Information for Prospective Students

Undergraduate Admissions

Millsaps College accepts, without regard to race, color, religion, sex, creed, sexual orientation, or national origin, qualified students who will benefit from its academic program.

First-Time Freshman Admission

Students applying for admission as first-time freshmen should have participated in a strong high school college preparatory curriculum. Applicants’ records should show progress toward high school graduation, with at least 14 units of English, mathematics, social studies, natural sciences, and/or foreign languages. Four units of English should be included.

Millsaps is offering Fall 2022 applicants with a 3.0 GPA or higher on a 4.0 scale and college preparatory curriculum the option to apply without an ACT or SAT score. Applicants who are able to take a standardized test and who feel their scores reflect their academic potential may still choose to submit scores for consideration. All applicants, regardless of test score submission, will be considered for merit scholarships.

Students who will not graduate with a high school diploma may submit results of the General Educational Development (GED) Tests, along with a transcript of any high school work completed.

Students who desire to enroll before completing high school must submit a high school transcript indicating that the student is on track to complete the same graduation requirements for first-time freshmen and strong letters of recommendation that speak specifically to early enrollment. An interview with the Director of Admission may also be required.

Freshmen applicants may choose from two decisions plans:

1. Early Action
   The priority deadline for submitting an Early Action (EA) application is November 15. Early Action is the most popular application option at Millsaps. EA is designed for any student wishing to submit complete application credentials and learn of admission and scholarships early, without making an immediate commitment to enroll. Students applying under the Early Action Plan are not required to make a commitment to enroll before May 1, but are encouraged to notify the College as soon as a final decision has been made.
2. Regular Decision
   Students applying under the Regular Decision Plan (RD) have a priority deadline of February 1. As with EA, students are not expected to make a commitment to enroll before May 1, but should notify the College as soon as a final decision has been made.

Home-Schooled Applicants

Students who have been home-schooled must follow the same procedures for admission as any other first-time freshman or transfer applicant.  An interview may be required for some home-schooled applicants.

Application Procedures for all first-time applicants

All applicants to Millsaps College must submit the following credentials:

1. A completed application for admission, including the secondary school report, optional essay, and optional teacher evaluation(s). Millsaps accepts both The Common Application and the Millsaps application. Both applications are online only. Neither application requires a fee, although there may be fees associated with the Common Application.
2. Official paper or electronic copy of high school transcript and/or GED.
3. Millsaps is offering Fall 2022 applicants with a 3.0 GPA or higher on a 4.0 scale and college preparatory curriculum the option to apply without an ACT or SAT score. Applicants who are able to take a standardized test and who feel their scores reflect their academic potential may still choose to submit scores for consideration. All applicants, regardless of test score submission, will be considered for merit scholarships. Scores appearing on the official high school transcript will be accepted.
4. Official copy of all college transcripts, if applicable. Transcripts issued to the student are not accepted as official. Millsaps College does not accept faxed transcripts. We accept transcripts sent electronically from institutions.

Transfer Admissions

A transfer student is anyone entering Millsaps as a student from another institution of higher learning in the United States. Transfer applicants to Millsaps are encouraged to apply for admission by the priority deadlines of December 1 or July 1, depending on which semester they are seeking enrollment. All applicants are required to submit official college transcripts and an optional essay with the application. If necessary, a final high school transcript and official ACT or SAT scores may be requested as part of the application credentials for any transfer student. Official transcripts submitted electronically via an official electronic transfer process will be recognized by Millsaps as official transcripts. The Office of Records is responsible for reviewing transfer credit for transfer admissions. These policies govern how the Office of Records reviews credits for transfer:

• Earned hour credit is normally allowed for work taken at other regionally accredited institutions.
• Millsaps College accepts the transfer of credits earned at other institutions of higher education on the basis of course equivalency. Course equivalency is the determination that a course taken at another institution is comparable to a course offered by Millsaps College in terms of objectives, learning outcomes, and educational level. Equivalent courses are accepted and applied to meet program requirements.

For transfer courses not already having recognized equivalencies, the appropriate academic department determines the acceptance and application of each course. Non-equivalent courses may be accepted as free electives and count as earned hours toward graduation. Some courses not regarded as consistent with a liberal arts curriculum may not be credited toward a degree.

• Mode of delivery is not a relevant or distinguishing factor in evaluating equivalency.
• Academic departments may designate a maximum age for credits to be accepted to fulfill major, minor, or concentration requirements. General education and free elective credits do not expire.
• After earning 64 semester hours at a two or four-year institution, a student may not take additional work at a community college or junior college and have it apply toward a degree from Millsaps.
• Credits earned at another institution will be recorded on a non-graded basis, and the credit is awarded in the other institution’s currency.
• Transfer credit is given only for courses in which the student earned a C- or higher.
• In the case of a student transferring to Millsaps with partial fulfillment of a general education requirement, the Office of Records, in consultation with the Compass Council, may approve courses to substitute for the remainder of the requirement.
• Students must be matriculated at Millsaps College to have transfer credits entered into their academic records.

Nontraditional or Adult Admission

Nontraditional (adult) students admitted to the College as degree candidates may be part-time or full-time students. Nontraditional students follow the same admissions process as traditional undergraduates.

Part-Time Admission

A part-time student is one enrolled in a degree program but taking fewer than 12 hours. Requirements for admission and policies pertaining to part-time students are the same as those for full-time students.

Non-Degree Student Admission

A non-degree student is a mature person of ability and seriousness of purpose who enrolls for limited academic work and does not plan to seek a degree at Millsaps College. This may be for the purposes of earning professional certification, admission to graduate or professional schools, taking course work to transfer to another institution, or for personal interest. Applicants should submit the Non-Degree Student Application Form to the Office of Records; it may be accessed at https://admission.millsaps.edu/register/non-degree_app. During fall, spring, and summer semesters, non-degree applicants must request an official transcript from the last institution of higher learning attended/ the institution where the student has earned a degree. If the non-degree student has not attended college, an official high school transcript will be required. In some cases, a letter of good standing may be needed as well. These documents are required for admission and must be submitted prior to registration. Please send all documents to the Office of Records at Millsaps College. The following policies apply to non-degree students:

• Non-degree students observe the same regulations concerning attendance, examination, and proficiency as regular students.
• Non-degree students may enroll in courses without regard to graduation requirements but must meet prerequisites for courses chosen.
• Non-degree students wishing to apply for a degree program at Millsaps College must reapply, provide full credentials, and meet admission requirements for degree-seeking students.
• Millsaps College reserves the right not to admit students into non-degree status based on prior educational background.

High school students interested in taking classes at Millsaps may enroll as non-degree students under certain circumstances.

• High school students must meet the requirements listed below in addition to the regular admission requirements for non-degree students.
• Must have all A’s in the subject area they wish to study. High school students must have taken all available courses at their high schools in the subject before they will be admitted to a college level course.
• A possible exception would be a subject in which no prior knowledge is assumed.
• Must provide a letter from their school assessing their maturity and capacity for performing responsibly in a college-level classroom.
• Must provide a high school transcript.
• Rising freshmen or sophomores must have an overall grade point average of 3.8. Rising juniors and seniors must have an overall grade point average of 3.5.

International Student Admission

Millsaps College welcomes students from all over the world and will evaluate applicants based on the educational system from which they come. International students should submit their admission credentials well in advance of the semester in which they expect to enroll to allow time for official documents to be received through international mail systems. Required documents for international applicants include the following:

1. A completed application for admission and the secondary school report. Millsaps accepts the Common Application and the Millsaps application for both admission and scholarship consideration. No application fee is required.
2. Official or certified true copies of transcripts from each secondary and postsecondary school attended. These should include a record of subjects taken and marks earned for each year of study. Documents must have the official signature and seal of a school official. A certified English translation must accompany all documents not in English. For placement purposes, review by an international evaluation agency may be requested from international transfer students. Agencies that may be used include:
   1. Foreign Credential Services of America
   2. International Education Equivalency Evaluation Services Incorporated
   3. National Association of Credential Evaluation Services
   4. Transcript Research
   5. World Education Services
3. Official or certified true copies of all national, public, or qualifying examinations must be completed.
4. Proof of English language proficiency may be required.  Students whose primary language is not English must submit one of the following: TOEFL, IELTS, GTEC, SAT, ACT or secondary education is through an English-instructed curriculum (minimum of 2 years).
5. Test scores are required for admission.  You may submit your national examination results or IB, SAT, ACT, AP, iGCSE/GCSE/GCE scores.  The inability to take one of the examinations listed above due to the impact of COVID-19 will be considered during admission review.
6. The applicant’s biographical information, extracurricular activities, and essay, along with a counselor and teacher recommendation, may also be considered in the decision-making process.
7. Statement of financial resources.

Readmission

Students who leave the College for one semester or longer may apply for readmission by completing the appropriate application. (If a student had attended another postsecondary institution since their last enrollment at Millsaps College, they will be treated as a transfer student.) Students on an approved leave of absence are not required to apply for readmission; to request a leave of absence, contact the Office of Records.

Orientation and the First Year Experience Program

Orientation and the First Year Experience program course are designed to ease the transition to college. All new students are required to participate in an online orientation module prior to the first day of classes.  This online module will help students learn about the academic curriculum requirements, support services and tasks that must be completed prior to move in day.  In addition, new students are strongly encouraged to attend in person orientation sessions offered during the summer months. These orientation sessions allow students and families the opportunity to connect with one another and with faculty, staff and students.  The final component of orientation is Welcome Week. Welcome Week begins with Move In Day and concludes with the Fourth Night Ceremony, held on the first night of the fall semester classes.  The Welcome Week schedule includes educational and social activities that help prepare new Millsaps students for life on campus.

First-year students will continue acclimating to Millsaps through the course component of the first-year experience called Introduction to Pathways.  This course is led by a member of the faculty, staff, and a peer mentor.  The course is organized into learning communities to provide more tailored guidance and support to students.  The Pathways course integrates habits of personal and academic success with strategies for career exploration, allowing students to begin their undergraduate education by reviewing past experiences, identifying present interests, and considering future goals.  The course will culminate in students choosing a Pathway which will provide them with a career-focused learning community to guide their curiosity and inform decisions around life planning.