ES4100 - General Admission Requirements

Procedure

Section: EDUCATIONAL SERVICES PROCEDURES

SubSection: ADMISSION AND RECRUITMENT

Master List Section: Student Services

Institutional Regulation

This procedure outlines the general admission requirements for acceptance into Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC). Admission to the College is open to all that apply and can benefit from the courses and programs offered by the College. The College does reserve the right to guide the course placement of the students based on counseling, examination, pre-enrollment interviews, and past academic achievement. Admission into the College does not guarantee acceptance into all courses or programs offered, and enrollment in some courses depends on basic skill levels and/or available space.
Procedures
1. 1. All first time applicants (full-time or part-time) are required to submit an application for admission to DMACC and be accepted to the College before being allowed to register for any college level course or program.
  2. Returning students who have taken classes within the last three years do not need to fill out an application for admission. These students must update their information and apply for a specific program by filling out a Program Change Form found at the end of this procedure or at http://www.dmacc.edu/programchangeform.pdf or at any DMACC Campus. See ES4140 - Career Technical Education (CTE) Special Admission procedure for specific information regarding Vocational-Technical Admission Restart and Special Start guidelines.
2. The process for applying for admission is as follows:
  1. The applicant shall fill out an application for admission, either in paper or online at www.dmacc.edu, and submit the completed application to any DMACC Campus. There is no fee to apply to DMACC.
  2. All new full- and part-time students are required to complete placement requirements. Placement requirements may take the form of transfer credit, military credit, Advanced Placement (see ES4534 ), CLEP (see ES4537 ), alternative credit (see ES4544 ), as well as formalized assessment including ACT or ACCUPLACER scores. This provides the College information about the individual’s academic skills in reading, writing, and mathematics. (See ES4200 - General Assessment Requirements for specific assessment requirements).
  3. Applicants are required to complete the program entry requirements for the specific program for which application has been made. (Please refer to the Program Entry requirements in the current College catalog or Program Information Brief for each specific program.) It is possible to be accepted to DMACC to take general college courses but remain incomplete for a specific program until those specific entry requirements are fulfilled.
  4. Applicants may be required to submit an official high school transcript or High School Equivalency scores if either is needed for entry to a specific program.
    1. If the College receives conflicting information from a student and/or has reason to believe that a high school or High School Equivalency transcript are not valid, was obtained from an entity not providing secondary school education, or appears to have been tampered, the Registrar (or designee) will request an official document from the respective institution to validate the document.
  5. Submit official copies of any previous college transcripts to be evaluated for DMACC credit by the Credentials/Graduation Department.
  6. DMACC will communicate with applicants the status of their application in a timely manner. DMACC accepts applicants on a first-come, first-served basis. If a program is filled to capacity at the time all admission requirements are met, the applicants will be placed on a stand-by list and notified of this fact. Once an opening becomes available, the applicant on the stand-by list will be notified and offered a seat in the program. If an applicant fails to reply by the specific deadline that is established, the spot in the program will be made available to the next applicant on the list.
  7. All first time applicants (full-time and part-time) who indicate that English is not their first (native) language on the application for admission will be required to meet the ESL Admission requirements (see ES4205 for specific requirements).
  8. When Iowa residency for an applicant is in question, based on the information provided on the application for admission, the applicant will be classified as a non-resident for tuition purposes. Applicants will be notified and given the option to prove State of Iowa residency prior to the start of the semester (see ES4110 for specific information). If you are not a resident of Iowa, provide proof of secondary education completion by submitting official high school or High School Equivalency transcripts. If you have attended another college or university, submit official transcripts to meet any additional admission or program requirements.
Admission of High School-Aged Students*

DMACC offers the opportunity for high school-aged students to enroll in credit courses.

All high school and home-school students must complete all four steps. Juniors, seniors, and home-schooled equivalent may enroll up to full-time. Freshman, sophomores, and home-schooled equivalent are limited to no more than two credit courses each semester and must remain part-time students.
1. Submit a completed application for admission.
2. Submit written approval from a parent/guardian and from high school counselor or principal on the DMACC High School Permission Form found at the end of this procedure. (High school counselor or principal approval not required for Home-Schooled)
3. Complete ACCUPLACER (reading and writing) assessment and ALEKS math assessment or submit ACT scores. Course placement is mandatory based on ACCUPLACER and ALEKS or ACT results or evidence of successful completion of college course work.
4. Meet with a DMACC advisor or counselor prior to registration.
  
  *This procedure does not apply to high school age students enrolling under the Senior Year Plus Programs, including concurrent enrollment, career academies, or other special contractual agreements.
Admission of Pre-High School Students

In limited circumstances, DMACC may allow pre-high school students to enroll in credit courses. Completion of all the steps listed below is necessary before the College will make a decision about admitting any person who is not at least a freshman in high school:
1. Submit a completed application for admission.
2. Submit written approval from a parent/guardian and if appropriate from a high school official on the DMACC High School Permission Form found at the end of this procedure.
3. Complete ACCUPLACER (reading and writing) assessment and ALEKS or submit ACT scores. Students not meeting minimum scores for placement in college level courses will not be allowed to enroll. Course placement based on test scores will be mandatory.
4. Any specific course or program prerequisite must be met.
5. Students are limited to no more than two credit courses per semester and must maintain part-time status.
6. Students must meet, without the parent being present, with the appropriate instructor, program chair, or dean for an evaluation of readiness for each desired course. A determination that a student is not ready either academically or emotionally will prohibit enrollment in that course.
Admission of Guest Students

Students who have been accepted for admission at another college or university or whose primary enrollment is at another college or university may enroll as a “guest student” at DMACC. Guest student status allows an individual to enroll as a student for one semester only without meeting the assessment requirements.
1. Guest students complete a DMACC application for admission
2. Guest students at DMACC must remain part-time during the fall and spring semesters but can be full-time during the summer semester.
3. Guest students who decide to officially transfer to DMACC must meet DMACC admission and assessment requirements.
4. Prior to course enrollment guest students must meet all course pre-requisite and co-requisite requirements as outlined in the college catalog.
5. Returning guest students must reapply each semester.
6. International students may be considered guest students, but the I-20 documentation remains at the primary institution.
7. Guest students are not eligible for Financial Aid.
Admission of International Students
1. International students are persons in the United States who have a non-immigrant visa, including an F-1 visa. Specific requirements must be met before being admitted to DMACC.
2. All International students must apply for admission to DMACC by filling out an International Application for Admission.
3. No admission decision will be made until the International Student Office at DMACC receives all required documents (see ES4120 - International Student Admission Requirements ).
Admission of Non-Degree Seeking Students
1. Non-Degree Seeking students complete a DMACC application for admission
2. Non-Degree Seeking students at DMACC must not be pursuing a program of study
3. Non-Degree Seeking students who choose a program of study must complete a Program Change Form (located at the end of the policy).
4. Prior to course enrollment, Non-Degree Seeking students must meet all course pre-requisite and corequisite requirements as outlined in the college catalog.
5. Returning Non-Degree Seeking students do not need to reapply each semester.
6. Non-Degree Seeking students are not eligible for Financial Aid
Changes of Program
1. Students may change their program or areas of concentration by completing a Change of Program Form(?) and returning it to the DMACC Admissions department. A change of program will result in an update of academic requirements to the current academic catalog. Students changing their concentration within a program may retain the academic requirements of their original catalog year. International students attending DMACC on an F-1 visa must receive approval for program changes from the International Student DSO. Changes of program are processed for the current semester through the add/drop period for the part of term for which the student is currently enrolled. After the add/drop, period the change will be processed effective for the following semester. Changes of program will be limited to five per academic calendar year.
2. Students expecting to receive financial aid to cover any costs associated with credit coursework are encouraged to consult with a financial aid advisor to ensure that aid will be available under the new program prior to submitting the change of program form.
3. Transferring into certain selective or limited capacity programs may be limited by space availability as well as by the competitive nature of these programs. Please refer to the description of the program of interest for additional information on admission requirements and the academic background of competitive applicants.

Cross Reference:
SA 503 - Admissions Standards

SA 508 - Classification of Students

Adopted: March 28, 2011
Revised:
December 1, 2019

May 10, 2022 - Cross referenced to SA Policy 503. Also cross referenced to SA Policy 508.

Related Form: https://internal.dmacc.edu/student_services/int/Procedures/ES4100%20Final%20-%20Change%20of%20Program%20Form.pdf

https://internal.dmacc.edu/student_services/int/Procedures/ES4100%20Final%20-%20High%20School%20Permission%20Form.pdf