ADMISSIONS FIRST YEARFIRST YEAR ADMISSION CRITERIA

First Year Admission Criteria

High School Grades

We make no bones about it: more than any other single factor, the grades that you earn in your high school courses play the most important role in determining your competitiveness for admission to UGA. Since there are so many different grading scales, not to mention weighting methodologies, we recalculate a GPA for every first-year applicant based only on academic courses taken in the five core academic areas (with the addition of AP Art and Music Theory courses). Using a standard 4.0 scale, we convert each grade earned according to the grading scale in use at your high school at the time the course was taken.

Additionally, if a weight is not already added to an individual grade, we raise by the equivalent of one letter grade (1) each grade earned in an AP or IB course. Unlike nationally- or internationally-normed AP and IB curricula, there is no standardized methodology for the designation of Honors courses. Consequently, it is UGA’s policy not to add any weight for Honors courses when recalculating a student’s GPA for admission. We do consider the number of Honors courses a student takes, however, when determining the rigor of his or her overall curriculum, including the availability of AP and IB courses.

Required High School Curriculum (RHSC)

Yes, according to University System of Georgia Policy, all first-year applicants must complete the Required High School Curriculum (RHSC), which consists of 17 academic units in English (4), Mathematics (4), Science (4), Social Studies (3), and Foreign Language (2). You can get all the essential details in The Georgia Board of Regents high school curriculum guide.

However, when it comes to being competitive, the real edge is in challenging coursework. If you’re going to commit to UGA, you need to pursue the most rigorous courses available in your high school that you can handle successfully. The number of courses taken beyond the minimum requirement of 17–not to mention those designated as advanced, Honors, gifted, AP/IB or dual enrollment–will be heavily considered in the admission process. In fact, in recent years, 98% of first-year students admitted to UGA pursued an honors or advanced level curriculum track.

Heads up from the admissions team: A challenging schedule will not counterbalance a non-competitive GPA, as your grades ultimately remain the single most important factor. Additionally, any grades of D or F on your transcript–especially in your junior or senior year–would be cause for concern on the part of our Admissions Committee and should be addressed in your application.

Standardized Tests – OPTIONAL FOR FALL 2021

For Fall 2021 first-year admission, UGA will be test-optional. If a student decides to submit test-scores, UGA requires that an applicant submit an official score report for either the ACT or SAT. Scores must be submitted electronically by the respective testing agency. UGA will not accept scores that appear on your high school transcript, nor will we consider paper reports. We receive electronic transmissions of ACT and SAT scores from the testing agencies on a weekly basis, and we will automatically update your application file with any new scores received by our application deadlines. Starting in 2017, UGA does not require the SAT or ACT essay, and we will not use these scores in our review.

There are many myths and misconceptions about standardized tests and how they are used in admission decisions. At UGA, the only minimum score requirements in place are the ones required by the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia for admission to its research universities: that is, an SAT-EBRW of 480 and SAT-Math of 440, or subscores of 17 on both the English and Math sections of the ACT. If a student takes the SAT or ACT more than once, we will consider the best scores we receive for each section on either exam. While these scores are the minimum required by the Board of Regents, it is important to clarify that the typical profile of incoming students at UGA far exceeds these minimums.

UGA superscores the SAT and ACT. For ACT, this means that we take the highest individual score of each of the four subsections of the test from all ACT tests you’ve taken and use that to calculate the highest composite. Our ACT Composite superscore formula looks like this: (Highest_ACT_English + Highest_ACT_Math + Highest_ACT_Reading + Highest_ACT_ScienceReasoning) / 4 = SuperScored_ACT_Composite. For the SAT, we choose your highest individual sub-score across all the times you’ve taken the SAT and select the highest Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (EBRW) score and add the highest Math section score to come up with the overall superscored total (Highest_SAT_EBRW + Highest_SAT_Math = SuperScored_SAT_Total). When we report ACT test score information, we utilize the composite as listed above, but when reviewing your file for admission purposes we only focus on the ACT English and Math.

When reviewing your file, we use whichever English/EBRW or Math subscores (either SAT or ACT) are strongest overall. We do not mix scores between the tests, so we will not select highest SAT Math + highest ACT English to calculate a superscore. In short, it will not have any negative impact on your application if one of your tests doesn’t measure up to the standards you’ve set for yourself. We only use the scores that put you in the best light and represent your best effort among all the times you’ve taken the SAT or ACT.

We do not have a preference between the ACT and SAT. In fact, we often recommend that students attempt each test at least once. Used in conjunction with a student’s grades and rigor of curriculum, both have proven equally reliable in predicting academic success at UGA, as is evident in UGA’s first-to-second year retention rate of 95%.

Please note: As with rigor of curriculum, a high score on the SAT or ACT will not compensate for a non-competitive GPA. Your record of three to three-and-a-half years’ worth of rigorous academic work in the classroom will be the primary focus of any admission decision.

Letter of Recommendation

All first-year applicants should submit a School/Counselor Evaluation Letter, as well an optional academic Letter of Recommendation from a teacher or school counselor. Here are some quick reminders as you think about whom to ask for a recommendation. A good letter of recommendation will be from a source who has seen you demonstrate and can vouch for your ability to complete rigorous academic coursework independently. Examples of this could be an AP or Honors teacher, or a teacher in your most challenging class. Less effective letters would be vague and less focused on academic performance. The recommender can submit these two documents electronically or can print a PDF version found on our Printable Forms page, complete it, and mail it to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions.University of Georgia210 South Jackson Street
Athens, Ga 30602(+1) 706-542-8776Monday – Friday
9:00 am – 4:00 pm (EST)

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First Year

Applying to college is a thrilling experience and we’re excited that you’re considering the University of Georgia. We want to do everything we can to answer your questions, guide you through the admissions process, and introduce you to UGA.

In reviewing first-year applicants for admission, the University of Georgia sets no rigid standards for test scores or high school grade point averages that carry over from year to year. Admission is competitive as there are a limited number of spaces available in the first-year class. Admission standards depend on the number and quality of students who apply each year, thus varying accordingly.

Early Action or Regular Decision?

One of the most common questions our office receives is “Should I apply for Early Action or Regular Decision?”

The best way to answer that question is to rephrase it to: “Is my application ready now?”

Applicants for Early Action (EA) and Regular Decision (RD) undergo the same review process, which means that the choice is a matter of timing. Applicants ready to apply for Early Action are prepared to have their application for admission evaluated based on:

Grades through the end of junior year
Rigor of a student’s curriculum relative to the curriculum offered at his/her high school
*If you decide to include optional test scores, the results of these taken AND requested by October 15th

Secondary consideration is given to the following factors:

Intellectual Pursuits
Creative Endeavors and Intercultural Experiences
Public Service
Co-curricular Activities
Community Involvement
Leadership and Family Commitments
Integrity and Personal Maturity

WHY APPLY EARLY ACTION?

Early Action has an application deadline of October 15. Applying through Early Action allows students an expedited process to know an application decision sooner- typically before December 1. This gives students admitted in EA more time to explore UGA before the commitment deadline.

There are three possible decisions released for EA applicants: an offer of admission, a deferral of decision, or a denial of admission.

Students who receive a deferral of decision are academically competitive for admissions, and are deferred so that their application can undergo additional holistic review. We recommend that deferred students submit updated academic information.

Early Action and Regular Decision are both non-binding applications, meaning that we will not limit an applicant from applying in any way to another college, and if admitted, the student will have until May 1 to submit a commitment deposit.

WHY APPLY REGULAR DECISION?

Regular Decision provides applicants an opportunity to be reviewed at a later date in UGA’s admission cycle. This gives students additional time to add any updated test scores, include first semester senior year grades, and add any additional supporting documents.

Regular Decision has a deadline of January 1. Decisions are typically released in mid-March and students have until May 1 to submit a commitment deposit.

The Primary Factor in Admission Decisions at UGA

“Demonstrated academic achievement” is the primary factor in first-year admission decisions at the University of Georgia. The academic review of first-year applications centers on several criteria: the student’s grade point average (GPA) in core academic courses, the rigor of a student’s course selection, and his or her best combination of scores on the SAT or ACT (if the student decides to include optional test scores).

Additionally, all applications are reviewed for conduct issues; recommendations; satisfactory completion of all courses and completion of the required College Preparatory courses. Grades from high school and rigor of school curriculum make up about 75% of our prediction of academic success at UGA with standardized exams comprising the remaining quarter.
FIRST YEAR ADMISSION CRITERIA

ADDITIONAL FACTORS IN ADMISSION DECISIONS

UGA’s Faculty Admissions Committee has identified a number of additional factors that may be considered in admission decisions or merit scholarship consideration. These include: excellence in academic achievement, intellectual pursuits, and creative endeavors; an understanding of and respect for intellectual, social, and cultural differences; significant commitment to citizenship through public service, school activities, community involvement, leadership, and/or family; evidence of integrity and personal maturity; and the ability to benefit from and contribute to a culturally and intellectually diverse community of scholar-citizens. All first-year candidates who are offered admission for Summer or Fall semester must submit a non-refundable commitment deposit no later than May 1 to secure a seat in the first-year class. Commitment deposits will be credited towards students’ accounts at the beginning of the Fall semester.REQUIREMENTS DEADLINES University of Georgia210 South Jackson Street
Athens, Ga 30602(+1) 706-542-8776Monday – Friday
9:00 am – 4:00 pm (EST)

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