Admissions

Ensign College accepts qualified students without regard to race, color, creed, gender, national origin, age, or disability, provided they have met the equivalent of high school graduation requirements and the ability to benefit; agree to abide by the Church Educational System (CES) Honor Code, including the Dress and Grooming Standards, and are otherwise qualified as determined by College policy through a holistic review. Qualified applicants are admitted based on educational goals and commitment to College policies and standards.

Students who qualify for admission are admitted after reaching age 17. All applicants must submit the equivalent of a U.S. high school diploma. This equivalency could be any of the following options:

• High School diploma earned from a U.S. accredited public, private, or charter school
• IB Diploma
• GED, HiSET, or CHSPE passing testing (completed in the United States only)
• Diploma, certificate, or transcript showing completion of Home School program that is recognized by a state as evidence of High School Completion (United States only)
• Completion of high school/secondary education (internationally) - must be evaluated by IERF or WES and determined to be a U.S. high school diploma equivalency

Non-native speakers may be required to provide an English proficiency test that meets minimum sub scores as provided on the College website. International applicants requiring an I-20 to be issued an F-1 visa must also adhere to all federal immigration and laws and regulations, including affidavit of financial support and submitting necessary payment prior to being issued an I-20.

Admission may be restricted by semester or department depending on College or program capacities.

Admissions Procedures

Prospective students may apply via the Ensign College website.

All applicants will be required to complete an ecclesiastical recommendation as part of their admissions application. Applicants who are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will need to meet with the bishop of the ward where their records reside and a member of their stake presidency.

Applicants who are not members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will need to complete an initial interview with their own clergy or a Latter-day Saint bishop and then have a follow-up interview with the Ensign College Chaplain, Jeffrey Rowland at 801-524-1923 or via email: rowlandjl@churchofjesuschrist.org.

Application Fee

There is a one-time $35.00 application fee. CES admission applications do not accept fee waivers.

Application Materials

Applicants are to be honest and forthright in providing all education history (from domestic and international institutions). Any student who fails to provide correct information will be required to provide verification of this information and may have their admission revoked if the information is found incorrect.

CES has a central processing center so all admissions application materials, including test scores for all CES schools (Ensign College, BYU-Hawaii, BYU-Idaho, and BYU) should be sent to:

CES Admissions Processing
A-41 ASB
Provo, UT 84602
Phone (801) 422-2507

Application Deadlines

Applications must have all application material submitted on or before the established deadlines listed below, for regular class schedules and Block B schedules. For information on other application deadlines, please contact admissions@ensign.edu.

Please note that if an application deadline falls on a Sunday or holiday, the application will close the next business day.

Applicant Types

Domestic and International students will select one applicant type on the admission application.

• Freshman: The applicant has not completed any College or University work (in the U.S. or internationally) AFTER completing high school or its equivalency.
• Transfer with fewer than 24 credits: The student has completed fewer than 24 semester credits of College or University work (in the U.S. or internationally) after completing high school or its equivalency.
• Transfer with more than 24 credits: The student has completed more than 24 semester credits of College or University work (in the U.S. or internationally) after completing high school or its equivalency.
• Former student with no additional credit: The student has earned credits from Ensign College and has not attended any other College or University since last attending Ensign College.
• Former student with additional credit: The student has earned credits from Ensign College and has attended another College or University after attending Ensign College.
• Visiting Student: Any student wishing to enroll for a single semester to take courses with no intention to pursue and/or complete a degree. There is no financial aid available.

Visiting Students

Definition: A Visiting Student is defined as a student who wishes to enroll at Ensign College with no intention to pursue and/or complete a degree. A visiting student is a non-matriculated student, meaning non-degree seeking.

Admissions:

1. Applicants wishing to attend Ensign College but do not plan to earn an Ensign College degree may attend as a Visiting Student.
2. International Students will not be permitted to see this applicant type on the admissions application as they are not eligible due to Federal regulations.
3. Visiting students can apply for any open semester.
4. All admissions policies, application fees, processes, dates, deadlines, and discontinuance policies apply to the visiting applicant type.
5. Prior educational documents will not be required for visiting students.
6. All visiting students will have to complete the admissions application, which includes the ecclesiastical endorsement process.

Registration:

1. All academic deadlines and tuition rates apply to Visiting Students.
2. Visiting Students may enroll in as many as 12 credits per semester.
3. Only 1 course taken as a Visiting Student will count toward an Ensign College degree.
4. Courses taken and grades received as a Visiting Student will be posted on official Ensign College transcripts.
5. The program of study noted on the transcript will be Visiting Student.
6. Visiting Students who wish to obtain a degree at Ensign College must reapply for admission as a degree-seeking student.
7. Visiting students are not eligible for Federal financial aid or Ensign College scholarships.
8. Visiting students are not eligible for an Incomplete Grade process.
9. Visiting students are eligible to audit a class.
10. Visiting students will not be assigned an advisor. In the event a student meets with an advisor, the academic requirements in PeopleSoft will provide clarity showing no courses linked to their visiting program.
11. Visiting students will be included in our headcount enrollment.

Notification of Application Status and Admission

Applicants can track their status and view their admission decision online through their application. Admission decisions are usually made no later than four to six weeks after the final application deadline.

International Students Admissions

In addition to the standard application materials listed above, any international students and U.S. citizens that complete any high school/secondary education at a non-U.S. accredited institution outside of the United States must provide the following:

High school transcripts and, if applicable, college or university transcripts must be evaluated by an evaluation agency as part of the application process. Ensign College accepts evaluations from World Education Services/ WES (www.wes.org) and International Education Research Foundation/IERF (https://www.ierf.org/uni-evaluation/byu-ces/. IERF is preferred. These evaluations must show evidence of a U.S. high school diploma equivalency.

Proof of English proficiency (TOEFL, IELTS, Pearson’s PTE or Cambridge): International and US students not educated in an English language curriculum are required to demonstrate English language proficiency by meeting minimum scores on one of the exams listed below. In certain cases, these exams may be required of students educated in an English language curriculum as well. Official TOEFL, IELTS, PTE or Cambridge English results are required of applicants from non-English speaking countries or U.S. citizens whose high school education was not in English. The minimum score requirements are as follows: (subject to change)

Ensign College does not accept the Michigan MELAB or the Michigan Internexus tests.

International Student Deposit

In order for students to be successful academically at Ensign College, they must also be financially prepared. All international students (those in F-1 status) are required to pay a deposit as follows:

Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will be required to pay $5,000 USD and those students who are not members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will be required to pay $7,500 USD to the Ensign College cashier’s office following notification of their admission. Students will not be able to register for classes, nor will the I-20 be created until the deposit is paid and all other documents are received. The registration hold will be removed once all required documents and full deposit are received. There is no option for students to pay a portion of the deposit. A full deposit is required.

At Ensign College, the deposit will be held in escrow with the intent that it will assist the student to begin school. Students who are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints may access up to $3,000 and students who are not members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints may access up to $5,500 to be applied towards their fees and tuition. The remaining $2,000, which is set aside for the student as an emergency fund, is for the purchase of a plane ticket to return to their home country.

Homeschool Applicants

Home school students who qualify for admission are admitted after reaching age 17, or after the graduation date of their traditional high school class. Students must submit the equivalent of a high school diploma. The following are the equivalent of a high school diploma:

• Diploma, certificate, or transcript showing completion of home school program that is recognized by a state as evidence of high school completion
• A GED Certificate
• Evidence of a passing score on tests recognized by the state and similar to the GED, such as the High School Equivalency Test or HiSET and the Test Assessing Secondary Completion or TASC

High School Transcript Verification

For students who have completed their high school work at a U.S. accredited institution, the applicant will need to self-report their high school GPA. However, the admissions office reserves the right to request a transcript to verify high school completion and GPA at random as well as in the event that conflicting information may be present in the application. If a transcript is required, it will be indicated on your status screen or from the admissions@ensign.edu email address.

BYU-Pathway Worldwide Students

Ensign College welcomes PathwayConnect students to apply for admissions. On the admissions application, applicants will enter Pathway Program as an institution in their educational history and provide their Pathway transcript and any additional materials required as outlined in the admissions application. PathwayConnect applicants will follow the regular admission process and are subject to the same admission requirements for all applicants. The PathwayConnect transcript does not take the place of the high school equivalency or the English Proficiency requirements. Admission is not guaranteed for PathwayConnect students.

PathwayConnect Transfer Guide

Ensign College will accept nine (9) credit hours of elective credit and six (6) credit hours of religion from the student’s PathwayConnect experience. Ensign College’s partnership with PathwayConnect gives students a wide range of educational and career options. The degrees offered through Ensign College accommodate students who want to transfer to BYU-Idaho or other higher educational institutions.

Church Educational System (CES) Honor Code

Ensign College and other Church Educational System institutions exist to provide an education in an atmosphere consistent with the ideals and principles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. That atmosphere is created and preserved by a community of faculty, administration, staff, and students who voluntarily commit to conduct their lives in accordance with the principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ and strive to maintain the highest standards of honor, integrity, morality, and consideration of others in their personal conduct. By accepting appointment, continuing in employment, being admitted, or continuing class enrollment, each member of the Ensign College community personally commits to observe these Honor Code standards approved by the Board of Trustees "at all times and in all things, and in all places" (Mosiah 18:9):

• Be honest.
• Live a chaste and virtuous life, including abstaining from any sexual relations outside a marriage between a man and a woman.
• Respect others, including the avoidance of profane and vulgar language.
• Obey the law and follow campus policies.
• Abstain from alcoholic beverages, tobacco, tea, coffee, vaping, and substance abuse.
• Participate regularly in Church services (required only of Church members).
• Observe the Ensign College' s dress and grooming standards.
• Encourage others in their commitment to comply with the Honor Code.

Good Honor Code Standing

When a student is in good honor code standing, they have the blessings of protection, preparation and peace. It also means a student’s conduct is consistent with the Principles of Personal Honor, the CES Honor Code, The Family: A Proclamation to the World, For the Strength of Youth, the College Standards and Policies, and the principles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, both on and off campus. Students must be in good honor code standing to be admitted to, continue enrollment at, and graduate from Ensign College.

Students not in good honor code standing may be suspended from the college. Excommunication, disfellowshipment, or disaffiliation from the Church will automatically result in the loss of good honor code standing.

Furthermore, a student is not in good honor code standing if his or her ecclesiastical endorsement has either lapsed or been withdrawn, or if the Student Honor Office has placed a hold on the student’s records. All students are required to remain in good honor code standing once admitted to Ensign College, whether they are on or off campus, on or off break. Individuals who are on any sex-offender registry are not eligible for enrollment at Ensign College. Registered sex offenders will not be allowed employment at Ensign College nor other access to the campus.