Undergraduate Application Process

Official High School Transcripts

We require official grades from all institutions in which you have enrolled or are currently enrolled. This includes both high school and college. If a transcript includes grades from past institutions, those institutions do not need to send a separate transcript.

Two Academic Letters Of Recommendation

Students applying via The Common Application will use the Common Application recommendation template. Students applying via the Hillsdale online or paper applications can have their recommenders use the form below.

Download Recommendation Template

Essay and Short Answers

Applicants using The Common Application will respond to a Common Application essay prompt and Hillsdale Member Screen short answer questions. Applicants using the Hillsdale application online will respond to a Hillsdale essay prompt and short answer questions via a Writing Supplement form.

Applicants using the paper application will include their essay and short answer questions with their application submission as additional pages.

Official ACT, CLT, or SAT Scores

Résumé

Applicants are encouraged to submit a résumé of their extracurricular activities, leadership, and work experience. Please include dates/class years for all items.

An Admissions Interview

Though not required, an admissions interview is highly recommended for all applicants, especially those wishing to be considered for scholarship.

Special Instructions

Students With College Credit: Students wishing to receive Hillsdale College credit for any college coursework taken while in high school must submit official transcripts from the institution(s) granting credit. A student who has taken and received one or more college credits but has never enrolled full-time as a degree-seeking student should select “Freshman” on the application.

Transfer Students: A transfer student is any applicant who is presently or was once enrolled full-time at another institution working towards a degree. In addition to the application requirements listed, transfer students must submit official transcripts from any institutions at which college credit was received, as well as a Dean of Students Transfer Form.

Download Transfer Form

Homeschool Students: Candidates for admission from homeschooling backgrounds are required to submit high school transcripts from the primary educator. We prefer that courses be listed on one page, be organized by year/level, and include grades. Notations may be made if courses were taken in a variety of contexts (i.e. co-op, guild, association, etc.). Detailed course descriptions, textbooks used, and/or a high school reading list may be submitted in addition to a transcript, but should not exceed five pages. If a homeschool student dual-enrolled at the college level during his or her high school education, please submit official college transcripts once the courses are concluded to be considered for transfer credit.

Letters of recommendation should be written by individuals of no relation. If the primary educator is a parent, three letters may be submitted.

International Students: Candidates for admission from other countries follow the customary entrance procedures while also being responsible to submit all transcripts with English translation. If this service is not available, evaluations may be performed by one of the approved credential evaluation agencies, such as World Education Services (WES) or Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc. (ECE). Other reputable agencies can be found on the NACES website. Students whose first language is not English must demonstrate proficiency by submitting the results of the TOEFL or an equivalent test (IELTS, MET, ACT, SAT, and CLT are also acceptable, as is completion of level 108 or higher of an ESL course).

Guest & Special Students: Guest students are students in good standing at another institution who plan to return to their home institution but desire temporary enrollment at Hillsdale College. They should obtain an application form in the records office of their home institution, or by contacting Hillsdale’s Undergraduate Admissions Office. Permission is granted to a limited number of Special Students to enroll for fewer than the minimum number of credit hours carried by a regular student. These students pay the per-credit-hour tuition fee and enroll for not more than eleven hours of coursework each semester. They must follow the standard application procedure.

Veteran Admissions: Veterans who have served honorably follow the usual undergraduate application process. A Commanding Officer Endorsement and the last two performance evaluations will supplement the typical two required letters of recommendation from academic/civilian references for Freedom Scholarship consideration. Once admitted, a copy of form DD214 Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty will be part of the final financial aid consideration process.

Freedom Scholarship

Hillsdale College Application

Students using the Hillsdale online application will have the opportunity to upload most supplementary items using their application account.

Transcripts, additional items, or students submitting paper applications can mail materials to:

Admissions Office
Hillsdale College
33 E. College Street
Hillsdale, MI 49242

These materials can also be emailed to:

[email protected]

Common Application

Students using The Common Application may submit all supplemental materials directly through The Common App.