A high school counselor takes a photo with Charlie Cardinal during Counselor Connection Day at Ball State University.

Counselors are the unsung heroes of our education system. They play a vital role in the academic, personal, and social development of students. We recognize and appreciate your efforts at Ball State, which is why we offer a variety of resources to help you in your work to provide students access to a high-quality education.

Counselor Connection Day

Experience our beautiful campus, speak with faculty and current students, and see the amazing resources that make a Ball State education so valuable. During this event, you will gain tools and information you need to support students in their college search as they try to find their ideal fit. 

Counselor Connection Day will return in Fall 2025. Please check back for additional information and details regarding registration.

LEARN MORE

Prospective Students
Information and tools for prospective students interested in Ball State

Discover Degree Options

Exploring degree options is a first step for most students in their college journey. Use our customizable search tool to help your students personalize their search and find their path to earning a degree. 

Explore Majors

Honors College

Our Honors College offers many unique academic opportunities and benefits for qualified high-ability students seeking a challenge. These include discussion-based honors courses that substitute for nearly half of Ball State's core curriculum, major scholarships for freshmen and upper-class students, earning an honors diploma and receiving recognition at graduation, and more.

EXPLORE THE HONORS EXPERIENCE

Apply to Ball State

There are two ways to apply to Ball State—applicants may choose between the Ball State application or the Common App, which allows students to apply to multiple colleges at once. The Common App is only available to new, first-time (domestic and international) students entering Fall.

We request students only complete and submit one of the application types listed above.

Apply now

Application Deadlines

Admission to Ball State is selective, and we carefully evaluate all applications on an individual basis. We recommend applying by the priority deadline to ensure fullest consideration for scholarships and the preferred semester of enrollment. See all dates and deadlines.

Campus Tours

The best way to get to know Ball State is to visit us! Prospective students and their families can explore our beautiful campus in person with our student- or self-guided tours, or from home with our virtual options.

Visit Campus

Group Visits

We invite high school groups of up to 50 guests to schedule a campus visit. Contact our Office of Admissions to get started. Learn more.

We also invite groups to schedule field trips that include various educational engagement opportunities across campus. 

College Fair Calendar

Attending a local or regional college fair is a great way to engage with several different schools in one place, and all events are free for students. Our admissions team will be representing Ball State at several locations throughout the Midwest. Refer to our College Fair Calendar below to find a fair near you.

College Fair Calendar

Testing Information

Ball State University is a test-optional institution, which means students decide whether they want to provide SAT and/or ACT scores as part of their application. We recognize the importance of students' GPA and high school curriculum as primary predictors of their success at Ball State, and we believe standardized testing is not always the best indicator of their strengths or potential.

Not providing scores will not count against applicants when reviewing their admission materials. Instead, we give students the ability to decide how to most accurately portray their academic strengths when applying to Ball State. Learn more.

Scholarship Calculator

We pride ourselves on making an excellent education accessible and affordable. To help students get an idea of which scholarships they might be eligible for, we created our Scholarship Calculator. Simply plug your students' GPA and test scores (optional) to see if they qualify for one of our merit-based awards.

Scholarship Calculator

Awards for transfer and international students are not included in this calculator.

First-Year Scholarships

Ball State offers a wide-variety of scholarship opportunities based on talent, academics, leadership, or service. Check out our current scholarship opportunities high school students will want to explore:

FIRST-YEAR SCHOLARSHIPS   ADDITIONAL SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

nest logo

NEST stands for Navigating the Enrolled Student Transition. This program provides a transitional pathway for students to immerse themselves in the Ball State community while taking courses at Ivy Tech Community College Muncie to gain credits needed to transfer to Ball State as a full-time student the following year. Participants of the NEST program will be involved in student success programming at Ball State University and Ivy Tech, including taking one class each semester on Ball State's campus. NEST students will live in residence halls alongside other Ball State students and be able to participate in campus community activities (except for fraternities and sororities). Completion of the NEST program with a GPA of 2.5 or better will guarantee admission to Ball State as a transfer student for Fall 2024. 

The NEST program is available by invitation only. Most students invited to participate in NEST do not meet Ball State's full admission criteria at this time or are those placed on our waitlist. If you have questions about NEST, please contact the Transfer Center at transfer@bsu.edu or 765-285-5604.

Information and tools for Admitted students to Ball State

Become a Cardinal

To officially become a Ball State Cardinal, students must accept our admission offer by confirming their enrollment and submitting a $100 nonrefundable deposit. The deposit is applied to students' first semester tuition and fees.

If you have questions or concerns about confirming enrollment, please reach out to our admissions team.

How to Confirm

Students will need to set up their Ball State username and password in order to access their Cardinal Landing portal. Once logged in, they will be able to respond to our admission offer and submit the enrollment deposit.

Learn more

Students who have taken Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), or Dual Credit courses in high school will need to submit official transcripts or a score report from each institution awarding credit. We encourage admitted students to have their official documents sent to us before Orientation (if available) to make for a smooth experience when registering for classes with their academic advisor.

Once available, send official transcripts and score reports electronically to askus@bsu.edu or by mail. If mailing, please send official documents to:

BALL STATE UNIVERSITY

OFFICE OF UNDERGRADUATE ADMISSIONS

LUCINA HALL

2000 W. UNIVERSITY AVE. 

MUNCIE, IN 47306

Scholarships

Ball State offers a wide-variety of scholarship opportunities based on talent, academics, leadership, or service.

FIRST-YEAR SCHOLARSHIPS   Additional Scholarship Opportunities

Financial Aid Eligibility

New students starting in the Fall 2024 semester are encouraged to submit the Free Application for Federal Aid (FAFSA) when it becomes available in December 2023. To receive maximum consideration for federal aid and scholarships, applications must be submitted by April 15.

COMPLETE FAFSA

For a preliminary estimate of financial aid eligibility and final costs, students can use our Net Price Calculator. If you have questions, please contact Cardinal Central.

Living in one of our residence halls or University Apartments is a great value for students, providing convenience, a supportive environment, and a variety of services.

New students who have confirmed their enrollment to Ball State can use the Office of Housing and Residence Life's online application to submit and complete their contract for the resident halls or the University Apartments. This information will be sent via mail and email (to their Ball State Outlook account) on how to request a space.

Learn more about how students can apply for housing or explore our residence halls.

Students are required to submit final, official transcripts from their current high school prior to the completion of their first semester at Ball State. Admission to Ball State may be rescinded if their final transcript reflects a significant downward trend in grades or courses not completed successfully. Once available, official transcripts may be submitted electronically, via Parchment or Naviance, to askus@bsu.edu or by mail to:

BALL STATE UNIVERSITY

OFFICE OF UNDERGRADUATE ADMISSIONS

LUCINA HALL

2000 W. UNIVERSITY AVE. 

MUNCIE, IN 47306

Information and tools for transfer students interested in ball state
Making the move to a new college can be intimidating for any student, but rest assured knowing our Ball State admissions team is here to help students apply, commit, and feel at home on our beautiful, welcoming campus as a new transfer student. Learn more.

The Transfer Center offers a variety of visit opportunities for students interested in transferring to Ball State. Explore our campus visit options:

Transfer Visit Opportunities

Transfer Scholarships

Ball State offers a wide-variety of scholarship opportunities based on talent, academics, leadership, or service.

TRANSFER SCHOLARSHIPS   ADDITIONAL SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

Financial Aid Eligibility

Students with a filed FAFSA who plan to transfer during the current academic year (2023-24) will need to ensure Ball State University is listed on their application using our school code: 001786.

Students starting in the Fall 2024 semester are encouraged to submit the Free Application for Federal Aid (FAFSA) when it's available in December 2023. To receive maximum consideration for federal aid and scholarships, applications must be submitted by April 15.

COMPLETE FAFSA

For a preliminary estimate of financial aid eligibility and final costs, students can use our Net Price Calculator. If you have questions, please contact Cardinal Central.

Our Transfer Flight Paths were established for Indiana residents to pursue their academic goals at Ball State by starting at a community college. These pathways are designed for students to demonstrate their ability to do college coursework while attempting to keep them on pace for completing their academic goals. Students at Ivy Tech Community College and Vincennes have several options for transferring to Ball State using one of our Transfer Flight Paths. 

TRANSFER FLIGHT PATHS

Ball State accepts transfer credits from any non-remedial, college-level courses taken at institutions with USDE institutional accreditation which a student has received a final grade of a straight C or better. Learn more.

Slate.org

To serve you and your students the best we can, we use a tool called Slate.org. This powerful and free tool allows us to communicate more effectively with our applicants' high schools in a variety of ways.

Learn More About Slate

Counselor Newsletters

Keep up on all things happenings in Ball State Admissions with our digital newsletters. Our archive is always available for you with tools and resources to help you guide your students.

Newsletter Collection

Additional Resources

Access additional downloads and materials to help your students make an informed decision about Ball State University.

Work with Us

Do you have questions or can’t find what you’re looking for? We’re here to help!

  
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