Undergraduate Admissions

Freshman Applicants

International students are eligible to apply for admission to Florida State University as freshmen if they will have completed the equivalent of an American secondary school education (approximately twelve years of formal education starting at age six) prior to entering Florida State, and have the appropriate diplomas or satisfactory results on leaving examinations.

To apply for freshman admission, applicants must:

Apply online at admissions.fsu.edu/undergradapp/.
Submit official or certified copies of all academic records from secondary school (in the native language, accompanied by certified English translations). To be considered "certified," documents should be true copies that are signed and dated by an educational official familiar with academic records. Documents signed by a notary or other public official with no educational affiliation will not be accepted.
Submit official ACT (#0734) and/or SAT (#5219) results for every test taken.
Submit an official English Language Proficiency results (required of all applicants whose native language is not English).
Contact the academic department directly if majoring in dance; motion picture, television, and recording arts; music; or theatre.

Notification of Admission Decisions

The Office of Admissions is "going green"; many of our communications, including your admission decision, will be sent electronically. Please make sure that we always have your most up-to-date email address. You will also need to check your email account and the Online Status Check at https://admissions.fsu.edu/StatusCheck/ on a regular basis.

Admission Criteria

Admission to Florida State University requires graduation from a regionally accredited high school with certain high school academic units, a cumulative grade point average in those academic units, and test scores as outlined below. Satisfying these minimum requirements does not guarantee admission.

A variety of other factors are also considered in the review process. These include the written essays, the pattern 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. The academic profile of the middle 50 percent of freshmen accepted in 2009 was:

3.5-4.1 academic GPA;
25-29 ACT composite; 1700-1930 SAT total

Required High School Course Units

4 units of English (at least three with substantial writing requirements)
3 units of mathematics at the Algebra I level and higher (beginning in 2011, a freshman applicant must successfully complete four units in mathematics, all of which must be at the Algebra I level and higher)
3 units of natural science (at least two with laboratory)
3 units of social science
2 sequential units of the same foreign language
3 elective units, preferably from the English, mathematics, natural science, social science, or foreign language areas

The typical student accepted to Florida State has 4.5 units of English, 5 units of math, 4.5 units of natural science, 5 units of social science, and 3.5 units of foreign language.

ACT/SAT Information

Applicants may take both exams, since Florida State uses the best composite/total score for admission purposes.
Applicants may take each exam more than once, since Florida State uses 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 or 21 on the ACT E/W or 500 on the SAT writing;
- Math · 21 on the ACT math or 500 on the SAT math; and
- Reading · 22 on the ACT reading or 500 on the SAT critical reading.
Having these minimum subscores does not guarantee admission. Most students admitted to Florida State University have higher subscores.
The January 23 SAT and February 6 ACT are the latest tests that we will use in the admission process for applicants applying for the summer or fall term.

Certification of Financial Responsibility

The Certification of Financial Responsibility Form is required supplementary information used for issuing your immigration form. Send the Certification of Financial Responsibility Form and all financial support documents to:

Proceed to Application