Freshman Applicants

The undergraduate admission team wants to make the application process as personal and efficient as possible for you and your family. If at any time during the application process you require personal assistance, please reach out to your admission counselor and they can assist you with specific questions regarding your application and its processing. To see who your admission counselor is, click here.

Steps to Applying to Champlain College as a First Time Student (Freshman):

1. Complete and submit an application

You can apply to Champlain College using one of the following applications:

1. The Champlain College Online Application. This application is for students who are seeking to apply only to Champlain. This is the most convenient application form to use.
2. The Common Application. This application allows you to apply to many schools at once. You will be required to create an account to get started and Champlain College requires a short supplement to complete your application.
3. Print and mail the application If you prefer to send in your application, print the following forms and mail them to Champlain College’s Office of Admission (link to address).

   2011-2012 Common Application
   2011-2012 Champlain Supplement
   2011-2012 Early Decision Agreement Form (if applying Early Decision)

2. Additional required items to complete your application:

1. Official copy of your high school transcript.
2. Official SAT or ACT scores.

   Champlain’s SAT code is 3291 and our ACT code is 4298. SAT and ACT score reports can be sent to Champlain from the CollegeBoard and ACT websites respectively.

3. Two recommendations:

   One recommendation should be from your guidance counselor and the other recommendation should be from someone that can best highlight your academic potential.

4. If you are applying to the Creative Media, Digital Filmmaking, Game Art and Animation, Game Design, Graphic Design & Digital Media, or Professional Writing (optional) majors, please upload your portfolio. Directions to upload your portfolio can be found here.
5. Optional: if you have taken college courses, and you would like those courses evaluated for transfer credit, please send official college transcripts.
6. For Early Decision Applicants: Please submit the Early Decision Agreement Form to complete your Early Decision application.

3. Submit the Counselor Evaluation or Secondary School Report

1. If you are applying via the Champlain College Online Application, request that your guidance counselor complete the Counselor Evaluation Form.
2. If you are applying via the Common Application or mailing your application in, request that your guidance counselor complete the Secondary School Report.

Admission Interviews are available to students that have successfully completed the above steps and have a complete application on file. Although admission interviews are not required, they can be helpful for students that want to highlight specific aspects of their application before the application is reviewed. To schedule an admission interview, please contact your admission counselor directly via email and they will coordinate with you on a time and date. Interviews can be conducted face-to-face on or off-campus, via phone and via Skype.

Application Deadlines

Early Decision Admission

For more information on Early Decision Admission and its benefits, please click here.

Academic Requirements for Admission

All admission decisions are based on an assessment of the academic foundation needed for success in the required courses at the bachelor's degree level. Strong writing skills are important for all applicants. Minimum recommended preparation includes successful completion of a college preparatory curriculum, including:

• 4 years of writing- and reading-intensive English
• 4 years of writing- and reading-intensive history/social sciences
• 3 years of college preparatory mathematics, at least through Algebra II. Many students take Pre-Calculus, Calculus or AP Calculus as juniors or seniors
• 3 years of lab science
• 2 years of foreign language
• A full course load of challenging academic subjects senior year

Applicants are evaluated based on the demands of their secondary school curriculum, grades earned, rank in class, standardized test scores, writing ability, teacher and counselor recommendations, and academic growth. The Admission Committee also considers personal qualities, including academic and professional motivation, leadership, integrity, extracurricular involvement and the likelihood of making a positive contribution to campus life.

We consider a student's transcript as the most important indicator of his or her future achievement at Champlain. We look for students who have challenged themselves to gain from rigorous courses and who have taken full advantage of the education available in their school. We look as favorably on average grades in highest-level courses (such as AP, IB or Honors) as we do on above-average grades in regular college prep courses. In high schools that offer several course levels, we consider college prep courses to be those offered at the level immediately below Honors.

Standardized test scores, such as the SAT and ACT, are considered to be one of several important elements in evaluating an application. The Admission Committee is looking for standardized test scores at or above the national average for college-bound students applying to selective schools.

Home-schooled applicants should consult their admissions representative to discuss specific home-schooling credentials.

Social Work Majors: Recommendation & Supplement

If you are applying to the Social Work Program, you will be required to submit two additional pieces of information: a supplemental application as well as a letter of recommendation. Please see the Social Work major page for details.