First-Year Applicants

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.
• New York City Catholic School: currently attend a New York City Catholic school.
• Philadelphia Catholic School: currently attend a Philadelphia Catholic 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.