Drexel takes into consideration a number of criteria when determining admission, including your college performance in relation to your desired major, your essay submission, and more.
Drexel assumes that you've completed coursework similar to Drexel's curriculum. A reminder that if you have fewer than 24 semester college credits, you will also need to submit your high school transcript.
Before beginning your application to Drexel, please review our Admission Prerequisites and Application Deadlines.
Complete an application for Undergraduate Admission. To expedite the application process, please write your full legal name (no nicknames, please) on all items submitted. U.S. citizens and permanent residents are required to provide their Social Security number to be considered for financial aid. If you need to change your major after submitting your application, please email enroll@drexel.edu or call 215.895.2400.
We accept the following applications:
Note: To be considered for our accelerated BSN program, you must already have a bachelor's degree in a non-nursing major. To apply for this program, select "Accelerated Career Entry Nursing" as your application. You should not use the Common Application, but instead, use the link below. If you do not already have a bachelor's degree or are seeking our traditional BSN program, select "Undergraduate Transfer Full-Time" as your application using the link below.
If you are interested in part-time studies, view the part-time application instructions.
Application Fee, $50 – WaivedCurrently, Drexel has waived the application fee for all transfer applicants for winter and spring 2024.
Starting fall 2025, applicants must pay a nonrefundable application fee of $65 USD. Applicants to the Nursing Accelerated Career Entry (ACE) program and student-veterans are not required to pay an application fee.
All full-time applicants (except Nursing ACE) must submit a 250- to 650-word essay. Please write about any topic you choose. However, the Admissions Committee prefers applicants to discuss their transfer experience and why they are interested in Drexel University. Essays can be submitted through the Application, in your Discover Drexel portal, or by emailing enroll@drexel.edu.
TranscriptsOfficial transcripts must be sent directly from your college or university to Drexel electronically or via mail or courier service. The transcript should include all courses in progress. You are required to submit transcripts from each college or university attended. Omission of a school attended will result in a delay of admission decision.
If you have fewer than 24 semester college credits, you will also need to submit official transcripts from each high school attended.
Your admission decision may be delayed if you do not send transcripts from all of the colleges and universities where you have completed coursework.
International applicants are required to submit an official academic record (with notarized English translation) from every postsecondary school attended. Applicants may also be required to submit official secondary academic records unless they have completed one year of full-time coursework from an accredited institution. Syllabus/course descriptions must accompany transcripts for evaluation of transfer credits.
Important notes for international applicants:
All nursing ACE and nursing BSN applicants who have coursework from an institution outside of the United States — except Study Abroad — must provide an official course-by-course evaluation from an agency accredited through the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES).
U.S. Citizens and permanent residents who are interested in Drexel's institutional need-based financial aid are required to submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Applicants who do not submit the FAFSA will not be eligible for institutional need-based financial aid.
You can submit the FAFSA using Drexel's FAFSA school code: 003256. You should not wait to be accepted to submit the FAFSA; it can be started as early as October for the next school year.
Transfer applicants who have earned an associate degree at an accredited community college are eligible for The Drexel Promise, a renewable scholarship for 50% of the cost of their tuition as they work to complete their bachelor's degree at Drexel.
International applicants who are not eligible for the Drexel Promise and are interested in institutional need based aid are required to submit the CSS Profile. Applicants should submit the CSS Profile as soon as possible. Applicants who do not submit this information will not be eligible for institutional need-based financial aid. You can submit the CSS Profile on the College Board website; be sure to list Drexel as a recipient so that we can receive this information.
The SAT and ACT are not required for transfer applicants. Refer to our Standardized Testing Policies for specific requirements and to learn more about our Test-Optional Policy.
International Applicants whose first or native language is not English must take an approved English proficiency exam and request the results be forwarded to the Admissions Office. These scores are only valid for up to two years from the test date. Drexel's TOEFL school code is 2194.
Approved English Proficiency Exams:
Exemptions may occur for the following reasons:
Applicants who wish to request a waiver of the English proficiency exam based on SAT or ACT scores must submit official scores to Drexel. Applicants who wish to request a waiver of the English proficiency exam based on their high school or university credentials must submit a copy of their official transcript(s) reflecting years of attendance and graduation date. Transcripts may be sent via email to enroll@drexel.edu, fax to 215.895.1285, or mail to the address below.
For applicants from Mainland China: The TOEFL ITP Plus for China is accepted in all cases where the TOEFL iBT is accepted.
Proof of Financial Responsibility (International Applicants Only)It is Drexel's expectation that every family fulfill and understand the financial responsibility for educational costs at Drexel. Since you and your family or sponsors must assume responsibility for your student expenses, Drexel requires proof of financial responsibility showing sufficient financial support for education in the United States in order to obtain a student visa for students who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents.
Proof of financial responsibility is not needed to receive an admissions decision, but will need to be submitted for the I-20/DS-2019 application process. Review the information for New International Students on the International Students and Scholars Services (ISSS) website to learn about the I-20/DS-2019 application process.
Applicants are encouraged to follow these portfolio guidelines carefully and submit materials that strengthen their application. Please be sure to select the transfer application when submitting your portfolio in SlideRoom.
Required Portfolios
Applicants to the following programs are required to submit a portfolio for admission.
Optional Portfolios
Applicants to the following programs are not required to submit a portfolio for admission. It is optional, though we strongly encourage all students with collegiate art or design coursework to submit a portfolio in order to facilitate the transfer credit evaluation process. Please note, optional portfolios cannot be considered after an applicant has been reviewed for admission and provided their admission decision.
Portfolio Guidelines
The Admission Committee is examining your work for originality, creative problem solving, and systematic thinking. You should submit eight to 25 pieces of your strongest and most recent work in a variety of media that demonstrate a balance of technique and concept. Thematic work or a series of pieces is received favorably.
Portfolio contents may include any combination of drawings, paintings, printmaking, photography, graphic design, architectural design, interior design, ceramics, sculpture, fiber art, fashion design, jewelry and metals, furniture, designed objects, animation, computer-generated images, film, video, performance art, audio recordings, websites, video games, sketchbooks, scripts, storyboards, or screenplays.
If the portfolio includes audio, film, video, animation, game design, and interactive work, it may not exceed five minutes of total running time. For collaborative works, it is important to provide credits and describe your role(s) within the creative process. Writers, please submit a minimum of eight to 12 pages of written work of either a single piece or numerous smaller pieces.
The portfolio must be completed in SlideRoom only. Upload the highest possible quality of documentation of your creative work. Media requirements are outlined in SlideRoom for files consisting of images, audio, videos, PDF, or embedded media. If the file is an example of a recording, composition, or mix done in Pro Tools, Logic, Ableton, or GarageBand, please include an in-progress screenshot and a detailed description of your process.
Projects for Students with an Art or Design Background
Transfer applicants who have taken art courses, classes related to your major of interest at Westphal, or classes within the realm of media arts and design should try to include three to five examples of work from any class or classes at their previous institution in order to be reviewed for credit. Transfer applicants can also include syllabi and/or course descriptions as PDFs in support of their work.
Transfer credits and level placement will be determined based on a comprehensive review of all aspects of the application during the time of admission; therefore, supportive documentation of previous art, design, or major-specific coursework is required. It is important for applicants to show examples of prior work from all of their art, design, media, and major-related classes. Failure to do so may result in not being awarded credit for those prior courses.
Please submit samples of work, syllabi, and/or course descriptions from those courses in SlideRoom. If applying for a program that requires a portfolio for admission, please be sure to add examples of your work from your major-specific courses to that portfolio. If your program does not require a portfolio for admission, you should still submit creative work from any relative course you would like to be evaluated for credit.
Projects for Students with a Limited or No Art Background or Portfolio
If you do not have any background in art or design, you can still apply. For example, you may want to start your portfolio by drawing from life: sneakers, bedrooms, friends, and landscapes are all excellent subjects, or you may photograph and document your day, your life, or an ordinary event in an extraordinary way.
Other examples of creative work may include a mixed-media collage inspired by your dreams, a research-based paper or project, video blogging, online curation, a video game proposal that modifies a children's board game so that it requires the skill of an adult, a résumé for performing arts or technical theater, business or marketing plans, social media/promotion plans, examining and redesigning an existing product or interior, a narrative outline for a short script or interactive design, or an observational essay of curatorial practice in a museum gallery or public space. When you have eight to 12 projects you want us to see — you have a portfolio! Upload your projects to SlideRoom.
Questions
Should you have questions about the portfolio, please contact the Westphal College of Media Arts & Design at westphal.admissions@drexel.edu.
Audition (Dance Applicants Only)Dance majors are required to audition. Auditions can be done live or by video. Visit Westphal College's Dance Auditions page for guidelines and dates.
Interview, Plan of Study, and Vision Statement (Custom-Designed Majors Only)Applicants to the Custom-Designed Major (CSDN) are required to submit supplemental application materials and complete an Introductory Meeting with CSDN staff after submitting an admission application . In this virtual introductory meeting, prospective applicants can ask questions about CSDN and discuss their academic goals. This meeting will also review the draft submission and feedback process for the CSDN application materials: the Plan-of-Study and Vision Statement. Please note that the process for completing the Plan of Study and Vision Statement will take several weeks after your Introductory Meeting. Review examples of these required materials.
| By Postal Mail | By Express Courier (DHL, FedEx, UPS, etc.) |
|---|---|
| Drexel University Application Processing PO Box 34789 Philadelphia, PA 19101 | Drexel University Application Processing 3141 Chestnut Street Philadelphia, PA 19104-2876 |
Applications for transfer applicants are reviewed on a rolling basis for all terms. Please check your program of interest to determine which terms the program enrolls.
During the admission process, you'll have the opportunity to check your admission status online. Once your application has been processed, you'll receive access to Discover Drexel using your email address and password created during the application submission.
If you are offered admission to Drexel, be sure to review our information for Admitted Students.
An applicant who has been denied admission to the University may appeal. Reversal on a decision is rare and, if considered, is done based on changes in the applicant's academic criteria or personal circumstances that could not be considered adequately through the standard admission review process.
An applicant appealing a decision should compose a letter to the Academic Appeal Chairperson stating the reason for the appeal and provide updated documentation. The appeal should be clear and concise, and provide new information. Your letter should not repeat information already presented in your initial application. The appeal should be emailed to the attention of the Academic Appeal Committee Chairperson at enroll@drexel.edu.
Notification of the decision of the committee is final and will be made known to the applicant via Discover Drexel within two to three weeks.
Please refer to Drexel's Notices and Disclosures for policies that pertain to all prospective and enrolled students.