Transfer Student Admission
Students who have graduated from secondary institution or have earned their GED and have attended a regionally accredited two- or four- year college must apply as a transfer student for admission to Bridgewater College. Student must submit a transfer application through the College’s website.
Rolling Admissions Process:
If a first-time freshmen applicant does not apply Early Action, their admission application will be reviewed under the rolling admissions process. Completed applications are reviewed daily throughout the recruitment cycle. 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.
Transfer Admission Requirements:
Transfer students applying for admission must have a cumulative grade point average of 2.2 or above on all post-secondary course work and be in good standing at the college they are attending. A maximum of 68 credit hours will be accepted from a two-year college.
During the application review process an applicant may be asked to submit additional semester grades and/or enroll and successfully complete certain courses.
Based on the applicants pass history they may be asked to submit reference letters that testify to evidence of their personal integrity, honesty, and ethics.
In addition to submitting an application, all applicants must submit the following materials:
- Official final high school transcript with graduation date. The transcript should include the high school grade point average (GPA) on a 4.0.
- Official transcript from each post-secondary institution attended.
Transcripts will be evaluated by the registrar on a course-by-course basis. Only work comparable to that offered at Bridgewater College in level, nature and discipline will be accepted for degree credit. Credit will be awarded only for those courses in which a grade of C or above has been earned. Bridgewater offers competitive scholarships and grants for transfer students. Please contact the financial aid office for more information.
Bridgewater College recognizes the need to facilitate the transfer of students from the Virginia Community College system and other accredited 2-year colleges and universities. Students completing a transfer-oriented degree such as the Associate of Arts and Sciences (AA&S), Associate of Science (AS), and Associate of Arts (AA) will be exempt from all Foundations in the Liberal Arts (FILA) general education requirements except for FILA-350EW FILA Integration Seminar (3 credits) and FILA-450 Personal Development Portfolio (1 credit). To be eligible for this exemption, the transfer-oriented degree must be earned prior to enrolling at Bridgewater College.
Bridgewater College will accept courses for which grades of C or above are earned from the transfer-oriented degree program. Coursework comparable to that offered at Bridgewater College will be accepted for degree credit.
No distinction will be made by Bridgewater College regarding college courses applicable to the transfer-oriented associate degrees that are completed through dual enrollment arrangements with high schools. First-year students earning an approved associate degree will be exempt from all FILA general education requirements except for FILA-150 FILA Seminar (3 credits) and FILA-450 Personal Development Portfolio.
Bridgewater College currently has Guaranteed Admission Agreements with several colleges, which may be viewed at: https://www.bridgewater.edu/legal/consumer-information/articulation-agreement/.
Reservation Deposit
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.
Finalizing Enrollment:
Final admission is dependent upon satisfactory completion of your semester program of studies. Deposited applicants must submit an official copy of their final semester transcript from each post-secondary institution they have attended. If they have earned a transfer-orientated Associate degree (Associate of Arts [AA], Associate of Arts &Science [AA&S], Associate of Science [AS]) they must submit a final transcript that shows their degree and graduation date.
Final acceptance to the College is contingent upon maintaining a satisfactory conduct record. Applicants must promptly notify the admissions office in writing if any of the following occur at any time before or after your admission: any criminal charge; any disposition of a criminal charge; any school, college or university disciplinary or honor code action against you; or any type of military discharge other than an honorable discharge. Failure to do so will be grounds to withdraw your admission or to dismiss you after enrollment.
International Student Admissions Policy
Bridgewater College aims to enroll a diverse student population that is academically prepared to perform at a high level. An international student is defined for these purposes as a person who intends to matriculate in F-1 status and requires the College issue them a Form I-20.
Admission Application Requirement
A transfer international student can submit an admission application through the College’s official website The deadline to apply and submit the required supporting documents for the fall semester is April 17 and December 1 for the spring semester.
Required Supporting Documents
All applicants must provide an official copy of their secondary school transcript, country specific exam/test results and English language proficiency test results. An international application may not apply test-optional, nor may they self-reported English language proficiency test scores on their admission application.
Official Secondary Transcripts
All institutional transcripts must be submitted for an academic credential evaluation to obtain equivalency information regarding courses, credits, grades, and degrees earned through SpanTran (discount available), World Education Services (WES), or any current NACES member. A general or document-by-document report is sufficient and must include GPA. It is the responsibility of the applicant to make arrangements for the evaluation. An official copy of the completed evaluation should be sent directly from the company to the College.
English Language Proficiency Test
Applicants who first language is not English or have not attended an English-speaking institution must submit an English language proficiency test score report. The test score report must be sent from the test company and must be from one of the following exams:
- TOEFL – Test of English as a Foreign Language (79 iBT or 550 paper-based)
- IELTS – Intensive English Language Testing System (6.5 academic)
- Duolingo English Test (105)
- SAT or ACT — If you are a native English speaker or have studied in an English-speaking secondary school, you should submit SAT or ACT scores instead of or in addition to English proficiency scores.
Admitted Student Documents
Before being issued a Form I-20, each admitted applicant must submit the required admitted student documents completed Certificate of Finance form (COF), official bank statement and certified letter from the bank (showing proof of adequate liquid assets equal to or exceeding the resources needed from the student and parents’ line on their Certificate of Finance), a copy of their passport and their permanent foreign address.
Liquid assets are defined as a checking account, savings account, money market accounts, marketable securities, short-term bonds, or accounts receivable.
Certificate of Finance (COF)
Each admitted applicant will receive a personalized Certificate of Finance (COF) which outlines their costs of attendance, institutional aid they’ve been awarded, and the necessary financial resources needed to attend the College. The applicant must fill out the COF completely. Once the COF is completed, it is submitted, it along with an official bank statement, and certified letter from the bank from each person/funds source listed on the COF.
Official Bank Statement
An official bank statement must be provided for each person/fund source listed on the applicants completed COF. Statements must be sent directly from the bank and include the person/fund source full name, and at least the past four months of transactions.
Certified Letter from Bank
A certified letter must be provided from the bank for each person/fund source listed on the applicants completed COF. All certified letters must be sent directly from a bank official. The certified letter must include the following:
- The account holder’s full name
- The account holder’s relationship to the applicant
- An average account balance
Passport
Admitted applicants must provide a copy of their passport.
Permanent Foreign Address
If the admitted applicant provided a temporary address on their admission application, they must provide their permanent foreign mailing address.
Review of Admitted Student Documents
Once the applicant submits their admitted student documents they will be reviewed for authenticity and validity.
During the review the admitted student documents could be accepted or denied. If the documents are denied because of authenticity the applicant will be notified in writing and their application will be withdrawn. If the documents are denied because they fail to show adequate liquid assets needed to fulfill the student and parents’ resources line on their COF, the applicant will have the option to secure additional sources of funding, and will need to provide an updated COF, official bank statement, and certified letter related to the funding sources.
Once the admitted student documents are approved, the applicant will be notified in writing of the approval and directed to pay their reservation deposit. Once their reservation deposit is received and receipted to their student account the College will then issue the student their Form I-20.
Reservation Deposits:
Students who have been accepted for admission must confirm their intention to enroll by submitting 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.
Finalizing Enrollment
Once the applicant has paid their reservation deposit and received their Form I-20 they must complete the items listed on their Deposited Student Checklist. If the applicant has not made substantial progress completing the checklist items or had not had frequent communications with the Admissions Office by August 1, their application may be withdrawn, and their reservation deposit will not be refunded.
Final Secondary School Transcript
Every deposited applicant is required to submit an official copy of their final secondary school transcript. The transcript should include the date the applicant completed their courses of study, the courses they were enrolled in and the final grade they earned in each class while attending the post-secondary institution.
I-901 SEVIS Fee
All deposited international applicants must pay the I-901 SEVIS fee prior to their visa appointment.
Visa Appointment
If located outside of the United States, a deposited applicant must schedule a visa appointment in their home country to get approved to travel to the U.S. Once the applicant has scheduled their appointment, they must communicate that date with the Admissions Office.
Denied Visa
If an applicant is denied their visa, they can schedule a new visa appointment, have their application withdrawn and reservation deposit refunded or defer their admission to a future term. To defer their application, they must first have a re-scheduled visa appointment.
Visa Fee
TBD
Arrival information
International students must arrive to campus by the designated day. Typically, this day is two days before domestic first-year freshmen move-in day. Specific arrival information will be communicated by the Office for International Student Services. The College will offer limited transportation options from Dulles International Airport and Charlottesville Albemarle Airport to campus, and transportation outside of the communicated options is not guaranteed. Once the applicant finalizes their travel plans, they must notify the College of their arrival day, time, and location.