Frequently Asked Questions
What are the requirements for admission?
Students seeking admission to Spelman
must apply by the
appropriate deadlines. A student applying
must have completed 15
or more units 
in grades 9-12, at least
12 of which must be in
academic subjects. Spelman is particularly
interested in students
who have taken the strongest academic programs
in their high
school.
The student's course curriculum should
include institutions in the AUC.
Does Spelman accept Advanced Placement credit?
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, mathematics (calculus AB exam), physics, and Spanish.
To receive credit in chemistry, history 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.
How do I get an application?
Apply online by clicking
here. You can also contact the Office
of Admission and Orientation Services
to receive an application by calling
800-982-2411 or e-mailing admiss@spelman.edu.
Spelman does accept the common application.
You may download the application at app.commonapp.org.
When should I request an application?
We suggest that first-year applicants request an application before they begin their senior year in high school. If you are planning to transfer from another college or university, you should request an application five or six months before the semester you plan to transfer.
How long will it take to get my application?
Requests for applications are processed within 2 weeks.
May I apply if I already have a bachelor's degree?
If a student has already attended and graduated with an undergraduate degree from a college or university, she may not apply for admission to Spelman College.
Does Spelman have a marching band?
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 is posted at the beginning of the academic school year.
Does Spelman offer career advising, internship
and employment information?
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.
Can freshman students have cars?
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.
What is the average class size?
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
What is Spelman's college code?
Some important codes you may need to know as you complete the application and enrollment process
ACT 0794
SAT 5628
FAFSA (for financial aid) code is: 0 0 1 5 9 4
Does Spelman have a community service program?
Spelman College has established the Office of Community Service to provide information about community service opportunities for Spelman students and integrate service into the Spelman education. For more information, please visit the Office of Community Service web site.
What are the core requirements?
The core curriculum is a schedule of classes that all Spelman College students must complete in order to graduate. It is designed to prepare students for the challenges of living in a multicultural and highly technological society by emphasizing critical, analytical, and problem-solving skills. The curriculum spans the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, fine arts, and cultural and gender studies. For more information about specific requirements, please refer to the Spelman College catalog.
How many credits are needed to graduate?
A minimum of 120 credits is necessary in order for a student to receive a bachelor's degree.
Can I take classes at the other colleges/universities in the Atlanta University Center?
Spelman students may cross-register at all of the undergraduate institutions in the AUC.
How do I cross-register?
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.
Is there a curfew for students?
Spelman does not have a curfew; however, there is a curfew for first-year students during New Student Orientation Week.
What are the application deadlines?
The admission deadlines for all first-year
students are as follows:
Early Decision, November 1; Early notification,
November 15; Regular
Decision, February 1; Joint Enrollment,
January 15
The fall semester deadline for transfer
application submissions is
March 1, and the deadline for spring semester
is November 1.
What types of degrees are offered?
Spelman College awards Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees.
Does Spelman offer a domestic exchange program?
Spelman College offers formal student
exchange programs with
many colleges across the country. For a
complete listing of
exchange programs, see the special academics
offerings section
of our online catalog.
What is a dual degree program?
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.
Is the DDEP program only for engineering majors?
While you may choose to complete only
an engineering major at a
host institution, the DDEP also allows
you to major in one of the
following subject areas at Spelman: chemistry,
computer and
information science, mathematics, or physics.
Students typically
complete three academic years at Spelman
and spend two
academic years at an engineering institution.
Participating schools
Auburn University
Clarkson University
Columbia University
Dartmouth University
Georgia Institute of Technology
North Carolina A&T State University
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Rochester Institute of Technology
University of Alabama at Huntsville
University of Florida
Should I apply early decision?
The Early Decision plan is binding and
is best suited for the
student who has decided early in the college
search process that
Spelman College is clearly her first choice.
Applicants agree not to
be an Early Decision candidate at any other
college, and if
accepted by Spelman College, will withdraw
her application from
all other colleges or universities.
How do I apply early decision?
Students interested in applying early
decision must follow all of the
application guidelines for first-year students.
This includes taking
the SAT 1 or the ACT and having the scores
forwarded to
Spelman College by or before the November
1 early decision deadline.
Students who apply early decision are
notified of the admission
decision on or before December 15. Admission
to the early
decision program is binding, and students
are required to submit
the confirmation deposit by the January
15 deadline.
What is early notification?
Early notification is designed for entering
first -year students who have a strong
desire to attend Spelman and have done
very well academically and on standardized
tests. Early notification is non-
binding. Admission to the early notification
program is more competitive
than regular admission.
How do I apply early notification?
Any student interested in applying to
Spelman College under the
early notification plan must follow all
of the application guidelines for
first-year students. Applicants must have
taken the SAT 1 or the
ACT and have the scores forwarded to Spelman
College by or
before the November 15 early notification
deadline.
Students who apply early notification
are notified of the admission
decision on or before December 31. Admission
to the early notification
program is non-binding, and students are
not required to submit
the confirmation deposit until the May
1 deadline.
Students who apply early notification
but are not admitted at that time
are automatically reconsidered with the
regular decision applications.
We recommend, however, that rollover students
submit additional
supporting documents (new SAT/ACT scores,
recommendations,
updated transcripts, etc.)
How is early decision different from early
notification?
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 Notification is a
non-binding admission. Students who are
accepted are not required
to enroll at Spelman.
How is early notification different
from regular decision
Those who apply and are admitted under
early notification 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.
How many students are enrolled at Spelman?
Over 2,000 students are enrolled at Spelman
College.
Does Spelman offer financial aid?
Approximately 85% of Spelman College students
receive financial
aid in the form of grants, loans, and scholarships,
usually as a
combination of the three. The average financial
aid package that a
first-year Spelman student receives adds
up to 22,000.
How do I receive financial aid?
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.
What is the grading like at Spelman?
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.
Does Spelman offer graduate programs/degrees?
No. Spelman College is a four-year, undergraduate institution offering the Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees.
What medical services are provided for students?
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.
What is the honors program?
The 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.
Can I only be accepted into the program as a freshman?
After the completion of the first year, any student who has completed a minimum of 32 credit hours and achieved a GPA of 3.2 or higher is also eligible for admission to the program.
How can I be considered to be part of the honors program?
Any student that has achieved a high school GPA of at least 3.5 or a combined SAT I score of 1160 is admitted to the honors program. All other students may submit an application for consideration to the program.
What score do I have to get on the IB exam to receive credit?
In order to receive college credit, you must receive a score of 5, 6, or 7 on the IB exam.
What support resources are offered to international students?
All services available through the College
Life and Services
Program are available to international
students. There is also an
International Student Advisor, who provides
information regarding
nonimmigrant student studying in the United
States and helps
acquaint new international students with
Atlanta and with Spelman.
The International Students Organization
plans various programs
for international students, and there are
several citywide activities
designed to bring international students
together and provide them
with a well-rounded academic and social
experience.
Is there a different procedure for international students to apply?
In addition to the general requirements
for admission, international
students are asked to present a school-leaving
certificate. If
English is not her native language, the
student should take the
Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).
Are there special scholarships for international students?
The DeWitt Wallace Scholarship for International
Students is
available for new or continuing students
who have been educated
outside of the country, have an F1 visa,
and meet the following
requirements: a cumulative GPA or 2.8 or
higher; evidence of
financial need; a record of service to
the College, her school, or
community; and no record of disciplinary
action.
Are interviews required?
Interviews are not required during the
application process. If you are interested
in setting up an interview with an admissions
counselor, or a local alumna, you may do
so by contacting the Office of Admission.
What majors are offered at Spelman?
Spelman College offers the following major
programs: Art,
Biochemistry, Biology, Chemistry, Child
Development,
Comparative Women's Studies, Computer and
Information
Sciences, Drama, Dual Degree Engineering,
Economics, English,
Natural Science with an Environmental Science
concentration,
French, History, Human Services, Independent
Major,
Mathematics, Music, Philosophy, Physics,
Political Science,
Psychology, Religion, Spanish, and Sociology/Anthropology
What minor programs does Spelman offer?
Spelman offers minor programs in Anthropology,
Art, Biochemistry,
Chemistry, Child Development, Comparative
Women's Studies,
Computer and Information Science, Dance,
Drama, Economics,
English, French, History, International
Studies, Japan Studies,
Management and Organization, Mathematics,
Music, Philosophy,
Physics, Political Science, Psychology,
Religion, Sociology,
Spanish, and Teacher Certification (Early
Childhood Education,
Secondary Education, Grades 7-12, Preschool
through 12th Grade
Education).
What is need-based aid?
Need-based aid is financial aid that is
granted to a student based
on her calculated financial need, which
is the difference between
the student's cost of attending the college
and the family's ability
to pay.
Does Spelman offer need-based aid?
Spelman does offer need-based financial aid, based on the information provided on the FAFSA.
Does Spelman offer pre-dentistry/pre-law/pre-med programs?
Spelman College offers pre-law sequences within the Psychology, Political Science, Sociology, and History departments, as well as courses that fulfill the entrance requirements to medical and dental schools. Spelman was recently ranked No. 2 in preparing students to enter medical school.
Is it mandatory that students live on campus?
It is mandatory for all freshmen to reside
on campus.
Is there an ROTC program at Spelman?
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.
Does Spelman have campus security officers?
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.
Are there any scholarships available to students?
Spelman College offers a variety of scholarships to new, continuing, and international students, which range in value from $50 to awards covering full tuition, fees, room, and board. For more detailed financial aid information, visit our online catalog.
Are there opportunities for Spelman students to study abroad?
Spelman provides students the opportunity to study at a variety of institutions around the world, in such locations as Ghana, England, Scotland, and the Czech Republic.
Does Spelman offer any summer programs?
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.
Does Spelman have summer school?
Spelman does not offer summer classes.
Can I send in additional material to support my application (videos, audiotapes, etc.)?
You may send in these items in support of your application. All items become the property of Spelman College and are not returned.
When are tours given? How can I schedule a campus tour?
Tours are given Monday-Friday at 11:00 AM and 2:00 PM on days when the college is open. For more information and to schedule a campus tour, please click here.
