Frequently Asked Questions

Advising Hotline
As questions arise during your meetings with your advisees, please feel free to contact the Dean of First-Year Studies at x2855 or email Leah B. Glasser at lglasser@mtholyoke.edu. Advisees may also schedule appointments directly with Dean Glasser should they have complicated situations that they wish to discuss with an academic dean.

1. What is the connection between academic credit transfer and reclassification?
   A great number of first-year students enter Mount Holyoke with college-level work earned through successful performance on the Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, or A-level (and other international) examinations, or through college work completed during the high school years. The College welcomes students with such academic preparation and, in many cases, is able to grant credit for advanced work. All students are required to complete 128 academic credits to graduate. At least 64 credits must be earned while at Mount Holyoke College, within a minimum of 4 semesters.
   
   Any student entering Mount Holyoke as a first-year student may choose to remain here for eight semesters, regardless of the amount of college credit she has earned before entering the College. Students who wish to change their class status and complete their degree requirements in fewer than eight semesters must make a formal request for reclassification by the end of their fourth semester at Mount Holyoke.
   
   Students receiving financial aid who make a request for reclassification should note that their eligibility for financial aid will coincide with the number of semesters remaining upon reclassification. Students considering reclassification are urged to meet with the Registrar before requesting reclassification; in addition, the Office of Student Financial Assistance should be consulted beforehand in the case of students on financial aid.
   
   
2.  What are the regulations for Advanced Placement (AP)?
   During the summer, the College receives the results of the AP examinations. A student who receives a grade of 4 or 5 on an examination will be granted up to four college credits for this work. College credit earned through AP scores will not receive distribution credit. These credits may be used, in some cases, to meet prerequisites. Students will be notified about the action taken on their AP examination by receiving a copy of their transcript in their academic packet upon arrival. No credit is given by any department for a grade of 1 or 2. Questions about AP credit should be directed to the Registrar’s Office.
   
   
3. What are the regulations for students from abroad?
   A student who successfully completes A-Level Exams, the International Baccalaureate, the Abitur, or similar examinations may be granted college credit for this work depending upon the quality of the results. For example, eight credits are awarded for a successfully completed A-Level Exam (minimum grade, C-); sophomore status could be granted upon request for four A-Levels.
   
   Such credit may be used for exemption from the distribution requirements if approved by the relevant department. In English and foreign languages, such credit may enable a student to enter a more advanced Mount Holyoke College course, and it may be applied toward distribution requirements with permission of the appropriate department. Students should send or bring (in a sealed envelope) their examination results to the College by September. During Orientation, students will be advised of the probable course of action to be taken on their examinations.
   
   
4. How much credit can students receive for summer study or work at other colleges?
   Entering students who expect to take, or have taken, summer courses at an accredited college or university can usually receive credit from Mount Holyoke for this work. An official transcript from the institution where courses were taken must be sent directly to the Registrar. The decision with regard to such credit is made in the fall by the Mount Holyoke department to which the work relates. Normally a maximum of eight credits from summer school work may be counted toward the Mount Holyoke degree. First-year students who enter in February may earn up to sixteen summer school credits, depending on the total number of credits earned before entrance.
   
   
5.  How do students transfer academic credit from other colleges?
   Direct students with concerns about credit transfer to the Registrar's Office. As soon as official transcripts of student work done elsewhere (including regular college courses taken prior to high school graduation) are available, students should ask for an official transcript to be sent to our Registrar. When transcripts are processed (usually about two weeks after they are received), students will receive a copy of their Mount Holyoke transcript showing credits transferred. If you or your advisee then have questions, please consult the Registrar. Mount Holyoke College will grant credit for most college work done elsewhere, providing the final course grade was the equivalent of C- or better. Ordinarily, credits are transferable for all liberal arts courses.
   
   
6. What are the exceptions to policies and requirements?
   
   1. Course Entry Level
      A student may enter an intermediate or advanced course in a subject, without taking the prerequisite course, if the department determines that she has already received the values of such a course from her earlier education (or will receive these from more advanced work in the department). Entering an intermediate or advanced course does not guarantee that a distribution requirement will be met in that discipline.
      
      
   2.  Exemption from a distribution requirement
      A student may be exempted from a distribution requirement if the department concerned certifies that she possesses the essential knowledge equivalent to that gained through one of its distribution courses. This can be confirmed through consultation with the Registrar's Office, and in September, with the appropriate department at the Academic Fair.
      
      
7. What if the registration program in an advisee’s fall academic packet is short on credits?
   Since some classes will close, some sections are balanced by department chairs, and some classes for which students pre-register are offered at conflicting times, a portion of advisees may find that their registration schedules from the Registrar's office do not reflect all of the courses they had hoped to take. Some advisees may even find their schedules do not include a full 16-credit program. Advisees should be assured that they will be able to add courses during the first two weeks of classes so that they will emerge with a full program of classes. They should be reminded that they will still be expected to take 16 academic credits in their first semester. advisors can be very helpful to their advisees in considering possible courses to add to their schedules.
   
   
8.  What are the procedures for adding and dropping courses?
   
   • To add or drop a course
   
   Adding and dropping of classes is done on ISIS. Students have up to the 10th day of each semester to add classes and the 15th day of the semester to drop a class without a record of a 'DR.' Always check the academic calendar for College deadlines.
   
   • Drops With DR
   
   Students have through the first 10 weeks of the semester to drop a class with the “DR” recorded on their transcript. Please check the academic calendar for specific deadline.
   
   
9. How difficult is it to satisfy distribution requirements?
   College requirements are not as extensive as students first assume. The distribution requirements are designed to give students a strong foundation in the liberal arts across disciplines and programs. Many seniors describe having discovered new interest in an unexpected area of study, often a field in which they later chose to major, through the process of satisfying distribution requirements. There are only seven distribution requirements along with the multicultural and language requirements, and all students have plenty of time to satisfy them.