St. John’s was one of the first colleges in the United States to adopt a test optional admissions policy—over fifty years ago. We continue to be test optional for most students because testing is not part of the academic experience at St. John’s, which focuses on reading, writing, and discussion.
We recommend that applicants who will not earn high school diplomas or are home schooled submit the results of the SAT, ACT, or Classic Learning Test (CLT), or these students may choose an interview instead of submitting testing.
For those applicants who choose to submit test scores, St. John’s has a “no harm” test optional policy, meaning test scores will be used only to support your application for admission and will never harm your likelihood of admission.
Most international students must submit the results of the SAT, ACT, TOEFL, IELTS, PTE, or Duolingo English Test; international students who are currently educated in English may choose an interview instead of submitting testing.
Many students choose to study or travel abroad during the summer. Our Career Development Office helps connect students to summer study abroad programs offered through other institutions in places such as Italy, France, Argentina, Australia, Ireland, the United Kingdom, and China. Students may also apply for Pathways Fellowships to fund summer classes taken at universities in the United States or abroad. In recent years, Pathways has funded students studying in Germany, France, China, and Israel.
St. John’s does not accept credit for college classes, AP scores, or IB scores. These test scores can help you in the admissions process.
All work done at the college is fully accredited and transferable to other colleges and universities. The college provides the receiving institution with a key that breaks our program down into conventional units by subject area.
It is a common misconception that to enter a particular field of graduate or professional study you need a corresponding undergraduate major. Our students regularly go on to advanced study at leading institutions all across the country in almost any field imaginable, even though they have all followed the same undergraduate program. The college, in fact, ranks in the top 3% of all colleges and universities in the United States in the percentage of its students who earn doctoral degrees. See Career Success at St. John’s for more information.
Each year the college admits a handful of students who do not plan to complete high school. Usually, these students are coming to college midway through their senior year or directly from 11th grade. Applicants for early entrance should have strong academic records and good reasons for leaving high school early. Typically, these applicants have completed all the core academic work available to them in high school and wish to move on to be challenged.
Students admitted for the Fall Semester may request to defer their enrollment for up to one year. Those who are approved may take a gap semester (and enroll in January on the Santa Fe campus) or a gap year (and enroll the following August). Under limited circumstances, such as for military service, a student may request a two-year deferral of enrollment.
To receive approval, (1) make your enrollment deposit by the deposit deadline, and (2) submit a request in writing to your admissions counselor by June 1. You may not enroll as a full-time student at another college or university during your gap semester or year.
Students admitted for the Spring Semester may request to defer their enrollment for up to one year. Those who are approved may take a gap semester (and enroll in August on the Santa Fe or Annapolis campus) or a gap year (and enroll the following January on the Santa Fe campus). Under limited circumstances, such as for military service, a student may request a two-year deferral of enrollment.
To receive approval, (1) make your enrollment deposit by the deposit deadline, and (2) submit a request in writing to your admissions counselor by January 1. You may not enroll as a full-time student at another college or university during your gap semester or year.
St. John’s is test optional for most applicants, meaning we do not require standardized test scores. About 75% of our applicants still submit some form of test score, and they may prove helpful to your application. Some applicants are required to submit test scores:
St. John’s welcomes applications from homeschooled students and offer a special guide to assist homeschooled applicants.
Consistent with the Maryland Fair Access to Education Act, criminal history does not disqualify an applicant from admission to St. John’s College.
