Undergrad Catalog 2007

Degree Seeking Admissions

Admissions Consideration
 

Applications for admission to Belmont are for a particular term of enrollment. Requirements of materials may change from one term to another. Acceptance for one term does not necessarily indicate that admission will be granted for any other term. Admission to Belmont University is competitive. Applications for admission are considered on a rolling basis, so early submission of all application materials is strongly encouraged. Many programs including nursing, music and music business are limited in terms of the number of spaces available. Applicants will be notified of a decision within 4-5 weeks of completing the application and any additional requirements such as an audition or portfolio. The application deadlines are August 1 for entry in the fall term, December 1 for entry in the spring term, and May 1 for entry in the summer term. The application for admission also serves as the merit scholarship application. Applications for admission completed online and the Common Application™ are accepted and processed with equal consideration to the paper application.  An incomplete application cannot be considered and will be returned to the applicant.  High school seniors are encouraged to apply to Belmont during the early fall months of the senior year. Transfer applicants should apply to Belmont as soon as possible during the term preceding the term for which they are applying. 

Applicants are considered on the total picture that a student’s credentials present. High school students will be considered competitive for admission if they present a rigorous course of college-preparatory academic studies. Transfer work should likewise be strongly related to the chosen field of study.  Students should have an above-average academic and cumulative grade point average and rank in the top half of their graduating classes. Any college-level work is also expected to be at the above-average level. A strong correlation between high school grades and entrance examinations scores is expected. The personal supplement information, resume of activities and recommendations are also strongly considered as positive indicators of success at Belmont. Additional requirements such as portfolios or auditions are considered in conjunction with the academic credentials for those programs which require them. International students should also refer to the specific requirements outlined in this catalog.   Each application is considered on an individual basis. No two applicants will present the same credentials or the same degree of “fit” with the university. Our desire is to work with each student to determine the likelihood for that student to enroll, graduate and benefit from the Belmont educational experience.

All materials and inquiries should be directed to:

Belmont University
Office of Admissions
1900 Belmont Boulevard
Nashville, TN 37212

615-460-6785.

Application Process

 High school seniors and high school graduates who have never before attended college should apply for freshman admission to Belmont. Students currently attending another college or university and those with previous college credit post high school should apply for transfer admission.  Students who have attended Belmont previously should apply for readmission. 

Applicants to the Department of Art, School of Music, and School of Nursing should reference the catalog section titled “Special Program Admission Requirements” regarding additional documents required for admissions consideration to these programs. 

Application Process for Freshman Admission 

  1. Complete the entire degree seeking application for undergraduate admission.

  2. Submit the application and $50.00 application fee. Checks or money orders should be made payable to Belmont University.

  3. Complete the Personal Supplement and submit answers to the essay questions.

  4. Attach a resume of honors, awards and activities for grades 9-12 to the Personal Supplement and submit with the application.

  5. Request that an official transcript be sent from the high school directly to the Belmont University.

  6. Submit the Secondary School Report Form to the guidance office for completion and have it sent with the transcript directly from the high school.

  7. Provide the Confidential Recommendation Form to the appropriate person as designated on the form and have the reference send the form directly to Belmont University.

  8. Request that score reports from the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) or the American College Test (ACT) be sent to Belmont.

Application Process for Transfer Admission  
  1. Complete the entire degree seeking application for undergraduate admission.

  2. Submit the application and $50.00 application fee. Checks or money orders should be made payable to Belmont University.

  3. Complete the Personal Supplement and submit answers to the essay questions.

  4. Submit transcripts for all colleges and universities attended. If a student is currently enrolled in his or her first term at an institution, a “Letter of Good Standing” should be requested in lieu of a transcript.

  5. Provide the Confidential Recommendation Form to the appropriate person as designated on the form and have the reference send the form directly to Belmont University.

  6. Transfer applicants who have earned fewer than 30 transferable hours of credit from a regionally accredited institution at the time of application must request that an official transcript be sent from the high school directly to the Belmont University.

  7. Transfer applicants who have earned fewer than 30 transferable hours of credit from a regionally accredited institution at the time of application must submit the Secondary School Report Form to the guidance office for completion and have it sent with the transcript directly from the high school.

  8. Transfer applicants who have earned fewer than 30 transferable hours of credit from a regionally accredited institution at the time of application must request that score reports from the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) or the American College Test (ACT) be sent to Belmont.

Application Process for Early Admission 

Students may apply for early admission to Belmont after the junior year in high school.  In addition to the application requirements for Freshman Admission, Early Admission candidates must have completed, with grade of "C" or higher, three English courses and three math courses.  The Admissions Committee expects a minimum SAT of 1110 (composite score of Critical Reading and Math) or ACT composite of 24 and a minimum high school GPA of 3.00 on academic subjects.  In addition, the prospective student should outline the reason for requesting early admission and include letters of support from parents and the high school principal or counselor.

Special Program Admission Requirements

Admission to the Department of Art

Applicants who wish to major in art are required to submit a portfolio with 12-20 pieces of their best and most recent work as part of the application process. This portfolio can include examples of the various media in which the applicant works and should emphasize the applicant’s artistic strengths. The portfolio may be submitted as slides, VHS video, photographs or CD-ROM presentation. Applicants should not submit original pieces. For further information, visit www.belmont.edu/art

Admission to the School of Music

Applicants who wish to major or minor in music are required to complete an audition as part of the application process.  Plans for an audition should be indicated on the School of Music Supplement portion of the Application for Undergraduate Admission. While taped auditions are accepted in certain circumstances, live auditions are strongly encouraged. Audition requirements and guidelines can be found online at www.belmont.edu/music.

Admission to the School of Nursing

All applicants (whether freshman or transfer) to the School of Nursing must submit an official high school transcript and official test scores from either SAT or ACT. A nursing applicant must be a licensed registered nurse or have a previous bachelor’s degree to be exempt from this requirement.

Admission to the Honors Program

Applicants for freshman admission may be considered for admission to the Honors Program if they have outstanding academic records in high school.  Admission criteria include being in the top 10% of the high school graduating class and an ACT score of 28 or higher or an SAT score of 1260 or higher (composite score of Critical Reading and Math). After submitting the application for admission, interested applicants should complete the Honors questionnaire available at www.belmont.edu/honors. Generally, a maximum of fifty-six students are admitted to the program.

Readmission

Students applying for readmission to Belmont are considered on the same basis as new applicants to the university for that particular term. If a student has attended any other college or university since the last term of enrollment at Belmont, official transcripts must be sent. Recommendations previously sent to Belmont may be used if they are less than two years old. Applicants should contact the Office of Admissions to determine what particular requirements may be needed.  Readmission cannot be considered if the student has any unsettled business with Belmont University or any other institution attended, whether in the form of a financial, disciplinary or academic obligation. Once those issues have been resolved and the Office of Admissions has been notified of the resolution in writing by that institution, the application will be considered. The university reserves the right to refuse readmission to a student on any grounds deemed sufficient by the Belmont University administration.

A student who receives his/her first academic suspension from Belmont University may petition for readmission to the university after one semester. Any student who receives two academic suspensions may appeal for readmission after one year from the date of the last suspension. Any appeal for reinstatement from suspension is made to the Admissions Committee and is subject to full review. In no case is reinstatement guaranteed. A third suspension results in permanent dismissal from the university.


Enrollment Process 

  1. Obtain and complete the degree seeking application for admission. Indicate the desired term of enrollment and desired major. Submit the application and appropriate fee to the Office of Admissions. Submit all supporting materials as outlined in this catalog to the Office of Admissions.

  2. After all application materials have been received by the Office of Admissions, they will be reviewed by the Admissions Committee after which notification of a decision or the need for additional materials will be sent. Acceptance to the university may be granted with stipulations that must be met for continued enrollment. These stipulations supercede any other progression requirements outlined in the bulletin or other university documents.

  3. An Enrollment Confirmation Form will be mailed with the student’s acceptance letter to the university. The completed form should be returned with a $250 non-refundable enrollment deposit. This deposit ensures a space for the student in the term for which they have been admitted. The Enrollment Confirmation Form and deposit are due within two weeks of receipt of the acceptance letter. If requested in writing, a deferment may be granted until May 1 for fall or summer terms or until December 1 for the spring term.

  4. The Enrollment Confirmation Form includes a housing application and a housing exemption request. One of these must be completed prior to returning the form. If a new student requests housing, $100 of the Enrollment Deposit will be set aside to cover the housing deposit. Should a new student cancel a housing assignment prior to matriculation, the deposit is non refundable.

  5. A student health form will be mailed with the acceptance letter. It must be completed and returned prior to registration.

  6. After Belmont has received the completed Enrollment Confirmation Form and enrollment deposit, the student may create their BIC (Belmont Intranet Connection) Account and register to attend New Student Orientation.