Admissions

Applying for the January Freshmen Class

“January Freshmen enjoy a night at the Santa Fe Opera”
Photo by C. Valentine SF13


The Santa Fe campus offers January admission. Freshmen who enter in January stay on campus the following summer to complete the first year. They can thus graduate a year earlier than if they had postponed their entrance until the following fall. The January class may be of particular interest to transfer students who come to St. John's from other colleges, or to those who have traveled or worked since graduation from high school, or to those who wish to enter St. John's immediately after the first semester of their senior year of high school. January Freshmen integrate into their sophomore class after the summer session, but not before experiencing a truly dynamic introduction to St. John’s College.

Student Profile: Elizabeth Fedden (SF15)

Being a January Freshmen won't be easy, but it's worth every moment.
If you can do a January Freshmen year you can do anything.

“I joined the Army right out of high school and then started working at coffee shops. I was pretty serious, and went to work at the Colombian Coffee Expo in Bogota. However, it was becoming clear that if I did not go to college it was unlikely that I would be able to advance. I applied to be a JF the year before I actually started. I received a call from Anya Cruz in the admissions office. She asked me if I wanted to come to Santa Fe to be a January Freshman. At that time I had also been accepted to Evergreen State College and Columbia University, but St. John’s gave me the personal attention that I really needed. I thought it would be too expensive, but the financial aid office made that part of coming to college much more manageable. St. John's has given me the confidence to share my ideas and live how I want to live. I am currently a resident assistant and I work off campus at the Museum of Indian Arts Culture in the Laboratory of Anthropology as the head librarian's intern. So even though the JF year is over there is still plenty to learn and do. The picture above was taken on a school sponsored backpacking trip over the JF summer. I also went kayaking, backpacking, and hiking with my JF classmates. We still choose to spend a lot of time together and support each other inside and outside of the classroom.”

Elizabeth Fedden is originally from Washington DC. She plays viola, enjoys hiking, and has a coffee plant.

New Mexico Residents 

St. John’s College is offering $7,500 grants to New Mexico high school graduates and veterans. The New Mexico Odyssey Grant works in tandem with the generous need-based financial aid already in place at St. John’s. All New Mexico residents who are within three years of high school graduation or have successfully completed the General Educational Development (GED) test are eligible. This also includes:

  • Home-schooled students who can provide verification of completion of an appropriate program.
  • Military veterans who have met any of these requirements within three years of honorable or medical discharge from service.

We want more New Mexicans to have this opportunity. Additional information on the Odyssey Grant is available by calling Financial Aid Director Michael Rodriguez at 505-984-6058 or 866-507-5273.

Become a January Freshman

St. John's College welcomes applications for the January Freshman program.  It is as easy to apply for the January class as it is for the class that begins next fall.  In fact, inquiries are received almost every day in our office asking about the benefits of joining the College early.

Financial aid awards are also available for January Freshmen.  Just like for fall, most do the FAFSA and the CSS Profile.

A Santa Fe Admissions counselor would be happy to talk with you. Email the Admissions Office, or call our toll-free number at 800.331.5232.