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Admission Information

FIRST-YEAR STUDENTS

Secondary School Record

To be considered for admission, the applicant generally will present a minimum of 16 units of work and will graduate from an approved secondary school. The basic units for admission should include four years of English, and the remaining units should consist primarily of foreign language, mathematics, science and social studies. A recommended program of studies would include four years of English, at least two years of a foreign language, three years of mathematics, two years of science (including at least one laboratory science), and two years of social studies. In lieu of a valid high school diploma, a GED certificate will be accepted.

Application Procedure

Students interested in candidacy should apply online at www.curry.edu or apply using the Common Application. Be sure to add Curry College to your “My Colleges” list. A rolling admission policy is followed, with December 1 as the application and supporting document completion deadline for Early Action candidates, an April 1 priority deadline for freshman (March 1 if applying for PAL, unless applying Early Action), and a priority deadline of July 1 for transfer students. The Admission Office begins the review of completed applications in September in order to inform candidates at the earliest possible date.

After the application has been submitted, accompanied by the non-refundable application fee of $50 and personal essay, candidates should request their secondary school counselor to submit official transcripts and recommendations directly to the Admission Office. Concurrently, candidates are required to submit the results of the SAT or ACT examinations directly to the Admission Office.

Accepted candidates for admission will be required to submit a deposit to the Admission Office by the Candidates’ Reply Date (May 1), or by an alternate date specified by the Vice President of Admission and Dean of Undergraduate Admission. This deposit is refundable provided written notification is received by May 1. A final high school transcript and an official indication of graduation, i.e. a high school diploma, should be received by the Admission Office no later than July 15. Failure to submit these documents may result in the student’s acceptance being rescinded.

ADMISSION TO THE PROGRAM FOR ADVANCEMENT OF LEARNING (PAL)

Candidates for the Program for Advancement of Learning must submit diagnostic evaluation(s) and other materials which describe a specific language-based learning disability and/or ADHD. Testing must be administered within three years of application. Materials should be submitted directly to the Learning Center and include:

1. An individually administered comprehensive test of cognitive ability, adult version (WAIS-III, Woodcock- Johnson Cognitive Battery, etc.) that includes both subtest scores and narrative report. (Note: the WASI is not accepted).

2. Achievement testing indicating current levels in reading (decoding and comprehension), math and written language. For those students needing diagnostic or other educational testing, please contact the Educational Diagnostic Center (EDC) at Curry College.

3. Optional Supplementary Application. The application is available online or by request at (617) 333-2250.

4. An IEP or its equivalent is requested, if available (not mandatory). An interview with PAL is strongly recommended, and may be required in some cases. Deadlines: March 1 for first year students; July 1 for transfer students.

PAL is designed for students who have a primary diagnosis of a language-based learning disability and who have average to above average intellectual ability. Due to the popularity of PAL, space is limited. PAL is not designed to support students who have significant psychiatric or other disabling conditions in addition to a language-based learning disability. Such individuals, if otherwise qualified for admission to the College, are eligible for reasonable accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) as arranged through the College’s ADA Coordinator. Please contact Coordinator of PAL for questions or more information regarding PAL admission procedures. Applicants to PAL for Multilingual Students or the Adult Center at PAL should see below for admission information to those programs.

EARLY ADMISSION

Certain qualified students may be allowed to enroll in the College at the completion of their junior year of high school. Candidates for this program must gain the approval of their high school to participate. College credit will be given for courses carried. The student must have his/her high school’s approval of the courses and assurance that the courses will be accepted toward satisfying secondary school diploma requirements. The successful completion of the prescribed course of study and the secondary school’s granting of a diploma will allow the student to matriculate. Academic standing will be determined by the number of semester credits of work completed. Financial assistance is not available to the student until his/her high school diploma has been awarded.

TRANSFER STUDENTS

Each September and January, Curry College admits and welcomes transfer students. (Applications for transfer into theNursing Program are accepted for the fall semester only). Students interested in applying for admission apply on-line at www.curry.edu or apply using the Common Application. If using the Common Application, be sure to add Curry College to your “My Colleges” list. A rolling admission policy is followed, except for students interested in transferring into the nursing program, with a priority deadline of July 1 for the fall semester and January 1 for the spring semester.

After the application has been submitted, accompanied by the non-refundable application fee of $50 and personal essay, candidates should submit all official college transcripts, the College Official’s Report Form from each college previously attended, and proof of high school graduation to the Admission Office.

The results of the SAT or ACT, as well as an official high school transcript, are required if the applicant has completed less than 30 credits at another institution. If the student has completed more than 30 credits at another institution, proof of high school graduation is required and may be submitted as a photocopy of the high school diploma, GED results, or an official final high school transcript.

A student who has attended any other institution beyond the high school level, regardless of whether or not any advanced standing credit has been earned or is desired, is required to have an official transcript sent directly from his or her former institution to the Admission Office. A transfer applicant must report all colleges previously attended. Failure to provide accurate information or deliberate omission of transcripts may invalidate any acceptance to Curry College. The Admission Office expects to receive the final transcript prior to the acceptee’s first registration at the College as a degree candidate. If extenuating circumstances prevent this, the final transcript must be sent directly to the Registrar’s Office by the end of the first semester the student is enrolled at Curry College. The College may not accept credits in transfer if the transcript is received after the first semester.

Transfer students who, at the time of their matriculation have an Associate’s Degree in a liberal arts course of study with a 2.0 cumulative average and 60 credits or the equivalent with no grades below a C– will be granted full junior status. Students transferring from a college with which Curry has an articulation agreement will be treated according to the terms of that agreement. Associate degrees from programs other than liberal arts will be evaluated for transfer credit on an individual basis.

College-level credit received from another institution, whether or not Curry College offers a parallel course, will normally be granted for graded courses in which a “C–” or better has been earned and the course is not of a technical nature that may not fit within the academic areas of the College.

Applicants to the Nursing Program must earn a grade of “C” or better in all prerequisites (Anatomy & Physiology I, Anatomy & Physiology II and Chemistry with Lab) in order for the courses to transfer and for their application to be considered for admission. If any of the prerequisite courses were failed and/or repeated.

Regardless of the number of credits accepted by Curry College, the transfer student must meet the normal requirements for graduation. These are:

  • The accumulation of 120 credits or the successful completion of a comprehensive evaluation by the Curry faculty

  • Fulfillment of the requirements of a major

  • Achievement of a 2.0 cumulative grade point average

  • Fulfillment of the general degree requirements as specified in this Catalog

Credit for courses taken with United States Armed Forces Institute (USAFI) will be accepted on the basis of the guidelines developed by the American Council on Education document, “Guide to the Evaluation of the Educational Experiences in the Armed Services.”

Curry College may accept transfer credits for non-traditional study in accordance with the following guidelines and procedures:

  • A student may apply for up to a maximum of 9 credits toward graduation for experiences which have had an educational value although they have not occurred in the traditional academic environment.

  • The student must apply to the Committee on Equivalent Education for the awarding of these credits, stating the nature of the experiences and demonstrating the educational value of the experience.

  • These credits will not replace the normal requirements for graduation, but will count as “elective” credits toward the 120 credits required for graduation.

Transfer credits for criminal justice majors will be accepted only from regionally accredited institutions. Criminal Justice majors may not receive credit for any non-traditional study, including life experience, professional development and coursework completed through the Armed Services.

Before a transfer student will be asked to respond to an offer of Admission, Curry will notify the applicant of the specific course credits or equivalents to be granted upon enrollment. If an evaluation cannot be completed at the time admission is offered, Curry will make an evaluation before asking the student to make a commitment. A copy of the transfer student’s Curry transcript will be sent to the student during the first semester at Curry. This record will serve as an official confirmation of recorded credits.

Examination Credit

Advanced Placement Examinations

Curry College normally grants academic credit toward graduation to those who have successfully participated in the Advanced Placement Program of the College Entrance Examination Board and have earned a rating of “3,” “4,” or “5” on the Advanced Placement Examination. Applicants desiring this credit should request the College Entrance Examination Board to send the examination results to the Admission Office, Curry College.

The International Baccalaureate/Higher Level International Baccalaureate Examinations

Students who have participated in the International Baccalaureate diploma program at a secondary school may be eligible to receive advanced standing credit. Credit is granted on a case by case basis. An official IB transcript as well as the student’s secondary school transcript is required. Advanced standing credit may also be awarded to the student who has completed a Higher Level IB course examination(s). Official test score results must be submitted for evaluation by the Registrar’s Office.

Credit by Examination

1. ACT/PEP, CLEP, and DANTES: Accepted candidates may advance their standing by attaining acceptable scores in the examinations of the College Level Examination Program (CLEP), the American College Testing Program (ACT/PEP) or the DANTES Subject Standardized Testing (DSST) Program. Students can earn as much as 60 hours of credit, or the equivalent of two years of work. Criminal justice majors may take DANTES or CLEP examinations for transfer credit but can receive no more than 10% of their credits in this manner (maximum of 12 credits/120 credits or 6 credits/60 credits). Additional information may be obtained from the Registrar’s Office. Continuing Education students should seek information from the Division of Continuing and Graduate Studies.

2. Proficiency Evaluations: Proficiency evaluations for certification of credit are available for many courses at Curry. Matriculated students are eligible for these evaluations and, upon demonstration of satisfactory achievement, will receive ungraded credit for the course(s). The evaluations measure end-of-course competency in particular Curry course offerings and afford an additional option for shortening the time required to earn a degree. Directions, fee scale, and the application form for proficiency evaluations are available in the Registrar’s Office. Continuing Education students should seek information from the Division of Continuing and Graduate Studies. An IEP or its equivalent is requested, if available (not mandatory).

Other Requirements

Portfolio Requirement

In addition to being held to the same admission standards as any prospective Curry College student, students enrolling in the Studio Arts major or Graphic Design major are required to submit a portfolio of their artwork for review as part of their application to the College.

Laptop Requirements and Recommendations

All incoming students for the Studio Arts major and Graphic Design major are required to have a MacBook computer and a subscription to Adobe Creative Cloud. Full details on required specifications are published on the Curry College website.

All School of Nursing students are required to have laptop computers as outlined in the School of Nursing Handbook.

With the exception of the School of Nursing, Graphic Design and Studio Arts majors as noted above, Curry College strongly recommends that all students have a laptop computer for classroom instruction, course assignments, testing, and research during outside of class hours.

We do NOT recommend notebooks, tablets, Google Chromebooks, iPad products, or a smartphone for use.

Recommended MINIMAL Laptop System Configuration

  • Windows compatible laptop with 13” display, Windows 10, Core i5 processor, 8 GB RAM, 256 GB storage

  • MacBook Air or MacBook Pro with 13” display, macOS 10.13 or later, Core i5 processor, 8 GB RAM, 256 GB storage

  • Built-in or external microphone

  • Built-in or external webcam

  • Anti-Virus software

Recommended OPTIMAL Laptop System Configuration

  • Windows compatible laptop with 13”-15” high-definition display, Windows 10, Core i7 or better processor, 16 GB or

  • more RAM, 512 GB or larger SSD

  • MacBook Air or MacBook Pro with 13” or 16” display, macOS 10.15 or later, Core i7 or better processor, 16 GB or more

  • RAM, 512 GB or larger SSD

  • Important: Apple MacBook Air and MacBook Pro computers are not upgradable after purchase. Please plan your

  • purchase based on potential future needs, even if it means spending more now

  • An extended service plan that covers accidental damage.

  • Built-in or external microphone

  • Built-in or external webcam

  • Anti-Virus software