• Homeschoolers
• Transfers
• Internationals
• Music Applicants
• Art Applicants
• Deferrals and Reactivation
• Readmission
• New England Regional Student Program
• Application Status

First-Year or High School Applicants
We are frequently asked what is the most important credential in considering applicants for admission to Keene State.

All the information requested is critical to our decision as each application is reviewed on an individual basis. Our approach is a holistic review that considers your academic and personal achievements.

How to Apply

• APPLICATION
  Complete and submit both forms – Common Application and KSC Supplement – either online (preferred) or by mail by downloading the paper versions.
  • Apply Online
    – or –
  • Download applications, supplements, and forms, complete, return by mail
• WHEN TO APPLY
  You may apply to Keene State College for either the fall or spring semester. While Keene State considers applications on a rolling admissions basis, completed applications are due by April 1 for the fall and December 1 for the spring semester. Keene State reserves the right to close admissions irrespective of the application dates above, once capacity has been reached.
• FEE
  Pay the $40 application fee as reflected on the Common Application website
• TRANSCRIPT
  Submit an official copy of your high school transcript
• COURSEWORK
  Coursework must include:
  • English – 4 units
  • Mathematics – 3 units to include at least Algebra I, Algebra II and Geometry
  • Sciences – 3 units
  • Social Studies – 2 units
  • Academic electives – 2 units
• TEST SCORES
  Have your official SAT reasoning test scores reported to KSC from the College Board.
  Test scores will not be accepted on the high school transcript or paper photocopies.
  • Register for the SAT
  • Register for the ACT
    (The ACT may be submitted in place of the SAT reasoning test)
• RECOMMENDATION
  KSC requires one letter of recommendation from a school counselor, teacher, or school administrator. We prefer not to receive more than two letters.
• RESIDENCY STATEMENT
  New Hampshire residents that have been offered admission to KSC will be required to submit a notarized residency statement after May 1.
• APPLICATION STATUS
  Instructions for checking the status of your application.

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Home-Schooled Applicants
Home-schooled applicants must submit the same credentials as entering first-year or high school applicants.

The home-schooled transcript must outline academic studies (may include reading lists, course syllabi, writing samples, content completed, and a work portfolio), and a GED or Home School Diploma, if available.

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Transfer Applicant Instructions
Transfer students submit the same credentials as entering first-year or high school applicants.

In addition, they must provide official transcripts of all previous college study and a Transfer Applicant Confidential Recommendation Form.

The College encourages the competent student who has valid reasons for wishing to transfer, but cannot encourage the applicant with a history of academic or disciplinary difficulty.

Although there is no specific grade point average requirement; most admitted transfer students have a cumulative grade point average of 2.5 or above. Grades earned at other institutions are not included in the computation of the student's grade point average at Keene State.

Transfer of Credit
To receive an undergraduate degree from Keene State, students must attain matriculated status before starting their final thirty credit hours of work toward a degree. The Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs is responsible for determining the acceptability of all transfer credits.

Shortly after admission to the College, transfer students will receive an official transfer credit evaluation from the Academic and Career Advising Center. Students should bring this evaluation to any orientation program or when meeting with an academic advisor. Credits accepted in transfer may be allocated to the Integrative Studies Program requirements or electives. The faculty of each discipline will determine through course substitution which of the transferred courses will fulfill major or minor requirements. Please refer to the degree requirement section of the Catalog for major-specific information. Developmental or remedial coursework is not transferable.

Students should direct requests for the transfer of credits through the Academic and Career Advising Center in the following categories:

• Credits received at a regionally accredited institution of higher education, if completed with a grade of C or higher.
• Credits received at degree-granting institutions accredited by an association listed in the Directory of the Council of Post-secondary Accreditation, if completed with a grade of C or higher and if documented by the catalog and course descriptions.
• Credits received at international institutions recognized as approved exchange program institutions by the National and International Exchange Center (NIEC), if completed with the equivalent of a grade of C or higher. The list of approved exchange program institutions is available on the NIEC website or from the Center itself. If the academic institution that you attended does not issue documents in English, you must submit precise word-for-word translation of all your credentials.
• Credits recommended at the upper and lower division by the American Council on Education for an educational experience in the armed services. Up to 15 credit hours earned through approved DANTES Subject Standardized Tests (DSSTs) or certain other correspondence study courses may be accepted. Guidelines for the evaluation of military credit are available from the Elliot Center.
• Credits earned at the above institutions in courses graded by Pass/Fail or Credit/Non-Credit, if evidence is presented showing that the courses were completed with the appropriate level of academic achievement.
• Students who wish to transfer credits into a teacher certification option must apply through the chair of the Department of Education. Ordinarily, no more than four credits from another institution may be applied to satisfy program requirements due to the uniqueness of Education courses.

Credits earned at institutions that are non-accredited or are candidates for accreditation generally will not be accepted in transfer. However, students may petition to have these credits accepted. If possible, the student must provide a copy of the textbook(s), the course syllabus, and any other material as requested.

International Baccalaureate (IB) Credits and Diplomas
Keene State College will award 8 semester-credits for each Higher Level International Baccalaureate (IB) Examination passed with a score of 5, 6, or 7 and limits the total number of credits awarded for IB Exams to 24.

Keene State does not award credit for scores lower than 5, nor do we award credit for Subsidiary Level Examinations. IB Language Exams, if passed with a score of 6 or 7 will fulfill the Keene State College language proficiency requirement.

IB credits used to fulfill either Integrative Studies Program or core degree requirements are at the discretion of the College and individual departments.

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International Students
Keene State College welcomes well-qualified students from outside of the United States. Students from more than 20 countries are currently enrolled, helping enrich the educational opportunities of all.

Most international students enter Keene State with some academic credit from their home institutions. Transfer credit - including final years of secondary schooling - may be granted after a determination of the type of institution involved in its recognition by the educational authorities in the home country, and an evaluation of the content, level, and comparability of the study of courses and programs at Keene State.

A complete application for an international student requires the following:

• A completed application using the common application
• Official copies of secondary and post-secondary academic records with official English translations, when necessary, including:
  • Transcripts/marks sheets/grade reports of all course works completed with grades or marks for each course indicated
  • A course-by-course evaluation of international educational credentials completed by a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services, Inc. A list is available from the Office of National and International Exchange, 603-258-2348.
• International students living in the United States for two or more years attending high school must take the SAT.
• Proof of language proficiency that can either be established by on-campus interviews, transcripts from English-language schools, or successful completion of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) with total scores of 550 or above on the paper based or 213 on the computer-based test for undergraduates.

  TOEFL information is available at American embassies and consulates, offices of the U.S. International Communications agency, U.S. education commissions, foundations, and binational centers, or by writing to TOEFL, Box 899, Princeton, NJ 08541.

• Documentation of financial support. Applicants must complete the Certification of Financial Support in the application as well as submit documentation that funds are available.

  A demonstrated level of support, not only for tuition and room and board, but also for living expenses (pocket money, books, etc.), is necessary.

  The Declaration of Finances form is available from the Admissions Office, the Office of National and International Exchange, or the College Entrance Examination Board, P.O. Box 592, Princeton, NJ 08541.

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Music Applicants

Music candidates: If you are interested in the Bachelor of Music in either performance or music education or the Bachelor of Arts degree with any of the music specializations, or if you are interested in a minor in music, admission is a two-step process.

First, complete the Common Application and the KSC supplement.

Second, arrange for an audition. For more information or to schedule an audition, please contact the Music Department at 603-358-2177 or e-mail music@keene.edu.

Admission to the Music program does not guarantee admission to the College, and, conversely, non-admission to the Music program does not mean that you cannot be admitted to the College.

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Art Applicants
If you are interested in the Bachelor of Arts degree in program in studio art and/or graphic design, admission is a two-step process.

First, complete the Common Application and the KSC supplement.

Second, submit a portfolio of your work to the Art Department, following the requirements listed below. Your portfolio will be reviewed only after you are admitted to the College.

Admission into the Art program does not guarantee admission into the College. Conversely, non-admission to the Art program does not mean that you cannot be admitted to the College.

Portfolio requirements

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Readmission Requirements
Matriculated students who have voluntarily withdrawn from the College, or have been separated from the College due to academic or disciplinary suspension, must apply for readmission. Students on an official leave of absence do not need to request readmission.

Students seeking readmission will be subject to the catalog requirements and academic standards for the academic year they are readmitted to the College. The Admissions Office will provide advisement for students on the correct procedures for readmission.

Criteria for Readmission
Admissions will consider academic, financial, and personal criteria prior to granting or denying readmission. Students who left the College in good personal and academic standing, and have not jeopardized their status during their absence, should not experience difficulty in being readmitted.

For students attempting to return after academic suspension, the following minimum criteria form the basis for a decision on readmission but do not imply that readmission is automatic:

1. Have completed at least two courses with a minimum grade of C in each course and a minimum cumulative average of 2.0 in liberal arts courses since separation.
2. Have no outstanding financial obligation to the College at the time of application for readmission.
3. Be able to provide evidence of personal responsibility as a student at Keene State College and the community at large.
4. If under a 2.0, the student must provide an academic plan for success as part of the readmission process.

Two academic options - the New Start Program and the Continuation Program - are available to students who seek readmission.

New Start Program
After a break of at least one full academic semester, a student who is not in good academic standing may seek readmission to the College under the New Start Program. Only students with a cumulative grade point average of below 2.0 are eligible for New Start. Students readmitted under the New Start Program essentially discard their previous cumulative averages. All courses and grades will be retained on the permanent transcript, but records will carry forward only credits, not grades, from previous course work that received a grade of C or better.

No minimum grade point average is required for readmission under the New Start Program. Grades earned at Keene State College prior to matriculation are not included in the computation of the student's cumulative grade point average. Once readmitted, a student must achieve the minimum grade point average appropriate to his or her current standing.

A student may elect the New Start Program only one time and must do so at the time of application for readmission.

A nonmatricualted, continuing education student who has completed course work at Keene State College may elect to be admitted under the New Start Program.

Continuation Program
Students readmitted under the Continuation Program begin where they left off in terms of cumulative averages earned during previous academic work at Keene State.

In an effort to raise their cumulative averages, students may elect to use the "forgiveness policy," which allows them to repeat courses once in which grades of C/D or less were received. Only the last grade received will be used in calculating the cumulative average. If a student repeats courses at another college or university, that institution must be regionally accredited, and the student must earn a grade of C or higher in the course(s) to be transferred. Keene State College will accept only the credit earned, not the grade. The original grade earned at Keene State will remain on the permanent transcript, but will not be included in the calculation of the cumulative grade point average. The student is responsible for reviewing, in advance, the content of any course to be repeated at another institution to determine whether the course is acceptable as equal under the forgiveness policy. The appropriate discipline coordinator should be consulted to assist in the determination of course equivalency.

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