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Office of the University Registrar

2005-06 Undergraduate Catalog

Admission to the University

Admission as a Freshman

Composites of recent freshman classes at the university indicate:

  • Middle 50 percent of admitted fall freshmen score between 1190-1360 on the SAT
  • More than 50 percent of each entering class has earned a B+ or better average in high school academic subjects
  • UF admitted slightly more than half of its 22,000 ftreshman applicants for Fall 2005

While there is no minimum grade point average or test score to ensure admission or success in college, prospective applicants are urged to discuss freshman composite data with their school counselors before applying. Any student who meets minimum requirements should submit an application, but it is the applicant's responsibility to provide the strongest application possible.

Beginning Freshmen: Students who have earned fewer than 12 semester hours following graduation from high school.
(Applicants with dual enrollment AND AP/IB/CLEP credit totaling 60 hours before they enroll at UF CANNOT apply as freshmen. They must apply as transfer students.)

How to Apply: Freshman applicants must apply online.

When to Apply: The best time to apply is early in the senior year of high school. Admission priority is provided to qualified applicants whose applications and supporting records are received by the Office of Admission well before January 17, 2006.

2006 Application Deadlines for the Summer B and Fall Terms

  • Early decision deadline (those willing to commit to UF if admitted) is October 3, 2005.
  • Regular Decision I deadline is October 17, 2005 and
  • Regular Decision II deadline is January 17, 2006.

Freshman Selection: The selection process is based on the applicant’s academic credentials and a holistic review of the information contained in the application. Many factors are considered in the admission review process. It is very difficult to predict the admissibility of any applicant without considering all the information contained in the application and the size and strength of the applicant pool.

The Office of Admission considers an applicant’s total high school record, including grades, test scores, educational objective and pattern of courses completed, and personal background and experiences. Admission becomes selective and competitive when the number of qualified applicants exceeds the number of freshman spaces available.

Minimum Requirements for Freshman Admission Consideration

  • Graduation from a regionally accredited secondary school or the equivalent (G.E.D., etc.).
  • Nineteen academic units, 15 distributed as follows:
English (with substantial writing)4 years
Mathematics (Algebra 1, Formal Geometry, Algebra 2)3 years
Natural Sciences (two units must include laboratory)3 years
Social Sciences3 years
Foreign Language (must be sequential)2 years

  • An overall C average, as computed by the university, is also required at each collegiate institution attended. College deficiencies earned through high school dual-enrollment programs will be reviewed individually.
  • A record of good conduct. Major or continuing difficulty with school or other officials may render an applicant ineligible regardless of academic qualifications.
  • A combined score of at least 950 on the critical reading and math sections of the new SAT with a minimum score of 440 on each.
    On the new ACT with Writing Test, a composite score of 19 is required with a minimum of 17 on the English subsection, a minimum of 19 on the math subsection and a minimum of 18 on the reading subsection.
  • Home schools and non-accredited schools:

    Any student who does not graduate from a regionally accredited secondary school must provide, in addition to a transcript and the new SAT or ACT with Writing results required of other applicants, results from the SAT II examinations in mathematics (Level II-C), foreign language, science and social science. For admission decision purposes, the university will use the result of the new SAT writing subscore if the applicant has no dual-enrollment or virtual school English composition coursework, since the SAT II in writing is no longer offered. Please note:

  • Applicants who present scores on the G.E.D. also must present records from secondary schools attended and standardized test scores. The applicant’s overall academic background will be considered.

State University System Minimum Freshman Eligibility Index

Academic GPA ACT Composite SAT Total

2.9

20

970

2.8

21

980

2.7

21

990

2.6

21

1000

2.5

21

1010

2.4

22

1030

2.3

23

1060

2.2

24

1090

2.1

24

1110

2.0

25

1140


Meeting this index alone does not guarantee admission to the university.

Tuition Deposit

Freshmen admitted under Regular Decision I and II plans are required to submit a $200 nonrefundable tuition deposit no later than May 1 to secure their place in the class. Those admitted under Early Decision are required to submit the deposit within two weeks of their notice of admission. The tuition deposit will not be reimbursed if the student does not enroll in the term offered for admission.

The tuition deposit will be credited to the student’s account and applied toward the first-semester tuition. If there is a credit balance on the account at the end of drop-add, the balance will be refunded to the student.

This deposit is waived for those students who qualified for an SAT or ACT fee-application waiver. Students who qualify for Pell Grants may receive a tuition deposit reduction if they appeal.

Housing Deposit

Entering freshmen are required to submit a housing deposit within 30 days of admission if they desire to live in university housing. The housing deposit, less a $25 service charge, is refundable until May 1 for applicants accepted to the fall freshman class.

Credit by Examination

There are several credit-by-examination programs that earn credit toward a UF degree. The university participates in the Advanced Placement (AP) program, the College Level Examination Program (CLEP), the International Baccalaureate (IB) program and the Advanced International Certificate of Education (AICE). Students may receive university credit for or exemption from such courses without credit, depending on the results.

Dual-enrollment credit earned at Florida public institutions transfers to the University of Florida. However, college credit earned through dual enrollment at any institution outside the Florida community college system will not transfer to UF if the course(s) taken were used to meet high school graduation requirements. To qualify for transfer credit, students must provide a letter from their high school stating that their dual enrollment courses were not used to fulfill secondary graduation requirements.

Eligible dual-enrollment candidates from Florida high schools may be funded through dual-credit enrollment. Dual enrollment refers to a student taking on-campus courses simultaneously at both the University of Florida and another institution. If the parent institution is a Florida high school, the student may qualify for tuition-exempt, dual-enrollment credit and may receive textbooks/materials on a lend-return basis. There must be an articulation agreement between the university and the home county school board, developmental research school or other secondary school.

Qualified high school students will be enrolled as nondegree students and credits earned before high school graduation may be accepted subsequently for advanced standing and degree credit when the student is admitted to the university.

Early Admission

A select number of applicants can be admitted to UF following completion of the junior year of high school. Applications should be submitted in accordance with university deadlines and will be reviewed individually.

Applicants must submit a written statement explaining reasons for requesting early admission; an official secondary school transcript covering grades 9, 10 and 11; an overall academic average of 3.9, as computed by UF; an SAT total score of 1380 or a composite score of 32 on the Enhanced ACT; a letter from the student’s high school principal or guidance counselor stating specific reasons why the applicant would profit more from early admission than by completion of the senior year of high school.

The university provides numerous opportunities to accelerate college graduation. For additional information, please refer to information about combined degree programs.