Emerson College: A Comprehensive Guide to Admissions

Emerson College, known for its focus on communication and the arts, attracts a diverse pool of applicants each year. Understanding the admissions requirements is crucial for prospective students. This article provides a detailed overview of what you need to know to navigate the Emerson College application process successfully.

Accreditation and General Requirements

Emerson College holds accreditation from the New England Commission of Higher Education and the U.S. Department of Education. This accreditation ensures the quality of its academic programs, faculty, and student services. Certain programs may also have specialized accreditation from professional organizations.

To be eligible for admission, applicants must have a high school diploma or a General Educational Development (GED) certificate. A satisfactory high school GPA is expected, and applicants must submit their secondary school records. While Emerson College acknowledges Advanced Placement (AP) credits, it does not offer open admission, dual credit, or general college credit.

Application Fee and Waivers

The application fee for undergraduate admission is $75. However, Emerson College offers fee waivers to applicants who demonstrate financial need, participate in outreach programs, or meet specific circumstances reviewed by the admissions office.

Key Admission Statistics

Understanding Emerson's admission statistics can provide valuable insights into the competitiveness of the application process.

Acceptance Rate: Emerson College has an acceptance rate of 47.5%, indicating that it is moderately selective.
GPA: While Emerson doesn't explicitly state a minimum GPA, successful applicants typically have a mix of A's and B's, with more A's than B's. A GPA around the school average of 3.73 is desirable.
SAT/ACT Scores: Emerson College has a test-optional policy. Half the applicants admitted to Emerson College who submitted test scores have an SAT score between 1270 and 1420 or an ACT score of 29 and 32.

Test-Optional Policy Explained

Starting in Fall 2017, Emerson College adopted a test-optional policy. This allows students to choose whether or not to submit their SAT or ACT scores. The policy is designed for students whose academic strengths may not be accurately reflected in standardized test scores.

Who Should Apply Test-Optional? Students who perform well in the classroom but whose standardized test scores don't effectively represent their skills and talents may benefit from applying test-optional.
Evaluation Process: Test-optional applicants are evaluated using the same criteria as those who submit test scores. They are not at a disadvantage.
Financial Aid Eligibility: Applying test-optional does not affect eligibility for need-based financial aid or academic scholarships.
Changing Your Mind: If you initially apply test-optional but later decide to submit your scores, you can request that an official score report be sent to Emerson College directly from College Board (SAT) or ACT. The SAT code is 3367, and the ACT code is 1820.

Required Application Materials

All applicants must submit the following supporting documents:

High School Transcript and School Report: An official, signed transcript from all high schools attended is required. A School Report must be completed by a secondary school counselor or official and submitted along with the transcript. First marking period grades are encouraged. All transcripts must include an English translation if they are in a foreign language. Translations must be performed by an official agency and be accompanied by the original document.
Secondary School Counselor Evaluation: This evaluation should accompany the high school transcript and School Report.
Teacher Evaluation: At least one official teacher evaluation from a teacher in an academic subject (English, history, science, math, social sciences, or foreign language) is required.
First Marking Period Grades and Midyear Report: Applicants should submit these grades when they become available. While not mandatory for application review, they are strongly encouraged.
Early Decision Agreement: Only students applying as Early Decision candidates, who are sure that Emerson is their first choice, need to complete and submit this agreement.

Optional Creative Sample/Portfolio

Students who choose not to submit standardized test scores are encouraged to submit an optional creative sample or portfolio through their Emerson admission portal after application submission.

By submitting a sample of your work, you can showcase your talents and provide insight into your potential contributions to the academic community. The examples below are projects that students have shared in the past. Please use this as an opportunity to share with us, your skills and passions related to your chosen major that we would not be able to discern from other aspects of your application.

Here are some examples by major:

Read also: Emerson College Expenses

School of Communication

Business of Creative Enterprises: Sample business plan summary for a creative organization (up to 4 pages); Sample grant proposal to fund a local arts related event (up to 4 pages); Market (SWOT) Analysis for creative organization (up to 4 pages); Sample highlighting artistic pursuits (Ex., film, creative writing, script, photography or music samples)
Communication Disorders: Essay on a topic related to the speech pathology or audiology fields; Lab report in related Communications Disorders fields (up to 5 pages)
Communication Studies: Sample public relations campaign for a non-profit organization (3-4 samples); Sample political campaign advertising or polling analysis (3-4 samples); Sample sports blog postings or event marketing materials (3-4 samples)
Journalism: Portfolio of news articles published in school, local, regional, or national publications (3-4 samples); Video package of broadcast samples (up to 5 minutes)
Marketing Communication: Sample branding campaign for a local business (3-4 samples); Sample marketing pitch for a product or service (up to 5 pages)

School of Arts & Interdisciplinary Studies

Comedic Arts: A creative sample is required as a part of the application process for this program. This creative submission can be viewed by the admission committee to showcase your passion for comedy.
Performing Arts: Performing Arts majors require an artistic review as part of the application process. Students are able to upload this submission to the admission portal for additional review by the admission committee.
Visual Media Arts: Media StudiesMultimedia presentation on a topic of interest to the film industry; Media Arts ProductionWe encourage students to submit a portfolio related to their passion. Portfolio recommendation can be found on our Media Arts Production applications page
Writing, Literature and Publishing: Creative short story (up to 500 words); Collection of poems (3-4 samples); Essay focused on literary analysis (up to 500 words); Sample magazine page layouts (3-4 samples)
Global BFA in Film Art: An additional creative sample is required as a part of the application process for this program.
Interdisciplinary Studies/Undecided: Please use any of the above examples to assist you in developing your submission. We encourage you to select a topic or sample that reflects your potential interests in any of our major options.

Additional Requirements

Additional application instructions and requirements are in effect for:

Home-Schooled Applicants
International Applicants
Honors Program Applicants
Comedic Arts Applicants
Media Production Applicants
Performing Arts Applicants

Application Submission and Deadline

All application materials may be submitted electronically through Common Application, Slate.org, Parchment, and Scoir. The Admission Portal can be used to check the status of your application. Materials postmarked by the application deadline will be considered on time.

The application deadline at Emerson College is Jan. 15. If you submit your application close to or on the application deadline, we encourage you to upload your Creative Sample as soon as possible. We understand that this may delay your Creative Sample submission beyond the application deadline.

Transfer Students

Emerson College permits transfer students to enroll primarily in the fall and spring terms. The college maintains a notably high level of selectivity for transfer admissions, describing the entrance process as very difficult. Additionally, Emerson College has an age limit policy that restricts the acceptance of transfer credits to those earned within the past 10 years, emphasizing the currency of academic work.

New transfer students will also need to submit an official copy of their previous college transcripts to the Education Abroad and Domestic Programs Office.

Read also: Discover Emerson College

Emerson Los Angeles (ELA) Program

Emerson LA applications are open during the fall semester, typically between September and mid-December for the Fall and Spring semesters of the following academic year. Applicants will typically receive notification of their acceptance status in early to mid-February. Applicants must have a minimum of 48 credits completed to apply.

Qualifications

The Los Angeles Program is open to juniors, seniors, and graduate students in good academic standing. Students must expect to have a minimum of 64 credits completed by the time they attend ELA. The minimum required cumulative grade point average to enroll in the ELA program and to participate in internships for credit is 2.7.

Evaluation Criteria

The ELA application is a merit-based application system. An applicant's GPA and class standing will be taken into consideration, as well as online recommendations given by at least 2 Emerson professors of the student's choosing and an prompted essay written by the student.

Student applications will be evaluated based on:

The applicant's GPA and class standing
A cover letter and resume about the studentâs preparation and reasons for attending ELA
Two recommendations (at least one from an Emerson professor)

Applications are evaluated by a committee of staff from both the Boston and Los Angeles campuses.

Cover Letter and Resume

Each applicant should take the time to compose a professional resume that provides a comprehensive overview of their educational background, work experience, skills, and accomplishments. Additionally, applicants will be asked to use a series of prompts to compose a one-page cover letter introducing themselves and discussing their interest in and preparedness for the ELA program, as well as their plans if accepted. There should be no grammar or spelling errors. Students will be evaluated on the quality of thought and expression demonstrated in each document submitted.

Recommendations

2-3 Emerson College professors, chosen by the applicant, will answer a series of questions pertaining to the student on an online recommendation form.

Term

Applicants may apply for one semester only: Applying for multiple semesters is not an option. Make sure you apply for the correct semester, as changing terms at a later date will move your application to the bottom of the waitlist for that term.

Decisions

Decisions will be announced by February 1st.

Program Deposit

Admitted students must submit a nonrefundable and nontransferable program deposit of $300 within two weeks of notification of acceptance. After the deposit deadline, spaces are not held for admitted applicants without a confirmation deposit.

Tips for a Successful ELA Application

Cover Letter and Resume
- Before starting your cover letter and resume, you will want to familiarize yourself as best you can with the ELA program and the kinds of courses and internships that will be available to you. Academic Advising is an excellent resource for helping you review previous ELA course offerings and prepare your academic plan for ELA.
- Read the prompt carefully, multiple times. Make sure you understand what it is asking before you begin your response.
- Take ample time to compose and revise your response. We highly encourage you to utilize the support and resources of the Career Development Center when reviewing/revising your cover letter/resume.
- Logically organize your response and make sure it addresses each part of the prompt thoughtfully and thoroughly.
- Use specific examples from your time at Emerson to support your answers in each part of the prompt.
- Proofread your response carefully and fix any spelling or grammatical errors before submitting.
Recommendations
- Two recommenders, chosen by the applicant, will provide a brief evaluation of student performance through an online recommendation form. At least one recommendation must be from an Emerson College professor who can speak to the applicantâs academic aptitude and performance.
- Other recommenders can include: Student employment supervisors, Internship supervisors, Organization faculty advisors
- Request your recommendations early and follow up to make sure they are completed by the application deadline. It is studentsâ responsibility to make sure recommendations are completed on time. Applications with missing recommendations are considered incomplete.
- New transfer students will also need to submit an official copy of their previous college transcripts to the Education Abroad and Domestic Programs Office.
- The second recommender must be from Emerson College (faculty or staff).

Additional Considerations

Study Abroad: Emerson College offers a variety of study abroad opportunities tailored to enhance students' academic and cultural experiences. These programs include semester and year-long exchanges, short-term faculty-led courses, and summer study options.
ROTC: Emerson College does not offer on-campus ROTC programs. Prospective students interested in Reserve Officers' Training Corps opportunities would need to participate through cross-enrollment options at nearby institutions that provide these programs.
Immigration Status: If you are not a citizen or permanent resident of the United States, you need to maintain an appropriate immigration status.

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