General Admission FAQ

How may I apply to St. John's University?
You have three convenient ways to apply for graduate admission to St. John's University:

  1. Apply online for graduate admission via our site on the World Wide Web;
  2. Download an application from our Web site and print it out for yourself;
  3. Request an application package and additional information, which we will mail directly to your home.

If I apply online, will it change the way in which the Admissions Committee views my application?
No. Whether the application is mailed in traditional print form or submitted online, you can be confident that our Committee on Admission reviews the application package in exactly the same way. The type of application package has no affect on decisions.

Is the online application the only information I have to submit?
Whether you apply online or through traditional mail, all required documents (e.g., letters of recommendation, transcripts, etc.) must be submitted via traditional mail. If the Office of Graduate Admission receives your corresponding information before receiving your online application, the Office will file the information for processing with your entire application.

What are your application deadlines?
The Rome Campus uses a rolling admission policy. Applications are acted upon once they are complete. While the College makes every attempt to advise candidates of missing application items, the application process is self-managed, and it is the applicant's responsibility to ensure that all materials reach the Graduate Admission Office in time for a decision to be made for the upcoming term.

Our recommended deadlines are:

For Admission to Fall I term – June 15
For Admission to Fall II term – September 1
For Admission to Spring I term – November 1
For Admission to Spring II term – January 1
For Admission to Summer I term – March 1
For Admission to Summer II term – April 1

Students who are not European Union citizens are advised to apply in advance of these deadlines, owing to longer timelines required to make visa arrangements.

How long does it take St. John's to make a decision on my application?
Every application is reviewed carefully by an individual Committee on Admissions. Once an application is complete, applicants should expect a decision in as few as 4 weeks and in as many as 8 weeks.

What should I write in my statement of goals?
Your statement of goals is a personal essay in which you should briefly but meaningfully introduce yourself and describe what you hope to achieve by earning a graduate degree at St. John's. For example, applicants may address such topics as why they chose St. John's, what professional steps they plan to take after earning their degree, and the way that they can contribute to the graduate community if accepted.

May I set up an appointment to tour St. John's campus or speak with a counselor?
Absolutely! Campus tours are available every weekday (except holidays) upon request. To schedule a tour, please call our Rome campus in Italy Tel: +39 06 393842; Italy Toll Free: 800971736; U.S. Tel: +1 212-815-9216 Ext. 2; or e-mail us at info@stjohns.edu.

Do I need to take the TOEFL / IELTS exam?
The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is required of all applicants that do not hold a degree from an academic institution where the language of instruction is English.

Your TOEFL / IELTS score is valid for only 2 years, and a new score will have to be submitted if your existing score exceeds the 2-year limit.

  • For additional information on the TOEFL, please visit: www.toefl.com. To have your TOEFL scores sent directly to St. John's University Rome Campus, please use Institution Code: 0132.
  • For additional information on the IELTS, please visit: http://www.ielts.org/.

Am I able to defer my acceptance to the program?
We will permit students who have been accepted to our program the opportunity to defer their enrollment for a maximum of one academic year.  Additional deferments may be available for extraordinary circumstances that are beyond the student's immediate control.

Students called to active military duty will be deferred, upon documentation of their deployment, for the full period they are required to serve in a unit of the U.S. armed services.

All students interested in deferring must send a formal, written request addressed to the Admission Committee, detailing the reasons for the deferral. The Admission Committee will evaluate each request on its own merit.

Does St. John's offer financial aid to graduate students?
At the graduate level, St. John's offers federal student loans. If you are a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, you may apply by completing a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which is available at our Office of Financial Aid:

Queens/Manhattan Campus
Office of Financial Aid
St. John's University
8000 Utopia Pkwy.
Queens, NY 11439
(718) 990-2000        
financialaid@stjohns.edu

Staten Island Campus
Office of Financial Aid
St. John's University
300 Howard Avenue
Staten Island, NY 10301
(718) 390-4453
 
Does St. John's offer scholarships or assistantships?
Scholarships covering 25% or 50% of the tuition cost are offered to incoming students on the basis of merit. Graduate Assistantships covering 50% or 100% of the tuition cost are offered to current students on the basis of merit, the needs of the St. John's Administration and possession of the skills necessary to fulfill the requirements of the position. These assistantships are competitive and are awarded to currently matriculated students who are present at the Rome Campus.

My application was declined. Will I be able to get feedback?
St. John's University spends considerable time evaluating the candidacy of our applicants. Through our portfolio approach, we are able to take a comprehensive look at the application, carefully assessing each part that was submitted. Although we receive an increasing number of applications each term, we make every effort to schedule a counseling appointment, in-person or by telephone to suggest ways in which a declined applicant's candidacy may be improved for a future term.