Undergraduate Admission and Financial Support
Undergraduate admission
High school and transfer candidates: applying for CUA admission
Potential undergraduate students who are interested in entering the department as CUA freshmen or as transfer students into CUA must first apply for admission to the university. Click here to visit the website of the Office of Admissions, which oversees and assists in the entire application process, from paperwork to campus visits.
At any point in your decision-making process, you are welcome to contact the undergraduate adviser or other members of the department to learn more about our programs, discuss your own academic background, or set up a visit. We are always delighted to welcome prospective students into our classes and let them experience the day-to-day life of our department.
If you have already taken some Latin (or Greek) in high school or at another university, you may also want to click here to learn about language placement (and AP credit, if applicable).
|
|
|
A pomegranate tree in the Kerameikos, Athens |
|
Current CUA undergraduates: changing or adding majors
New CUA undergraduates are invited to declare a major, if they so desire, even before they arrive on campus. But what if you decide that classics really appeals to you, and you want to shift your current major a little--or a lot? Or if you want to add a second major in Classics, Classical Humanities (whether with a Greek or Latin emphasis), or Classical Civilization? You should begin by expressing this desire to your current adviser, whose responsibility it is to discuss your options with you and assist you in restructuring your course choices to meet your changing goals.
Next, you should set up an appointment with our undergraduate adviser, who will look over your prior coursework and offer some recommendations for your future semesters. Because our department has a very active summer session (highlighted by the intensive study of the ancient languages), it will often be possible for you to begin a new language or build your transcript very quickly. |
Many of our students actually come to us during their undergraduate careers, rather than at the very beginning, because they have become newly attracted to the study of the ancient world. |
Majoring in classical languages or classical civilization
It is not uncommon for student classicists to be asked what they intend to "do" with their degrees. If you plan to stay in the general field, our department's special investment in launching and placement will provide you with the support you need to explore your options and prepare for graduate study. (Click here to learn more about careers in classics.) If you look forward to taking your degree out into the wider world, you will be able to demonstrate skills in writing, critical thinking, the construction of compelling arguments, and the evaluation of complex ideas that will contribute to your success in a wide variety of fields from medicine to law. (Click here to learn more about other disciplines that value the background that the study of classics provides.)
Undergraduate financial support
All support, both merit-based and need-based, for CUA undergraduates is handled directly through the Office of Financial Aid, which can also provide additional information on (for example) student loans and federal work-study. Do not forget that you must file the FAFSA (the Free Application for Federal Student Aid) as early in the application process as possible in order to receive maximum consideration and facilitate the aid application. CUA has a number of academic scholarships available for undergraduates, as well; most of them (except for the Parish Scholarships and Alumni Awards) require no additional action or application on your part for you to be considered for them.
