How to Apply: Undergraduate Programs

Applicants are required to apply online using the Common Application. You must complete all required fields and upload materials prior to submission. Most materials can be submitted electronically via the Common Application. Parsons and Parsons Paris applicants must submit their portfolio (required for BFA programs and optional for the BBA in Strategic Design and Management) through The New School's Online Application Center. Any additional supporting documents that need to be sent electronically or by mail must include an Application Materials Cover Sheet. All supporting materials must be received before your application can be reviewed.

If you're planning to apply using a school email address, please confirm you can receive our email first. Some schools block email from outside their domains. 

The 2026 application will become available in late August.

The application fee for U.S. domestic applicants and international transfer applicants is $50. The application fee for first-year international applicants is $75.

Application fees are paid through the online application and are non-refundable.

If the application fee is a hardship for you or your family, you can request a fee waiver through the Common Application. Additionally, The New School waives application fees for those who meet the eligibility guidelines listed in the Application Fee Waivers section of our university-wide How to Apply page.

Applicants must submit two essays. The Common Application essay is not required. 

Essay 1

In your study or work at The New School, what social issue or system would you make the focus of your efforts to effect change? (300-400 words)

Essay 2

What specific aspects of The New School's academic programs or community drew you to apply? Please pay particular attention to the college and program that you have applied to in your essay. (300-400 words)

A visual portfolio is required for all applicants to Parsons' BFA programs. It is optional for applicants to the BBA in Strategic Design and Management. We require applicants to submit their Common Application before uploading their visual portfolio. Parsons School of Design and Parsons Paris assess portfolios on the basis of the technical and conceptual abilities displayed in the work. In order to review your application, we need to receive all required materials. 

You must submit your portfolio through your Admission Hub after submitting the Common Application. After submission of your Common Application, you will receive an email with instructions for accessing your Admission Hub. Your portfolio should be submitted as soon as possible upon receipt of that link. You must use the same email address that you used to complete your Common Application when you create and upload your portfolio. You may not make changes to your portfolio once submitted. All submissions are final and may not be edited.

Please do not submit links or URLs to personal websites for your portfolio. You must submit individual images of your work. If you would like to submit images from your website, you may include a screenshot or screengrab as part of your image submissions.

Any work supported or created by AI in your application or visual portfolio must include a description of your process and the machine learning tools used, including those used for written portions of the application.

BFA Program Applicants (All BFA Programs)

Freshman and transfer applicants to BFA programs must submit a visual portfolio. The portfolio must be submitted after submission of the Common Application.

The portfolio should consist of eight to twelve slides and may include a range of visual media such as drawing, painting, sculpture, fashion design, animation, performance, graphic design, sketchbook pages, etc. You may submit sketch book images, including videos of yourself leafing through your sketchbook pages. We encourage you to show experimentation and range in terms of subject matter, approach, skills, and materials. You are also encouraged to include video clips or images of your process or the creation or making of your work (up to five additional slides), but it is not required. Your portfolio does not need to include work specific to your chosen major, unless you are applying as a transfer student, in which case we do encourage major-specific work as well as images of work completed in any studio courses you’ve taken.

Note: You may upload several images or process materials in one slide.

Transfer applicants are encouraged to include examples of work from any studio courses completed. Transfers may submit as few as eight and as many as 20 slides. 

All applicants submitting a portfolio are required to use the available description/text boxes to give brief descriptions of their process, including their ideas and concepts, sources of inspiration, and use of materials, etc., for at least two of their favorite pieces in the portfolio. 

Please do not submit autoCAD drawings, anime drawings, or images that directly copy another artist’s work. Any work supported or created by AI in your application or visual portfolio must include a description of your process and the machine learning tools used. We also recommend that applicants do not include Roblox images, Sims housing renderings, UX/UI research, TikTok videos including Get Ready with Me Videos (GRWM), and fashion styling (using garments that are pre-made or purchased).

Applicants are encouraged to learn more about the visual portfolio by reviewing our portfolio help tips.

BBA Program Applicants (Strategic Design and Management)

Applicants to the BBA in Strategic Design and Management are encouraged to submit a portfolio, but it is not required. BBA applicants may submit from two to twelve slides in their portfolio. For the full portfolio requirements, review the instructions for BFA program applicants. BBA applicants are welcome to include alternate work in their portfolio, like infographics pieces or data visualization work.

Recommendations may be submitted online through the Common Application. If necessary, the recommendation form may be downloaded and emailed to [email protected].

First Year Applicants
Applicants applying directly from high school must submit one counselor recommendation and one recommendation from a teacher. The Common Application School Report is also required. Recommendation letters may also be written by someone who can speak highly of you as an artist, scholar, or student, like an employer or mentor. They may not be written by family members.

Transfer Applicants
Students transferring from other colleges or universities must submit one recommendation from a professor with whom they have studied. Recommendation letters may also be written by someone who can speak highly of you as an artist, scholar, or student, like an employer or mentor. They may not be written by family members.

All applicants must provide official high school and/or college transcripts from all institutions attended. Undergraduate applicants who have attended multiple high schools can submit only the graduating school’s official transcript as long as all prior coursework is listed on that transcript.

First Year Applicants

First-year applicants must provide official high school and/or college transcripts. If you are currently in school, submit transcripts for all coursework taken to date. Transcripts that are not in English must be accompanied by a certified translation.

Applicants who have attended multiple high schools may submit only the transcript from the school from which they are graduating as long as all prior coursework is listed on that transcript. All academic credentials for homeschool students must be submitted as indicated in the Additional Information for Specific Applicant Populations section below.

Transfer Applicants
Transfer applicants must submit an official high school/secondary school transcript with graduation date or General Education Diploma (GED). Transfer applicants who have completed 24 U.S. college credits in a degree-granting program, or the equivalent, are not required to submit their high school transcripts. Official transcripts are also required for each college or university you have previously attended.

Applicants with High School Equivalency Tests

Students may submit one of the following in lieu of official high school transcripts: General Education Development (GED), Test Assessing Secondary Completion (TASC), High School Equivalency Test (HiSET), or California High School Proficiency Exam (CHSPE) exam results. Final results must be sent directly from the testing agency.

How to Submit Electronic Transcripts

Transcripts can be submitted through an approved electronic vendor or by postal mail. 

Approved electronic vendors: BridgeU, Common Application, Cialfo, Kuder, MaiaLearning, MEFA Pathway, National Student Clearinghouse, Naviance, OverGrad, Parchment Exchange, UniFrog, SCOIR, SchooLinks, Xello, Truecopy Credentials, NACES providers.

School officials may also email transcripts to [email protected] from their school's official email address. All documents not sent from a school official email address or forwarded will be considered unofficial. ​This email address is intended for use exclusively by school officials.

All official transcripts received via postal mail must be in a sealed envelope and sent by a school official.  

For all other inquiries, ​please e-mail us at [email protected].

Whenever possible, please send all official communication electronically, including transcripts and letters of recommendation. 

Our Mailing Address:

The New School
Office of Admission
55 West 13th Street
New York, NY 10011

All materials and documents submitted in association with a New School application become the property of the New School and cannot be returned to you or transmitted to a third party.

All admitted students are automatically considered for scholarship awards. No separate application is required. International students are typically eligible only for merit scholarships. 

If you are a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen, you must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) in order to be considered for need-based financial aid. The FAFSA is typically available each year on October 1, but will be delayed in 2025. The New School’s federal school code is 002780. You don’t need to wait for an admission decision to apply for federal aid. Our Financial Aid staff are available to guide you through the process of applying for financial aid.

Students who wish to further supplement their financial resources should consider applying for external scholarships.

Instructions for Early Decision Applicants

Domestic students, permanent residents, and other students eligible to submit the FAFSA who are applying Early Decision must submit the Net Price Calculator by November 10 in order to receive a need-based aid package with their Early Decision admission offer. Additional information about the Net Price Calculator will be shared with Early Decision applicants after they submit the application.

The New School does not require submission of SAT or ACT scores, and they do not play a part in our review process. If you choose to share your scores, our SAT institution code is 2521, and our ACT code is 2828.

All applicants who are native speakers of languages other than English must submit valid English language proficiency test results taken within the past two years.

We permit applicants to submit one of the following tests: TOEFL, IELTS, PTE, Duolingo English Test, and Cambridge English C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency. The New School does not accept English language proficiency test results from IELTS Indicator, IELTS for UKVI, iTEP, TOEFL Essentials, TOEFL ITP Plus for China, TOEFL My Best Score, or the University College London preparatory certificate program.

Minimum scores required for admission are:

• TOEFL iBT—92
• IELTS—7
• PTE—63
• Duolingo English Test—115
• Cambridge English—185

TOEFL iBT is the world’s most trusted and widely accepted English proficiency test to demonstrate academic readiness. Take it at home or in a test center in less than two hours. Register for an upcoming TOEFL iBT test to realize your dreams of studying, working, and living abroad. Our TOEFL institution code is 2521. 

IELTS test takers should submit their test results to The New School electronically.

The New School does not require TOEFL, IELTS, PTE, Duolingo English Test, or Cambridge English scores for applicants who have:

• Studied in English, as the primary language of instruction, for all four consecutive years of high school/secondary school. However, students who have taken any English as a Second Language (ESL) courses while in high school, regardless of how long they have been in high school, must submit TOEFL, IELTS, PTE, or Duolingo English Test results.
  
• Successfully completed two full semesters of college-level coursework while taking non-ESL college-level expository writing or equivalent courses (transfer students only).
• Earned a four-year degree from a U.S. college/university or from a university where English is the primary language of instruction, with a minimum of three years' attendance (transfer students only).

No official test waiver request is needed. We automatically waive test scores for all eligible applicants. 

After reviewing your application, the Office of Admission may require you to submit an English language proficiency test score to enable staff to evaluate your candidacy.

Applications become complete and ready for review once all required items have been received by the Office of Admission. You can check your application status in the Admission Hub.

Allow at least 14 days from the date you submitted your application for items to be marked as received in your Admission Hub. Applicants are responsible for following up with schools and recommenders to confirm that transcripts and recommendations have been sent.

The Office of Admission will periodically notify applicants by email if their file is missing any documents and again when their file is complete for review. These notifications are sent to the email address provided in the online application.

If you need to change your email address, mailing address, or other contact information, email the Office of Admission.

Spring admission decisions are released on a rolling basis starting in November.

Fall early action and early decision first-year admission decisions will be released in late December and early January.

Fall regular decision first-year admission decisions will be released by April 1 for high school applicants. 

Fall transfer admission decisions will be released on a rolling basis starting in April.

The New School welcomes applicants from all over the world. To be competitive for admission, applicants must be on track to complete required coursework to earn a high school diploma within their home country that qualifies them for university entry. Below are some of the most common international secondary school curriculums that we see students applying from and helpful guidance for each one.

• Advanced Levels (A-Levels): Students who are most competitive for admission will have completed or be in the process of completing A Levels from three subjects at the time of application.
• Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) or Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE): Submission of both Standard X (SSC) and completed or predicted Standard XII (HSC) exam marks is required.
• International Baccalaureate (IB): Students can pursue either the IB Diploma Program (DP) or IB Career-related Program (CP). Applicants who are taking individual IB courses as a supplement to a national curriculum are permitted to pursue individual IB courses rather than the DP or CP. 

For more information about submission requirements see the Submitting Transcripts section above. Applicants with questions about their secondary school transcripts as they relate to admission can email [email protected].

Some international secondary school coursework will qualify for pre-matriculation credit, awarded by the Registrar upon enrollment.

You can apply to the BA/BFA dual-degree program with your initial application for admission to The New School. All applicants are required to apply online using the Common Application. In the field that asks "What school are you applying to?" you will be able to choose either "Lang and Jazz, BA/BFA" or "Lang and Parsons, BA/BFA".

Upon completion of the homeschool curriculum, students must provide proof of high school graduation or an equivalent. We will accept an official transcript from a state homeschool association or sponsoring public high school; GED, TASC, or HiSET exam results; individual homeschool transcripts with date of completion; and certificates of completion recognized by local homeschool associations.

Homeschool applicants must provide the equivalent of a high school transcript with course or subject titles, duration of study for each title, content of study for each title, and an assessment of performance or “grade” at the time of application. Preferably, the courses completed at home are part of a curriculum developed and evaluated by a nationally recognized diploma-granting organization or agency. 

Upon review, applicants may be required to submit additional application materials.

Transfer students are students who have graduated from high school or earned a high school equivalent and are in the process of completing, or have completed, college or university coursework after high school graduation. If you are unsure whether to apply as a first-year applicant or a transfer applicant, please contact us.

All applicants must list each college or university attended, both during and after high school, on the Common Application. Applicants must submit official transcripts from each college or university attended. 

While a course-by-course evaluation is not required for international transcripts, The New School reserves the right to require official transcripts or an official NACES course-by-course evaluation at any time during the admission process. 

Any fraudulent activity or discrepancies found between uploaded and official transcripts will result in the immediate revocation of admission and/or dismissal from The New School. Transcripts uploaded with the online application are considered unofficial. Please review the Transcripts section for specific transcript requirements.

The Internal Transfer Application is required for all current New School students who wish to transfer from one New School college to another. If you would like to apply as an internal applicant, review the deadlines and requirements in the Undergraduate Internal Transfer Policy section of our University Admission How to Apply page. Students who wish to change departments or majors within the same college should speak with their academic advisor. Internal transfer applicants should connect with a Financial Aid Counselor. Financial aid packages, including scholarships, will change as a result of changing programs.

Students currently enrolled at another college who wish to take classes at The New School for one semester should apply as a visiting student.

The Application for Readmission should be completed by students who wish to return after an absence of four semesters (fall and spring). If you would like to apply for readmission, review the readmission deadlines and requirements in the Readmission section of our university How to Apply page. If you have enrolled at another institution as a degree seeking student since you were last enrolled at The New School, you should apply for admission as a transfer student according to the instructions outlined above.

The New School welcomes undocumented students and students who hold Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status to apply—such status does not affect the admissions process. When completing the Common Application related to Citizenship status, you may select “DACA, undocumented, Deferred Enforced Departure, or Temporary Protected Status.”

For questions about financial aid, please contact the Office of Financial Aid at [email protected].

Additional information about how we support undocumented students can be found on our Student Support website.

Whether you’re an applicant who hasn’t yet received an admission decision, an admitted or deposited student, or an enrolled student, please review this information about changing majors.  

Applicants without an admission decision who want to change the program for which they are being considered:

If you’ve applied for admission to the BBA or BFA programs and haven’t yet received an admission decision, it’s easy to change the program for which you’re being considered. Email us at [email protected] to request a change of program.

If you’re a BBA applicant requesting consideration for a BFA program and didn’t submit a portfolio when applying to the BBA, note that your application will be returned to an incomplete status and you’ll be required to submit a portfolio before being considered for admission to the new program. Please note that if you request a program change, you are withdrawing and canceling your application to the first program. You may only be considered for one program at a time. 

Admitted Applicants:

If you’ve applied and been admitted and would like to change your major before depositing, please email [email protected] to see if space is available in the other program. If no space is available, you will not be permitted to change your major at that time. If space is available, you may be considered for the new program. You will need to meet program admission requirements, including submitting a portfolio if required. Admission to the new program is not guaranteed and your application will be fully evaluated as a new application.

To be considered for a different program as an admitted student, you’ll need to submit a Program Change Form. Once you submit a program change form, your initial offer of admission will be cancelled. Your application and merit scholarship, if awarded, will be reevaluated for the new program. Scholarships vary by program and you may receive a different scholarship amount from the first offer. 

We are unable to guarantee admission to the new program. Additionally, readmission for your first program is not guaranteed. 

Applicants who have confirmed enrollment but not yet started classes:

Students who've confirmed enrollment are generally not permitted to change their major or be considered for another program. All inquiries should be directed to [email protected]. It may help you to know that students across all Parsons programs begin their studies in a shared first year experience. Y

You may request a major change during the second semester of your first year, with the assistance of your academic advisor. Parsons is not able to guarantee changes of major because of space and program requirements. The reason we do not typically permit major changes prior to the second semester of the first year is due to the first year’s transformative and exploratory curriculum. You may find new interests and your future goals will continue to grow and change once you get here! 

Enrolled students:

Students who are enrolled and want to be considered for a change of major within the same college at The New School should request a change through their academic advisor. 

Students requesting to change majors from one college to another at The New School should follow the internal transfer process.  

Parsons is not able to guarantee changes of major because of space and program requirements. 

Parsons has strict enrollment limits on most of its programs. We strongly encourage prospective students to apply to their first choice program. 

Students who apply as Undeclared will have the option to declare a major in the second semester of their first year.  Undeclared students are guaranteed their first-choice major if they follow this timeline.

All Parsons students start in a shared first year experience, allowing for exploration and time to figure out which is the best-fit program for them. 

The New School is pleased to participate in the Common Application Direct Admission Program, designed to streamline and reduce the stress of the traditional college application process. Suppose you’re eligible for Direct Admission through this program. In that case, you will receive an email directly from the Common Application and The New School with more information.  

The Direct Admission offer through the Common Application is a conditional offer of admission to either the BBA in Strategic Design and Management at Parsons School of Design or the BA at Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts. It is based on your Common Application Profile. The direct admission offer is not a guaranteed offer of admission. It is valid only for US citizens and permanent residents, not international applicants. It is conditional and contingent on a full review of your admission application. If you’re interested in any other programs at Parsons, an offer of conditional direct admission does not apply and is not valid; it is for the BBA only.  

If you receive an offer from the Common App and The New School to participate in this program, you’ll need to fully submit your Common Application by the application deadlines. Once you select The New School through the Common Application, you can choose the Parsons BBA in Strategic Design and Management or Lang. If you apply to another program, your conditional offer of admission will not be valid. 

A benefit of the conditional direct admission offer includes waiving letters of recommendation and the Common Application essay to make the application process more manageable. Of course, you’re still welcome to submit them if you’d like and feel they add to your application. You’ll still need to submit the other required materials, including an optional visual portfolio for the BBA. 

After completing your admission application and receiving any required materials, it will be reviewed for full admission. If admitted, you’ll automatically be considered for merit scholarships, with no separate application required. All eligible students should submit the FAFSA by February 1 to be considered for need-based aid.

You’ll be notified of your final admission decision by April 1.

Email [email protected] with questions.