For students seeking a more gradual transition to the rigors of college, St. John’s offers an expanded freshman year on our Santa Fe campus consisting of three semesters (fall, spring, and summer) instead of the traditional two semesters (fall and spring). The Expanded Freshman Year Program allows more time to adjust as freshmen and to roll more smoothly and with more confidence into sophomore year.
Typically, freshmen take five classes during each of the two semesters. Students participating in the Expanded Freshman Year Program follow a schedule with two classes in the fall semester, four classes in the spring semester, and three classes in the summer semester. For example:
Fall: Seminar, Mathematics or Language
Spring: Seminar, Mathematics, Language, Science Laboratory
Summer: Science Laboratory, Mathematics or Language, Music
In the fall semester, students take their two classes with other fall freshmen. During the spring semester, students continue their fall semester classes and add two others, which they take with students who began at St. John’s as part of the January Freshman Program. For the summer semester, students continue three classes with the January Freshmen, which form a lively community of 15-30 students living on campus over the summer. During all three semesters, students in the Expanded Freshman Year Program are full members of the college community.
After completing the summer semester in early August, students begin their sophomore year on schedule in late August on either the Santa Fe or Annapolis campuses.
New students: Applicants to St. John’s who are interested in starting in the Expanded Freshman Year apply as fall freshmen to the Santa Fe campus. Once admitted, they submit the Expanded Freshman Year Application.
Current students: Freshmen at St. John’s interested in switching to the Expanded Freshman Year Program should contact the Assistant Dean within 21 days of the start of the fall semester.
Annual tuition is the same for students in the traditional two-semester freshman year and the Expanded Freshman Year Program. Food, housing, the health fee, the activity fee, and health insurance (for international students) during the summer semester average an additional $5500.
Merit scholarships and need-based financial aid are available for all students at St. John’s.
