Admission to the University

Office of Admissions

The Office of Admissions is responsible for processing applications of freshmen and transfer students, and requests for readmission and non-degree status. For graduate and professional studies admissions, please refer to the table of contents.

Office hours: Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and selected Saturdays.

Admission Requirements

1. A candidate for admission should have been graduated from an approved secondary school. Applicants who have not completed four years of high school must submit a High School Equivalent Diploma (GED) issued by their state department of education.
    
2. Candidates for admission must submit an official transcript indicating the successful completion of at least 16 academic units of work (grades 9-12) earned at a secondary school approved by state and regional accrediting agencies. The 16 units are to be distributed as indicated below:

3. Candidates must submit SAT I or ACT scores. Whenever possible, candidates are encouraged to submit these test scores directly from the testing agency. Visit www.collegeboard.com or www.act.org for more information.
    
4. Candidates must submit at least one academic letter of recommendation.
    
5. Candidates must submit an original essay or writing sample of a minimum of 250 words. See the application for admission for more information regarding essay options.

Application Procedures for Freshman Admission

Applications may be submitted at any time after the candidate’s junior year of high school up to July 1, for the fall semester. Students interested in the physical therapy (PT) and physician assistant (PA) majors are advised that January 15 is the deadline for admission to these programs. Applicants should review the application for admission for 2010-2011 for specific application instructions. The application procedures are as follows:

1. Obtain, complete, and file the Application for Admission with the Office of Admissions.
2. Include the $30 non-refundable application fee with the application form. Saint Francis University does participate in the University Board Fee Waiver Program.
3. Request the secondary school principal or guidance counselor to submit an official transcript of the candidate’s academic record.
4. One academic letter of recommendation is also required.
5. Complete the required SAT or ACT examination during the spring of junior year and/or fall of senior year. It is the responsibility of each candidate to have test scores forwarded to Saint Francis University. Candidates who have been out of high school for five or more years are not required to submit SAT or ACT results.
6. An interview is highly recommended for all prospective students.
7. Students interested in being considered for academic scholarships are required to submit their completed admissions applications prior to March 1 for full consideration. (Please refer to the Prospective Student section of the University web site, www.francis.edu, for additional scholarship information.)
8. Notification of the decision of the Admissions Committee will be sent to each candidate on a rolling basis. Candidates for the physical therapy, and physician assistant majors will receive notification of the committee’s decision by January 15.

It is the responsibility of the applicant to arrange to have all supporting credentials on file with the Office of Admissions prior to deadline dates (where applicable).

Application Procedures for Transfer Admission

Saint Francis University operates on a rolling admission basis. The University also has a flexible transfer policy for students transferring from accredited community/junior and four-year institutions.

The application procedures are as follows:

1. Obtain, complete and file the Application for Admission with the Office of Admissions.
2. Include the $30 non-refundable application fee with the application form. Saint Francis University does participate in the University Board Fee Waiver Program.
3. Submit official transcripts from all colleges or universities previously attended.
4. Candidates who have left an intuition for reasons other than graduation must complete a College clearance Form (provided by Saint Francis University) at the time of application.
5. Submit high school transcript and SAT or ACT scores. Candidates who have been out of high school for five or more years are not required to submit SAT or ACT results.

Documents received by Saint Francis University become the property of the University and will not be returned to students. Copies of the documents will be made only for internal University business.

A transfer student must have a minimum of 12 transferable credits and at least a 2.0 Q.P.A. (“C” average) to be considered for admission. The occupational therapy program can accept students for the fall semester on a space available basis. Students transferring into occupational therapy must have a 2.75 Q.P.A. To be considered for admission into the nursing program students must have a 2.8 cumulative Q.P.A. and a 2.75 Q.P.A. in required science courses. Both the physician assistant sciences program and the physical therapy program do not accept undergraduate transfer students. Transfer credits are not used in the computation of a student’s cumulative quality point average at Saint Francis University.

Transfer students receive an official evaluation of advanced standing after an offer of admission has been made. A preliminary evaluation, even before application, may be requested. Transfer students should contact the Director of Advising concerning evaluations. Changes in the transfer evaluation will not be made after the student has completed one semester at Saint Francis University. Transfer credits will be evaluated on a course-by-course basis. Only courses with a grade of “C” or better will be approved for transfer, however, courses that were graded a C-minus, and carried two quality points, are acceptable. A course for which no credit is given at the original institution cannot be transferred for credit at Saint Francis University; developmental, review or remedial courses are not transferrable. Military credit may also be considered.

Junior standing will be granted on a case-by-case basis to holders of A.A. and A.S. degrees from institutions accredited by the regional accreditation association. This junior status is recognized only where there is a corresponding major at Saint Francis University, but does not preclude the selection of a new major for the associate degree holder. However, holders of A.A. and A.S. degrees who elect to change majors upon entering Saint Francis University must fulfill major and collateral requirements for the new major. All A.A. or A.S. degree holders must fulfill major and collateral requirements as well as the liberal arts core requirements. The maximum number of credits granted to a student holding an A.A. or A.S. degree shall not exceed the number of credits which may be earned during the first two years at Saint Francis University.

Candidates for the Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees must fulfill appropriate degree requirements. At least sixty-four (64) credits of study must be completed at Saint Francis University for a student to be eligible for a bachelor’s degree, except those students studying for a second bachelor’s degree (see second degree requirements listed here ), selected non-traditional degrees through the office of Continuing Education, or a teaching certificate. The last thirty (30) of those credits must be taken at Saint Francis University.

Students are required to follow the course curriculum as stated in the Saint Francis University catalog in effect at the time of the student’s entrance into the University or when the student declares a major. A student who wishes to follow a curriculum, in its entirety, adopted after that time, must file a Policy Waiver Request Form available at the Registrar’s Office. A student wishing to follow parts of both the old curriculum and the new curriculum must file a Course Waiver/Substitution Form for each new curriculum course.

Once a student has matriculated at Saint Francis University, all courses in the major must be completed at Saint Francis University. Likewise, it is expected that all collateral courses will be completed at Saint Francis University. Applications for exception may be directed to the Registrar.

Students who matriculate at Saint Francis University with credits from other institutions must complete at least half of the total credits for a major at Saint Francis University. Department chairs will decide which specific courses will be required.

Students may transfer up to six credits of Religious Studies at the original time of transfer, but three of those must be from another Catholic college. Except by permission of the appropriate department chair, RLST 205  must be completed at Saint Francis University. If there are no Religious Studies credits to be transferred, the student must complete all six credits at Saint Francis University. Students who, upon admission, transfer 28 or more credits including a two-semester, six credit sequence in college-level English composition classes (excluding Placement and CLEP credits), will be exempt from the ENGL 103  requirement.

The Provost resolves any questions regarding transfer policy.

Admissions personnel and faculty members are available for interviews, registration for courses, and advising.

For Those Currently in the Military Service 

The Military Affairs Office educates veteran-students on Federal and State programs that are in place to assist with funding an education. This includes but is not limited to Veterans Affairs and ROTC benefits. The Certifying Official submits all Veteran enrollments to the appropriate VA Regional Processing Office (VARPO).

The Military Affairs Office assists Veterans with the application, financial aid, and scheduling processes at Saint Francis University as well as overseeing the Military Science curriculum as acting liaison for the program on campus. The staff educates Veterans about physical and mental health services that are provided on campus and throughout the surrounding area. For additional information or questions, please contact: Laura Papcunik, Military Affairs Representative, (814) 472-3077, lpapcunik@francis.edu. 

Saint Francis University has been designated as an institutional member of Service members Opportunity Colleges (SOC), a group of more than 400 colleges and universities providing voluntary postsecondary education to members of the military throughout the world. As a SOC member, Saint Francis University recognizes the unique nature of the military lifestyle and has committed itself to easing the transfer of relevant course credits, providing flexible academic residency requirements, and crediting learning from appropriate military training and experiences. SOC has been developed jointly by educational representatives of each of the Armed Services, the Office of the Secretary of Defense and a consortium of 13 leading national higher education associations; it is sponsored by the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) and the American Association of Community and Junior Colleges (AACJC).

Admission of International Students

Saint Francis University welcomes applications from international students. In addition to meeting the requirements for admission, international students must submit satisfactory scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (T.O.E.F.L.), administered by the Educational Testing Service, Princeton, New Jersey, or the International English Language Testing System (I.E.L.T.S). Applicants whose native language is English are exempt from this requirement. International students must send their transcripts to an international agency where the transcripts will be converted to the American academic scale.

International applicants also need to submit an affidavit of financial support after acceptance to the University. Instructions about this disclosure may be obtained by contacting the Office of Admissions. International students should apply for admission and the required testing well in advance in order to ensure evaluation of their credentials in a time frame which is equitable to themselves and the Admissions Committee.

Readmission

Students previously in attendance at Saint Francis University who have interrupted their studies for financial or personal reasons do not need to submit another application form. However, they do need to contact the Office of Admissions for the reactivation of their credentials. The Admissions Office will process their request for readmission through the Provost, the Vice President for Student Development, and the appropriate academic department chair.

Students who are academically dismissed from the University may not reapply for admission for at least one calendar year, at which time the Academic Standing Committee will determine whether re-admission is granted or not. Further details can be found in the Academic Policy  section of this catalog.

Students who have attended another institution in the interim will need to submit an official transcript from the institution in which they have enrolled, be in good academic standing at that institution, and submit the University Clearance Form.

Students who are readmitted to Saint Francis University, either in their original major or a new major, will be governed by the degree requirements as stated in the University’s catalog in effect at the time of readmission. Readmitted students will be assigned their former departmental advisors for scheduling purposes where appropriate.

Non-Degree Students

Students wishing to take courses of interest may do so on a space-available basis. Applications for non-matriculated status can be obtained in the Admissions Office.

No more than 24 credits may be taken by any student in the non-degree category.

Advanced Placement

Saint Francis University participates in The Advanced Placement Program of the University Entrance Board on the assumption that exceptional students can complete college-level courses while they are still in secondary school. The Advanced Placement Examinations are given in 17 subject areas and are based on college-level courses. The results of the examinations, determined by the University Board Examination Committee, may qualify a student for receiving credit and exemption from a course which is required for graduation or allow for the substitution of an advanced course in place of a general-degree requirement. Under the guidelines of the Saint Francis University Core Curriculum, English can no longer be waived by way of Advanced Placement. Elective credit, however, may be awarded for scores of 3, 4, or 5 on the Advanced Placement English Exam.

The degree of proficiency in a given subject is determined by the chair of the department concerned, in accordance with the procedures described in the University Board Guide to the Advanced Placement Program, as well as waivers from appropriate requirements. Stu dents with scores of “3” receive appropriate course waivers but no credit. Under this circumstance, students replace these courses with free electives. Students scoring “4” or “5” on an Advanced Placement exam will receive credit for the two Saint Francis University equivalent courses with only a few exceptions. A student may fulfill a maximum of 30 credits by means of Advanced Placement and/or College Level Examination Program examinations for a bachelor’s degree and 15 credits for an associate degree. A complete listing of Saint Francis University Advanced Placement Program equivalencies is available upon request.