First-Year Admission Eligibility

Review this list to confirm your first-year admission eligibility:

• Students applying for first-year admission must have received a high school diploma or its equivalent prior to the fall in which they would begin study.
• Students who have completed college coursework as part of their high school experience, including dual enrollment or early college experience coursework, are considered first-year applicants. This includes students who will have completed an associate’s degree during high school.
• Students who have enrolled at another college but completed 21 credits or less at the time of application may apply for first-year admission.
• Students who have completed more than 21 credits by their intended semester of entry are not eligible to apply as first-year applicants and are encouraged to apply for transfer admission.
• Students who have previously completed a bachelor’s degree or equivalent at another college or university are not eligible to apply for undergraduate admission, including first-year admission.

As a RISD applicant, you may only submit one type of application in a given year. For example, if you are denied early decision you are not eligible to reapply during regular decision. You also cannot apply as both a first-year and transfer student in the same year.

Early decision

First-year applicants applying early decision may not submit an application to another institution under another early decision, single-choice early action or restrictive early action plan. 

If you are admitted through early decision, you are committed to enroll and should withdraw all pending applications—including applications submitted to regular, rolling or (open) early action programs. 

Regular decision

If you meet the general first-year eligibility requirements listed above and do not wish to apply early decision, you should apply regular decision.