Cottey College encourages applications from students who are serious about enrolling in a women’s liberal arts and sciences college and who are well-prepared through college preparatory, honor and advanced placement high school courses.

All candidates for admission must be graduates of accredited high schools, or have satisfied their graduation requirement through a high school equivalency credential: the HISET exam, G.E.D, or the TACS (Test Assessing Secondary Completion) or by special official arrangements.

If satisfying the high school graduation requirement with the HISET exam, students must have a College and Career Readiness Score of 15 for each of the five multiple-choice subtests.

Cottey uses a rolling admissions process, so it’s never too early or late to apply. We do have a Priority Admission date for optimum scholarship consideration:

Priority Admission: apply by May 1

• Minimum GPA of 2.6
• ACT/SAT test scores are not currently required. However, please consider submitting any scores, as they may help you achieve a higher possible academic scholarship.

As a high school junior, you may start the admission process as early as April to ensure that you and your enrollment counselor have enough time to move through the appropriate admission stages before it is time to begin the financial aid process (in the fall of your senior year).

Step 1: Apply online.

Step 2: Submit the non-refundable application fee.

Step 3: Official high school transcripts showing at least 6 semesters of completed coursework must be received by mail directly from high schools.

Step 4: Applicants are not required to submit ACT or SAT scores for the upcoming terms. However, please consider submitting any scores, as they may help you achieve a higher possible academic scholarship. If scores appear on your official transcript, they need not be submitted separately. You may use Cottey’s school codes of 2286 (ACT) and 6120 (SAT) to ensure your scores are received during test registration.

Step 5: Applicants who do not meet the minimum requirements listed above may be asked to submit the following to aid the Admission Committee in its decision-making process.

• Letters of Recommendation
• Personal Statement/Essay written by the student
• Resume

Step 6: Submit the non-refundable tuition deposit.

Exceptionally mature and academically able students who have completed all but one year of high school and have the endorsement of their high school officials for early entrance to college may be considered for admission to Cottey.

Recommendations will be requested. With the approval of the high school, courses successfully completed at Cottey may be counted toward a student’s high school graduation. Students interested in applying for early admission should contact the Office of Enrollment Management as early as possible.

Students who have been home-schooled and have completed high school graduation requirements under a home-school program may be considered for admission. Cottey has accepted and enrolled home-schooled students.

Home-schooled students follow the same application guidelines and procedures as all other applicants. In order to be considered for admission, home-schooled students will need to submit the following items.

1. Online Application
2. Non-refundable application fee
3. Applicants are not required to submit ACT or SAT scores. However, please consider submitting any scores, as they may help you achieve a higher possible academic scholarship.
4. Home-school credit evaluation form (including at least 6 semesters of coursework in 9th, 10th and 11th grades) prepared and signed by home-schooling parent/guardian.

The Office of Enrollment Management may also ask for a portfolio detailing all high school work completed (including courses studied, textbooks, assignments, extracurricular activities and writing samples).

Evidence must show completion of courses in English, social studies, mathematics, science and foreign language. The student may also be required to furnish proof that home-schooling requirements within their state of residence have been satisfied.

Home-schooled students who have received a General Educational Development test (G.E.D.) may also be admitted to Cottey. In this situation, copies of the G.E.D. scores as well as an official copy of the certificate will be required.

Cottey provides an opportunity for qualified local high school students to enroll in a maximum of six credit hours per semester, at a special tuition rate. Such students must apply using a special application form available in the Office of Enrollment Management.

Admission will be based on a combination of factors, including an evaluation of previous academic work, an interview with the vice president for academic affairs, available standardized test scores, and a recommendation from the high school counselor.