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Admission to Bluffton University is gained through the
admissions office, which acts on behalf of the faculty.
Admission may be granted to first-year students, transfers,
special and transient students and, on a limited basis, to
current high school students through the Post-Secondary
Enrollment Options Program.
All candidates for admission to the university upon
applying do agree to uphold the standards
of campus conduct.
University statement of
nondiscrimination
Bluffton University admits
students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin,
regardless of gender or handicap, to all the rights,
privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made
available to students at the institution. It does not
discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic
origin, gender or handicap, in administration of its
educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and
loan programs, athletic and other school-administered
programs.
Admission procedures
Application
materials are available from the Bluffton University
Admissions Office and on the university Web
site. Application should be made late in the junior year
or early in the senior year. The deadline for submitting the
application for fall term is May 31. For all other terms the
application deadline is 15 days prior to the intended date of
enrollment (semesters begin in August and January).
After obtaining the necessary forms, the applicant should
do the following:
- complete and return the application for admission along
with a $20 application fee;
- have the guidance counselor complete the recommendation
and return it with the high school transcript to the
college;
- have a teacher complete and return the teacher
recommendation form to Bluffton;
- have the ACT or SAT scores sent to Bluffton; and
- plan to visit the campus; call the admissions office to
make an appointment. A campus visit, though not required, is
strongly encouraged.
Because Bluffton University operates on a rolling
admissions plan, the admissions office will make the decision
on admission and notify the applicant soon after receiving all
of the above items. Students are encouraged to apply
early.
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Following graduation from high school, final transcripts
must be sent to Bluffton prior to actual enrollment.
When accepted, a student will be sent a medical history
form. This form must be completed and returned to
the university prior to enrollment.
Home school policy
Bluffton University
welcomes applications from home school students. In addition
to standardized test scores such as the ACT or SAT and a
transcript of courses, a personal interview is required. A
reading list and writing sample also may be requested. Contact
the admissions office for more information.
College credit for high school
students
Bluffton University participates in
the Post-Secondary Enrollment Option of Ohio Bill 140. This
program allows a limited number of high school students to
enroll in college courses and receive both college and high
school credit. Contact the admissions office for details
on application and admission requirements.
Advanced placement
The advanced
placement program of the college entrance examination board
was developed to give recognition to applicants who take
college-level courses in secondary school. Thus, some students
may be excused from certain college requirements by
satisfactorily passing the advanced placement examination in
American history, European history, biology, chemistry and
mathematics.
Credit and waiver will be issued to applicants who earn a
score of four or five on any of these examinations. Credit
and/or waiver may be issued for a score of three upon
recommendation of the department concerned and/or the dean of
academic affairs.
Requirements for first-year
students
In determining eligibility for admission,
Bluffton will carefully consider whether each applicant
individually has the proper background for study at a
liberal arts university.
Criteria will include high school academic standing, the
subjects taken, participation in co-curricular activities,
moral character, purpose for college study, counselor and
teacher recommendations, and ACT/SAT scores. Requirements for
admission to the first-year class are the following:
- graduation from a secondary school or a general
education diploma (GED);
- satisfactory secondary school work (preference is given
to students ranking in the top half of their class);
- satisfactory amount and distribution of secondary school
work. Bluffton University gives preference to students
who have taken a planned program of college preparatory
courses. The recommended program includes: four units of
English, with emphasis on composition; three units of
mathematics, at least one of which should be taken in the
senior year; three units of social studies; three units of
science; and three units of foreign language. These courses
will provide a good foundation for the liberal arts
curriculum and the major fields; and
- satisfactory performance on aptitude tests.
Bluffton University requires either the ACT of the
American College Testing Program or the SAT of The College
Board. The student should take the ACT or the SAT in the
spring of the junior year or fall of the senior year; scores
should be sent directly to the college. Registration for ACT
or SAT is made through the high school guidance
counselor.
Requirements for transfer
students
A student who plans to transfer to
Bluffton University from another college or university
must submit the following:
- Application for admission along with a $20 application
fee;
- official transcript of high school record;
- official transcript from each post high school
institution attended;
- signed transfer recommendation from each post high
school institution attended.
Full credit will normally be given for all courses
completed at any other regionally accredited college or
university in which the applicant has earned a grade of C- or
better and which are comparable in content to courses offered
at Bluffton.
Admission preference is given to applicants who have
maintained a C average or better in all college-level work.
Students who have been dismissed from another college or
university for academic or disciplinary reasons are not
eligible for admission to Bluffton University until they
are also eligible for admission to the previous institution.
Applicants must have met all financial obligations at the
former institution.
An accepted applicant who has graduated from an accredited
two-year institution of higher learning with an associate in
arts degree will be admitted with first-term junior
standing.
Two Plus Two
Bluffton University
has articulation agreements with area two-year colleges
whereby students with associate’s degrees in appropriate
majors can finish baccalaureate degrees in accounting,
business administration, criminal justice, dietetics, social
work, sociology and early childhood licensure. Students
interested in the Two Plus Two program should contact the
admissions office.
Requirements for special or
transient students
Individuals who are not
candidates for a degree may be admitted as special or
unclassified students and allowed to take courses on a
part-time or full-time basis. Applications may be requested
from the admissions office.
Requirements for
readmission
Bluffton University students who
have not been enrolled for one or more registration periods
must apply for readmission to the university. The application
form is available from the admissions office. A new medical
form is required of students not enrolled for more than two
years prior to readmission.
The factors considered in readmission include those used in
the initial admission decision. The decision will be made by
the admissions office, which may consult the administrative
officers and/or the Admissions and Scholarship Committee in
cases where readmission is questionable.
Students who have outstanding bills will not be readmitted
until those obligations are met.
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