Below, find answers to questions about applying as a first-year student at Clark. If you need more information, contact the Admissions Office at 1-800-GO-CLARK or 1-800-462-5275 or admissions@clarku.edu. International students should contact intadmissions@clarku.edu. Transfer students should contact transferadmissions@clarku.edu.
We strongly encourage applicants to submit all required materials by the deadline; however, we recognize it may not be possible in some cases. It’s most important that we receive your main application (either the Common App or the Coalition App with Scoir) by the deadline. Your other credentials may arrive after the deadline.
If your application remains incomplete, it will be withdrawn, but only after we have attempted to notify you by email regarding the missing materials. It’s your responsibility to ensure your application is complete.
You can apply using either application, and we do not have a preference which way you apply. Please submit only one application to Clark — you do not need to complete both! Neither application has a fee.
Once you’ve started your application, we’ll send you an email with information about how to log in to our applicant portal, and where you can check on the status of your materials, see what’s missing, and receive updates about your application. At peak periods around the deadlines, status updates on the portal are not immediate, so please allow for processing time. If you have questions about the status of your application, call 1-800-462-5275 or email our office.
All decisions are released through our applicant portal to your personal account, so you will be able to log in from anywhere to see your decision. You’ll receive credentials to sign in to this portal via email when we first receive your application materials. Note: We do not release admission decisions over the phone.
Yes, whether you are a U.S. or an international student, you may apply as a first-year student for the spring semester. Just follow the instructions for applying to Clark and make sure to submit your application by Nov. 1.
An admitted student who wishes to postpone his or her enrollment for up to a year must submit a request in writing by May 1. A nonrefundable deposit (credited toward first-semester charges) is required. A student who enrolls in a degree-seeking program in the interim may not defer enrollment but must reactivate his or her application and submit official transcripts for review.
Advanced Placement (AP) credit is defined as one unit of degree credit assigned for a score of 4 or 5 on a College Entrance Examination Board (CEEB) AP exam taken after completion of an AP course and before the student formally matriculates.
First-year students may receive credit for college work with grades of C or better completed prior to becoming a student at Clark University if that credit is in a content area deemed academically acceptable to Clark and is from an accredited college or university.
First-year students may be awarded a maximum of eight units of credit (two semesters) for AP credit and/or credit from college courses taken while in high school.
The Parent Letter of Recommendation is an opportunity for us to hear from the people who know you best! We ask parents and guardians to write a Parent Letter of Recommendation to share their views on your passions and your growth over time. This letter is not a sign that you’re in trouble — we offer every family who applies the chance to submit this recommendation. It is optional, and students will not be penalized for not including this recommendation.
Early Decision: When applying Early Decision I/II, you must complete your application for financial aid, including the FASFA (for U.S. students only) or the CSS Profile (for international students), by Nov. 15 for Early Decision I and by Jan. 15 for Early Decision II. If you are required to submit the CSS profile and have submitted it on time, early estimates of need-based financial aid will be released at the time of your admissions decision; Clark also will let you know if you have received any merit aid.
Early Action: If you are applying Early Action, and you are interested in being considered for need-based financial aid, you will need to fill out the FASFA (for U.S. students only) or the CSS Profile (for international students) by Nov. 15.
An admitted student who wishes to postpone his or her enrollment for up to a year must submit a request in writing by May 1. A nonrefundable deposit (credited toward first-semester charges) is required. A student who enrolls in a degree-seeking program in the interim may not defer enrollment but must reactivate his or her application and submit official transcripts for review.
You may be deferred to the Regular Decision admission pool if the Admissions Committee expects that your application will improve during the extra time. In such cases, we welcome any additional information such as senior grades, additional standardized test scores, or recommendations.
You’re an international student if:
If English is not your native language, you need to submit evidence of English proficiency. For details, see our English requirements.
If you have taken the TOEFL, IELTS or Pearson PTE exams, we prefer receiving official test scores directly from the testing agency although we accept a scanned copy sent by you or your counselor/teacher to intadmissions@clarku.edu. If you have taken Duolingo English Test, please ensure that the official score is sent directly from the Duolingo portal.
A few days after you submit your application, you will obtain access to an online checklist of all your application materials. You can use this checklist to see whether we have received your scores and other materials.
You’ll need to submit a minimum of three complete years of educational data in order for Clark to properly evaluate your education. For students in countries like China, which uses a 6-3-3 educational system, we’ll need a transcript from your middle school showing results from at least the final/third year (the U.S. equivalent of “9th grade”) in addition to the first two years of your three-year secondary school. We can’t review an application with only two years of credentials, so make sure we receive all your transcripts before the deadline.
An interview is optional but strongly encouraged. Interviews allow us to get to know you beyond the confines of your application, and you get to learn about Clark from a student or staff perspective.
For international students, interview can also be used as a supplementary measurement of your English proficiency.
Your options for an interview are:
If we find that you meet the academic requirements for admission to Clark University but may benefit from additional language support, we will recommend our
English for Academic Success Program or Undergraduate Pathway Programs. Depending on your English proficiency level, you may spend one to four semesters in one of these programs before transitioning to the undergraduate degree program.
Yes. All international applicants are considered for merit scholarships. To be considered for a need-based award, file the CSS Profile with your application by the admissions deadline (see Regular Decision, Early Action and Early Decision, and Transfer Admission for the various deadlines). Because our resources are limited, we can’t offer admission to international students who require full funding. Typically, international students pay around $40,000 per year after considering scholarships and aid. Our total cost of attendance is approximately $75,000 per year.
Merit-based scholarships are awarded based on your academic performance and other factors included in your application. Every student who applies to Clark is automatically considered for most of our merit-based scholarships. To apply for need-based financial aid, make sure to submit the international CSS Profile.
Yes, you can receive credit for IB classes and an IB diploma.
If you present an IB diploma and have earned a minimum of 36 composite points with a score of 5 or higher in all six of your exams, you’ll receive eight Clark units. It’s the equivalent of one full year.
If you present an IB diploma and have earned a minimum of 24 composite points, you’ll receive four Clark units. It’s the equivalent of one semester.
If you haven’t completed the full IB diploma, you’ll receive one Clark unit for each higher-level exam you took and in which you received a score of 5 or higher. You can receive a maximum of four Clark units, the equivalent of one semester.
Yes. Clark University does not require international students to submit either their SAT or ACT score as part of their application.
We use our own application for transfer applicants. The application fee is $0. Apply as a transfer student here.
Demonstrating the ability to handle college-level work is one of the factors our Admissions Committee will consider when evaluating your application. If you don’t have recent college experience, we suggest enrolling in courses at a community college before applying to Clark.
All transfer applicants are considered for both merit- and need-based aid. Top consideration for merit scholarships goes to admitted students who have excelled in secondary school and college and whose academic achievement and personal qualities indicate they will perform at the highest level when they enroll at Clark. United States citizens and permanent residents interested in applying for need-based aid will complete the FAFSA and, depending on family adjusted gross income, the CSS Profile . International applicants interested in applying for need-based aid will complete the CSS Profile only. Transfer applicants are not eligible for the Presidential Scholarship. Learn more about financial aid for transfer applicants.
Transfer applications received at the Undergraduate Admissions Office are only considered for full-time enrollment, which is typically four courses (4 Clark Units) per semester. If you want to apply for part-time or night classes, contact Clark’s School of Professional Studies.
No; the same consideration is given to a diploma from an accredited secondary school or GED equivalency.
You may apply as a transfer applicant, but no financial aid is awarded to students pursuing a second bachelor’s degree.
Most semester-length courses at Clark have the value of one unit, equivalent to four semester hours (credit hours) of credit. A minimum of 32 units is needed for completion of the Clark bachelor’s degree, and students typically take four courses per semester. In accordance with common transfer practices, credit will be awarded on a prorated basis for students transferring into Clark from institutions that operate on a different credit system. Approved courses that carry 3.0 semester credits will receive .75 Clark units in transfer. Courses that are on the quarter system will receive .75 Clark units for 4.0 or 5.0 quarter credits and 1.0 Clark units for 6.0 quarter credits.
In accordance with common transfer practices, credit will be awarded on a prorated basis for students transferring into Clark from institutions that operate on a different credit system. Approved courses that carry 3.0 semester credits will receive .75 Clark units in transfer. Courses that are on the quarter system will receive .75 Clark units for 4.0 or 5.0 quarter credits and 1.0 Clark units for 6.0 quarter credits.
Your incoming class standing at Clark will be determined in the following manner:
International applicants applying for transfer admission from colleges and universities outside the United States must submit their academic records to a foreign credential evaluation service. This service provides information to assist in determining an applicant’s GPA relative to the American grading system, the transfer eligibility of university-level coursework, and the determination of class standing. When ordering a foreign credential evaluation, it must have a course-by-course analysis and show that the college or university is accredited in U.S. terms. Securing the evaluation and costs associated are your responsibility. An application without this evaluation will not be considered for admission.
Yes! Clark students are required to live on campus up to the end of their sophomore year, and this is applicable to transfer students. Your transfer credit will determine your class standing.
Your overall academic record is considered by Clark’s Admissions Committee, and improvements in academic performance from high school to college are taken into consideration. An upward trajectory in academic performance often indicates you learned the skills necessary to succeed at Clark. However, students who earned a GPA of less than 2.5 in high school must complete at least one full year of college courses (equivalent to 8 Clark Units) before being considered for admission.