Admissions Frequently Asked Questions

Our Board of Admission completes a holistic review considering academic achievement, leadership development, community service, extracurricular activities, and personal essay among other factors. While we do not have set grade point average and standardized test score requirements, we do have an academic profile that is set for each year.

Fall 2022 Admitted Student Profile

• Average GPA: 3.9
• Average SAT (CR+M):1217
• Average ACT Composite: 26

Students who take the AP exam and score a 3 or better may receive advanced placement credit in the following subject areas: art, biology, computer science, economics, French, German, government and politics, Latin, physics, and Spanish.

To receive credit in chemistry, history, mathematics (calculus AB exam) or music, a student needs a score of at least 4. The registrar of the college will determine how much credit you are eligible to receive based on your score.

View credit equivalency tables:

AP/IB credit equivalency

 

Spelman College will be accepting admission applications exclusively through the Common Application. The Common Application is a standardized undergraduate college application form that is accepted at more than 500 accredited, independent colleges and universities nationwide.

You may access the application by going to http://www.commonapp.org. The Common Application looks similar to most college applications, with all the usual fields for name, address, school and test data, as well as questions about your work experience and volunteer activities. For the personal essay, you may choose one of five

Some important codes you may need to know as you complete the application and enrollment process are listed here:

ACT: 0794
SAT: 5628
FAFSA code (for financial aid): 0 0 1 5 9 4

For detailed information, please view our Application Timeline.

Early Decision is a binding admission whereas students agree to accept admission to Spelman College if they are admitted and offered an adequate financial aid package. Early Action is a non-binding admission. Students who are accepted are not required to enroll at Spelman.

Those who apply and are admitted under early action are notified early in their senior year (by December 31) of the admission decision. Those who apply regular decision are notified of the admission decision by April 1.

You may send in these items in support of your application. All items become the property of Spelman College and are not returned.

In order to receive college credit, you must receive a score of 5, 6, or 7 on the IB exam.

The core curriculum is a schedule of classes that all Spelman College students must complete in order to graduate. By emphasizing critical, analytical and problem-solving skills, it is designed to prepare students for the challenges of living in a multicultural and highly technological society. The curriculum spans the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, fine arts,cultural and gender studies. For more information about specific requirements, please refer to the Spelman College Bulletin.

A minimum of 120 credits is necessary in order for a student to receive a bachelor's degree.

Spelman students may cross-register at all of the undergraduate institutions in the Atlanta University Center and the ARCHE member institutions. In order to cross-register, you must first obtain permission from the department chair, then complete a registration form before the end of the drop/add deadline at the host institution.

Spelman College awards Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees.

Spelman College offers formal student exchange programs with many colleges across the country. For a complete listing of exchange programs, see the domestic exchange area on our website.

The Dual Degree Engineering Program (DDEP) allows students to obtain both a liberal arts degree and an engineering degree by completing three years of undergraduate work at Spelman College and enrolling at an engineering institution for the last two years of study. For additional information, view the Dual Degree Engineering Requirements.

Spelman students receive a letter grade for each class in which they are enrolled, ranging from A to F. Students must earn a grade of C or better to pass a major or cognate course. If an upperclass student elects to take a class pass/fail, she must earn a C- or better to pass the course.

No. Spelman College is a four-year, undergraduate institution offering the Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees.

The Ethel Waddell Githii Honors Program is designed for any student who has excelled academically in high school or during her first year at Spelman. It consists of seven courses and seminars, five of which are required courses and two of which are electives. As a senior, honors students complete the honors senior thesis, which allows them to pursue independent research in an area of interest.

Spelman does not have an ROTC program on campus; however, students who are interested in participating in ROTC courses may enroll at Clark Atlanta University. Credits from the courses are counted as electives.

After the completion of the first year, any student who has completed a minimum of 32 credit hours and achieved a GPA of 3.5 or higher is also eligible for admission to the program.

Students with a strong academic record and demonstrated commitment to her own intellectual development will be invited to apply for the Honors Program. Any student that has achieved a high school GPA of at least a 3.7 will receive an invitation. Those who are invited will be required to submit an additional essay, provided in the invitation.

The Career Planning and Development Office specializes in career advising and job search and placement for Spelman students. The career development program promotes student contact with representatives from various career fields; helps students to locate part-time, full-time, and summer jobs; and places students in internships, externships, permanent jobs, and appropriate graduate programs and opportunities.

Approximately 85% of Spelman College students receive financial aid in the form of grants, loans and scholarships -- most usually have a combination of the three. The average financial aid package a first-year Spelman student receives adds up to $22,000.

Spelman College offers a variety of scholarships to new, continuing and international students. The scholarships range in value from $50 to awards covering full tuition, fees, room and board. Find more detailed financial aid information here.

To receive financial aid from Spelman College, you must first complete and submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by April 1 of the year in which you plan to enroll at Spelman. Priority is given to those who apply by March 15.

Spelman offers the Prefreshman Summer Science Program to admitted students interested in a career in the health professions prior to their first year at Spelman. The six-week long program is designed to strengthen study and performance in mathematics, library research, problem solving, biology, computer science, chemistry, and quantitative analysis.

The Summer Science and Engineering Program is designed for first year students with an interest in majoring in engineering, mathematics, computer science, physics, or chemistry, and who intend to pursue a career in a scientific or technical field.

The Spelman College Office of Admissions is currently hosting campus tours in a low density capacity for the 2021-2022 academic year. Additionally, the Office of Admissions is hosting various virtual information sessions and events throughout the year to connect with prospective students. For more information and to register for a campus tour or virtual information session, visit the Schedule a Visit page.

Spelman does not offer summer classes.

Yes, A Day in Your Life at Spelman is our open house program that is a great opportunity for you to visit our campus, meet faculty and staff and current Spelman students.

On-campus, first-year students are not permitted to have cars anywhere on campus or in the parking deck. If a student lives off campus, she may use a car and park it during the day.

The average class size is approximately 30 students, but many upper-level courses within a student's major are much smaller. The student-professor ratio is 11:1.

Spelman does not have a curfew.

Over 2,000 students are enrolled at Spelman College.

The Health Services department is open to all Spelman students from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. A physician and nurse practitioner are available to see patients during office hours and nurses can be paged after hours. Should you require emergency medical attention, there are several hospitals in the area that have established relationships with Spelman College. All full-time students are required to participate in a health insurance program which assists with the cost if a student requires medical attention that the Health Services department is unable to provide.

The Department of Public Safety is comprised of competent, committed, and concerned professionals trained to deliver public safety services to the school. Over 90 percent of the officers are trained and certified police officers in the state of Georgia, and all are well versed in the needs of an urban women's institution.

Please see Spelman Admissions and Enrollment Policy Update for information on the revised policy.

Yes. Spelman is committed to its founding mission of educating women of African descent.

Yes. All Spelman students are a part of the Spelman Sisterhood and our core belief in the bonds of sisterhood remain.

Spelman will consider for admission women students, including students who consistently live and self-identify as women, regardless of their gender assignment at birth, who are prepared to participate in a women’s college that is academically and intellectually rigorous. Spelman affirms its core mission as the education and development of high-achieving Black women.

The Common Application will direct applicants to identify their legal sex, regardless of their gender identity. If you identify as a woman and encounter any challenge in submitting your application to Spelman based on your answer to this question, please reach out to the Office of Admission for assistance. The admissions staff will be able to assist you with your application.

A candidate must self-identify as a woman on the application and supporting application materials should verify this self-identification.

A student’s eligibility for admission in regard to gender will be determined by the self-identification indicated on the application. If the applicant is concerned about discrepancies in her application materials, she can speak with an admissions counselor or address any concerns in the essay or personal statement.

No. Spelman does not admit male students, including students who self-identify and live consistently as men, regardless of gender assignment at birth.

All applicants to Spelman College will be reviewed based on their complete applications – including their academic profiles, essays, letters of recommendation, leadership experiences, and extracurricular and co-curricular activities. The College will continue to uphold a standard of equity and fairness during the process of reviewing applications for admission. The Admissions Committee will admit a cohort of students who demonstrate strong promise and in a competitive admissions environment.

Once admitted, any student who fulfills the College’s graduation requirements — regardless of gender identity, gender expression or sexual orientation — will be awarded a Spelman degree.

Upon adoption of the policy, Spelman will begin a thoughtful process of implementation. All Spelman students receive the full support and guidance of College faculty, staff, and administrators through graduation.

Housing accommodations will be handled on a case-by-case basis. The College believes that all residential students are entitled to a safe and comfortable living environment. Every effort will be made to ensure that each individual student’s needs are met and that the College remains in compliance with all relevant policies and laws.

Over the course of the upcoming academic year, a committee appointed by the president will develop a plan for implementation that will go into effect for applicants applying for admission for entry in the fall 2018 semester. 

Spelman does not have a marching band; however, students interested in playing in a marching band may audition with the band at Morehouse College. Information about auditioning for the marching band will be available at the beginning of the academic school year.

Spelman College has established the Office of Community Service and Student Development to provide information about community service opportunities for Spelman students and integrate service into the Spelman education.

Spelman provides students the opportunity to study at a variety of institutions around the world, including locations such as Ghana, England, Scotland and the Czech Republic.