Freshman Applicants

Applying is easy! Just follow the steps below. Our admissions counselors are here to answer any questions you might have. All applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. Each application for admission is reviewed individually, and the process is a competitive one.

Submit your application online.

After you submit the application, you will see instructions for paying the $65 non-refundable application fee (or submitting a fee waiver request) on the status page of your application portal. At this time, application fee waivers are granted based on financial need. You may locate how to qualify for an application fee waiver based on financial need in the ‘Certification & Signature’ section of the Montclair State University application and under the Profile section in the Common App.

If you are applying to a program with an audition fee (Dance, Music, Music Therapy, Musical Theatre, Theatre), you will also see and be able to pay your audition fee through your status page.

There are two ways to apply:

Montclair State University Application or

Submit an official high school transcript and letter of recommendation from your counselor. You can have your materials mailed or faxed to us:

Office of Undergraduate Admissions
Montclair State University
1 Normal Avenue, Cole Hall
Montclair, NJ 07043

You may also submit an unofficial transcript for an admissions decision but your final official transcript will be required for enrollment. Upload your unofficial transcript in your application portal at apply.montclair.edu/portal/admissions

For most majors, a recommendation letter is not required but is strongly encouraged.

Please note that Dance, Musical Theatre, and Theatre majors require two recommendation letters. One of your recommendation letters should speak to your candidacy for your field of study.

Complete and upload your Essay/Personal Statement. You will be able to upload your essay/personal statement prior to submitting your application. Essay prompts vary by major. You can view your major’s essay prompt here.

If you wish to submit a resume or list of extracurricular activities you’ve participated in for review, you can upload this document in your application or on your status page after submitting your application. Please note that a resume is required for Dance, Musical Theatre, and Theatre majors, but optional for all other programs.

Official SAT or ACT scores are optional. Students submitting SAT scores should enter our CEEB code (002520). Students submitting ACT scores should enter our ACT school code (2572).

College of the Arts Requirements
Important Information for College of the Arts Applicants

Some College of the Arts programs require an interview, audition or portfolio review. The programs with one of these requirements are Animation and Visual Effects, Dance, Illustration, Music, Musical Theatre, Recording Arts, Theatre, and Visual Communication Design. More information can be found on the College of the Arts’ Admissions page. Once you submit your application, you will receive an email with information about your audition, interview, or portfolio review requirement.

Links to College of the Arts admission guidelines and audition/interview/portfolio review dates can be found on the College of the Arts site.

Please note, admission to Montclair State University does not guarantee acceptance into the program of your choice.

Freshman Admission Standards

Montclair State University considers a number of factors in reviewing admissions applications. You can find more information on our Admissions Requirements page.