What to Know About January Admission

Why January Admission?

Babson deeply values the residential learning experience for new college students. The dynamic nature of learning at Babson, with options for education abroad, semester-long internships, and accelerated graduation, opens up space in our residence halls that provide us with the opportunity to admit talented students to join our community. January admission brings approximately 100 new students to campus in the spring semester with unique, extended experiences after high school who add to the excitement and energy to our community.

Is January Admission the same as Babson Begin?

No, they are different programs. They do share some resources, and each cohort of students will arrive on the Babson campus in January. However, both applicant classes are different, and the programs are not interchangeable. If you have questions about the Babson Begin program, please view this webpage.

What courses do students starting in January take in their first semester at Babson?

Students starting in January for spring intake will take the normal course load of all first semester students. A normal course load for a first semester student is 16 credits and they will take classes with all first-year classmates, choosing among core courses that include Financial Accounting, Business Law, Rhetoric, Quantitative Methods, and the Liberal Arts Foundation course. For more details on the curriculum, students are encouraged to check out the Babson Undergraduate Curriculum by Course (pdf) document. In addition, students are assigned a class dean who helps answer any questions they may have prior to course registration.

Do students admitted for January take Foundations of Management and Entrepreneurship (FME)?

January admission students have access to the same courses and academic rigor as all Babson students.  

There are two ways you can complete the Foundations of Management & Entrepreneurship coursework. Both options will set you up for success while at Babson. 

• Option 1: Instead of taking FME in your second year (second and third semesters), you take two comparable courses in your first semester that cover the same academic content. 
  • EPS1000 Foundations of Entrepreneurial Management (FEM) 
    FEM will help you apply Entrepreneurial Thought & Action (ET&A)—a method of applying creative and predictive logic to achieve economic and social value creation—to a variety of business situations you might encounter during your career, including starting and leading a new for-profit, non-profit, or social venture; joining the team of a growing enterprise; or infusing an established organization or family business with entrepreneurial vigor. 
    

• • MOB1010 Organizational Behavior  
    This course will improve your effectiveness as an individual contributor, team member, and leader in all current and future professional environments. You will develop your critical thinking regarding the complex circumstances that surround why people behave as they do in organizations, exploring topics such as emotional intelligence, behavioral styles, managing diversity, power and influence, negotiations, and office culture.
    
    Please note: These two courses offer the same innovative and experiential academic content as the FME course; however, you do not start a business. By taking these two courses in your first semester (January 2026), you will progress in the curriculum in closer alignment with fall first-year students and satisfy the FME requirement, thus allowing you to take intermediate business courses starting in your second semester (Fall 2026). 
    
    
• Option 2: You can take Foundations of Management & Entrepreneurship (FME) in your second year. This is a two-semester course, so you will take it in the Fall 2026 (FME1000) and Spring 2027 (FME 1001) semesters. In this course, you work in teams to develop, launch, and manage a new venture. You gain essential insights into what elements make up a successful business and the skills necessary to be successful in any business path.  
  
  Please note: This option is available if starting a business as part of FME is important to you. If you choose this option, you may not be able to take specific business courses until your fourth semester. 

Can students starting in January be involved in clubs and organizations their first semester? How do they get into classes?

Yes, you have the opportunity and are encouraged to get involved with clubs and organizations in your first semester. At the January Orientation program, students will be given all the information on how to get involved so you can assimilate quickly with the Babson community.

When do students admitted to January graduate?

Students enrolling in January will complete their education in December following 8 semesters of coursework. Students who partake in spring admission have the opportunity to accelerate their degree by attending the summer sessions and/or taking an additional course during the semester. Students can develop an individualized plan with their advising team once they arrive at Babson.

How does being admitted in January influence a student’s prospects for employment?

According to Babson’s Undergraduate Center for Career Development, there are advantages (from the job seeker’s perspective) to graduating in December. Many employers don’t operate on an academic calendar, and seek talented graduates earlier than commencement in May. Students admitted for January have the flexibility to start full-time work in January or wait until another start date throughout the year. This is important to know when considering the pros and cons of starting college in the spring.

How long are students admitted for January required to live on campus?

January First Year students are required to live on campus for their first semester. Placements will be with another new arrival or with a student who has been on, or is returning to, campus.

Does indicating a preference for January increase the likelihood of admission?

No. The admissions committee strives for consistency in its assessment standards and a student’s preference is simply another piece of information for use by the admission staff.

Is being admitted for January like being on the waiting list?

No. Being admitted in January is a full admission to the College community. We choose students for January admission because we see in them students who will wisely use time between high school graduation and their studies at Babson. Students admitted in January tend to be highly energetic leaders in their school communities or students who have already sought unconventional and creative opportunities in their high school careers. These students typically come to Babson ready to “hit the ground running.”

What if I apply under one of the early decision plans? Do I have to come in January if I’m admitted for January?

For Early Decision applicants who are deferred to the Regular Decision applicant pool, it is possible that they will be offered January admission even if they have not indicated that preference or willingness. In this case, admission is no longer binding and students are not required to attend Babson in the January term.

Do students apply for January Admission in a separate applicant pool?

No. Students admitted for January/spring admission are chosen from the same applicant pool as September students and all students are notified of their admission at the same time. Students may indicate on their application materials their preference for starting in January, but this is ultimately a decision made by the Undergraduate Office of Admission. Some students who indicate an interest in September may be offered a place in our January class. Many applicants now tell us they’d prefer to be admitted for January and some even outline their plans for the fall in their applications.

What do students admitted to Babson for January do in the fall (before they start at Babson)?

You may wonder about what to do during a gap semester or how to spend a gap year. We do not consider the Babson January admission program the same as taking a gap year or semester programs, though the benefits and experience are similar to other colleges with gap-year programs. 

While not the same as a gap semester or gap-year programs, our spring admitted students find the time in between high school and college to be similarly fulfilling. The following is a short sampling of some activities and pre-college programs pursued by students recently admitted for January: 

• Learned Swift computer programming language to build iOS apps
• Interned in an Accounting Department
• Pursued learning a foreign language for non-academic credit
• Interned at a hedge fund
• Participated in a self-organized foreign exchange with my friend from France