How to Apply - Undergraduate

Get Ready to Take the Next Step 

You’ve learned about Lesley, and you think it might be the right place for you. Great! Follow these instructions for everything you need to know about key dates, deadlines, and steps for completing your application. And feel free to ​contact our admissions team if you have questions or need more information.

Access Your Lesley University Account 

First things first: before you explore this section, be sure to set up and access your electronic accounts. Electronic accounts are the gateway to the academic and administrative information you’ll need as a Lesley student.

Steps to Access Your Accounts  

Step 1: Claim Your Account 

Follow the instructions outlined ​here.

Step 2: Access Your Main Accounts 

Once you claim your account, you can log in. At Lesley, we use a process called ​Single Sign-On (SSO). Once you log in with your Lesley Credentials on one application, that credential is used for other applications.

Non-US Citizens or Permanent Residents

Fully online programs do not qualify for issuance of a Form I-20 or an F-1 student visa, nor maintenance of legal F-1 status. If you are currently in the U.S., please consult with an immigration attorney to determine if your current U.S. non-immigrant status permits online study from within the U.S.

There are two different ways for first-time undergraduates to apply to Lesley. You only need to choose one, and we give equal consideration to your application regardless of which you use.

Be sure to review the rest of the guidelines on this page so that you submit your application on time and with all required supporting documents.

Early Action Deadline – Fall 2026: December 1

  • Apply by December 1, and we’ll let you know our decision by January 5
    • (Note: Only applicable for Fall enrollment)

Regular Decision Deadline – Fall 2026: February 17

Spring 2026 Deadline: January 5

  • We’ll notify you of our decision within two weeks of receiving your complete application.

We take a holistic approach to reviewing applications. Our typical student profile includes a GPA of approximately 3.1 or higher and has taken high school coursework that includes:

  • Four years of English
  • Three years of Math, including Algebra II
  • Three years of Science, including two or more lab courses
  • Three years of History/Social Sciences, including U.S. History

We recommend that applicants also complete a fourth year of Math and two years of a Foreign Language.

Please submit these required documents with your application:  

Official Transcript

  • Have your school counselor send your official high school transcript, as these documents are required. If your transcript is not in English, please provide a notarized translation.
  • If you did not complete high school, submit an official copy of your GED or HiSET test results.
  • Send official transcripts reflecting any college credits earned during high school.
  • Your official, final transcript must arrive at our Undergraduate Admissions Office unopened and include your date of graduation, your school official’s signature, and a seal affixed to the envelope.
  • Electronic transcripts may be sent through secure sites such as Parchment and JST Services.
  • Have your school counselor send a completed Common Application Final Report (PDF) when final grades become available.  

Letter of Recommendation

Submit one letter of recommendation from a teacher.

SAT and ACT

These tests are not required and will not impact your application, but you can submit SAT or ACT scores if you wish to try and waive the Accuplacer placement test required of new Lesley students. 

  • Submit scores by having official reports sent to our Undergraduate Admissions Office. The College Board can also submit scores (SAT: code 2483, ACT: code 1850).  

Advanced Placement (AP)

If you’ve taken AP tests, have score reports sent to our Undergraduate Admissions Office. For most subjects, you’ll receive college-level credit if you scored four or higher on the College Entrance Examination Board’s (CEEB) AP program examination. You’ll get credit for AP Studio Art or AP Drawing with a score of three or higher.  

International Baccalaureate (IB)

Have official IB results sent to our Undergraduate Admissions Office. If you complete the full IB Diploma with scores of 24-29, you will receive 18 college-level credits, equivalent to one semester of coursework. Diploma scores of 30-45 make you eligible for sophomore standing (30 credits). If you take IB classes without pursuing the full Diploma, you may receive three college-level credits for each Higher Level IB examination with a score of four or better. For scores of five or higher, you may receive six college-level credits.

As a student applying to a BFA program or a campus-based undergraduate certificate program in art and design, you'll submit a digital portfolio of your strongest and most recent work as part of your application.

Exception: If you are applying for the BA in Art, you do not need to submit a portfolio.

What to include:

· 10–15 images in drawing, painting, printmaking, sculpture, collage, photography, or other media (traditional or digital).

OR

· 12 minutes of video clips for a digital filmmaking portfolio.

First-Year BFA Program Applicants

Create your Common Application account before you upload your portfolio to Slideroom.

Transfer and Advanced Professional Certificate Applicants

You won’t use the Common Application, so you can upload your work to Slideroom at any time.

Upload Your Portfolio

  1. Create a Slideroom account
  2. Select the type of applicant you are:
    1. Common Application First-Year
    2. Transfer Undergrad Application
    3. Advanced Professional Certificate (2-year program)
  3. Upload your work
    Slideroom requires you to upload a minimum of 12 submissions. For example, if you submit 2 films to be considered for our Digital Film BFA program, you’ll need to submit 10 other forms of work (such as still frames) to complete your portfolio.

Write a 1-2 page essay that describes your progress as a visual artist. The format may follow a chronological account of your progress through high school (and college if applicable) and how that progress relates to Lesley University's College of Art and Design as your next destination.

Upload the essay to Slideroom when you submit your portfolio.

International applicants must complete additional requirements. Visit ​this page for a list of the additional requirements for international students.

At Lesley University, we’re committed to preparing students to become the world’s best practitioners in the fields of education, mental health and well-being, art and design, and liberal arts and business. Deep professional partnerships are a crucial part of how we deliver on that promise, and our Scholar Partner Program is how we make these partnerships real for our students, from day one, and the organizations who depend on them.

Learn more about our Scholar Partner Program

Once you’ve submitted your application, we’ll assign you a Self-Service account where you can review the receipt of your application and financial aid documents. 

To activate your account:  

  1. Go to the Password Management page.
  2. Click “Activate/Change Password” to change your temporary password.
  3. Enter your Lesley credentials, as specified in your application acknowledgment letter.
  4. You'll be prompted to create a Password Profile.

  5. After creating your Password Profile, you'll be able to change your temporary password to one that you choose, or choose a system-generated password.

    Note: If you have password problems, visit the Password Management page and choose, “Reset my Password.” If you have any difficulty using your Self-Service account, contact Information Technology at 617-349-8770 or it@lesley.edu.

To view the receipt of your application and financial aid documents and materials:  

  1. Log in to Self-Service.
  2. Enter your Lesley credentials in the form of username@lesley.edu and the password you chose when you activated your account.
  3. In the Notifications section, select “View required documents.” To see more than outstanding items, click on “View All.” If you do not have a Notifications section, go to the “User Options” area and select “Required Documents.” View the status of your application materials. “Received” or “Waived” indicates the completion of an individual requirement.
  4. For financial aid-related information, select “Financial Information > Financial Aid” from the navigation bar or go back to the Home page and click on the “Financial Aid” tile.

Questions? Contact us! 

The Lesley team is here to answer your questions and help you navigate every aspect of the admissions process.

General Contact Information:

617-349-8800 
admissions@lesley.edu 

Take the next step

Ready to begin your journey with Lesley? ​Share some basic information by filling out one of the forms below so that we can reach out to you with more information about our programs. Or, email admissions@lesley.edu to connect with a member of our admissions team.

Undergraduate Inquiry Form  |  Graduate Inquiry Form  |  Threshold Inquiry Form