Freshman Admissions
The Process
- Apply online.
- Submit official or certified copies of all secondary school records and/or examination results. All credentials from non-U.S. institutions must be evaluated by a foreign credential evaluation agency. We recommend a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services or the International Education Credential Services provided by the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers. All academic records must be issued in the native language and be accompanied by a certified English translation.
- Submit official ACT (#0734) and/or SAT (#5219) results for every test taken. (Applicants taking the ACT must also submit the ACT Writing Test.)
- Submit official English Proficiency Test Scores if your native language is not English.
- Submit the Certification of Financial Responsibility Form.
- Contact the academic department directly if majoring in dance; film; music; nursing; or theatre.
Many of our communications, including your admission decision, are sent electronically. Please make sure that we always have your most up-to-date email address. You will need to check your email account and the Online Status Check at https://admissions.fsu.edu/StatusCheck/ on a regular basis. To ensure receipt of our emails, include admissions@admin.fsu.edu in your address book.
Requirements
Admission to Florida State University is competitive. It requires graduation from a recognized secondary school with certain academic subjects, a strong performance in those subjects, and test scores. Satisfying these minimum requirements does not guarantee admission. The academic profile of the middle fifty percent of freshmen accepted in 2012 was: 3.7-4.2 academic grade point average (based on a 5 point scale); 26-30 ACT composite; 1740-1960 SAT total.
A variety of other factors are also considered in the review process; these include the written essay, the rigor and quality of courses and curriculum, grade trends, class rank, and educational objectives. Applicants who bring other important attributes to the University community may also receive additional consideration. These applicants include visual and performing artists and skilled athletes.
Please note that letters of recommendation are not required and will not be used in the decision-making process.
Required Secondary School Courses
The courses listed below represent the minimum required for admission consideration:
- 4 English courses, at least three with substantial writing requirements
- 4 mathematics courses at the Algebra I level and higher
- 3 natural science courses, at least two with laboratory experience
- 3 social science courses
- 2 sequential courses of a foreign language or American Sign Language
- 2 elective courses, preferably from the English, mathematics, natural science, social science, or foreign language areas
Satisfying these minimum required courses does not guarantee admission. The typical student accepted to Florida State has 4.5 English courses, 5 math courses, 4.5 natural science courses, 5 social science courses, and 3.5 foreign language courses.
ACT/SAT Information
- Applicants should take both exams, since we use the best composite/total score for admission purposes.
- Applicants should take each exam more than once, since we use the highest subscores to create the ACT composite and SAT total.
- In addition to the applicant's overall composite on the ACT or total score on the SAT, the following minimum subscores are required:
- Writing - 21 on the ACT English and ACT E/W or 500 on the SAT writing
- Math - 21 on the ACT math or 500 on the SAT math
- Reading - 22 on the ACT reading or 500 on the SAT critical reading
- Having these minimum subscores does not guarantee admission. The typical student admitted to the University has higher subscores.
The January SAT and February ACT are the latest tests that we will use in the admission process for applicants applying for the summer or fall term.
English Proficiency Information
- Applicants whose native language is not English must take an English proficiency exam.
- Applicants can take each exam more than once but exams taken after the January deadline will not be considered for applicants applying for the summer or fall term.
- English proficiency exams are valid for 2 years.
Certification of Financial Responsibility
Applicants should complete and submit the Certification of Financial Responsibility (CFR) form to demonstrate proof of adequate funding. Florida State University is required by U.S. federal regulations to verify the financial resources of each applicant prior to issuing the Certificate of Eligibility (Form I-20 or DS-2019). Applicants must show proof of financial support for the first year of study and confirm availability of funds for the length of the academic program.
Deadlines
All information used to make an admission decision must be received by the published deadlines. In addition, the University reserves the right to close freshman admission earlier if warranted by enrollment limitations and the number and quality of applications. There are two deadlines and corresponding notification dates for freshmen applying for either the summer or fall term. The University does not generally accept freshman applications for the spring term.
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Checking Your Application Status
Once you have applied, the Online Status Check (OSC) will allow you to check the receipt of academic records and test scores, as well as checking the current status of your application. To access the OSC, you should go to https://admissions.fsu.edu/statuscheck/. You will log in with your FSUID and password. (Please be aware that our office processes thousands of applications each semester, and it takes time for files to be updated, especially around deadlines.)
Many of our communications, including your admission decision, are sent electronically. Please make sure that we always have your most up-to-date email address. You will need to check your email account and Online Status Check on a regular basis. To ensure receipt of our emails, include admissions@admin.fsu.edu in your address book.