Admissions

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Office of Admissions

Executive Director of Admissions and New Student Programs
Katharine Johnson Suski

Admission

When to Apply

Applicants for the fall semester are encouraged to apply during the fall of the year preceding their entry to Iowa State University. Applications for other terms should be submitted well in advance of the desired entry date.

Application deadlines are available at www.admissions.iastate.edu.

Completed applications for admission to the professional curriculum in the College of Veterinary Medicine, together with the required supporting transcripts, must be received by an established deadline. See College of Veterinary Medicine, Application and Admission.

How to Apply

Applications for admission are available online at www.admissions.iastate.edu.

Iowa State University operates on a rolling admissions basis. Admission of applicants for fall semester begins in July of the preceding year. Admission for other terms begins approximately 12 months prior to the beginning of the term. Admission offers are issued for a specific term and are valid only for the term specified.

Undergraduate Admission Directly from High School

Admission decisions are made by admissions officers in accordance with the entrance requirements as set forth in the Iowa Administrative Code as well as the admission policies established by the Faculty Senate.

Students who seek admission must meet the following requirements and also any special requirements for the college or curriculum of their choice.

Applicants must submit an application for admission and the appropriate application fee (see www.admissions.iastate.edu for current application fee information). In addition applicants must have their secondary school provide an official final transcript of their academic record, including cumulative grade point average and certification of graduation.

Applicants must also arrange to have their ACT or SAT scores reported to Iowa State directly from the testing agency. U.S. citizen and immigrant applicants who will not graduate from an approved U.S. high school and whose primary language is not English must meet university communication proficiency requirements. This can be accomplished by achieving satisfactory scores on the TOEFL, IELTS, PTE, ACT, or SAT. In addition to these tests, the Duolingo English Test (DET) may be used for undergraduates only. Detailed information concerning test score requirements can be found at http://www.admissions.iastate.edu/intl.

Applicants may be required to submit additional information or data to support their applications.

A. Iowa State is test-optional for first-year applicants. Students may choose whether they wish to self-report their ACT/SAT scores when they apply for admission. 

REGENT ADMISSION INDEX FORMULA:

Applicants will be considered for admission based upon their Regent Admission Index (RAI) score. Below is the mathematical formula for calculating an RAI score: 

   ACT composite (or converted SAT) score x 3

+ Cumulative GPA x 30

+ Number of years of core courses in high school x 5

= RAI (Regent Admission Index)

Note: For purposes of calculating the RAI, SAT scores will be converted to ACT composite equivalents; high school GPA is expressed on a 4-point scale; and number of high school courses completed in the core subject areas is expressed in terms of years or fractions of years of study. 

Applicants who achieve at least a 245 RAI score and who meet the minimum high school course requirements will automatically be offered admission. 

Applicants who achieve less than a 245 RAI score and who meet the minimum high school course requirements may also be offered admission, based on individual academic review of their application materials. 

For applicants who choose not to report an ACT or SAT score, admission will be based on high school grade point average and high school core course requirements. 

Calculate your Regent Admission Index

A. Nonresidents of Iowa, including international students, may be held to higher academic standards, but must meet at least the same requirements as resident applicants.

B. Applicants who are graduates of nonapproved high schools will be considered for admission in a manner similar to applicants from approved high schools, but additional emphasis will be given to scores earned on standardized examinations.

C. Applications may be considered from students who did not graduate with their high school classes. They will be required to submit all academic data to the extent that it exists and achieve scores on standardized examinations which will demonstrate that they are adequately prepared for academic study.

D. Students with satisfactory academic records may be admitted, on an individual basis, for part-time university study while enrolled in high school or during the summers prior to high school graduation.

E. Exceptional students may be admitted as full-time students before completing high school. Early admission is provided to serve persons whose academic achievement and personal and intellectual maturity clearly suggest readiness for college-level study.

US freshman applicants are not required to submit ACT or SAT scores to be considered for admission. Applicants who do not provide their test scores will be considered for admission based on an individual review of their academic records with emphasis given to the high school cumulative GPA and core courses.

High School Preparation

Graduation from an approved high school shall ordinarily precede entrance into Iowa State University.

Students who wish to enter Iowa State University directly from high school (or transfer from another college or university with less than 24 semester hours of graded transferable college credit) must meet the level of academic performance described above and show evidence of the following high school preparation:

English/Language Arts

Four years, emphasizing writing, speaking, and reading, as well as an understanding and appreciation of literature

Mathematics

Three years, including one year each of algebra, geometry, and advanced algebra

Science

Three years, including at least two years of courses which emphasize elements of biology, chemistry, or physics

Social Studies

Two years

Additional Requirements for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the College of Engineering

In addition to the high school preparation requirements described above, students applying to the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences must have completed an additional year of social studies, for a total of three years, and two years of a single foreign language. Students applying to the College of Engineering must have completed two years of a single foreign language.

Students who do not meet the high school course preparation requirements listed here, but who are otherwise well qualified, may be admitted after individual review of their applications. 

Undergraduate Admission - Nondegree Undergraduate

Students who wish to attend Iowa State University to take undergraduate courses but who do not plan to seek an undergraduate degree from Iowa State University should apply as nondegree undergraduate students. Credit taken under the nondegree undergraduate classification is applicable for undergraduate degree purposes for those who are later admitted as degree-seeking undergraduate students. Nondegree undergraduates who have already earned an undergraduate degree may not enroll in graduate credits. To take courses listed as available for graduate credit, a student must enroll as a nondegree graduate and pay graduate fees. Credit obtained under the nondegree undergraduate classification may not be applied toward a graduate degree.

Nondegree applicants are held to the same standards of admission as degree-seeking applicants, including English language proficiency.

Reentering Students - Undergraduate and Graduate

Reentering undergraduate students are those who have previously attended Iowa State University and are returning after an absence of at least one full year. See lndex, Reentry Students.

International students need to reapply after an absence of one full semester, exclusive of summer session. International reentries must also contact the International Students and Scholars office to request the necessary visa application forms.

Reentering graduate students do not need to complete a reentry form but should notify their program and the Office of the Registrar of their intent to reenter Iowa State University. Graduate students returning after 24 months will need to complete the reinstatement process. See Index, Reentry Students.