Admission
The University seeks candidates whose academic credentials, scholastic achievement and motivation indicate promise for success in its programs. Applications from prospective degree candidates are considered without regard to race, color, creed, sex, national origin, handicap or age. The University of Maine belongs to the National Association for College Admission Counseling, and as such subscribes to the Statement of Principles of Good Practice.
All prospective students are encouraged to visit the University of Maine to take a campus tour, to meet with an admission counselor or faculty member, and to experience the university first-hand. The Office of Admission and the Visitors’ Center are located in Chadbourne Hall at the south entrance to campus. In addition to several daily tours during the business week, numerous open houses and Saturday information sessions are also offered. To learn more or to schedule a visit, please contact the Visitors’ Center at (207) 581-3740 or Admissions toll-free at 1-877-4UM-ADMIT (486-2364), or via e-mail at um-admit@maine.edu.
Academic course requirements for admission to the University are established by each of the five undergraduate colleges (see chart). Students are expected to complete a college preparatory curriculum with well-developed skills in writing, reading comprehension, reasoning, mathematics, the natural sciences, history and social sciences, foreign languages and the fine arts. Applications are reviewed for entrance into the major selected on the application, or second choice major if the student is not eligible for admission to her/his first choice.
Candidates no longer in high school who did not complete requirements for the high school diploma must present evidence of successful passage of the General Equivalency Diploma (GED) as approved by the Department of Education.
Application forms are available from many high school guidance offices, or by contacting the Office of Undergraduate Admission, 5713 Chadbourne Hall, Orono ME 04469-5713, telephone (207) 581-1561. You may call toll-free at 877-4-UM-ADMIT (486-2364), contact us by FAX at (207) 581-1213, or by e-mail at um-admit@maine.edu. You may also download an application form or apply electronically by contacting our website (www.umaine.edu). The University of Maine is a member of the Common Application Group and accepts the common application available at www.commonapp.org.
Candidates who are permanent residents of the United States, holding the resident alien card issued by the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service, must submit a photocopy of both sides of their permanent resident card at the time of application. This is required to document the candidate’s status with the I.N.S. Permanent residents should use the regular undergraduate application. Permanent residents for whom English is not their first language may be required to take the TOEFL or ELPT. This will be evaluated on a case by case basis depending upon the number of years the student has lived in the United States and fluency in the English language.
The Office of Admission reviews applications on a rolling basis. While applications are accepted throughout the admission cycle, first-year applicants for fall semester entrance are encouraged to apply by February 1 to receive full consideration for financial aid. Spring semester applicants should apply by December 1.
Please be aware that the later an application is received, prospects for admission to the program of choice may be restricted due to enrollment limits. Similarly, housing and financial aid requests are considered based on space and funding availability.
Candidates approved for admission prior to the completion of the academic year are accepted contingent upon successful completion of all academic work and the receipt of a final transcript of grades that also reflects graduation. The University reserves the right to rescind a decision if the applicant fails to graduate from high school (or its equivalent), or if the student’s academic performance fails to meet university admission standards.
First-year Students
Students applying directly from high school, and adult, non-traditional students who have never attended college, are considered first-year applicants.
In addition to the admission application and required $40 fee, students must submit official high school transcripts, results from the SAT or ACT standardized test*, and a letter of recommendation from their guidance counselor.
Home-schooled students must also submit the necessary documents, replacing the high school transcript with a listing of coursework completed and competency level achieved. All home-school applicants must submit official results from the General Equivalency Diploma (GED) to certify the completion of high school or its equivalent.
*not required of applicants who have earned 12 or more college credits, or applicants who are at least 20 years of age at the time of application and who have never attended a post secondary institution.
Candidates applying for transfer from other colleges or universities are encouraged to apply by December 1 for spring admission and March 1 for fall admission. Generally, students who have earned a grade point average of 2.00 on a 4.00 scale from accredited colleges or universities, and have met academic course requirements, are accepted as transfer students. Exceptions to this standard may include candidates who have completed only a minimal level of college coursework and/or present a marginal high school record, and students applying to selected programs in the University having more competitive entrance criteria.
Along with the application and required fee, transfer students must submit official transcripts of all attempted college-level coursework. Students who have successfully completed 12 credits of college work are not required to submit SAT or ACT scores.
Transfer credit is awarded through the dean’s office of the college to which the student has been admitted. Please refer to the Transfer Policy section in this catalogue (see index) for complete information on the University’s policies for awarding transfer credit.
Students who have a financial indebtedness at other colleges or universities, and thus are unable to obtain official transcripts, will not be considered for admission until such documents have been received. Students seeking admission after a dismissal or suspension from other institutions must include with their applications written petitions that provide clear and convincing reasons to justify admission that would negate the likelihood of a repetition of the conduct or conditions which led to the dismissals or suspensions.
A student transferring from a baccalaureate nursing program to the School of Nursing baccalaureate program is required to provide a letter of reference from a faculty member teaching in the student’s most recently attended completed semester and a statement from the head of the nursing program stating that the student is in good standing. These materials are to be mailed directly to the School of Nursing (The University of Maine, School of Nursing, 5724 Dunn Hall, Room 217, Orono, ME 04469) from the originating institution.
Former University of Maine degree candidates planning to return to the campus to resume undergraduate work must first contact the academic dean of the undergraduate college in which enrollment is sought. Candidates will be notified by the dean’s office of the readmission decision.
Students who previously applied to the University but did not enroll within two years of the original date of application may request a reactivation of their application by contacting the Office of Admission. A $40.00 application fee is required. Students must provide official transcripts of all academic work that has been attempted since the application was first filed.
Upon the recommendation of high school principals and guidance counselors, the University will consider candidates who have demonstrated outstanding academic achievement and whose motivation and maturity reflect a strong desire to pursue University degree programs. Candidates must have completed a minimum of three years of college preparatory work in high school and submit test results from either the Scholastic Assessment Test I or the ACT examination. Candidates are requested to arrange on-campus interviews and will also be required to have the support and endorsement of their parents or legal guardians. High school students who enter the University of Maine prior to graduation from high school are not eligible for Federally funded financial aid.
Approved degree candidates may defer University enrollment for up to one year from the offer of admission. The intent of this delayed degree status is to allow students the opportunity to seek employment as a means of saving funds for college or the opportunity to travel and take a “break” from academic study. Deferred admission is not approved for candidates who enroll at any other college, university, or post-graduate year of secondary school study. Candidates approved for deferred admission will be required to submit a non-refundable deposit of $150 which will be held on account by the University Bursar’s Office. The request to defer enrollment must be made in writing to the Office of Admission prior to August 1 for fall semester enrollment and prior to January 1 for spring semester enrollment.
The University of Maine participates in the Concurrent Admission Program (ConAP) administered by the U.S. Army Recruiting Command. This option allows eligible soldiers to defer their enrollment at the University while serving active duty enlistment. Requests for military deferred enrollment will be considered on an individual basis. Requests must be received by August 1, for candidates who applied for the fall semester and by January 1 for spring semester candidates.
Students accepted to the University of Maine for fall entrance must submit a $150 enrollment deposit by May 1 (students depositing before May 1 may request a refund until April 30). Students accepted after May 1 must submit the non-refundable $150 enrollment deposit within two weeks of notification. The enrollment deposit is credited to the student’s account in the University Bursar’s Office. Students accepted to the University of Maine for the spring semester are requested to submit a $150 non-refundable enrollment deposit by January 1 or two weeks from the date of acceptance if the acceptance is later than January 1.
The University of Maine guarantees that the courses needed to complete a baccalaureate degree program comprised of 120 credits will be available on a schedule enabling students studying full time (15 credits each semester) to finish the program in four years. If at the completion of four years it fails to meet that pledge, the University promises that students can take the UMaine courses necessary to complete graduation requirements tuition-free. Students, too, need to do their part to graduate in four years, which includes meeting regularly with an academic advisor to select courses, and passing all courses at the required grade level. Details of the four-year guarantee program are available from the Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs, 5703 Alumni Hall, Orono, ME 04469-5703.
Qualified New England residents are given preferred admission consideration to the University of Maine in specific academic programs not available in their home states. Students accepted in these programs pay 150% of the Maine in-state rate rather than the normally charged out-of-state tuition.
Each New England public institution of higher education involved in the regional student program has designated academic majors to be offered on a regional basis and maintains control over their own courses and programs.
Eligible undergraduate programs begin during the student’s first year of enrollment at the University. Enrolled students who change their major and thus become eligible for the regional major must notify the Office of Student Records, Wingate Hall, Room 201, at the University. Tuition reduction under the regional program takes effect the semester following notification. Students who change their majors to non-eligible programs, will be charged full non-resident tuition.
Information may be obtained from any local high school guidance office in New England or from the New England Board of Higher Education, 45 Temple Place, Boston, MA 02111 (www.nebhe.org).
The University of Maine welcomes applications from international students as first-year applicants or transfers. The Office of International Programs is the admissions office for undergraduate international applicants. A separate international student application is required and may be obtained from the Office of International Programs, 5782 Winslow Hall, Room 100, The University of Maine, Orono ME 04469-5782 or by downloading from the University’s website (www.umaine.edu). The telephone number of the Office of International Programs is (207) 581-2905. The email address for an application or admission questions is umintadm@maine.edu.
Candidates are required to submit the completed application, an application fee of $40.00 payable by check, money order or bank draft in US dollars, official results of TOEFL (if English is not the candidate’s native language), and official copies of transcripts, grade reports, etc., with certified English translations. Educational records must include subjects studied by year, grades or marks or percentage earned in year-end examinations, as well as copies of diplomas, degrees or certificates, and a description of the grading system. The SAT is suggested but not required. The Office of International Programs alerts students when they are academically admissible to the University. Financial documentation must then be forwarded and approved before immigration documents and the official admission letter are sent. Financial documents include original bank statements and official affidavits of support and must be less than one year old. These must be accompanied by an English translation as well.
Transfer students who have studied in the United States for at least two years are not required to submit a TOEFL score. Transfer students outside the U.S. must submit a TOEFL score of 530 for regular admission, and professionally evaluated transcripts. Suggested evaluation services are listed in
the University of Maine International Application.
International applicants are urged to start the admission process early. The Office of International Programs reviews applications as they are received. To ensure living space on campus, the suggested deadline for Fall admission is no later than May 1.
International Students and their dependents MUST have appropriate medical health insurance that meets limits established and required by the University of Maine.
TOEFL and Conditional Admission
The University of Maine requires a minimum of 530 on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) for regular admission. The corresponding minimum on the computer-generated TOEFL is 197. Those students who are otherwise academically admissible, but who lack the 530 on TOEFL may be conditionally admitted. Conditional admission requires the student to take English language courses at the University’s Intensive English Institute until 530 on TOEFL is achieved, or the student is deemed proficient in English by the Intensive English Institute. For more information, visit www.umaine.edu/ois/examhelp.htm.
The department of Mathematics and Statistics administers placement examinations for the purpose of appropriate registration in introductory level courses. The Department of Modern Languages and Classics offers the Foreign Language Placement Examination for purposes of both placement and credit. Mathematics Placement tests are mailed to new students prior to summer orientation or can be administered during New Student Orientation or at the beginning of each academic semester. For more information, visit www.umaine.edu/ois/examhelp.htm.
The University of Maine awards credit for successful completion of AP exams according to the above schedule. Students should request copies of their scores to be sent directly to the Office of Student Records for evaluation and awarding of transfer credit.
The University of Maine offers a variety of academic programs through the Continuing Education Division. Courses are taught on campus, at selected off-campus sites, and through distance technologies including television and the web. Categories of enrollment in Continuing Education include:
Part-time degree Students:
Students who have met all entrance requirements for either undergraduate or graduate degree enrollment may enroll in courses offered through the CED. Students seeking admission must file applications with the undergraduate Office of Admission or the Graduate School.
Non-degree Students:
Students interested in taking University of Maine courses for personal or professional enrichment are advised to contact the CED office in Chadbourne Hall, Room 122, for class schedules and registration information.
Baccalaureate Students:
The Division of Lifelong Learning offers the Bachelor of University Studies degree. Course offerings are through the CED and Summer Session division. Interested candidates should contact the CED office for more detailed information regarding entrance requirements.
Information and registration materials may be obtained by writing to the Division of Lifelong Learning, 5713 Chadbourne Hall, Room 122, The University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469-5713, by calling (207) 581-3142, by faxing (207) 581-3141, or via the web at www.ume.maine.edu/ced/.
This program provides the opportunity for Maine high school students to attend college courses at the University of Maine and is designed to enhance, not replace, the students’ high school curriculum.
The High School Aspirations Incentive Program is designed for traditional Maine high school students who have reached at least the junior level (or equivalent), have permission from their high school and their parent or guardian, and have a minimum grade point average of “B” (3.0 on a 4.0 scale). The program is also open to non-traditional Maine high school students who have the approval of an adult education director and/or high school counselor and have a minimum grade point average of “B” (3.0 on a 4.0 scale) on their adult education coursework.
Resident students pay one-half of the in-state tuition cost per credit hour (most courses are three credits). Out-of-state students attending Maine high schools are eligible to participate, but will be charged one-half of the out-of-state tuition cost per credit hour. Courses successfully completed and credits earned may be applied toward a University of Maine undergraduate degree.
Courses may be taken only during the fall and spring semesters. Approved students who wish to enroll in summer session courses will be charged at the full tuition rate. All students must meet the academic course prerequisites, and registration for classes is subject to space availability. Course selection is limited to classes taught by direct, on-site instruction. Traditional high school students may enroll in a maximum of two courses or six credits, whichever is greater, per semester for their junior and senior years. Adult education students may enroll in a maximum of two courses or six credits, whichever is greater, per semester for up to two semesters only. Financial aid is not available to cover the cost of courses.
For more information and application material contact the Office of Admission at (207) 581-1561.
College Level Examination Programs (CLEP)
CLEP is a national program of credit-by-examination that offers the opportunity to obtain recognition for college-level achievement.
Personal reading, on-the-job experience, adult education, correspondence or television courses may have prepared you to earn college credit. The faculties of each of the colleges of the University of Maine have adopted policies on the granting of CLEP examinations.
If you have already taken one of these tests, submit an official score report and as much information as possible about the test to the Office of Student Records.
Enrolled students contemplating taking one of these test must obtain prior approval from their associate deans.
CLEP Information and Policies
- The CLEP Testing Center is in 127 Alumni Hall. Inquiries on procedure should be directed to (207) 581-1410. For more information,visit www.umaine.edu/ois/examhelp.htm.
- Duplicate credit may not be granted.
- Each department is free to develop or adopt examinations other than CLEP examinations for the purpose of granting credit for specific courses.
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