Policies and Procedures
Chapman University provides a uniquely personalized and interdisciplinary educational experience to a diverse group of highly qualified undergraduate students by encouraging innovation, creativity and collaboration.
At Chapman, a holistic admissions process is used to evaluate how well an applicant will succeed in and improve the campus community. This means looking at the entire student, including high school and/or college records, standardized test scores (if provided), co-curricular activities and personal character, as well as an applicant’s special interests, talents and background.
In addition, Chapman can only admit as regular students those who:
- Have or will receive a high school diploma before enrolling; and/or
- Chapman has procedures to evaluate the validity of a student’s high school completion for cases when we have reason to believe the high school record(s) is not valid or was obtained from an entity that provides secondary school education.
- Have or will have the recognized equivalent of a high school diploma before enrolling; and/or
Chapman will not admit students who do not meet either of the criteria above but are beyond the age of compulsory school attendance in California.
Students applying for undergraduate admission should be aware of the application deadlines and procedures provided in the section below. For detailed information, view the How to Apply section of the Undergraduate Admission website.
Office of Admission
Undergraduate admission applications should be submitted as early as possible. For more details see Undergraduate Admission. The Office of Admission mailing address is below:
Office of Admission
Chapman University
One University Drive
Orange, California 92866
Admission Deadlines and Notification Timelines
To receive full consideration for admission and financial aid, students must submit a completed application (with all supporting documents and materials) through the Common Application by the appropriate deadline indicated below.
November 1 (First-years fall deadlines only)
- Early Action deadline (non-binding)
- Early Decision deadline (binding)
- Film and Television Production deadline
When appropriate, candidates not selected for Early Action or Early Decision admission will be rolled to the Regular Decision notification plan.
Some individual programs have a November 1 priority deadline. For a list of those programs, visit the Undergraduate Admission How to Apply website and review the “First Year Application Deadlines” section.
Early Action and Early Decision notifications take place in mid-December. Dance, Film and Television Production, Screen Acting and Theatre Performance release decisions on an abridged timeline with rolling notifications beginning as early as mid-December for some programs.
January 10 (First-years only)
- Early Decision enrollment deposit deadline
January 15 (First-years only)
- Regular Decision deadline for fall
Regular Decision notifications will be released in mid-March for first-year students.
February 15 (Transfers only)
- Fall priority application deadline
Notifications for Fall transfer applicants will begin being released in mid-February.
May 1 (First-years only)
- National Candidate Reply Date (deadline for first-year students to accept admission and pay deposit for fall)
October 15 (First-year and transfers)
- Spring priority application deadline
Late Consideration
First-year and transfer students submitting applications after the deadlines stated above will be considered for admission and financial aid on a space- and funds-available basis.
Transfer Students
A new student is considered a transfer student if they have graduated high school (or equivalent) and enrolled at a regionally accredited college or university.
Chapman welcomes fall and spring applications from students transferring in from either two- or four-year colleges or universities.
For information and resources on transferring to Chapman, including Chapman’s transfer credit and articulation guidelines, visit the Undergraduate Admission Transfer Resources website.
To apply as a transfer student, visit the Undergraduate Admission Transfer Application Instruction webpage where a full transfer student checklist is available that walks new transfer student applicants through the application process. Transfer students can apply directly through the Common Application.
Military and Veteran Students
Chapman provides assistance to active military, veterans and their dependents who may be eligible for various educational benefits. Information for applying and using these benefits may be obtained by emailing the Veterans Resource Center. Military/VA students must also complete the VA student responsibility form after registering each semester and submit it online.
International Students
Students do not just come to Chapman from more than 60 different countries because of the university’s location in sunny Southern California. They also come for the incredible opportunities, including international internships, undergraduate research, study abroad programs, student activities and leadership development. Visit the Undergraduate Admission International Student website for frequently asked questions and details about applying to Chapman as a first-year or transfer international student.
International students can learn how to apply on the Undergraduate Admission How to Apply webpage, which offers international student checklists (for both first-year and transfer international students) that walk them through the application process.
Standardized Test Scores
Applicants have the option to provide SAT or ACT scores for consideration during the admission review process. More information about Chapman’s test-optional policy is available online on the Undergraduate Admission Test-Optional Details webpage.
For those who submit scores: SAT/ACT score delivery via self-reported scores within the Common Application (listed within the “Testing” section) are accepted, or official scores sent directly from CollegeBoard or ACT. Although official scores are not required at the time of application, they are required after accepting admission and making an enrollment deposit.
Chapman will superscore the SAT, but not the ACT. Superscoring is when the highest score from each section of the test is used for review, no matter if the individual scores are from one test sitting or multiple sittings.
Chapman has no preference for which tests students take, but encourages students to list/send scores from all testing attempts.
Chapman will only utilize the scores that put students in the most competitive position within the applicant pool.
Provisional Admission
Provisionally admitted students have additional requirements and suggested resources available to promote academic success on campus. Prior to course registration, we strongly suggest they meet with their Academic Advisor to develop a four-year plan that best meets their needs.
We also recommended that provisionally admitted students explore other resources available to aid in their academic success through Chapman University’s Tutoring and Learning Center. Students can visit the center in-person or via the Tutoring and Learning Center website.
Provisional admits are also limited to 15 semester hours of credit during their first semester at Chapman. After completing this initial semester with a minimum of a 2.0 GPA, these credit restrictions are lifted.
Enrollment Before Admission
If admitted for the fall semester, a new student who wishes to enroll prior to the fall will need to request a permit to register form for the preceding summer session from the Office of the University Registrar. To be granted a permit, incoming new students must also request and receive approval from the Office of Admission.
Permit to Register
Non-degree seeking students must submit a permit to register form to the Office of the University Registrar at the time of registration.
Deferring Admission
Students are only accepted for the term and program specified in their letter of admission. If a student wishes to defer their admission to a different term, they should consult with their Admission Counselor regarding the process for deferring their admission.
A student may defer their admission for up to one year from the original admission. Longer gaps will be considered at the discretion of the admission committee. Only students who have formally deposited at Chapman University may request a deferral. Certain programs are not eligible for deferred enrollment. Please contact the Office of Admission at admit@chapman.edu for further information regarding deferment policy and procedure.
Rescinding Admission
A student’s offer of admission is contingent upon their continued academic success throughout the remainder of the school year. The Office of Admission will require an official copy of a student’s final transcript to be sent upon completion of their work.
In addition, a student’s admission offer may be revoked if the official test score differs from their submitted unofficial test score, or if a testing board cancels their score.
The university may also rescind admission if we learn of student behavior that demonstrates a lack of character or integrity in line with the culture of campus community.
Interrupted and Re-Enrollment
Students may find it necessary to interrupt progress toward their degree and return at a later date. If a student has completed their first term in a degree-seeking program and leaves the university in good academic standing or on academic probation, the student will not need to re-apply but can re-enroll for classes at Chapman by submitting the re-enrollment form to the Office of the University Registrar.
Degree-seeking students who completely withdraw from their first term due to family emergency, medical reasons, or military/occupational relocation may petition for interrupted enrollment. Veterans receiving honorable discharge and who left the university to perform military service will be re-admitted with the same academic status when the student last attended Chapman. The length of absence from Chapman for veterans cannot exceed five years.
For full details on interrupted enrollment and the re-enrollment process, visit the Office of the University Registrar Student Services website.
Readmission
If an undergraduate student left the university in good academic standing or on academic probation and was gone for 5 consecutive semesters or more (excluding interterm and summer sessions), and has not since earned an undergraduate degree from another institution, the student must submit an Application for Re-Enrollment to the Office of the University Registrar.
The Application for Re-Enrollment must include all required official transcripts for review of re-enrollment eligibility. Official transcripts must be received in the Office of the University Registrar within 30 days of submission of the Application for Re-Enrollment. Otherwise the application will be cancelled.
If students take coursework during their absence from Chapman University, they must provide official transcripts of that work to the Office of the University Registrar. Students who have been away from the university for more than 5 years must provide official transcripts from all institutions attended. Chapman University will verify enrollments at other institutions to confirm that all official transcripts have been submitted.
Prior to applying for re-enrollment:
- Review the policy for Undergraduate Re-enrollment as stated above.
- Provide official transcripts from all institutions attended.
- Submit the Application for Re-Enrollment Form.
Official review of the Application for Re-Enrollment will not begin until all official transcripts have been received.
Students wishing to return to Chapman University are eligible for Re-Enrollment so long as the major and/or minor meet the following criteria:
- The major and/or minor are still being offered by Chapman University.
- The major and/or minor have not had significant changes due to regulatory requirements.
- The major and/or minor are not impacted programs calling for selective admission.
The student will enroll under the general education and major or degree requirements in effect at the time the student returns to Chapman. The Office of the University Registrar will review student program requirements and evaluations under the student’s previous catalog year. Once reviewed, and previous information and evaluation are compiled, the information will be submitted to the academic department for review. Decisions made by the academic departments or schools on catalog requirements are final.
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