three courses.
Such students must also apply to the Admissions Office.
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