June 1st
  Tuition and housing deposits are due. All deposits received after June 1st will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis as space remains available. Tuition deposits are non-refundable. If a student defers their enrollment, the tuition deposit will hold your space for up to one year and is non-refundable.
  Check out the on-campus housing options!
  Submit all necessary documents to finalize your financial aid award.
 Complete the Master Promissory Note and Loan Entrance Counseling for your federal Stafford loan.
  Submit your housing questionnaire.
  Complete your advising survey and refer any questions regarding electives and/or your course schedule to the Registrar’s Office.
  Registration for Orientation is now open! Please register here before August 2nd. Questions about Orientation should be referred to Mitchell Benedetti.

June 15th
  Payment plans begin.

Mid-June
  Check your personal email for Montserrat account set-up information from C.T.S. Log into your new Montserrat email account as soon as you set it up so you don’t miss any important information.

July 15th
  Send final high school transcripts to the Office of Admissions, 23 Essex St., Beverly, MA 01915.
  Fall semester bills are due (to avoid a late fee).
  Complete and return your immunization form, TB questionnaire, and meningitis waiver to the Health Center Director, Sheryl Max sheryl.max@montserrat.edu, 978-921-4242 ext. 1300
  Deadline to waive health insurance.
  Deadline to waive the art supply Starter Kit.  

Late July/Early August
  Housing assignments will be sent through your Montserrat email account.

August 1st
  Check out the Orientation schedule.

August 15th
  Start packing!
  Contact my new roommate.

August 28th
  Get a good night’s sleep, Orientation starts tomorrow.

August 29th
  Move into my new home away from home! Move in begins at 8am!
  First day of Orientation.

IMPORTANT DETAILS ABOUT OPENING DAY!

We are very excited to welcome you to campus on Saturday, August 29, 2020! Here is some logistical information about our Opening Day activities for everyone.

The schedule for Opening Day is as follows:

Saturday, August 29, 2020

8am – 11am:      Resident students move in to their apartment! Room assignments were sent to each student’s Montserrat email the week of August 3rd. Students should go directly to their house. There will College staff to greet you. You should bring a dolly or some such thing if you will need that to move your student’s belongings. MOST houses do have (at least) a few exterior steps.

9am – 11:30am:  Resident and commuting students can get their ID photo taken at Hardie, grab a cup of coffee and a snack at a local restaurant, take care of any local “holds” (residents MUST do this before they can move in), take a deep breath, etc. Commuters are welcome to come to campus any time before 11:30 am and check in with a staff person in front of the Hardie building.

Everyone  will be asked to leave the residence halls by 11:15am to attend the Orientation events.

11:30am         Students will meet at the Hardie Checkerboard to meet their Orientation Leaders!

                       Family members will meet at the First Baptist Church at 221 Cabot St. for the Family Welcome Program. The welcome program will include:

President Kurt T. Steinberg, EdD

Brian Pellinen, Academic Dean

Jeffrey Newell, Director of Admissions

Maureen Wark, Dean of Students

Janet Dauray, PhD, Counseling Psychologist

12:30pm – 2pm   Lunch and Resource Fair, Beverly Common

                         All are invited to enjoy wraps and salads and speak with many campus and community resources! It would be helpful (but not mandatory) if you could let us know by Tuesday August 25th how many in your family will be attending the luncheon. Please just click the link here and answer a few questions! 

The Resource Fair will provide an opportunity for students and families to meet with representatives for college offices as well as from local community partners.

2:10pm                Class Photo taken on the steps of the Beverly Public Library

2:15pm – 3pm      ‘See Yourself at Montserrat’ New Student Exhibition and Dessert, 2nd floor of Hardie

2:15pm – 6pm       Free time! Finish settling in, take a nap, go grocery shopping, pick up those last minute items you forgot, take a walk to the beach and/or around town, pick up packages that you had shipped to the College (you can do that on the first floor of Hardie, 2:30pm – 5pm-please bring an ID). Commuters can pick up their Starter Kits if they haven’t yet (1st floor of Hardie, 2:30pm – 5pm).

6pm                      Campus Life Welcome – ALL residents must attend and commuters are welcome, too! 

ALL Orientation sessions are MANDATORY for ALL students, through Convocation on Wednesday, September 2, 2020.

PARKING: Once your car is unloaded, PLEASE MOVE YOUR CAR so that others can unpack easily. Parking is available at the Hardie Building, the lot at 42/44 Essex St. and the Dane Street Church lot. PARKING IS NOT PERMITTED IN THE BEVERLY PUBLIC LIBRARY LOT ON WINTER ST. There is limited free street parking around the College, as well as very reasonably priced metered lots and street parking.  

GPS: Use your students’ HOUSE address to arrive at the house. COMMUTERS: Use 23 Essex St and someone can direct you to parking if none is available there.

Campus map:  https://www.montserrat.edu/campus-map/

Beverly parking information:  https://www.parkbeverly.com/

I hope that I’ve answered all of your questions! Please feel free to email maureen.wark@montserrat.edu if you have additional questions.

Our New Student Orientation program is designed to welcome first year, transfer students and their families to the Montserrat College of Art community. These days are full of important information, imperative to making a smooth transition to campus and college life! Since it is so important, attendance is required at all events.

During Orientation, you will meet your classmates, upperclassmen, faculty and staff. You will also be introduced to life at Montserrat and in Beverly through workshops and activities.

This is an exciting time for you and our Orientation program aims to provide you with the springboard to your success at Montserrat!

An outline for Orientation will be posted in August.

If counseling or psychotherapy has been a part of a student’s wellness package, it is strongly recommended families find local providers prior to the start of the semester.  A list of local clinics, within walking distance of the campus, can be found on the Montserrat website at montserrat.edu/health-wellness.

Required Health Forms
The completed immunization form or a copy of immunization record is required prior to move-in.  All immunizations must be up-to-date and the form must be signed by health care provider.

Please pay particular attention to tetanus immunization, as this vaccine is recommended every ten years for adults.

The meningococcal vaccination is strongly recommended within five years of move in/start of class for students attending college in Massachusetts. A  waiver may be signed indicating that the student has received information about the dangers of meningococcal disease, reviewed the information provided and elected to decline the vaccine.

Included in the required health form is the TB risk assessment form. If you are considered “high risk”, please have required TB testing done prior to start of school.

Health Insurance
Per Massachusetts law, all students enrolled in the college for 9 or more credits MUST be enrolled in a comprehensive health insurance plan. All students are automatically enrolled in the College’s Student Health Insurance Plan, provided by Blue Cross Blue Shield. If you are already covered by a comprehensive plan, you can opt out of the Montserrat plan. The waiver can be accessed at universityhealthplans.com.

If a student has chosen to waive the college health insurance, please make sure the student’s comprehensive health insurance provides access to health care in the Beverly area and that the student keeps the insurance card on hand in the event the medical care is needed during the school year.

If you have any questions about any of these issues, please do not hesitate to reach out. During the summer months, you can email our great Wellness Team who will be checking email periodically over the summer until they return to campus in August:

Sheryl Max
College Nurse/Director of the Health Center
sheryl.max@montserrat.edu     

Janet Dauray
Counseling Psychologist/Director of Counseling
janet.dauray@montserrat.edu

Maureen Wark, the Dean of Students can be reached by email (maureen.wark@montserrat.edu) or by telephone at 978-921-4242, ext. 1130 and can assist you with questions.

1. I enjoy reading, and read often.
2. I wrote many papers in high school.
3. I read more books than magazines or newspapers.
4. My grades in high school English averaged a C+ or better.
5. My SAT scores for the verbal and written portions of the exam were over 500.
6. I understand terms such as “thesis,” “theme,” and “development” in regard to writing.
7. I am confident in my writing skills and ability.

After considering your responses, review the two course descriptions below. If you answered “No” to three or more of the questions, consider registering for the Writing and Study Skills course a class that will help you develop your writing and reading skills for the college level.

Reading and Critical Thinking
In this course, students learn to think, read, and write critically and to express themselves articulately in written form and discussions through close reading and analysis of a variety of texts. Students practice the writing and analytical process through generating and supporting ideas, writing drafts, and using critiques as a basis for revising and editing. They further their editorial skills through offering peer commentary on each other’s work. Critical thinking and communication skills learned in this class form a vital foundation for students’ success in future studio and liberal arts courses and for becoming an active participant in their own learning.

Writing and Study Skills
The goal of this course is to raise the level of students’ performance in the skills necessary to succeed in classes at the college level in the liberal arts. In classes sufficiently small to permit individual attention from the teacher, students read and write essays; practice peer critiques; study grammar, vocabulary and punctuation. This course is on a Pass/Fail basis; a Pass is necessary before students enroll in Reading and Critical Thinking. The three credits earned in this course do not count towards graduation requirements.

If we don’t hear from you, you will be automatically enrolled in Reading and Critical Thinking. If you prefer to enroll in Writing and Study Skills, please notify Laura Ives, Associate Dean Academic Affairs, at laura.ives@montserrat.edu or 978.921.4242 x1603.