Admissions Requirements

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Undergraduate Student Admission

Clark University welcomes applicants for undergraduate admission regardless of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, age, handicap, national origin or financial condition. Selection is competitive and based primarily on academic promise as indicated by secondary-school performance, recommendations, writing ability and extracurricular involvement. Standardized test (SAT, ACT) scores are considered when an applicant chooses to provide them, but are not required. Admissions decisions may also reflect consideration of the individual experience and particular circumstances unique to each candidate.

Entrance Requirements 

A diploma from an accredited secondary school or G.E.D. equivalency is required for admission to Clark. The suggested academic preparation for successful candidates includes four years of English; three years of mathematics; three years of science; three years of social science; and two years of a foreign language (or American Sign Language); and other credit electives recognized in the secondary-school curriculum.

First-Year Admission

First-year applicants must submit their applications through the Common Application. Official transcripts for all secondary and post-secondary coursework must be submitted by the student’s high school or college. A nonrefundable application fee of $60 (or official fee-waiver request) must accompany the application. First-year applicants are also required to submit two letters of recommendation, one from an academic teacher and one from a school counselor.

International Admission

International students applying to Clark must submit their applications through the Common Application. Official transcripts covering the student’s prior three (full) years of education must be submitted by the student’s school. Two letters of recommendation are required, one from an academic teacher and one from a school counselor. A nonrefundable application fee of $60 (or official fee-waiver request) must accompany the application.
All applicants whose first language is not English are required to submit evidence of English proficiency either through the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) or the Pearson Test of English (PTE), regardless of the length of time they have spent in the United States. The Certificate of Eligibility (Form I-20) necessary to obtain a student visa will be granted only after full admission and receipt of complete financial documentation (in the form of an official bank statement reflecting the student’s family’s financial resources).

Early Decision

First-year applicants who are certain that Clark is their first-choice institution are strongly encouraged to apply Early Decision (ED).  Students who submit their complete applications by the November 1st deadline will receive early notification of their admission decision in mid-December.  Any Early Decision applicant who also submits the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) and the CSS PROFILE by the November 15 deadline and who is admitted will receive his or her need-based financial aid package and scholarship notification at approximately the same time as the notification of admission. Because Early Decision is a binding agreement, any student admitted in the ED round must commit to enrolling at Clark by submitting a nonrefundable deposit and withdrawing any remaining applications to other schools by January 15.

Early Action

First-year applicants who are ready to start their college applications at the beginning of senior year are encouraged to apply Early Action (EA). Students who submit their complete applications by the November 1 deadline will receive early notification of their admission decision in mid-December. Any Early Action applicant who also submits the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) and the CSS PROFILE by the November 15 deadline and who is admitted will receive his or her need-based financial aid package and scholarship notification at approximately the same time as the notification of admission. Early Action is a nonbinding agreement, allowing admitted EA students to submit their enrollment deposits no later than May 1.

Regular Admission

First-year students who wish to apply for fall semester enrollment under our regular decision deadline must submit their applications and supporting credentials by January 15. (October 1 for January admission.)

Transfer Admission

Clark welcomes applications for admission with advanced standing from students attending two- and four-year institutions. Transfer applicants must submit their applications through the Common Application. Applicants for fall-semester enrollment should submit their applications by May 1; spring-semester enrollment by November 1. (Articulation agreement applicants have deadlines of May 15 and November 15, respectively.) All transfer candidates are required to submit evidence of good standing, complete transcripts of all previous academic work (secondary and post-secondary), a recommendation from a faculty member, and any other information requested by the Admissions Committee (e.g., course descriptions).
Normally, credit is given for academic courses in the liberal arts previously taken at regionally accredited colleges and universities and by advanced standing procedures, described above. No credit is given for grades lower than C. Evaluation of credits for college courses is made at the time of admission or upon receipt of final transcripts and is used in planning a program of study at the University. Up to 50 percent of Clark’s degree and major requirements may be awarded on this basis, and a minimum of two academic years at Clark is necessary for completion of degree requirements.
Clark University participates in transfer articulation agreements with Mount Wachusett Community College and Quinsigamond Community College. These agreements facilitate a seamless transfer process for Associate Degree graduates and those with the appropriate academic records in their two-year programs.

Standardized Test Scores

All applicants for first-year or transfer admission have the option of submitting standardized admissions test scores to be included in their admissions applications, but these results are not required. Students who choose to submit test scores may send either SAT or American College Test (ACT) scores for consideration.
All applicants whose first language is not English (regardless of citizenship or amount of time spent in the United States) are required to submit evidence of English proficiency, either through the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) or the Pearson Test of English (PTE).

Admission Notification and Deposits

All notifications of admissions decisions are released electronically. Upon receipt of his or her application, the applicant will be given access to an online account for this purpose. First-year, fall-semester applicants who applied under the Early Action or Early Decision deadline will be notified of their decisions in November; all other first-year, fall-semester applicants will be notified in March. All first-year, fall-semester admitted students who wish to enroll must submit a nonrefundable deposit to be paid no later than May 1, with the exception of Early Decision admitted students, who must deposit by January 15th. The deposit is credited toward first-semester charges. First-year, spring-semester applicants can expect to receive their admission decisions in December with the deposit due within two weeks of notification. Transfer applicants are notified of their admission decisions on a rolling basis following submission of their applications, and will be notified of their deposit deadline when they receive their admission decisions.

Deferred Enrollment

An admitted student who wishes to postpone his or her enrollment for up to a year must submit a request in writing by May 1. A nonrefundable deposit (credited toward first-semester charges) is required. A student who enrolls in a degree-seeking program in the interim may not defer enrollment but must reactivate his or her application and submit official transcripts for review.

Advanced Standing

An enrolling student may earn up to one semester of advanced standing credit by submitting scores of 4 or 5 on Advanced Placement (AP) tests administered by the College Entrance Examination Board or by transferring credit from college-level coursework. A student who earns a diploma through the International Baccalaureate program may be eligible for a full year of advanced standing credit. More information about these requirements can be found here. Please contact the admissions office if you have any questions about specific program in which you are participating.

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Graduate Student Admission

The first step in starting an application to any one of our graduate degree programs is to review the program requirements for the degree the student plans to pursue.

Every program requires that the student submits an online application as well as supporting credentials (recommendations, resumes, writing samples, etc.). We encourage all applicants to familiarize themselves with the requirements of the program they plan to pursue prior to starting their online application.

Applicants should visit the Graduate Admissions webpage to find the online graduate student application as well as information regarding additional departmental requirements. All application materials -except for official transcripts- should be submitted through the online application portal. Official transcripts should be sent via mail directly to the Graduate Admissions Office.

Department or program heads may request the submission of additional material, including the Graduate Record Examination given by the Educational Testing Service, Princeton, N.J. All applicants are urged to submit their scores on the Graduate Record Examination verbal, quantitative and advanced tests. Applicants to the Graduate School of Management programs may take the GMAT rather than GRE examinations.

In addition to an application and fee, international students should provide a certified English translation of official transcripts, and evidence of English proficiency (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS).

Admission to the Graduate School is valid for only the semester to which the applicant has been admitted. If a student is admitted while still a candidate for a degree from another institution, an updated official transcript noting the conferring of that degree must be sent directly to the department or program of interest. Part-time graduate study is possible in some departments including the Graduate School of Management and the School of Professional Studies.

For International Graduate Applicants
Please note that the I-20 process is necessary for international students to complete in order to receive a visa. The I-20 process begins once a student decides to enroll into the graduate program. Enrolled students must accept the offer of admission and pay the non-refundable enrollment deposit in order for the I-20 process to begin. The following items are needed for an I-20 to be processed: International Student Information Form, bank statement (no more than six months old), an affidavit of support (if you are not using personal funds to finance your education), and a copy of your passport.

We ask that all international applications refrain from sending financial documents as part of his or her application for admission. Bank statements and affidavits of support must be no more than six months old from the date of submission to be valid for I-20 production. If the student is admitted and chooses to enroll at Clark University, we will work with the student at that time to obtain financial documents.

For more information regarding the I-20 process and how to obtain a visa, please see the International Students and Scholars Office.

The Graduate application process
Once ready to begin the application to a graduate program at Clark:
1. Create an account on our online application portal
2. Follow instructions within the portal to complete the application form for a specific program, including uploading additional credentials as required
3. Pay the application fee
4. Have any required test scores sent to Clark University Graduate Admissions
5. Monitor the status of the application via the online application portal to ensure all credentials were received and view the final decision.

Notification will be received
When we receive a completed application, the Graduate Admissions Office will forward the application to the appropriate admissions committee.

The time it takes to receive a decision will vary depending on the program applied to and when the application is submitted. Once a decision has been reached, students will be notified via email and the students’ status in the application portal will be updated.