How to Apply: Undergraduate Programs

Applicants are required to apply online using the Common Application. You must complete all required fields and upload materials prior to submission. Most materials can be submitted electronically via the Common Application. Applicants must submit their portfolio and Parsons Challenge through The New School's Online Application Center. Any additional supporting documents that need to be sent electronically or by mail must include an Application Materials Cover Sheet. All supporting materials must be received before your application can be reviewed.

The application fee for U.S. domestic applicants and international transfer applicants is $50. The application fee for first-year international applicants is $75.

Application fees are paid through the online application and are non-refundable.

If the application fee is a hardship to your or your family, you can request a fee waiver through the Common Application. Additionally, The New School waives application fees for those who meet the eligibility guidelines listed in the Application Fee Waivers section of our university-wide How to Apply page.

Essay 1

What social issue or construct would you choose to affect change through your study or work at The New School? (200-400 words)

Essay 2

What specific aspects of The New School's academic programs or community drew you to apply? Please pay particular attention to the college and program that you have applied to in your essay. (200-400 words)

We require applicants to submit their Common Application before uploading their portfolio and/or Parsons Challenge.

In order to review your application, we will need to receive all required materials. You must submit your portfolio and Parsons Challenge through your Admission Hub after submission of the Common Application. After submission of your Common Application, you will receive an email with instructions for accessing your Admission Hub. The portfolio and/or Parsons Challenge can be submitted up to seven days after you submit your Common Application. You must use the same email address that you used to complete your Common Application when you create your portfolio. Please read below for further instructions.

BFA Program Applicants

Freshman and transfer applicants to BFA programs must submit both a portfolio and the Parsons Challenge. They must submit these items after they submit their Common Application.

Portfolio: The portfolio is 8 to 12 slides and can include a range of media such as drawing, painting, sculpture, fashion design, animation, performance, graphic design, sketchbook pages, or any other visual media. We encourage you to show experimentation and range. Your portfolio does not need to include work specific to your chosen major, unless you are applying as a transfer student, in which case we do encourage major specific work.

Parsons Challenge: Create a new visual work inspired by an advertisement, invention, or theme within a piece you've already created. Support your process by writing a 500-word essay describing how your ideas developed. You may also submit up to two additional pieces that document your process. All forms of media are acceptable—drawing, video, photography, sculpture, 3D work, collage, digital images, etc. The Parsons Challenge helps us understand how you develop ideas, visually communicate those ideas, and support your work in writing.

BBA Program Applicants (Strategic Design and Management)

Applicants to the BBA in Strategic Design and Management are encouraged to submit the Parsons Challenge, but they are not permitted to submit a portfolio. They must submit the Parsons Challenge after they submit their Common Application.

Parsons Challenge: Create a new visual work inspired by an advertisement, invention, or theme within a piece you've already created. Support your process by writing a 500-word essay describing how your ideas developed. You may also submit up to two additional pieces that document your process. All forms of media are acceptable - drawing, video, photography, sculpture, 3D work, collage, digital images, etc. The Parsons Challenge helps us understand how you develop ideas, visually communicate those ideas, and support your work in writing.

Recommendations can be submitted online through the Common Application. If necessary, the recommendation form can be downloaded and emailed to enroll@newschool.edu.

First Year Applicants

Applicants applying directly from high school must submit one counselor recommendation and one recommendation from a teacher. The Common Application School Report is also required.

Transfer Applicants

Students transferring from other colleges or universities must submit one recommendation from a professor with whom they have studied.

Visiting students who are currently at Parsons Paris and who are applying to transfer to Parsons Paris may not request a letter of recommendation from a Parsons Paris faculty member; the letter of recommendation must come from a professor at their home institution.

All applicants must provide official high school and/or college transcripts from all institutions attended. Undergraduate applicants who have attended multiple high schools can submit only the graduating school’s official transcript as long as all prior coursework is listed on that transcript.

First Year Applicants

First-year applicants must provide official high school and/or college transcripts. If you are currently in school, submit transcripts for all coursework taken to date. Transcripts that are not in English must be accompanied by a certified translation.

Applicants who have attended multiple high schools may submit only the transcript from the school from which they are graduating as long as all prior coursework is listed on that transcript. All academic credentials for homeschool students must be submitted as indicated in the Additional Information for Specific Applicant Populations section below.

Transfer Applicants
Transfer applicants must submit an official high school/secondary school transcript with graduation date or General Education Diploma (GED). Transfer applicants who have completed 24 college credits in a degree-granting program, or the equivalent, are not required to submit their high school transcripts. Official transcripts are also required for each college or university you have previously attended.

Applicants with High School Equivalency Tests

Students may submit one of the following in lieu of official high school transcripts: General Education Development (GED), Test Assessing Secondary Completion (TASC), High School Equivalency Test (HiSET), or California High School Proficiency Exam (CHSPE) exam results. Final results must be sent directly from the testing agency.

How to Submit Electronic Transcripts

Transcripts can be submitted through an approved electronic vendor (see below), submitted via email by a school official, from an official school email address, to enroll@newschool.edu, or through postal mail. Transcripts will be considered unofficial if forwarded in an email.

Approved electronic vendors: BridgeU, Common Application, Cialfo, Credentials eScrip-Safe, Kuder, MaiaLearning, MEFA Pathway, National Student Clearinghouse, Naviance, OverGrad, Parchment Exchange, UniFrog, SCOIR, SchooLinks, Xello).

If your school does not use any of these vendors and your school official is not able to email them from an official school email address, transcripts must be sent directly via postal mail by a school official in a sealed envelope.

Whenever possible, please send all official communication electronically, including transcripts, letters of recommendation, and tuition deposits.

In rare circumstances where items must be mailed, please send to:

The New School
Office of Admission
55 West 13th Street
New York, NY 10011

All materials and documents submitted in association with The New School application become the property of The New School and cannot be returned to you or transmitted to a third party.

All applicants whose first language is not English must submit valid English language proficiency test results taken within the past two years. 

We permit applicants to submit one of the following tests: TOEFL iBT, IELTS Academic, PTE Academic, Duolingo English Test, or Cambridge English C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency.

Minimum required scores are:

• TOEFL iBT- 92
• IELTS - 7.0
• PTE - 63
• Duolingo English Test - 115
• Cambridge English - 185

Our TOEFL institution code is 2521. IELTS test takers should electronically submit their test results to The New School.

The New School does not require English language proficiency test results for applicants who have: 

• Studied in English, as the primary language of instruction, for all four consecutive years of high school/secondary school. However, students who have taken any English as a Second Language (ESL) courses while in high school, regardless of how long they have been in high school, must submit English proficiency test results.
• Successfully completed two full semesters of college-level coursework while taking non-ESL college-level expository writing or equivalent courses (transfer students only).
• Earned a four-year degree from a U.S. college/university or from a university where English is the primary language of instruction, with a minimum of three years attendance (transfer students only).

After reviewing your application, the Office of Admission may require you to submit an English language proficiency test score to evaluate your candidacy. 

Are results permitted from the following types of English exams by The New School?

• IELTS Indicator: NO
• IELTS for UKVI (AC - Academic): NO
• iTEP: NO
• TOEFL Essentials: NO
• TOEFL iBT Home Edition: YES
• TOEFL ITP Plus for China: NO
• TOEFL My Best Score: NO
• University College London preparatory certificate program showing completion of the program including strong grades in Academic English: NO

All admitted students are automatically considered for merit scholarship awards determined by the strength of their applications. International students are eligible only for merit scholarships. There is no additional application to be considered for a merit scholarship.

If you are a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen, you must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) in order to be considered for need-based financial aid. The FAFSA is available each year on October 1. The New School’s federal school code is 002780. You don’t need to wait for an admission decision to apply for federal aid. Our Financial Aid staff are available to guide you through the process of applying for financial aid.

Students who wish to further supplement their financial resources should consider applying for an external scholarship.

The New School does not require submission of SAT or ACT scores and they do not generally play a significant part in our review process. If you choose to share your scores, the SAT institution code is 2521 and the ACT code is 2828.

Applications become complete and ready for review once all required items have been received by the Office of Admission. You can check your application status in the Admission Hub.

Allow at least 14 days from the date you submitted your application for items to be matched and shown as received. Applicants are responsible for following up with schools and recommenders to confirm that transcripts and recommendations have been sent.

The Office of Admission will periodically notify applicants by email if their file is missing any documents and again when their file is complete for review. These notifications are sent to the email address provided in the online application.

If you need to change your email address, mailing address, or other contact information, email the Office of Admission.

Fall early action first-year admission decisions will be released in mid-December.

Fall regular decision first-year admission decisions will be released in mid-March.

Fall transfer admission decisions will be released on a rolling basis starting in April.

In any given academic year, a student can apply to only one department or program within The New School. Applicants who file more than one application in an academic year will be required to withdraw one of the applications, and application fees will not be refunded.

All materials and documents submitted in association with The New School application become the property of The New School and cannot be returned to you or transmitted to a third party.

AP, IB, and A-Level Courses may be eligible to transfer to your degree. If you have taken any of these exams, please submit these official scores so that they may be considered for transfer credit. Exam scores must come directly from the examination board. Scores reported on high school or college transcripts are not considered official.

The New School welcomes applicants from all over the world. To be competitive for admission, applicants must be on track to complete required coursework to earn a high school diploma in their home country that qualifies them for university entry. Below are some of the most common international secondary school curricula that we see students applying from, along with helpful guidance for each one.

• Advanced Levels (A-Levels): Students who are most competitive for admission will have completed or be in the process of completing A Levels for three subjects at the time of application.
  
• Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) or Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE): Submission of both Standard X (SSC) and completed or predicted Standard XII (HSC) exam marks is required.
• International Baccalaureate (IB): Students can pursue either the IB Diploma Program (DP) or IB Career-related Program (CP). Applicants who are taking individual IB courses to supplement a national curriculum are permitted to pursue individual IB courses rather than the DP or CP.
  

For more information about submission requirements, see the Submitting Transcripts section (above). The decision to admit an applicant always relies upon successful completion of current studies and the receipt of a final transcript. All admitted students must have their official final transcripts on file before they begin classes. Applicants with questions about their secondary school transcripts in relation to admission can email admission@newschool.edu.

Some international secondary school coursework will qualify for pre-matriculation credit, awarded by the Registrar upon enrollment.

Upon completion of the homeschool curriculum students must provide proof of high school graduation or an equivalent. We will accept an official transcript from a state homeschool association or sponsoring public high school; GED, TASC, or HiSET exam results; individual homeschool transcripts with date of completion; and certificates of completion recognized by local homeschool associations.

Homeschool applicants must provide the equivalent of a high school transcript with course or subject titles, duration of study for each title, content of study for each title, and an assessment of performance or “grade” at the time of application. Preferably, the courses completed at home are part of a curriculum developed and evaluated by a nationally recognized diploma-granting organization or agency. 

Upon review, applicants may be required to submit additional application materials.

The Internal Transfer Application is required for all current New School students who wish to transfer from one New School college to another. If you would like to apply as an internal applicant, review the deadlines and requirements in the Undergraduate Internal Transfer Policy section of our University Admission How to Apply page. Students who wish to change departments or majors within the same college should speak with their academic advisor. Internal transfer applicants should connect with a Financial Aid Counselor. Financial aid packages, including scholarships, will change as a result of changing programs.

A current Parsons Paris Visiting student who wants to apply to Parsons Paris as a transfer should follow the external transfer procedures described above. More information is available on our Transfer Students page.

The transfer application requires one letter of recommendation. This letter must come from a professor at your home institution. The letter may be not submitted by a Parsons Paris faculty member.

The Application for Readmission should be completed by students who wish to return after an absence of four semesters (fall and spring). If you would like to apply for readmission, review the readmission deadlines and requirements in the Readmission section of our university How to Apply page. If you have enrolled at another institution as a degree seeking student since you were last enrolled at The New School, you should apply for admission as a transfer student according to the instructions outlined above.

Interviews are not required. Applicants with questions about the admission process are encouraged to attend an information session. Please review our New York and/or Paris events calendars for dates and times.