First-Year Student Application Process

Fall Application Deadlines

Admission Plan	Deadline	Binding/Non-Binding
Early Decision	December 1	Binding
Early Action I	December 15	Non-Binding
Early Action II	February 15	Non-Binding
Regular Decision*	Rolling	Non-Binding

*All applications received after February 15. Priority Deadline: March 1

Q: What is a binding admission decision?
A: We are your first choice. Upon acceptance you will enroll at the University of New Haven.

Q: What is Early Action?
A: We are one of your top choice schools and you'd like to receive your admissions decisions early, but you still want to explore other options without having to commit until the normal reply date of May 1.

Students who are admitted under Early Decision or Early Action will receive a guaranteed minimum $15,000 annual merit scholarship. Please note that each admitted student is eligible for a maximum of one merit scholarship.

To be considered for certain programs and receive numerous benefits, students must follow the established timelines and important dates listed above. Admission to the University of New Haven is competitive and early applications are encouraged for priority consideration of admission and merit scholarships.

Our admissions staff reviews applications for admission on a rolling basis, even for students applying Early Decision or Early Action. Students should expect to receive a decision on their completed application no later than 4-6 weeks of when their application is complete.

Spring Application Deadlines

The University of New Haven considers potential first-year students and transfer students for our spring semester admission on a rolling basis.

Our priority deadline for spring applications is the first week of December.

Admission Type Benefits

Benefits	Early Decision	Early Action I & II
A minimum merit scholarship of $15,000 annually	X	X
Priority consideration for enrollment into your top choice academic program	X	X
Priority housing placement (if applicable)	X	X
Early notification of admission	X	X
More opportunities to attend exclusive accepted student events	X	X

Required Application Materials

All first year candidates for undergraduate admission must submit the following:

Common Application online at www.commonapp.org
$50 Application Fee
Official High School Transcript (Unofficial are acceptable to complete the application process, but official transcripts will be required for enrolling students.)
Essay (250-650 words; the Common App essay meets this requirement)
Optional: Letter of Recommendation
Official SAT or ACT Scores for required programs and populations
Please note that the University of New Haven does not require test scores for most of our programs and the personal essay is also not required.

Students applying for Early Decision must also:

Complete a personal interview with an admissions counselor. Interviews will be conducted virtually on Zoom and can be scheduled by visiting the application portal: www.newhaven.edu/portal
Submit the Early Decision Contract (available via the Common Application or the application portal)
File the FAFSA as early as possible; the 2024-2025 FAFSA will be made available by December 31, 2023 for students looking to enroll for the Fall 2024 start term
Early Decision admitted students must submit their enrollment fee and, if applicable, housing deposit (both non-refundable) by the March 1, 2024 deadline. We have extended the Early Decision commitment deadline for students admitted for the Fall 2024 start term from February 1 to March 1 to accommodate this year's new FAFSA launch date.

Home-Schooled or High School Equivalency Applicants

Home-schooled applicants are required to also submit their SAT or ACT scores along with detailed documentation of their academic curriculum. The transcript (or accompanying syllabi or alternate documentation) should verify that the home-school curriculum meets the graduation requirements as detailed by the applicant’s state or district, or if part of an accredited program. This also includes documentation of any learning/credits outside of the homeschool but which contributed to completion of the high school diploma/credential. Home-schooled students must indicate that they’re completing high school through a home-school program on their application to the University.

Prior to enrollment, home-schooled students must provide proof of their completion of secondary school that verifies that the student has met graduation requirements from their state or school district. This can be achieved by submitting a final transcript with a graduation date, official high school equivalency diploma, or a high school diploma recognized by the applicant’s state of residency.

Applicants that were homeschooled for a limited time during high school but have returned to a program through their district and plan to graduate through their district may follow our standard first-year student application process. Applicants that have transitioned from their district to a home-school program and will complete their high school education through a home-school program should follow the application process for a home-schooled applicant.

Applicants who have obtained a high school equivalency diploma, such as GED or HiSET, are required to submit their equivalency diploma and scores, as well as transcripts detailing any high school or college coursework completed and a set of SAT or ACT scores.

Submitting Documents to the University of New Haven

Ways to Submit Application Materials:

Upload within Application Portal
Email documents to admissions@newhaven.edu
Electronic Submission by School Counselors (Naviance, Slate.org, Scoir, etc.)
Mail documents to Office of Undergraduate Admissions
SAT or ACT score submission (if you request for your SAT or ACT scores to be considered)
- Request official scores be sent through College Board or ACT website
- Upload your unofficial Score Report (downloadable from College Board) to your portal for SATs
Portfolio submission (only applicable if applying to Art + Design or Music programs)

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