Application FAQs

General Information

As you complete your application, please keep in mind the following Gordon Admissions policies:

• Gordon expects that the work contained in your application, including the essay and all accompanying materials, is completely accurate and exclusively your own. Content should not be provided by outside sources, such as consultants.
   
• Letters of Recommendation (LORs) are to be completed by the recommender and no one else. Drafting, writing or translating your own reference, even if asked to do so by your recommender, is inappropriate. Applicants are expected to inform recommenders of this policy.
   
• All application and supplemental material submitted become the property of Gordon College and cannot be returned.
   
• If you experience technical problems with the application or have any questions, please contact Gordon Admissions at [email protected].
   
• Gordon reserves the right to verify all information and references contained within your application. Gordon further reserves the right to rescind an offer of admission or terminate a student’s enrollment should it discover that any misrepresentation or omission occurred in the application process, or if it learns that you have engaged in behavior prior to matriculation that indicates a lack of judgment or integrity. In some cases, Gordon may require an applicant to provide additional verification of the information and documents submitted as part of his or her application and/or may require authorization for the release of such information. If an applicant is unable or unwilling to do so, Gordon reserves the right to cease consideration of the application, to withdraw any offer of admission already made, and/or to terminate a student’s enrollment.

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Degree Requirements

Students entering in Gordon’s MSFA program are required to hold a four-year bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in the U.S. or an equivalent degree from a foreign country (in some cases, this is a three-year degree).

If you submit your application prior to the conferral of your bachelor's degree or equivalent, we will accept and evaluate your application. If an offer of admission is made, it will be contingent upon receiving your degree conferral prior to enrollment.

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Video Essay

The MSFA Admissions Team wants to get to know you on both a professional and personal level. We encourage you to be introspective, candid and succinct. Most importantly, we suggest you be yourself as you explain your purpose in applying for the MSFA program.

The video essay question provides you with an opportunity to help the Admissions Team gain greater insight about you as a potential member of the Gordon community. Please be clear, succinct, forthright, and thoughtful in your response. Additionally, we ask that you share what you truly feel, as opposed to writing what you think the Admissions Team would like to read. Be authentically yourself!

Gordon expects that the work contained in the video essay is completely accurate and exclusively your own.

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Letters of Recommendation (LORs)

In your application portal, you will be prompted to send two recommenders (either academic or professional) a request to submit a reference for you.

References should be capable of commenting on your professional, leadership, and intellectual capabilities. We have found that the most useful evaluations are those from people who are able to speak with certainty about your leadership, maturity, team orientation, communication skills, intellectual ability, and interpersonal skills. We prefer that you submit LORs from people who know you well and are in a position to judge your professional performance and leadership, such as your direct supervisor. 

Getting an independent perspective about your qualifications from a third party is very valuable to the Admissions Team, therefore the LORs are to be completed by the recommender and no one else. Drafting, writing, or translating your own reference, even if asked to do so by your recommender, is a violation of the terms of our application process and could result in rescission of our offer of admission or termination of a student’s enrollment. Applicants are expected to inform recommenders of this policy.

If your recommender is not able to complete the LOR in English, he or she should write it in their native language and have it translated by an outside translation service. You should not translate the reference into English for your reference.

Please contact your evaluators well in advance to give them sufficient time to write and return their evaluations by the application deadline for which you are applying. Given the importance we place on LORs, we do not review any applications until we have received LORs from all three of the evaluators you listed in your application. If your LORs are received after the deadline for submission, your application will not be considered until the next application period. It is your responsibility to make sure that your evaluators are aware of the deadlines and to ensure that all three LORs have been submitted. If you would like to make any changes to your list of evaluators, please contact us at [email protected].

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Transcripts

Transcripts of all academic work completed at the baccalaureate/undergraduate level and beyond, whether or not for credit or a degree, are required. If your official transcript is not in English, it must be translated. Transcripts can either be sent: 

• electronically to [email protected].
• U.S. mail to Gordon College, MS in Financial Analysis, 255 Grapevine Road, Wenham, MA 01984. 

You will be required to submit official academic transcripts (not diplomas) issued by the institution(s) from which you obtained your undergraduate (bachelor’s or first) degree and any advanced/graduate degrees. If you attended institutions other than those from which your degrees were granted, you will be required to submit your academic transcripts from these institutions too (i.e. transfer coursework, domestic or study-abroad programs, post-graduate non-degree coursework, etc.). 

If your official transcript is not in English, you must make arrangements to have all academic records translated by World Education Services (WES) and sent to Gordon with the originals. For information on how to utilize WES’ credential evaluation, please visit www.wes.org. 

The MSFA Admission Team reserves the right to rescind an offer of admission or terminate a student’s enrollment should any misrepresentation or omission occur. 

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GMAT and GRE Test Scores

Gordon does not require either the GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test) or the GRE (Graduate Record Examinations) General Test for admission. However, if you feel your application does not best reflect your quantitative ability, you may wish to submit your scores. In that scenario, results (scores and percentiles) should be self-reported on the application.  

Note that Gordon does not have a preference as to which exam you choose to take. Please report your best score taken within the last five years.  

• GMAT (Gordon code: P2P-G6-07)  

• GRE (Gordon code: 3417) 

For information on how to register for the: 

• GMAT – visit www.mba.com. Please use code P2P-G6-07 to send your GMAT score to Gordon. 
• GRE – visit www.ets.org/gre. Please use code 3417 to send your GRE score to Gordon. 

If you choose to submit your GMAT or GRE score, you also must arrange to have your official score report released to Gordon so that it arrives before the application submission deadline for which you are applying. We do not allow substitution or replacement of test scores after an application has been submitted. Check with each testing organization to ensure that you will receive your scores in time for you to submit your application. 

Gordon accepts students with a range of test scores. There is no minimum score required. If you do not score well on any part of a test or if you do not feel that your score is reflective of your abilities, we encourage you to consider retaking the test in an effort to improve your score. If offered admission, your self-reported GMAT and/or GRE score(s) will be verified. Gordon reserves the right to rescind an offer of admission or terminate a student’s enrollment should any misrepresentation or omission occur. 

Gordon does not require either the GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test) or the GRE (Graduate Record Examinations) General Test for admission. However, if you feel your application does not best reflect your quantitative ability, you may wish to submit your scores. In that scenario, results (scores and percentiles) should be self-reported on the application. Note that Gordon does not have a preference as to which exam you choose to take. Please report your best score taken within the last five years.

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English Language Proficiency

Either the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE Academic), or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is required for all domestic or international applicants whose native language is not English or who have not studied at an English-speaking institution. 

You may waive the TOEFL/PTE/IELTS if you have earned an undergraduate degree or master’s degree in an English-speaking country or from an institution at which English is the language of instruction. It is not necessary to seek our pre-approval to obtain this waiver. However, you must provide evidence in your application. 

If your test score is more than two years old (from the date of the exam to the date of application arrival), you must retake the test. We do not allow substitution or replacement of test scores after an application has been submitted. Your application will not be considered complete without the TOEFL, PTE or the IELTS test scores and percentiles reported on the application. You also must arrange to have your official score report released to Gordon so that it arrives by the application submission deadline for which you are applying. Check with each testing organization to ensure that we will receive your score in time for you to submit your application. 

Please report your best score taken within the last two years.  

• TOEFL (Gordon code: 3417) 

• IELTS (RO name: Gordon College 

• PTE Academic 

If offered admission to Gordon, your self-reported score will be verified. Gordon reserves the right to rescind an offer of admission or terminate a student’s enrollment should any misrepresentation or omission occur.

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International Applicants

International applicants may apply at any time; however, for applicants who cannot secure a U.S. visa one month prior to the cohort start date, admission will be deferred to the following cohort. U.S. visa eligibility forms will be made available to all accepted international students. These forms cannot be processed until the student has paid his/her enrollment deposit. Verification of financial support is required for all enrolling international students. Gordon provides assistance in facilitating the U.S. visa process. Please contact the Director of International Initiatives and Operations ([email protected]).

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Application Fee

The application fee will be required before your application is fully processed. You can pay the fee after you submit your application in your portal page. 

The application fee is waived for partnering organizations using discount codes, while international students and groups such as the U.S. military; past and present are waived automatically. Partnering organization members will receive a discount code to redeem and you must enter your discount code directly into the Application Fee Waiver field on your application prior to submission.  

The fee is non-refundable and may not be applied toward any future applications at any Gordon program. 

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Graduate Assistantship

Graduate assistantships reduce tuition by two-thirds—a cost savings of about $18,000—enabling exceptional students to earn their MSFA at a fraction of the cost.

Graduate assistants will have the opportunity to undertake special strategic projects alongside the Executive Director and program managers to support, sustain, and develop the program. This is an excellent opportunity to join a team in assisting faculty, streamlining processes, and representing the program to internal and external organizations.

• Please reach out to [email protected] to learn more and receive an application.

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Contact Information

If you have additional questions regarding the application process, please email the MSFA Admissions Team at [email protected].