First-Year Applicants

Our Admission team is always available to offer personalized support to prospective students, guiding your way from applying to financial aid and more.

First year applicant
What's Required

These items are required for our team to process your application — so double-check before you submit.

First year applicant
What's Optional

These items are not required for applying to Holy Cross, but they can be helpful and insightful for the admission team as they make their decision:

  • A personal interview (strongly recommended).
  • Standardized test scores (SAT I, SAT II, ACT). Submitting these scores is entirely optional, and if you choose not to submit them, you will not be at any disadvantage.
  • Supplementary materials that showcase your special talents or achievement, such as artwork, recorded performances, original writing, research, and additional recommendations.

Deadlines

Keep in mind: Early Decision and Regular Decision candidates have different deadlines and requirements.

Required

Application ItemEarly Decision IEarly Decision IIRegular Decision

Application with $60 fee*

Transcript

Teacher Recommendation

Counselor Recommendation

Early Decision Agreement (for Early Decision applicants only)

Nov. 15

Applicants will be notified of their decision by the middle of December.

Jan. 15

Applicants will be notified of their decision by the middle of February

Jan. 15

Applicants will be notified of their decision by the middle of March.

Senior Year GradesFirst marking period: As soon as they are availableMid-year grades: As soon as they are available 

*For students who qualify for one of our application fee waivers, be sure to select the appropriate waiver reason from the list of prompts in the application waiver question:

  • Catholic School Students: Philadelphia, PA and New York City
  • CBO/Agency: are affiliated with a CBO.
  • Coalition Application: meet one or more of the Coalition app's fee waiver criteria.
  • Common Application: meet one or more of the Common App's fee waiver criteria.
  • Jesuit/Cristo Rey: currently attend a Jesuit or Cristo Rey high school.
  • Natural Disaster Relief: have faced a natural disaster.
  • Resident of a Gateway City: currently live in one of the "Gateway Cities": Attleboro; Barnstable; Boston; Brockton; Chelsea; Chicopee; Everett; Fall River; Fitchburg; Hartford, CT; Haverhill; Holyoke; Lawrence; Leominster; Lowell; Lynn; Malden; Methuen; New Bedford; Peabody; Pittsfield; Providence, RI; Quincy; Revere; Salem; Springfield; Taunton; Westfield; and Worcester.
  • Worcester Public Schools: currently attend a Worcester public high school.

Optional

Application ItemEarly Decision IEarly Decision IIRegular Decision
Interviews (highly recommended)An interview is strongly recommended and must be completed by Nov. 15.An interview is strongly recommended and must be completed by Dec. 11.

Schedule by Dec. 11.

Off-campus alumni interview requests must be submitted online by Dec. 11.

Standardized Test ScoresNov. 15Jan. 15Jan. 15

Supplementary Materials

Can be submitted through the Common or App Member Screen, or through the student's locker on Coalition Application.

Nov. 15Jan. 15Jan. 15

Early Decision and Regular Decision Applications

Here's everything you need to submit your application and the guidelines Holy Cross uses to make an admission deadline.

To apply for admission to Holy Cross, you must submit the Common Application or the Coalition Application

Tips to make sure we can process your application successfully:

  • Make sure you have answered all questions thoroughly and precisely. 
  • You are your best advocate, so take some time when completing each section of the application. 
  • If the forms don’t provide enough space, feel free to use additional sheets. 
  • In cases where our application fee would cause undue hardship, speak up. Holy Cross honors many fee waivers, including the College Board fee waiver request, initiated by your high school counselor. If you aren’t sure whether you qualify, feel free to contact us.

The application, along with your $60 application fee, must be sent electronically.

Holy Cross waives the $60 application fee for students who:

  • CBO/Agency: are affiliated with a CBO.
  • Coalition Application: meet one or more of the Coalition app's fee waiver criteria.
  • Common Application: meet one or more of the Common App's fee waiver criteria.
  • Jesuit/Cristo Rey: currently attend a Jesuit or Cristo Rey high school.
  • Natural Disaster Relief: have faced a natural disaster.
  • Resident of a Gateway City: currently live in one of the "Gateway Cities": Attleboro; Barnstable; Boston; Brockton; Chelsea; Chicopee; Everett; Fall River; Fitchburg; Hartford, CT; Haverhill; Holyoke; Lawrence; Leominster; Lowell; Lynn; Malden; Methuen; New Bedford; Peabody; Pittsfield; Providence, RI; Quincy; Revere; Salem; Springfield; Taunton; Westfield; and Worcester.
  • Worcester Public Schools: currently attend a Worcester public high school.

One teacher recommendation is required. Additional letters of support from coaches, parents or guardians, or mentors are welcome.

One counselor recommendation is required. 

If you’re an Early Decision candidate, you should choose Early Decision as your Admission Plan on either the Holy Cross Member Screen (Common Application) or the Holy Cross Application Question Section (Coalition Application). Then, you, your school counselor, and your parent or guardian will be prompted to agree to the Early Decision commitment and submit an electronic signature.

Early Decision I 

Interviews are strongly recommended and must be completed by Nov. 15. Interview appointments are offered every day that the Admission Office is open, but must be scheduled in advance. Please schedule your interview.  

Off-campus alumni interviews are not available for Early Decision applicants.

Early Decision II

Interviews are available by appointment, on any day that the Admission Office is open. Please schedule your interview

Off-campus alumni interviews are not available for Early Decision applicants.

Regular Decision

Interviews are available by appointment, on any day that the Admission Office is open. Please schedule your interview.

The submission of standardized test scores is optional, but we do accept self-reported test scores on the Common Application or Coalition Application. Holy Cross superscores both the SAT and ACT. If you opt not to submit scores, you will not be at any disadvantage in the application process.

Though they are not required, you can also request that your scores be sent to the College. The College Board code number is 3282. The American College Testing Program code is 1810.

If you’re a student with strong extracurricular interests, we invite you to submit samples of your talent. These materials may be sent as images (jpg, png, gif), videos (mov, wmv, flv, mp4), PDFs or MP3s. You should submit them through the Member Screen (Slideroom) of the Common Application or the Coalition Application.

For questions regarding financial aid, please call 508-793-2265 or email financialaid@holycross.edu.