Admission Information

Freshman Admissions

Students may apply to Alma College after completing their junior year of high school. To assure maximum consideration for scholarships and financial aid, applications should be submitted in the fall of a student’s senior year, preferably by December 1. Alma College will continue evaluating applications on a rolling basis throughout the year.

How To Apply

  1. Application for Admission. Students should complete the application and submit it with a $25 non-refundable application fee to their high school guidance counselor or apply online for free at http://www.alma.edu/admissions/apply. Students are strongly encouraged to provide a personal essay.
  2. Transcript and Counselor’s Evaluation. Students should ask their high school guidance counselor to provide a transcript of their grades and to complete the Counselor’s Evaluation section of the application.
  3. Entrance Test Results. Students should arrange to take either the ACT or SAT examination and to send their scores to the Admissions Office at Alma College. Use the code 1958 for the ACT and 1010 for the SAT.

Students are notified of their admission to the College on a continuing basis. To be considered for financial aid, students should file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by March 1 of their senior year in high school. For additional information about financial aid, refer to the Scholarships and Financial Aid section.

Basis for Admission

To be considered for admission, high school students should have (1) approximately a “B” average or higher, (2) an ACT composite score of 22 or a combined SAT (Critical Reading, Math and Writing) score of 1530 and (3) made progress toward a total of 16 academic units which must include a minimum of four years of English, three years of mathematics, three years of social studies and three years of science. In addition, at least two years of one foreign language are strongly recommended. Students who do not meet these requirements are considered individually for admission. All applicants are considered on the basis of their academic and test records.

Alma College’s non-discrimination policy includes age, color, creed, gender, national origin, physical ability, race, religion and sexual orientation.

Candidate’s Reply Date

Alma College subscribes to the uniform Candidate’s Reply Date. Once admitted, students must notify the College of their decision to enroll on or before May 1 of their senior year of high school by submitting a $200 Commitment and Security Deposit. The College accepts payment by cash, check or credit card.

Pre-Enrollment Requirements

Before enrolling at Alma College, incoming students are required to submit

  1. An official ACT or SAT profile sheet to be used in academic advising and course selection.
  2. A final transcript of high school grades, including confirmation of graduation. Transcripts are also used in academic advising.
  3. A medical form which will be used to establish the student’s confidential medical history in the Wilcox Medical Center.

Campus Visits

Students are encouraged to schedule a personalized visit to Alma to meet with a member of the admissions staff, tour campus, meet professors and sit in on classes. The Admissions Office is open for interviews Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (EST) and selected Saturdays. Please consult http://www.alma.edu/admissions/visit for all our visit options. You may also call the Admissions Office at 1-800-321-ALMA or e-mail admissions@alma.edu.

Home-Schooled Students

Applicants completing their secondary education through home schooling are required to provide the following for admission consideration:

  1. An admissions interview.
  2. A written statement describing the anticipated impact of an Alma College liberal arts education on the candidate’s personal and professional future.
  3. High school transcripts.
  4. Official ACT/SAT scores.
  5. An application for admission with a completed counselor evaluation.

Students should be making progress toward completion of 16 academic units with at least four in English, three in mathematics, three in science and three in social studies. In addition, at least two years of one foreign language are strongly recommended.

Transfer Admission

Students who have attended another college or university and are in good standing may apply for admission to Alma. Transfer students should have earned approximately a "B" average in coursework at other colleges or universities. Transfer students should arrange for the following to be sent to the Admissions Office:

  1. A completed Application for Admission.
  2. Transcripts from all high schools attended, including ACT or SAT scores.
  3. Transcripts from all colleges or universities previously attended, and a college catalog if institution is outside Michigan.
  4. The Transfer Recommendation Form completed by the advisor, registrar or dean of students at the last institution attended.
  5. ACT or SAT scores are not required for students who have earned a 3.0 or greater college GPA (composed of academic coursework) from an accredited institution of higher education, if at least one full-year of study (24 credit hours) has been completed. Students would be subject to all required assessment and placement testing.

Transfer Credit Evaluation

Alma College will accept credit earned from accredited colleges or universities in the United States. An evaluation of credit gained is available upon submission of an application and transcripts to the Admissions Office. Limitations are as follows:

  1. Only courses that are graded "C" (2.0) or higher will be accepted for credit.
  2. A maximum of 68 credits (62 semester hours or 90 quarter hours) may be transferred from a two-year institution.
  3. All transfer students must complete the final 34 credits for the degree in residence at Alma.
  4. Proficiency in English composition must be verified by successful completion of the proficiency measures prescribed by the English Department.
  5. Proficiency in mathematics must be verified by successful completion of the proficiency measures prescribed by the Mathematics Department.
  6. Transferred credit must be documented by receipt of an official transcript from each institution attended.

Transfer students are encouraged to consult with the Admissions Office to review transfer credit equivalencies.

Continuing Education

Continuing education courses are offered at Alma College during Fall, Winter and Spring terms. Regular admission requirements are waived to continuing education students, who pay reduced tuition rates for such coursework. No more than eight credits each term and no more than 30 total may be taken in this manner.

After 30 hours, it is assumed that the individual is a degree student who must apply for regular admission in part- or full-time coursework and pay regular tuition rates. Any exception to this requires permission from the Provost's Office.

Dual Enrollment

High school students interested in dual enrollment (high school/Alma College) should determine eligibility by consulting with their high school counselors. Students may apply for admission under Continuing Education status by submitting to the Registrar an enrollment form available from the Registrar's Office and a high school transcript verifying a "B" average. College enrollment is limited to four credits for the first term and eight credits in subsequent terms. Contact the Registrar's Office for further information at (989) 463-7348.

International Student Admission

Citizens of foreign countries with acceptable academic achievement may enroll at Alma College. To be considered for admission, students from other countries must submit the following items preferably by May 1 of the year of application:

  1. A completed Application for Admission and a $25 (U.S.) application fee, or completion of an online application with no application fee.
  2. Official transcripts of most recent high school or college work translated into English.
  3. Official TOEFL (internet or computer based) score or ACT/SAT results. Alma College will evaluate IELTS on a case by case basis.
  4. The Affidavit of Support and Declaration of Finance forms documenting the ability to cover Alma College costs.

Admissions criteria are similar to those for other applicants. For students from non-English speaking countries, proficiency in English language may be demonstrated through the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or through successful completion of a course at an English Language Institute. A TOEFL score of 525 (paper-based) or 195 (computer-based) or 70 (internet-based) is recommended for academic success at Alma College. The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) may be considered for English proficiency in tandem with the student's overall academic work.

Students are notified by e-mail of their admission on a continuing basis. To secure a place in the class, international students are required to deposit $500 (U.S.) prior to arriving on campus for enrollment. Alma College enrolls international students in a health insurance program (and charges them for that program), with coverage in place by the first day of classes. Each student has until the first day of classes to provide verification to the Medical Center of acceptable coverage under a different policy. If such verification is not provided, the charges will stand for the year.