Quick Links: Admission Policy, Hesston College Graduation Rates, How to Apply for Admission, Test Scores, International Student Admissions, Admission without Graduation from High School, Re-admission, Transfer of College Credits to Hesston, Credit by Examination or Experience, Classification, New Student Registration

Admission Policy
      Hesston College admits those students who will benefit from the educational environment of the college and who will contribute to the shared life of the campus community. Applicants must be graduates of an accredited high school or its equivalent to be eligible to attend. Admission is granted after careful review of the candidate’s academic promise, social character and potential for success at Hesston College, but without regard to sex, age, race, color, national origin or physical handicap.

Hesston College Graduation Rates
      The Student Right-to-Know Act, PL 101-542, requires that institutions publish graduation rates. The rates are based on new freshman entering an institution as first-time, full-time, degree-seeking students and graduating within 1.5 times the normal time for their program. The graduation rate for those entering Hesston College in the fall of 1997 and graduating within three years was 68 percent. The average rate over the last five years is 60 percent.

How to Apply for Admission
      Students are advised to apply for admission at least six to 10 months before planning to attend college, though applications are accepted through registration for each term. Early enrollment improves the chances of getting preferred programs, classes, scholarships, grants, loans, student jobs and campus housing.

Steps to follow when applying for admission:
1. An Application for Admission should be completed and mailed with a $15 application fee to: Admissions, Hesston College, Box 3000, Hesston, KS 67062. The $15 application fee is non-refundable. Upon receipt of application for admission, the Admissions Office will send additional departmental application forms to applicants for the nursing and pastoral ministries programs.
2. Official transcripts from high school and former colleges (if applicable) must be mailed directly to Hesston College. For high school students, admission will be granted with a six or seven semester transcript that includes courses taken and grades earned. Upon graduation from high school, a final transcript (including date of graduation, class rank and grade point average) should be forwarded to Hesston. All transcripts must be on file in the Registrar’s Office before a student can attend classes.
3. Upon acceptance, the student is asked to forward a $100 deposit. This is refundable upon request until May 1. If the student plans to live on campus, $50 of the deposit will serve as a room deposit. This is refunded upon termination at Hesston College provided that the student’s dorm room is in good condition. The other $50 serves as a tuition deposit and is applied toward first term tuition expenses.

Test Scores
      Test scores are used at Hesston College to assist in academic advising, career counseling and in determining scholarship eligibility and probationary status.
      Students age 21 and younger are required to have ACT or SAT test scores on file in the Registrar’s Office and are advised to take these prior to their first term at Hesston. The Hesston College ACT code is 1416. The SAT code is 6274.
      Students over 21 years of age who have taken the SAT or ACT test should have scores sent to Hesston. Those who have not completed one of these tests will be required to take a general purpose placement test when they arrive on campus.

International Student Admissions
1. An Application for Admission should be completed and mailed to: International Student Admissions, Hesston College, Box 3000, Hesston, KS 67062 USA. This application form is available from the same address. No application fee is required.
2. An official copy of the secondary school transcript (courses taken and grades earned) should be sent to Hesston College. If the applicant has taken any national exam, he or she should also send a copy of the results to Hesston College as soon as available. If the applicant has completed any university study, that transcript should also be sent.
3. ACT or SAT scores are not required.
4. Unless waived by Hesston College, the student should take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). A score of 500 (173 or more on the computer-based TOEFL) is required for an unconditional acceptance. A conditional acceptance is possible for scores from 400-499 (123-172 on the computer-based TOEFL).
5. The student must submit documentation of financial resources for each year of study. Funds for a minimum of the first year of study must be assured before the student leaves his or her country. A bank statement or bank letter showing sufficient funds is usually acceptable for this requirement.

Admission without Graduation from High School
      Gifted students with exceptional records who have not completed their senior year in high school may be admitted by special action of the Academic Dean’s Office.
      Persons who have not completed high school but have taken the General Educational Development tests are considered for admission on the basis of official GED test scores.
      Home-schooled applicants are required to submit the following:
1. Outline or transcript of coursework covered.
2. Certificate of high school completion from home state (if available).
3. Test scores from one of eight ability-to-benefit (ATB) exams approved by the U.S. Department of Education. (A list of approved exams is available upon request from the admissions office.)

Re-admission
      Students who have previously attended Hesston College may apply for re-admission by notifying the admissions office. The student’s original file will be reviewed and updated records may be requested.
      Students who have been dismissed from Hesston College must apply for re-admission through Academic Development Committee or Student Development Committee.
      Students whose studies at Hesston College have been interrupted by five years or more may be required to meet requirements of the catalog that is current at the time of re-admission.

Transfer of College Credits to Hesston
      Hesston College recognizes course work completed at other colleges and universities. Certified transcripts must be sent directly to the Admissions Office at Hesston from the issuing institution. Transcripts are reviewed by the Registrar and by academic departments as appropriate. Accepted courses are recorded on the student’s Hesston College transcript after the student has successfully completed one term of study at Hesston. Transfer students planning to earn a degree from Hesston College must complete one term of residency with a minimum of 12 passed credit hours at Hesston or complete a total of 30 hours through Hesston including the two Hesston College distinctive courses and any other specific program requirements. Students also must earn a cumulative GPA of 2.00 or better in Hesston College credits. Students who hold a bachelor’s degree or a previous associate’s degree from Hesston College are considered to have met all general education requirements. Individual career programs reserve the right to require certain components of the general education program if appropriate to the needs of their graduates or if missing from the student’s previous experiences.
      College level course work completed at accredited institutions may generally be transferred if it is equal to or substitutes for a specific course required in a degree program at Hesston. Only courses with grades of C or better are considered. Credits from non-accredited institutions will be reviewed after the student has completed one term of study at Hesston.
      College credit may be awarded for certain advanced high school courses approved by the Mennonite Secondary Education Council (MSEC) and Mennonite Board of Education (MBE). Requests for credit should be made to the Registrar.

Credit by Examination or Experience
      Hesston College may grant advanced placement and/or award credit for satisfactory completion of the following:
Advanced Placement (AP) exams given by the College Entrance Examination Board (CEEB)
ACT PEP: Regents College Examinations
Exams given by the College Level Examination Program (CLEP)
Term of service with Youth Evangelism Services (YES)
Prearranged experiences with Mennonite voluntary service agencies
Certificates earned in aviation and licensed practical nursing
Comprehensive course exams given by Hesston College instructors
      Students desiring credit should have exam scores and other pertinent records sent directly to the Admissions Office at Hesston by the issuing institution. A maximum of 12 hours may be accepted (16 for licensed practical nurses). Accepted credits are recorded after the completion of one term of study at Hesston. A fee is charged for recording the credit.

Classification
      Students are classified at the beginning of each school year for the entire year. Students with less than 24 hours of college credit are considered freshmen. Students with at least 24 hours of credit when fall term begins or who likely will meet graduation requirements by the end of the academic year have sophomore classification. Students entering Hesston College with a prior college degree and part-time students not pursuing a degree are classified as undergraduate specials.

New Student Registration
      New students receive registration and orientation information a few months before they arrive on campus. An academic advisor or admissions counselor contacts each new student by phone or in person to assist the student in completing registration for the upcoming school year.

A student’s registration becomes official when:
1. Financial aid applications are complete or notification has been received that the family does not intend to apply for aid.
2. The required health records have been verified by a physician and sent to the Student Life Office.
3. An approved payment plan has been selected for the school year.
4. The $100 deposit has been paid.
5. Official copies of all final high school and college transcripts are on file in the Registrar’s Office.