Freshmen Admissions

Freshmen applicants should be one of the following:

Currently enrolled in high school with no college credits
Currently enrolled in high school with dual enrollment college credits
Graduated from high school with no earned college credits
International freshmen should also see the international admissions information

Please note that the application instructions on this page refer to entrance to the University. The following majors require separate departmental applications and/or requirements (see department links below for specific instructions):

Education (separate application after completion of first 30 credit hours)
Nursing (separate application after completion of all pre-nursing prerequisites)
Music (audition required)
Musical Theatre (audition required)
Theatre (audition required)
Dance (audition required)

Application, Dates and Documents Admission is competitive...

High school students may apply for admission after the completion of their junior year - applications for the next fall term open in mid-August.
To apply, use either the Common Application, the Coalition Application or UT's online application.
Applications are evaluated in rounds for fall and on a rolling basis for spring terms.

Application Options for Fall Entry:

You have three options to choose from when applying to The University of Tampa as a first-year student. It is important to select the plan that best fits you. If you have any questions, we encourage you to contact your Admissions counselor to discuss and better understand your choices.

Early Decision:

Application and all supporting documents must be submitted on or before Nov. 1 and decisions will be released by the end of December. Students admitted during the Early Decision round/plan must pay their enrollment deposit by Jan 15.

Early Decision is for applicants whose first choice is The University of Tampa and are ready to commit if offered admission. Early Decision is a binding agreement, stating that, if admitted, you will withdraw applications from all other institutions and enroll at UT. In addition to submitting the required supporting documents, Early Decision students must also submit an Early Decision Agreement form as part of their completed application. This form requires a signature from the applicant, parent/guardian, and high school counselor.

Early Action:

Application and all supporting documents must be submitted on or before Nov. 15 and decisions will be released by the end of February. The enrollment deadline for admitted Early Action applicants is May 1.

The most popular way to apply to UT! Early Action is a non-binding option where admitted students have until May 1 to make a final decision and confirm enrollment. This allows applicants to learn about their decision early, while still exploring other colleges and universities. This option allows individuals to weigh different admissions and financial aid offers before finalizing their college decision.

Regular Decision:

Application and all supporting documents must be submitted on or before March 1 and decisions will be released by the end of March. The enrollment deadline for admitted Regular Decision applicants is May 1.

Regular Decision is a non-binding option where admitted students have until May 1 to make a final decision and confirm enrollment. This plan is for students who need extra time to complete their applications and want to keep their options open.

Applications completed after March 1 are evaluated and decisions are released on a rolling, space-available basis.

Application Option for Spring Entry:

Applications for spring entry are evaluated on a rolling basis until the class is full.

The following documents are required for evaluation:

Completed application
$40 nonrefundable application fee
Official high school or secondary school transcript or GED results (plus official transcripts from all university or dual enrollment courses completed, if applicable) sent directly from the institution(s)
Essay - prompts available on the application.

The following optional documents/actions may help your application stand out:

Official SAT and/or ACT score report (We are test optional. If you are proud of your score, consider submitting.)
Guidance counselor or teacher recommendation
Resume/co-curricular transcript
Campus visits are strongly recommended, but personal interviews are not required.

Admission The Admissions Review Committee at The University of Tampa strives for transparency...

The Admissions Review Committee at The University of Tampa strives for transparency in the application review process. UT reviews completed student applications holistically. We define holistic admission as examining the entire student application file, the whole person and the context of the student’s environment. Academic accomplishment is clearly the dominating factor when evaluating students and making admissions decisions. However, there are many relevant criteria that also contribute to academic factors when UT decides to accept a student. We are particularly interested in student character, leadership and community service. The following provides examples that will demonstrate what we look for with respect to a student’s academic potential and strength of character, the two main areas of review during the evaluation process:

Academic Review:

Quality of grades
Quality of grades related to prospective major (e.g., chemistry grades for a forensic science major, etc.)
Strength and performance of coursework completed (number of AP, IB, AICE or dual enrollment courses taken and performance in these courses)
Academic challenge (number of AP, IB, AICE or dual enrollment courses taken, irrespective of grades)

Character Review:

Empathy and kindness toward others (e.g., community service, taking care of family in need, etc.)
Extracurricular activity and accomplishment (e.g., orchestra, band, theatre, honors societies, Girl/Boy Scouts, club involvement, athletics, performing arts, etc.)
Independence (e.g., travel, camps, after-school or summer employment, student-initiated communication with the University versus parents communicating, etc.)
Leadership (e.g., president, treasurer, captain/co-captain, MVP, first-chair instrumental, teacher’s assistant, etc.)

A college preparatory curriculum is required, including a minimum of 18 academic units (four English, three science (two must be laboratory sciences), three mathematics, three social studies, two foreign language and three academic electives).

Admission is contingent on graduation from high school or acceptable scores on the high school equivalency test (GED).

UT is also test optional. We do not require test scores for admission to the University. While a student may send test scores if they desire, such scores are not necessary during the application and admissions process at UT.

The University awards course credit for acceptable scores of Advanced Placement tests administered by the College Entrance Examination Board, CLEP examinations and International Baccalaureate course exams.

Home-schooled students should also submit a copy of the 11th-year annual pupil’s educational progress evaluation or annual assessment test results, as well as a grade transcript for all completed work at time of application, if available.

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