Frequently Asked Questions

We value the legacy connections of applicants and encourage students to detail their university ties on their application. A legacy connection is considered as part of a student’s application but is in no way a guarantee of admission in our highly selective pool of applicants.

In the admission process, legacy status includes grandparents, parents, and siblings of the applicant who have graduated from or are currently enrolled in any academic division of Emory University. Additional family connections (such as uncles, aunts, or cousins) will be tracked but do not constitute legacy status.

Our office works closely with the Emory Alumni Association to document legacy applicants throughout the admission process.

We do not offer interviews with admission staff. Neither prospective students nor applicants can request an interview.

We do have an Alumni Interview Program that is part of the application process for a small portion of students who apply to Emory University. Due to the design of the program and the number of trained alumni volunteers, the majority of applicants across the US and around the world will not be invited to interview. These applicants will in no way be disadvantaged, and the admission committee will closely evaluate applicant essays and recommendations to learn more about each student.

A small subset of first-year applicants may be invited to interview with Emory alumni in their area through the Alumni Interview Program. This is a chance for the applicant to discuss ideas that they are passionate about in a cordial, low-key environment and to learn more about the university and Atlanta.

Applicants may receive an invitation via email from an Emory alum any time between mid-October and early February. Because applications go through several reviews, it is impossible to predict when or whether an applicant will be invited to an alumni interview.

Hear from a current alumni interviewer on how best to prepare for an interview and what to expect.

International students, if they prefer, also have the option of submitting an interview that they have done with InitialView. Since there is a cost to this, fee waivers are available for students for whom it would be prohibitively expensive. For more information, please contact InitialView.

Binding means you are entering into a contractual agreement stating that Emory University is your first choice school, and that, if admitted with adequate financial aid, you will enroll here and withdraw all other college applications.

Yes. If you have filed the required financial aid application materials by our deadline of December 3 for Early Decision I or January 15 for Early Decision II, you will receive a financial aid evaluation before the enrollment deadline.

Full details about financial aid requirements and deadlines can be found on the Office of Financial Aid website.

Yes. You may change your decision plan through your application portal. The deadlines for changing your plan are posted there.

Once your application is downloaded and processed, an email will be sent to you with details on setting up your application portal. First, check your application status to view the receipt of application materials. Please note that it can take up to two weeks for submitted items to be received, processed, and checked off on your applicant checklist. If you’re still missing applications materials after this time, please check the missing items page for additional guidance.

If paying the $75 application fee is a financial hardship, we are happy to waive the fee. All fee waiver requests are processed online through the Common Application or Coalition Application.

To receive a fee waiver, simply answer “yes” to any question on the application referencing if you are eligible for a fee waiver with Emory University. No further documentation needs to be supplied to our office. 

On the Coalition Application specifically, if you need a fee waiver but do not qualify for the main Coalition Application fee waiver, please email admission@emory.edu for the Emory University fee waiver code.

If you have a paper fee waiver from NACAC or another such college-supporting body or organization, you may choose to upload this and share it with us via the applicant portal. This is not required, however, in order to receive a fee waiver.

We encourage you to submit all application materials online through the Common Application or Coalition Application including required school documents. You may also upload many materials yourself through your applicant portal.

However, if application materials need to be mailed, please send them to:

Please ensure application materials include the applicant’s full name, exactly as it appears on their application, date of birth, and application ID number.