2009-2010 Undergraduate Catalog - Belmont University


Degree Seeking Admissions

Admissions Consideration


Applications for admission to Belmont are for a particular term of enrollment. Requirements of materials may change from one term to another. Acceptance for one term does not necessarily indicate that admission will be granted for any other term. Admission to Belmont University is competitive. Applications for admission are considered on a rolling basis, pending space available, so early submission of all application materials is strongly encouraged. Many programs including nursing, music, songwriting, and music business are limited in terms of the number of spaces available. Applicants will be notified of a decision within 4-6 weeks of completing the application and any additional requirements such as an audition or portfolio. The application deadlines are August 1 for entry in the fall term, November 15 for entry in the spring term, and May 1 for entry in the summer term. The application for admission also serves as the merit scholarship application. Applications for admission completed via the paper or online Common Application™ are accepted and processed with equal consideration to Belmont's paper application.  An incomplete application cannot be considered and will be returned to the applicant.  High school seniors are encouraged to apply to Belmont during the early fall months of the senior year. Transfer applicants should apply to Belmont as soon as possible during the term preceding the term for which they are applying. 

Applicants are considered on the total picture that a student’s credentials present. High school students will be considered competitive for admission if they present a rigorous course of college-preparatory academic studies. Transfer work should likewise be strongly related to the chosen field of study.  Students should have an above-average academic and cumulative grade point average and rank in the top half of their graduating classes. Any college-level work is also expected to be at the above-average level. A strong correlation between high school grades and entrance examinations scores is expected. The personal supplement information, resume of activities and recommendations are also strongly considered as positive indicators of success at Belmont. Additional requirements such as portfolios or auditions are considered in conjunction with the academic credentials for those programs which require them. International students should also refer to the specific requirements outlined in this catalog.   Each application is considered on an individual basis. No two applicants will present the same credentials or the same degree of “fit” with the university. Our desire is to work with each student to determine the likelihood for that student to enroll, graduate and benefit from the Belmont educational experience.

All materials and inquiries should be directed to:

Belmont University
Office of Admissions
1900 Belmont Boulevard
Nashville, TN 37212

615-460-6785.

Application Process

 High school seniors and high school graduates who have never before attended college should apply for freshman admission to Belmont. Students currently attending another college or university and those with previous college credit post high school should apply for transfer admission.  Students who have attended Belmont previously should apply for readmission. 

Applicants to the Department of Art, School of Music, Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre, Major in Songwriting, School of Nursing, and Honors Program should reference the catalog section titled “Special Program Admission Requirements” regarding additional documents required for admissions consideration to these programs. 

Application Process for Freshman Admission  

  • 1. Complete the entire degree seeking application for undergraduate admission.
  • 2. Submit the application and nonrefundable $50.00 application fee. Checks or money orders should be made payable to Belmont University.
  • 3. Complete the Personal Supplement and submit answers to the essay questions.
  • 4. Attach a resume of honors, awards and activities for grades 9-12 to the Personal Supplement and submit with the application.
  • 5. Request that an official transcript be sent from the high school directly to Belmont University.
  • 6. Submit the Secondary School Report Form to the guidance office for completion and have it sent with the transcript directly from the high school.
  • 7. Provide the Confidential Recommendation Form to the appropriate person as designated on the form and have the reference send the form directly to Belmont University.
  • Request that score reports from the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) or the American College Test (ACT) be sent to Belmont.

Application Process for Transfer Admission  

  • 1. Complete the entire degree seeking application for undergraduate admission, including the Personal Supplement and essay questions. Submit the nonrefundable $50.00 application fee. Checks or money orders should be made payable to Belmont University.
  • 2. Request that official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended be sent directly to Belmont, including courses taken as dual enrollment. If you are currently enrolled in your first term at an institution, a "Letter of Good Standing" or "Enrollment Certification Letter" should be submitted in lieu of a transcript.
  • 3. Provide the Confidential Recommendation Form to the appropriate person as designated on the form and have the reference send the form directly to Belmont University.
  • 4. Transfer applicants who have earned fewer than 30* transferable semester hours of credit from a regionally accredited institution at the time of application must request an official high school transcript, official scores from SAT or ACT, and the Secondary School Report Form be sent directly to Belmont.
  • 5. All Nursing applicants, with the exception of licensed registered nurses or those with a previous bachelor's degree, must request an official high school transcript and official scores from SAT or ACT be sent directly to Belmont.

* Not including credit from CLEP, IB, AP exams, institutional credit by examination, remedial or developmental course work, or non-academic orientation course.

Application Process for Early Admission 

Students may apply for early admission to Belmont after the junior year in high school.  In addition to the application requirements for Freshman Admission, Early Admission candidates must have completed, with grade of "C" or higher, three English courses and three math courses.  The Admissions Committee expects a minimum SAT of 1110 (composite score of Critical Reading and Math) or ACT composite of 24 and a minimum high school GPA of 3.00 on academic subjects.  In addition, the prospective student should outline the reason for requesting early admission and include letters of support from parents and the high school principal or counselor.

Special Program Admission Requirements


Admission to a major within the College of Visual and Performing Arts

Applicants who wish to pursue a major in the College of Visual and Performing Arts (School of Music, Department of Art, and Department of Theatre and Dance) will be considered for admission to the university after all application materials are received.  An audition or portfolio review is required for admission to a particular major within the College of Visual and Performing Arts.  All application materials must be received before an admissions decision is made; applicants who audition or submit a portfolio prior to all application materials being received will not learn of an admissions decision until their application materials are received.  An applicant must be academically admissible to the university in order to be considered for admission to the College of Visual and Performing Arts.  Applicants who are academically admissible to the university but do not have a successful audition or portfolio review may choose to enroll at Belmont in a major outside of the College of Visual and Performing Arts. An applicant who is academically inadmissible to the university cannot be considered for admission to the College of Visual and Performing Arts.

Admission to the School of Music

Applicants to the School of Music who wish to major or minor in music are required to complete an audition. Plans for an audition should be indicated on the Academic Program Supplement. While taped auditions are accepted in certain circumstances, live auditions are strongly encouraged. Audition requirements and guidelines can be found online at www.belmont.edu/music.

Admission to the Department of Art

Applicants for Art Education, Design Communication, and Studio Art majors are required to submit a CD portfolio with 20 jpg images of your best and most recent work. This portfolio may include examples of various media that emphasize your artistic strengths.   Mail the CD directly to the Department of Art (DO NOT SUBMIT ORIGINAL PIECES).  Incoming freshmen who wish to be considered for Leu Art Scholarships should submit the portfolio by the December 1 priority deadline. Applicants wishing to pursue the Art History major are exempt from the portfolio requirement.  For further information, please call 615-460-6770 or visit www.belmont.edu/art.

Admission to the Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre

Applicants are required to either complete an audition or submit a portfolio. Call 615-460-6012 or email paul.gatrell@belmont.edu to make arrangements. Applicants who wish to pursue the Bachelor of Arts in Theatre and Drama are exempt from the audition or portfolio requirement.  Audition and portfolio requirements can be found online at www.belmont.edu/theatre.

Admission to the Songwriting Major

Applicants are required to submit a portfolio of 3-4 songs, including lyric sheets.  Portfolio details can be found online at www.belmont.edu/cemb/songwriting. Portfolios will be reviewed four times annually and must be submitted by November 15, January 15, March 15, or June 15 for consideration. In addition to submitting the portfolio, applicants must respond to the questions on the Academic Program Supplement.

Admission to the School of Nursing

All applicants (whether freshman or transfer) to the School of Nursing must submit an official high school transcript and official test scores from either SAT or ACT. A nursing applicant must be a licensed registered nurse or have a previous bachelor’s degree to be exempt from this requirement.

Admission to the Honors Program

Applicants for freshman admission may be considered for admission to the Honors Program if they have outstanding academic records in high school.  Admission criteria include being in the top 10% of the high school graduating class and an ACT score of 28 or higher or an SAT score of 1260 or higher (composite score of Critical Reading and Math). After submitting the application for admission, interested applicants should complete the Honors questionnaire available at www.belmont.edu/honors. Generally, a maximum of fifty-six students are admitted to the program.

Readmission

Students applying for readmission to Belmont are considered on the same basis as new applicants to the university for that particular term. If a student has attended any other college or university since the last term of enrollment at Belmont, official transcripts must be sent. Recommendations previously sent to Belmont may be used if they are less than two years old. Applicants should contact the Office of Admissions to determine what particular requirements may be needed.  Readmission cannot be considered if the student has any unsettled business with Belmont University or any other institution attended, whether in the form of a financial, disciplinary or academic obligation. Once those issues have been resolved and the Office of Admissions has been notified of the resolution in writing by that institution, the application will be considered. The university reserves the right to refuse readmission to a student on any grounds deemed sufficient by the Belmont University administration.

A student who receives his/her first academic suspension from Belmont University may petition for readmission to the university after one semester. Any student who receives two academic suspensions may appeal for readmission after one year from the date of the last suspension. Any appeal for reinstatement from suspension is made to the Admissions Committee and is subject to full review. In no case is reinstatement guaranteed. A third suspension results in permanent dismissal from the university.


Enrollment Process 

  1. Obtain and complete the degree seeking application for admission. Indicate the desired term of enrollment and desired major. Submit the application and appropriate fee to the Office of Admissions. Submit all supporting materials as outlined in this catalog to the Office of Admissions.
  2. After all application materials have been received by the Office of Admissions, they will be reviewed by the Admissions Committee after which notification of a decision or the need for additional materials will be sent. Acceptance to the university may be granted with stipulations that must be met for continued enrollment. These stipulations supercede any other progression requirements outlined in the bulletin or other university documents.
  3. An Enrollment Confirmation Form will be mailed with the student’s acceptance letter to the university. The completed form should be returned with a $250* non-refundable enrollment deposit. This deposit ensures a space for the student in the term for which they have been admitted. The Enrollment Confirmation Form and deposit are due within two weeks of receipt of the acceptance letter. If requested in writing, a deferment may be granted until May 1 for fall or summer terms or until December 1 for the spring term. * International students must submit a $3000 enrollment deposit.
  4. The Enrollment Confirmation Form includes a housing application and a housing exemption request. One of these must be completed prior to returning the form. If a new student requests housing, $100 of the Enrollment Deposit will be set aside to cover the housing deposit. Should a new student cancel a housing assignment prior to matriculation, the deposit is non refundable.
  5. A student health form will be mailed with the acceptance letter. It must be completed and returned prior to registration.
  6. After Belmont has received the completed Enrollment Confirmation Form and enrollment deposit, the student may create their BIC (Belmont Intranet Connection) Account and register to attend New Student Orientation.