Admissions

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Undergraduate Admission Requirements

Bridgewater College welcomes all applicants with a high school education or previous college experience, international students and those looking to re-enter college for preparation for a new career.

Admission to Bridgewater College is granted to those who present evidence of the ability to succeed in the academic and social atmosphere that the College expects. Applicants should exhibit the following criteria:

  • Graduation from an accredited senior high school or secondary school—The program of courses completed in high school should include the following credits: four in English; two in one world language; three in college preparatory mathematics, to include algebra, geometry and algebra II; three in social studies and history; three in sciences to include a lab unit(s); and four in suitable electives. While the electives may be in vocational or non-academic subjects, it is recommended that they be in academic subjects such as English, science, mathematics and social studies. Applicants from Virginia high schools are encouraged to take a program leading to the Advanced Studies Diploma.

  • Superior scholarship on the secondary school program completed—The grades or marks made on the high school or secondary school program and scores made on achievement tests covering the secondary school subjects should be high enough to give reasonable assurance of ability to do college work.

  • A satisfactory score on a standardized test (SAT/ACT)—Students may submit official scores from either the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) of the College Entrance Examination Board or the American College Test (ACT) of the American College Testing Program. Official scores may be submitted directly from the official testing center, by the student's high school, or by the student providing a .pdf copy of their score report page.

  • Good character—Success in a liberal arts college depends not only upon the type and quality of secondary school program completed but also upon personal integrity, honesty and ethics. Applicants may be asked to submit references that testify to evidence of these qualities.

Guidelines for students who are home-schooled—The Admissions Committee evaluates all students who are home-schooled for admission to Bridgewater College. The criteria for admission are essentially the same for all applicants in terms of high school transcripts and SAT or ACT scores. A transcript can be obtained through your home-school association. If you are not associated with a specific organization, Bridgewater will accept a transcript put together by the home-schooling parent. A campus visit is highly recommended.

Guidelines for applicants who have a GED—The Admissions Committee evaluates all students who have earned a GED. An SAT or ACT score is required for consideration in addition to recommendations in support of one's application. A copy of the GED certificate must be submitted as well as a transcript of any completed high school coursework.

First-Year Student Admission

Students who anticipate graduating from high school and plan to directly enter Bridgewater College should apply for admission as a first-year student. Apply online at bridgewater.edu/admissions. Application deadlines are May 1 for fall semester and December 21 for spring semester.

In addition to submitting the application form, all prospective students must submit the following supporting documents:

  1. The high school or secondary school transcript—The transcript should include the high school grade point average (GPA) on a 4.0 scale and the student's rank within their senior class if available.
  2. Standardized test scores (SAT or ACT)—Scores should be submitted through the official testing center or the student's high school. Bridgewater's SAT college code is 5069 and the ACT college code is 4342.

Applicants may also consider submitting the following materials as support items for their application:

  1. Written letters of recommendation—Students may submit written letters of recommendation from the following parties: guidance counselor, high school teachers, athletic coaches and community members that personally know the applicant.
  2. Personal statement—A brief personal statement providing additional information may be submitted. We are interested in knowing important things about the applicant that do not appear on transcripts or are not reflected by GPA or standardized test scores.

Early Action:

The Early Action (EA) deadline is November 15. If a first-time, first-year student wants to apply EA, they need to indicate their intent on their admission application.

Applying Early Action means an applicant will submit the following items by November 15.

  • Admission application (Common App or Bridgewater College App)
  • Official high school transcript
  • SAT or ACT scores, if they are not applying test-optional.

If an applicant submits the required documents by November 15 and the applicant is admissible, this guarantees the following will happen by December 1.

  • The applicant will receive their admission decision letter, which will include their merit award amount.

Admitted EA applicants have a deadline of May 1 to pay their reservation deposit.

All completed EA applicants that also complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by November 15 will receive a personalized Financial Aid package by December 1.

If an applicant does not submit all of the necessary items by the deadline, their application will then be reviewed under the Rolling Admission Process.

Rolling Admissions Process:

If a first-time, first-year student does not apply Early Action, their admission application will be reviewed under the rolling admissions process. This process is a continual daily review of completed applications. Admitted applicants will receive their admission decision letter, which will include their merit award amount, within two weeks of the date their admission application is completed.

Test-Optional:

If first-time, first-year students feel their grades and overall performance in the classroom are better indicators of their ability than their ACT or SAT score, or if they have been unable to schedule a test date prior to applying to BC, we encourage students to take advantage of our test-optional admissions process.

Homeschooled students and international students are not permitted to apply as test-optional.

Reservation Deposits:

After the various data included in the application are received and evaluated, the applicant will receive a letter indicating acceptance, denial or the need for additional information. Inquiries from applicants are welcomed.

Students who have been accepted for admission must confirm their intention to enroll by making a $300 reservation deposit. The reservation deposit is applied to the entering semester charges for the upcoming year.

Fall Semester: The deposit is refundable if requested in writing before May 1.

Spring Semester: The deposit is refundable if requested in writing before December 21.

Enrolling students must submit their health records to Health Services. The information must be received by the College before final registration.