Process Overview

Admission to Freshman Standing

Students may apply as early as the fall semester of their senior year in high school or one year prior to transfer from another college or university. First-year applicants may apply for early action or regular admission. Early action is an option reserved for students who have made Point Loma Nazarene University one of their top-choice institutions providing notification in late December. The deadline for early action is November 15 and requires receipt of all admission materials, including transcripts and test scores. Applicants for the February 15 regular admission priority deadline and those deferred from Early Action may receive notification between mid-March and the early April. Students seeking admission to the university following their secondary education must file the following with the Admissions Office (available online):

          + a formal application for admission;
          + two recommendations;
          + SAT and/or ACT score reports;
          + an official high school transcript or its equivalent; and
          + a formal interview (strongly encouraged but not required).

PLNU recommends that applicants for admission follow a typical preparatory course of study during their high school years. This should include the following program:

          + English and literature  - 4 years 
          + One foreign language  - 2 years 
          + History and social sciences  - 3 years 
          + Mathematics (through Algebra II)  - 3 years 
          + Natural science (2 with laboratory)  - 3 years 

Note: Although these recommendations are in place in order to best prepare students for PLNU’s academic environment, they are not requirements to apply.  Please contact your Admissions Counselor with more questions!

Admission of Transfer Students

Students seeking admission from accredited colleges and universities must file the following with the Admissions Office (available online):3

          + a formal application for admission;
          + two recommendations;
          + SAT and/or ACT score reports and an official high school transcript (for students with fewer than 36 completed semester units at application);
          + official transcripts of all college/university course work; and
          + a formal interview  (strongly encouraged but not required).

Students from accredited colleges and universities may be considered for admission provided a GPA of 2.000 has been maintained in all previous course work. Transfer applicants who have met all priority deadlines will receive notification between by mid-April. The university has developed transfer agreements with a number of community colleges. Transcripts submitted from non-accredited institutions are evaluated on an individual basis. Transcripts from universities outside the United States must be evaluated for the student by an independent evaluation service approved by Point Loma.

Students from community colleges may transfer in a maximum of 70 applicable units toward the baccalaureate degree at Point Loma. All courses taken at a community college transfer as lower-division units.

Admission of International Students

Point Loma Nazarene University welcomes students from all over the world. Students for whom English is not the native language must demonstrate English language proficiency by taking the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), available through the Educational Testing Service, Box 955, Princeton, New Jersey 08540. A score of 550 on the paper-based TOEFL is required, or 216 on the computer-based exam, or 80 for the TOEFL Internet Based Test (iBT). International students seeking admission to the university must file the following documents with the Admissions Office (available online):

          + a formal application for admission;
          + two recommendation letters;
          + official evaluated transcripts (high school or university) ;
          + SAT/ACT scores if the student's native language is English or official TOEFL scores (for non-native speakers);
          + an affidavit of support; and 
          + a formal interview (strongly recommended).

Students seeking to receive credit at the university from an institution outside the United States are required to have their foreign transcript evaluated by a service that is accredited by the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES). A detailed or course-by-course report is required. Official foreign transcripts are submitted to the service of choice and the evaluations subsequently submitted directly to the Office of Records. For further information, students may contact the Director of International Student Services/International Admissions Counselor.

Readmission to the University

Students who leave the university must apply for readmission through the Office of Admissions, meeting calendar deadlines and making deposits as required. Students whose continuous enrollment is not interrupted by more than two consecutive semesters may remain under their declared applicable Catalog. Those who are readmitted after three or more semesters of non-attendance return under the Catalog in effect at the time of readmission.