Application Deadlines

It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure that all required documents are sent by the appropriate deadlines:

Undergraduate Priority Application Deadline December 15, 2011
(all majors except Biology and Nursing)
December 15 is the priority deadline to submit your application and supporting materials.  Applications received by December 15 will receive priority consideration for available Merit Based Scholarships.

Biology and Nursing Priority Application Deadline December 15, 2011
December 15 is the priority deadline to submit your application and supporting materials for the Biology and Nursing majors.  Decisions on applications to these programs will be made on or about January 15, 2012.  Applications to these programs received after December 15, 2011 will be considered if space remains available.

Final Application Deadline March 1, 2012
Applications received after December 15, 2011 will be considered for Merit Based Awards based on availability.

Application

Applicants have two choices on how to apply to Ramapo:
Submit the Ramapo College Online Application (must have a credit card available to pay $60 application fee). ONLINE FRESHMEN APPLICATION
-or-
Mail the Ramapo College paper Freshmen Application with a $60 application fee. DOWNLOAD FRESHMEN APPLICATION.

All documents should be labeled with your full name and date of birth and mailed to:

Office of Admission
Ramapo College of New Jersey
505 Ramapo Valley Road
Mahwah, NJ 07430-1680

Transcripts

Ramapo College will evaluate your academic transcripts in the admission process. Send your official high school transcript for review; if you have taken any college classes for credit, submit your college transcript(s) as well.

All documents should be labeled with your full name and date of birth and mailed to:

Office of Admission
Ramapo College of New Jersey
505 Ramapo Valley Road
Mahwah, NJ 07430-1680

SAT or ACT scores

Have an official copy of your ACT or SAT test scores sent to the Office of Admission from the appropriate testing agency.

• Ramapo College SAT code 2884
• Ramapo College ACT code 2591

All documents should be labeled with your full name and date of birth and mailed to:

Office of Admission
Ramapo College of New Jersey
505 Ramapo Valley Road
Mahwah, NJ 07430-1680

Letters of Recommendation

All applicants must submit at least two letters of recommendation from a school counselor, teacher or other individual who can attest to your abilities.  There is no required standardized format for the letters.  Additional letters of recommendation are not required, but will be considered if you send them.

All documents should be labeled with your full name and date of birth and mailed to:

Office of Admission
Ramapo College of New Jersey
505 Ramapo Valley Road
Mahwah, NJ 07430-1680

Admission Decision Notification

Ramapo College sends admission decisions through the mail:

Applicants of all undergraduate majors (except Nursing, Biology and students attending an Immediate Decision Day) will be notified of an admission decision on a rolling basis beginning December 1.

After December 1, depending upon application volume, you can expect to receive a decision within two weeks of your application becoming complete.  If you applied using our on-line application you may check the status of your application any time by logging into our system.

Applicants to the Nursing or Biology programs who apply before December 15, 2011 will be notified of a decision on or about January 15, 2012.

Deadlines

It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure that all required documents are sent by the appropriate term deadline:

Undergraduate Programs

Transfer Students with more than 45 credits of college work must choose a major at the time of application.

Transfer students are not eligible to apply to any of our programs that are affiliated with UMDNJ: Allied Health, Clinical Laboratory Science, Optometry, Physician Assistant, Physical Therapy or Dentistry.

Fall Semester

Transfer Student Priority Application Deadline March 1, 2012
March 1 is our priority deadline and May 1 our final deadline. This does not apply for those applying to the School of Theoretical and Applied Science.

Final Transfer Student Application Deadline for the School of Theoretical and Applied Science, March 1, 2012
All applications for the School of Theoretical and Applied Science have a final deadline of March 1. School of Theoretical and Applied Science transfer applicants will be notified of a decision on or about April 1st.

Final Transfer Application Deadline May 1, 2012

Spring Semester

Final Transfer Student Application Deadline December 21, 2011
December 22 deadline for all majors.  (Generic Nursing is not available in the spring semester only RN to BSN students may apply.)

Application

Applicants have two choices on how to apply to Ramapo:
Submit the Ramapo College Online Transfer Application (must have a credit card available to pay $60 application fee). ONLINE TRANSFER APPLICATION
-or-
Mail the Ramapo College paper Transfer Application with a $60 application fee. DOWNLOAD TRANSFERS APPLICATION (PDF)

All documents should be labeled with your full name and date of birth and mailed to:

Office of Admission
Ramapo College of New Jersey
505 Ramapo Valley Road
Mahwah, NJ 07430-1680

Transcripts

Provide an official transcript from any and all colleges you have attended for all terms, including summer. If you have earned less than 45 college credit hours at the point of applying to Ramapo, you will need to send your official high school transcript or a high school equivalency certificate to the Office of Admission.

All documents should be labeled with your full name and date of birth and mailed to:

Office of Admission
Ramapo College of New Jersey
505 Ramapo Valley Road
Mahwah, NJ 07430-1680

Letters of Recommendation

It is suggested that all applicants submit one letter of recommendation from a school counselor, teacher or other individual who can attest to your abilities.  There is no required standardized format for the letters.

All documents should be labeled with your full name and date of birth and mailed to:

Office of Admission
Ramapo College of New Jersey
505 Ramapo Valley Road
Mahwah, NJ 07430-1680

Academic Requirements

• A minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.5 from all college work is required for consideration. 
• Applicants to the traditional Nursing Program must have completed: Anatomy I and II, Microbiology, college level Chemistry with lab, Statistics and Psychology all with a grade of B or better. 
• Applicants to the Biology Program must have completed: Organic Chemistry I and II with a grade of C or better

Admission Decision Notification

Ramapo College sends admission decisions through the mail:
Fall applicants to all undergraduate majors (except in the School of Theoretical and Applied Science) will be notified of an admission decision on a rolling basis beginning January 25.

After January 25, depending upon application volume, you can expect to receive a decision within two weeks of your application becoming complete.  If you applied using our on-line application you may check the status of your application any time by logging into our system.

Applicants to the School of Theoretical and Applied Science will be notified of a decision on or about April 1.

Welcome to Ramapo

Ramapo College of New Jersey welcomes applications from International Students seeking an F1 Student Visa.  Students from more than 50 countries are currently attending Ramapo College.  International students enrich the educational experience at Ramapo in many different ways!

If you will be applying for a Student Visa, please review the following policies and procedures for International student applications.  To ensure you complete all the required documentation, read these instructions carefully and check off each item as you complete them.

Collect Required Documents

We suggest you collect all of the required documentation prior to submitting your application.  If you cannot obtain all the documentation prior to the deadline, you should submit the application and any available documentation before the deadline.  Then you may submit any outstanding documents after that time.  Please make certain that every piece of supporting documentation has the name of the student printed clearly on each document.

Allow at least four weeks for processing your application.

Application Deadlines

In order to be considered for admission, applications and all supporting documents must be received by the following dates:

• Fall 2012 semester (Starting in September 2012) deadline is March 1, 2012.
• Spring 2012 semester (Starting in January 2012) deadline is October 15, 2011

We recommend you complete the application process well in advance of these dates to allow time for processing.  

No applications will be processed if postmarked after the deadlines.

If you are in the US with a Visitor's (B1 or B2) Visa and do not plan to return to your home country to obtain the Student Visa, we recommend you do not submit your application until you have stayed in the US for a minimum of three months. 
Documentation required of all applicants who have or will need a student visa:

Application for Admission (complete all sections)

Date of Birth / Intended Major
You must indicate your date of birth and your intended major on the application. 

Application Supplement
Indicate the name of your nearest relative or friend in the United States and your Visa status if you are presently in the United States.

Affidavit of Support
Documentary evidence of sufficient funds for college and living expenses in the United States is mandatory.  All documents, including bank statements, must be originals. The affidavit of support must be notarized. The sponsor does not have to be a U.S. citizen.  You can have more than one sponsor if one sponsor cannot show the total $36,374.  Each sponsor must provide the bank statement and employer verification described below.
All financial documents must be converted into U.S. dollars.

Item #11
In item #11 of the affidavit, the sponsor should guarantee a minimum of $36,374 for each year of study.  The affidavit must be sent with:

• Original bank statement with the sponsor's name and address, OR a letter from the bank on bank letterhead, which must show at least the amount the sponsor indicated in #11 of the Affidavit of Support.
• Proof of sponsor's income, which can be provided by a letter from the sponsor's employer, on company letterhead, indicating the sponsor's salary and number of years of employment.  If sponsor is self-employed or owns his or her business then a copy of the most recent income tax return can be supplied in place of the employer verification.
• If the student will be living with family members or friend, an affidavit must be completed, and notarized, indicating room and board is being provided.  This lowers the required sponsorship funding from $36,374 to $25,374 of support for each year of study.
• If the student is bringing a dependent with him or her, an additional $5,000 in support is required and must be shown in the affidavit.
• If the sponsor is retired he/she must show proof of income.
• If the student is sponsoring him/herself then the funding required is doubled.

Official Transcripts or Mark Sheets from High School
Transcripts must be translated into English and must be official.  Transcripts should include the names of all subjects studied, grades earned, examinations passed and the dates diplomas, certificates and degrees were earned.

Official Transcripts from College or University
Transcripts must be translated into English and must be notarized or attested to.  Transcripts should include the names of all subjects studied, grades earned, examinations passed and the dates diplomas, certificates and degrees were earned.

If you are seeking advanced standing based on your college courses, you must have an official course-by-course evaluation completed by an approved evaluation service; and pay for the evaluation yourself.  Applications for evaluation from World Evaluation Service are available by calling at (800) 937-3895 or visiting their Web site  www.wes.org. 

Official Immunization Records
Students are required to provide proof of immunization against measles, mumps and rubella.  This documentation must be translated into English.  If you are unable to get your medical records, you may be immunized when you arrive in the United States. (approximate charge is $120 for immunization provided by the College Health Services).

Testing Requirements
Applicants must demonstrate fluency in English by submitting scores from a standardized test.  Ramapo College will accept scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS).  All applications are considered for admission individually.  Applicants should use the following guidelines for test results: 
IELTS – 6.0
TOEFL - Paper Based 550
TOEFL – Computer Based 213
TOEFL – Internet based 79

SAT/ACT
Freshmen applicants are encouraged to take the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) or ACT.  The results of the SAT or ACT will be used to award merit based scholarships to freshmen applicants. 

Letters of Recommendation
All applicants must submit at least one letter of recommendation from a school counselor, teacher or other individual who can attest to your abilities.  There is no required standardized format for the letters.  Additional letters of recommendation are not required, but will be considered if you send them.

Documentation Required of Applicants Currently in the United States  
International Student Advisor's Report
If you are currently a student at another college or a high school in the United States or were previously issued a Student Visa; you must have your prior school submit an International Student Advisor's Report to the Admissions Office at Ramapo College.  Copies of all your I-20s, Visa Page and I-94  must be received in the Admissions Office before your application will be reviewed.

Procedure to Follow after Receiving the I-20 Form
If you are admitted to the College, you will be notified in writing and sent a Form I-20 (Certificate of Eligibility for Non-Immigrant "F-1" Student Status) along with your original financial documentation.  

If you are living abroad you must present these papers to the visa officer at the American Embassy when you apply for your student visa.

If you are currently in the United States and are transferring, you will need to bring all your  immigration and financial documentation to

Mr. Rajesh Adhikari
Director of International Student and Scholar Services
Ramapo College of New Jersey
505 Ramapo Valley Road, ASB 123
Mahwah, NJ 07430

Fall and Spring Semester Arrival Dates
Students admitted for the fall semester need to arrive on campus no later than August 28.  Students admitted for the spring semester need to arrive on campus no later than January 15. 

Estimated Cost of Attending
The following is an estimate of your expenses for a calendar year, excluding summer study (17 credits per semester).

Tuition and Fees (2 semesters) Books and Supplies Insurance Room and Board Transportation Personal Expenses Summer Living Expense	$19,678 800 396 11,000* 700 1,800 2,000
Total	$36,374

* If you are living with friends or family while attending college, please have them complete an Affidavit of Support for room and board only (must be notarized) and the $11,000 can be subtracted from the estimate.
For students bringing a dependent, an additional $5000 is required.

Eligible applicants are admitted to the college through the EOF Program. Admits must be highly motivated students generally enrolled in college preparatory programs, maintaining a B- or better academic average, and top half or better class rank.

The EOF Program is also committed to offering community college students the opportunity to continue their studies as they opt to complete a four-year degree. There is special interest in enrolling community college graduates, in particular those with strong academic records and intending to pursue majors at Ramapo College where EOF students are underrepresented.

Both freshmen and transfer applicants must meet both academic and financial eligibility requirements for admission to the EOF Program. Academic eligibility requirements vary from program to program and students should ascertain program specific information on academic eligibility requirements. Financial eligibility requirements are the same for all EOF Programs and are based on the size of the household and family income.

Freshmen
Freshman applicants admitted to the EOF Program must complete a placement test administered by the college. It is required that the placement test is taken prior to enrollment in the Summer Studies Program. The on-line test is called the Accuplacer, and it is taken on computer. There are several tests that are a part of Accuplacer- a reading comprehension test, arithmetic test, elementary algebra test, and an English test. Testing is administered by the college’s Office of Testing and Placement.

A verbal score of 550 or above exempts students from the English placement test. A math score of 560 or above exempts students from the arithmetic placement test, and a 560 or better math score exempts students from the arithmetic and algebra tests. A College Board Advanced Placement English Test score of 3, 4, or 5 exempts students from the English test.

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Test Scheduling
Our Associate Director, Ms. Dee Bright-Foreman, is the primary contact person for in-coming freshmen. She coordinates the placement testing of incoming students in consultation with the Office of Testing and Placement. Testing is done over a six week period, beginning in late March and ending in early May.

Transfer Credit
Students who transfer a college-level English composition course and a college-level mathematics course that satisfy Ramapo College's General Education Requirements are exempt from placement testing. Transfers who have not completed their developmental or remedial course work at their prior school should forward their placement test scores to the Office of Testing and Placement.

Academic Eligibility
The decision to offer a freshmen admission acceptance is based on a number of factors. These include the quality of an applicant's grades, types of courses taken and their rigor, SAT scores, class rank if available, letters of recommendation, scope and depth of extracurricular and or community involvement, quality of the admission essay, and in some cases the particular field of intended study. The latter factor is weighed when special efforts are made to enroll students whose intentions are to pursue the accounting, social work, teaching, math, science, and health professions. These are areas at Ramapo College in which EOF students are underrepresented.

Generally, freshmen applicants with the strongest credentials are given priority attention and offered admission. However, applicants who meet the minimum requirements for admission consideration are well represented in the freshmen class. In determining admission the greatest weight is given to a students’ quality of grades. SAT scores have less weight in comparison to grades. Students who are EOF grant eligible, and their grades and other credentials are strong, but the SAT scores do not meet our minimum requirements, can be admitted to our EOF Program. Note: Interviews are not a part of our admissions process.

The admission of transfer applicants is based on meeting minimum academic eligibility requirements. These include an overall GPA and credits earned that must be evident at the time of making application. Spaces are limited and the state EOF grant is awarded based upon the availability of funds.

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EOF Financial Assistance
On average, over one million dollars in Ramapo College/EOF Merit Scholarships (RCG/EOF) and EOF state grants are annually awarded to students enrolled in our EOF Program. The college contributes approximately $500,000 to our RCG/EOF Scholarship Fund. Few other New Jersey colleges provide this level of financial support to their EOF Programs. Both RCG/EOF scholarships and EOF grants are only available to students enrolled in the EOF Program and are based on meeting need and merit based requirements. The funds are in addition to other state and federal aid students may be financially eligible for. Applying for these aid programs and other federal and state aid programs requires the filing of a Free Application for Federal Student Aid, also referred to as the FAFSA. The FAFSA code for Ramapo is 009344.

FAFSA Information
No financial aid can be given to students who do not file the FAFSA. Students entering our EOF Program as freshmen must file the FAFSA before beginning the summer studies program. A number of documents are needed to complete the FAFSA. These include parent federal income tax forms if claimed as a dependent by the parent(s), student income tax forms, untaxed income records; such as social security and public assistance income verification documents, investment records, bank statements, and W-2 forms.

The FAFSA is sent to the Department of Education’s Iowa Processing Center and the information generates a Student Aid Report or SAR. The SAR is sent to the student. It summarizes the data reported on the FAFSA and notes any missing information that must be provided. If there is missing information the student must record the information on the SAR and send it back.

An EFC or Expected Family Income Contribution is listed on the SAR if the FAFSA is complete. The EFC is based on the financial information provided on the FAFSA. The Office of Financial Aid uses the EFC figure to determine financial need.

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State and Federal Aid
A student can not be admitted to the EOF Program without having qualified for the EOF and state TAG grant. A student qualifying for the EOF state grant also would receive other types of aid. Aid programs including EOF are listed below:

• Federal Pell Grants are available to undergraduate students and do not have to be repaid.
• Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants are federal grants and do not have to be repaid.
• Tuition Aid Grants are state funded and do not have to be repaid undergraduates only. This grant does not have to be repaid.
• Educational Opportunity Fund Grants are state funded and do not have to be repaid. Students may be eligible for up to 12 semesters of payment. At Ramapo, the maximum residential award for four years or 8 semesters of attendance is currently equal to $4,800.
• Federal Stafford Loans are student loans, available on the undergraduate and graduate level, and must be repaid. The interest rate is variable, but never exceeds 8.25 percent .
• Federal PLUS Loans are unsubsidized loans made to parents. Students who are independent or their parents are not eligible to get a PLUS loan, may be eligible to borrow additional Stafford Loan funds. The interest rate is variable, but never exceeds 9 percent. The loan must be repaid .
• Federal Work Study provides jobs to undergraduate and graduate students, allowing them to earn money to pay education expenses.
• Perkins Loans are low-interest (5 percent) loans that must be repaid.

Summer Session Aid 
Every entering freshmen class is provided the opportunity to get a jump start on their classes and general campus life, by attending our Pre freshman Summer Studies Program. (We also support upperclassmen who want to continue to work on their academic studies during a summer session). In each case, students are accelerating the completion of their academic programs with the financial assistance and academic support of the EOF Program.

On average, summer program students are awarded $4,188 to cover tuition, fees, room, board, books, stipends, and insurance. Students are able to earn up to ten credits, live on campus both during the school week and on weekends when classes were not in session. 100% of the costs to attend our summer program is covered by the EOF state grant and this level of support is provided to each entering freshmen class. 

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Additional Funding Opportunities 
Courses are generally taken on campus and a number of students do choose to complete Study Abroad or domestic and international cooperative education programs. Our EOF Program takes special interest in helping students pursue these experiential opportunities.

• EOF Scholarships 
  The EOF program, in coordination with the office of financial aid, administers a need and merit-based scholarship program. The scholarships are both need and merit based. The scholarships are awarded for the first year, second year, junior and senior years.
  
  
• First Year Freshmen Merit Scholarships
  All freshmen who qualify on the basis of need may be awarded up to $4,400 to help defray college costs.
  • Second Year EOF Merit Scholarships: Any EOF freshman at Ramapo with a first year EOF merit scholarship) is eligible to receive a second year scholarship based on academic merit. Up to $4,400 in scholarship funds may be awarded.
  • Junior and Senior EOF Merit Scholarships: Each year, juniors and seniors who have earned a minimum overall 3.0 grade point average and have established a record of service to the college and/or to their home communities may apply for these scholarships.
  • In addition, other scholarship opportunities are available to EOF students. Thanks to the generosity of external donors, such as alumni, foundations, corporations and friends of the college. Two of these are specifically for EOF students: The EOF Program Advising Board (PAB) Scholarship, and The Sidney J. Geltman Memorial Scholarship. More information on these awards and other externally funded scholarships, can be found on our Scholarships page.

Other Assistance
There are many expenses associated with attending college. There are the tuition/fees, room, board, and books for the fall and spring terms. However, there could also be summer session tuition and fees, and other fees for CLEP examinations, graduate school applications, graduate school entrance examinations, and more.

Students seeking assistance with covering courses/career related activities including college-level proficiency exams, NYU Language Proficiency exams, National Student Exchange Program enrollment fees, professional association educational events, board certification fees, and professional licensure fees, can apply for funding.  Students can also apply for awards which cover graduate school related fees including admission applications, entrance exams, and test prep courses.