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College Admission Requirements
College Admission Requirements
MA has minimum standards for admission to UMass or Mass State universities: a hs diploma consisting of 17 core courses & a 3.0 weighted GPA.
No matter the GPA, students should also take & submit either the SAT or ACT score, but min test scores come into affect if the student's GPA is between 3.0 and 2.0. No students can be admitted to a MA public university with a GPA below 2.0 (community college is still an option though).
HS Diploma, 17 Core Courses, & Minimum GPA
HS Diploma, 17 Core Courses, & Minimum GPA
Detailed Admissions Standards PDF
NOTE: AN APPLICANT WITH A HIGH SCHOOL MINIMUM WEIGHTED GPA BELOW 2.0 MAY NOT BE ADMITTED TO A STATE UNIVERSITY OR UMASS UNDERGRADUATE CAMPUS.
UMass Universities testing requirements for students with below a 3.0 GPA
UMass Universities testing requirements for students with below a 3.0 GPA
Mass State Universities testing requirements for students with below a 3.0 GPA
Mass State Universities testing requirements for students with below a 3.0 GPA
Submit SAT or ACT Scores
Submit SAT or ACT Scores
*All freshman applicants who meet the minimum average weighted GPA requirement of 3.0 and are within three years of their high school graduation must submit their SAT scores (for critical reading and mathematics) or ACT scores.
For freshman applicants who do not meet the minimum weighted GPA requirement, they must earn the above SAT or ACT scores in order to be eligible for admission.
Remember that these standards represent minimum requirements; meeting them does not guarantee admission, since college officials consider a wide range of factors in admissions decisions.
Applying to College
Applying to College
Apply via the Common App:
Apply via the Common App:
Public
Public
- Bridgewater State
- Framingham State
- MassArt
- Mass College of Liberal Arts
- MCHPS
- UMass Amherst
- UMass Boston
- UMass Lowell
- UMass Dartmouth
Private
Private
- Amherst College
- Anna Maria College
- Assumption College
- Babson College
- Bay Path University
- Becker College
- Bentley University
- Boston College
- Boston University
- Brandeis University
- Clark University
- College of the Holy Cross
- Curry College
- Dean College
- Elms College
- Emmanuel College
- Emerson College
- Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering
- Harvard College
- Hampshire College
- Hellenic College
- Lasell College
- Lesley University
- Merrimack College
- Montserrat College of Art
- Mount Holyoke College
- Nichols College
- Northeastern University
- Pine Manor College
- Regis College
- Simmons University
- Smith College
- Springfield College
- Stonehill College
- Suffolk University
- Tufts University
- Wellesley College
- Wentworth Institute of Technology
- Western New England University
- Wheaton College
- Williams College
- Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Apply via the Coalition App:
Apply via the Coalition App:
- Amherst College
- Boston University
- Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering
- College of the Holy Cross
- Harvard University
- Mount Holyoke College
- Northeastern University
- Smith College
- Tufts University
- Wellesley College
- Williams College
Remember, it's important to apply by the early deadlines even to your safety universities in order to qualify for maximum scholarships & financial aid!
Creating A College List
Creating A College List
Measure where colleges are located and plan your college visit!
Filter to search both public & private colleges by selectivity, location, size diversity, & major!
Search Private colleges in MA!
Also explore Top Programs & Unique Programs at MA public institutions
The Commonwealth Commitment provides a mapped pathway for students transferring from community college to a 4-year university.
Further information on the MassTransfer website.
- Open to low-income graduates of the Boston school system, and will help pay for tuition and fees not covered by grants or scholarships.
- To qualify, students must meet requirements for the Pell Grant
- Restriction: Must enroll full-time at a community college and earn an associate’s degree, then from there, can transfer to a 4-year college
Note: All MA public universities offer Honors Programs: http://www.mass.edu/system/honors.asp
Applying for Financial Aid & Scholarships
Applying for Financial Aid & Scholarships
FAFSA website: www.fafsa.gov
See our FAFSA Guide
2. Complete the CSS Profile
2. Complete the CSS Profile
Close to 30 MA private universities require the CSS Profile. See if your colleges require the CSS Profile here.
CSS Profile Website: https://cssprofile.collegeboard.org/
Tuition and fees don't tell the whole story. Most MA students automatically qualify for the state financial aid and scholarship programs below.
State Aid Programs
State Aid Programs
Do not require separate applications!
State Scholarships
State Scholarships
Also do not require separate applications!
Full list of MA state financial aid & scholarships is available at GoHigher and the Office of Student Financial Assistance.
- Provides need-based financial assistance to undergraduate students who reside in Massachusetts. Students must be enrolled in and pursuing a program of higher education in any approved public or independent college, university, school of nursing or any other approved institution.
Gilbert Matching Student Grant Program
- The Massachusetts Gilbert Matching Student Grant Program (GMSGP) provides funds for participating Massachusetts' institutions of higher education and schools of nursing. At least 100 percent of the funds must be used for direct financial assistance to undergraduate students from Massachusetts so they may attend or continue to attend such institutions.
- $200 - $2,500 per year
- Need-Based Tuition Waiver
- Categorical Tuition Waiver
- Valedictorian
- Sep 11 Tragedy
- Certificate of Mastery
- Others available on the OSFA website
Massachusetts Cash Grant Program
Massachusetts Public Service Grant
- The Massachusetts Public Service Grant was established for students who have experienced the loss of a parent and/or spouse who is killed or missing in the line of public service duty in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Agnes M. Lindsey Scholarship Program
- For rural students applying to public MA university.
- 5 students per university nominated.
John and Abigail Adams Scholarship
Full tuition scholarship for students scoring highly on high school state assessment tests. Students receive letter of qualification during high school and submit it to the college where they are accepted and plan to attend.
- Full tuition scholarship for students with 3.75+ GPA and scoring above 1200/25 on the SAT/ACT who want to enroll in a Mass State University.
- 5 students per university nominated.
Filter private colleges in MA and across New England by affordability, selectivity, and major.
Loans
Loans
- Gives eligible students zero interest loans so they can meet the cost of education; students have up to 10 years to repay their loans.
- Must prove they have a need for financial assistance through FAFSA.
- Must be a legal Massachusetts resident.
- Must be enrolled full-time.
- Maximum award amount is $4,000 per year.
Information for Undocumented/DACA Students
Information for Undocumented/DACA Students
Massachusetts has not passed legislation extending in-state tuition eligibility to all undocumented students. However, DACA beneficiaries are eligible for in-state tuition at all public colleges and universities.
2012 Announcement allowing DACA students in-state tuition
Mass Dept Higher Education Info on DACA
DACA students are eligible for the Abigail & John Adams Scholarship!
This site has a table listing some colleges in MA (Amherst, College of the Holy Cross, Harvard, MIT, Mount Holyoke, Tufts, Wellesley, and Williams) and their policies on financial assistance for undocumented students and whether they should apply as international students or domestic.
Other Resources & Links for Counselors
Other Resources & Links for Counselors
Massachusetts Department of Higher Education: http://www.mass.edu/home.asp
Admission Standards: http://www.mass.edu/forstufam/admissions/admissionsstandards.asp
Residency Policy: http://www.mass.edu/forstufam/admissions/residencypolicy.asp
Office of Student Financial Assistance: http://www.mass.edu/osfa/home/home.asp
Data Center (data on college costs & outcomes): http://www.mass.edu/datacenter/home/home.asp
Go Higher- Discover MA Colleges & Universities): http://www.mass.edu/gohigher/campuses/directory.asp
Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority (MEFA): https://www.mefa.org/
University of Massachusetts (UMass) System: https://www.massachusetts.edu/
Quick Facts: https://www.massachusetts.edu/about-umass/quick-facts
Academic Programs: https://www.massachusetts.edu/education/academic-programs
Campus Profiles: https://www.massachusetts.edu/education/campus-profiles
Massachusetts State University System: http://www.massstateuniversities.com/
Association of Independent Colleges and Universities in Massachusetts: http://aicum.org/
Find a private college in MA: http://aicum.org/students-main-page/find-a-college-in-mass/
Massachusetts Dept of Elementary & Secondary Education: http://www.doe.mass.edu/
MassTransfer: http://www.mass.edu/system/masstransfer.asp
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