FAQs

Student Life at ESU

• How many students attend East Stroudsburg University?
  • Last year academic year, we had 6,656 undergraduates and 697 grad students.
• How diverse is ESU’s campus?
  • It’s difficult to capture and quantify something like diversity on our campus, because every student, faculty, and staff member at ESU adds something individual to campus. Still, 16% of our students come from racially diverse backgrounds. We’ve got a thriving exchange program with sister schools all around the world—last year, we hosted students from 27 other states and 27 foreign countries.
• How big are the classes?
  • In the 2010-2011 academic year, the average class size was 35 students. With recent budget cuts, our classes have grown slightly larger, but exact numbers will not be available until later in the year. Our Student to Faculty ratio in Fall 2011 was 24 to 1.
• I was an athlete in high school—can I play at ESU?
  • Yes—in addition to our twenty NCAA Division II athletic teams, our student-run Recreation Center hosts intramural leagues.
• What kind of clubs do you have?
  • We have over 100 student organizations, from Greek life to honors programs to multicultural, social, and major-specific organizations. That’s not counting the plays, concerts, and university-sponsored trips to New York and Philadelphia available for students, faculty, and staff.
• Are there computer labs? Do they have printers? How many printer pages are we allowed per semester?
  • Whoa, a lot of questions there! Yes, we have fourteen computer labs around campus, accessible to anyone—resident or commuter—with an ESU account. Every residence hall has a lab, as well. Each is equipped with a printer with unlimited pages for printing. Some labs have scanners and other equipment, too, so there’s no need to bring half the electronic store to college.

Housing at ESU

• Is there housing available for freshmen?
  • Absolutely! In fact, freshmen are guaranteed housing for their first year at ESU, so long as they do not procrastinate on submitting their housing deposit. Check out Residence Life & Housing to learn more about our options on-campus, and the University Ridge for off-campus student only apartments.
• Can I pick my roommate?
  • Yes! You can ask to be put with a particular student, though note that the student must request you in return. If you don’t have a preferred roommate, our Housing and Residence Life services work hard to pair students with compatible roommates.
• Do you put students in triples?
  • Occasionally, students wait until the last moment to put down their housing deposit, and it is usually these students who are placed in a temporary triple or waiting list. These are temporary housing arrangements, and students who are placed here receive a reduction on their housing payment for the inconvenience. That said, we do not expect to house students in triples for Fall 2013 as we are dramatically expanding our available on-campus housing.
• How many students live on campus?
  • Currently, there are approximately 2,300 students who live on-campus. As students continue their education, many choose to live off-campus. About 75-85% of our freshmen live in on-campus residences for their first year.

Applying to ESU

• This all sounds great! How can I apply?
  • Apply online.
• Do you accept the Common Application?
  • We do not accept the Common Application at this time, only our online form.
• Do you have an application fee?
  • We require a small, non-refundable processing fee of $45 per application, either by e-check or credit card. The option for payment is available at the very end of our online application.
• What do I need to apply?
  • All you need to submit is the completed online application, the application fee, an official high school transcript, and your SAT and/or ACT scores.
• How do I apply with an application fee waiver?
  • If you have an application fee waiver, you have the same application process as any other applicant. The only difference is that you have one extra document to fax (570-422-3933) or mail to us, th waiver. Don't forget to also send in your transcript and SAT and/or ACT scores.
• What are your requirements for admission? What do you look for?
  • There are no set requirements for admission; however, you should be aware that your high school GPA and your performance on the SAT and/or ACT exam are extremely important components of your application. Look at our Planning Guide for more information on what you can do to be a competitive applicant. Our average SAT test score of accepted students is a combined 1000 on the math and critical reading sections; the average high school GPA of our accepted students is a 3.00.
• Do you have any language requirements?
  • Again, we set no requirements for our applicants. Competitive students, though, will often have at least two years of the same language on their high school transcript.
• Do you use the writing portion of the SAT exam?
  • Admissions does not consider the writing portion of the SAT for entrance to ESU, but don’t ignore it—if you decide to attend, the English Department uses the score for placement in your freshman-level English course.
• Do I have to submit essays? What about letters of recommendation?
  • No! In fact, we urge you not to submit any documentation other than your application, high school transcript, and SAT and/or ACT exam scores. Who will write a bad recommendation for you? What will your essay tell us that your transcript can’t? All the work you’ve put into school over the last twelve years will tell us what we need to know.
• I haven’t finished my online application, but should I send in my test scores and my transcript anyway?
  • No; please complete the online application before sending in the rest of your documents.
• I’ve finished the online application—what do I do next?
  • Great! You must send in the other supporting documents before we can evaluate your application. Ask your guidance counselor to send in your official high school transcript to our Admission office. If you don’t have your SAT or ACT scores on your transcript, have the testing agency send an official scoresheet directly to our office. Once these documents are in, we can review your application.
• How can I track my application?
  • Once submitted, you can keep tabs on your application online. There, you can see when your other documents are received by the office and learn when a decision has been made.
• How will I receive my admission decision?
  • Decisions are made no later than four weeks after the application is complete. This means that we will not consider an applicant until the transcript and official SAT and/or ACT scores are submitted. A letter will be sent via USPS to the applicant with the final admission decision.
• When are the application deadlines for freshmen?
  • For Spring 2013 admission: November 15, 2012, For Fall 2013 admission: August 1, 2013 (Extended Deadline). We encourage you to apply by early in your senior year of high school, preferably by the December break.