Applying for Admission

Admissions 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 seeking a degree from Hesston College 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. Hesston College does not discriminate based on age, gender, race/ethnicity, religion or disability. Applicants who have not completed high school but have taken the General Educational Development tests (G.E.D.) are considered for admission on the basis of official test scores. Each applicant to Hesston College shall be considered for acceptance based on the indicators below. Evidence of each indicator may include but not be limited to: official academic records, student information forms, personal reference forms or personal contact with the applicant. Failure to meet any criterion may result in Academic Contractual Acceptance or rejection of application.

Academic Promise

  • High school transcript indicates an unweighted cumulative GPA of 2.5 or above (for freshmen), and college transcript(s) indicates a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or above (for transfers).
  • Transcript with graduation date or GED certificate.
  • Standardized test scores are optional. Submitting test scores could increase academic scholarship awards.

Social Character

  • Displays appropriate social interactions.
  • Will contribute to campus community in a positive way.
  • Able to live independently by managing such things as time schedule, self care and finances.

Potential for Success

  • Understands the expectations of Hesston College and able to adhere to stated community standards.
  • Expresses personal and academic goals for attending college.

Applicants who do not meet these criteria will be reviewed by an Academic Contractual Acceptance Committee chosen and chaired by the vice president of admissions and will include: vice president of student life, academic dean and admissions counselor.

Admission

United States applicants, including transfer students, who intend to earn a degree at Hesston College are asked to complete the following steps:

  1. Application. Submit a completed application to Hesston College Admissions. Some academic programs may require a separate application. Application forms are available from the admissions office or online in the admissions section of the college website (www.hesston.edu). No application fee is required.
  2. Academic records. Arrange for official copies of the following records to be sent to Hesston College Admissions:
    1. High school transcript and/or General Education Development (G.E.D.) test results. Admission will be granted on the basis of a six or seven semester transcript, but a final transcript showing graduation date and grade point average must be on file before the student can attend classes. This requirement may be waived for students with an associate degree or higher. For academic records, home-schooled applicants are required to submit 1) an outline or transcript of coursework covered including grades earned or a GED test score, and 2) standardized test (ACT/SAT) scores. The Admissions office may also request a certificate of high school completion from the home state.
    2. Transcripts of all previous college course work taken (if applicable).
    3. Results of all exams taken through Advanced Placement (AP), College Level Examination Program (CLEP) or other testing agencies (if applicable).
  3. SAT or ACT test scores. Arrange for scores from SAT I (Scholastic Aptitude Tests) or ACT (American College Test) tests to be sent to Hesston College. The Hesston College codes are 6274 for SAT and 1416 for ACT. Hesston College will superscore ACT and SAT tests when students submit multiple scores to the college. Non traditional students who have not completed one of these tests will be required to take ACCUPLACER before acceptance. This requirement may be waived for students with an associate degree or higher. Hesston College has been test optional since 2020-21. Students who enroll for fall 2024 will have the option to have the ACT or SAT test considered for acceptance if it benefits them. (All nursing, engineering and aviation majors will still have a test score requirement.) Hesston College will thoroughly review each student’s application and transcript and may require additional supporting materials to make an acceptance decision.
  4. Students who are citizens or residents of U.S. territories may be required to take the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) if they did not study at an English speaking high school.
  5. Prepayment. Upon acceptance, submit a deposit of $200. The fee is refundable upon request until June 1. This tuition deposit is applied toward first term tuition expenses.
  6. References. Hesston College requires references for applicants to the nursing, engineering, business management and aviation degree programs and students admitted on Academic Contractual Acceptance. References may also be requested for any student in the application review process. It is preferred that references be submitted by high school teachers or guidance counselors who know the applicant well. Applicants who have been out of school may use employers or pastors and nursing program applicants who are employed in health care must include one reference from the current employer. The college will not accept references from the prospective student’s personal friends or relatives. Persons providing references for applicants should complete the form at hesston.edu/reference.

Non-degree seeking applicants are asked to complete a part-time application. No application fee is required. If at a later date the student chooses to earn a degree at Hesston College, they will be asked to complete the regular admission process.

High school students who wish to take courses while completing their high school requirements must submit a completed community student application form. A part-time student who has not completed high school or furnished the results of the GED will be considered a degree-seeking student once they have completed 24 hours of Hesston College credit. At that point, for any hours enrolled subsequently, the student shall be required to complete the regular admissions process.

International applicants are asked to complete the following steps:

  1. Application. Application forms are available from the International Admissions Office or online in the international admissions section of the college website (www.hesston.edu/international-app). If submitting a paper application, mail it to International Student Admissions, Hesston College, PO Box 3000, Hesston, KS 67062 USA. No application fee is required.
  2. Academic records. Send a copy of the secondary school transcript (courses taken and grades earned) to Hesston College. If a national exam has been taken, send a copy of the results to the college as soon as available. If any university study has been completed, send a copy of that transcript as well. ACT and SAT scores are not required. Hesston College will accept a scanned copy of the academic records as part of the application proecess, but an original copy must be shown upon arrival at Hesston College.
  3. English proficiency requirement. An English language proficiency score is required in most cases. Minimum required score is 400 on the Paper-Based TOEFL (PBT) or 32 on the Internet-Based TOEFL (iBT). Students who achieve scores above the following scores are not required to enroll in any English as a Second Language (ESL) courses at Hesston College: 500 on the PBT or 61 on the iBT. The college also recognizes STEP EIKEN test results: Pre-2 is required for admission with ESL requirement; Pre-1 or higher is required for admission with no ESL requirement. IELTS scores are also accepted: 4.5 is required for admission with ESL requirement; 6 is required for admission with no ESL requirement. For score requirements of other tests, visit www.hesston.edu/admissions/international/apply/.
  4. Evidence of sufficient funds. Evidence of funds for a minimum of the first year of study must be assured before final admission is granted. A bank statement or bank letter showing sufficient funds is usually acceptable for this requirement.

Additional Documents Required

All applicants must provide the following documents, in addition to the academic records mentioned above, prior to the first day of classes. Failure to provide any one of them by the end of the second week of classes may result in dismissal.

  1. A payment plan must be in place for any outstanding balances and the account must be current with no overdue balances pending. For new students, a payment of $2,000 is required in the absence of a payment plan prior to attending classes. A financial aid file must be completed before any aid due the student can be applied to their account.
  2. Proof of coverage under a parent’s or own health insurance plan or enrollment in the Hesston College insurance program is required for international students, clinical nursing students, aviation students and student athletes.
  3. All health records requested by the Student Life office must be on file.

Catalog 2023-24