Frequently Asked Questions

While this blog covers a great deal of student/parent questions, and the other pages go into great detail about our admission process, many of our students have similar specific questions about UGA Admissions. As such,  we have tried to compile a list of some of these common questions:

• When will I hear a decision on my Freshman/Transfer application? How will I receive a decision?
  • While we cannot predict an exact date for a decision, we have created a Timelines page to try and help you get a rough understanding of when we release decisions. When we release decisions, a student will be able to view them on their MyStatus page, and we will also mail decision letters to students.
• Why does it take as long as it does to hear a decision from UGA?
  • We have roughly 40,000+ freshman applications and over 4,000 transfer applications yearly, and in order to make good decisions, we need time to review these files. While we want to make decisions in a timely fashion, we also want to make the best decisions possible, and that takes time.
• Does UGA take demonstrated interest into account when making decisions, such as the number of visits to campus, the number of contacts with admissions officials, etc.?
  • UGA does not take demonstrated interest into account when reviewing files, as there are a number of applicants who do not have the resources to do certain activities, and as well, demonstrated interest does not equal academic and personal strengths. We want to admit strong students and strong people, and so we look at the factors that give us that information.
• Will my choice of major have an impact on a decision, and how can I change my major?
  • Your choice of major is for UGA to be able to advise you properly if you enroll, but it does not have an impact on a decision. If you enroll, you will be able to change your major in the weeks/months prior to orientation using the UGA Athena student system.
• Does the term I apply for have an impact on a decision?
  • There is no difference in our review process between Spring, Summer or Fall terms. Our admissions process might be more competitive for future years (2016 vs 2015) due to a more competitive or larger applicant pool, but within a specific calendar year, there is no difference in a decision.
• How do I calculate what my HS GPA is for UGA Admission purposes?
  • When we receive a HS transcript, we focus on the grades on the transcript, and we do not look at the GPA calculated by the high school. UGA calculates our own admission GPA, as we need a common form of a GPA based on core HS grades, and the HS GPA on a transcript varies from school to school and state to state. See my Calculate a UGA GPA post for more details on how we do this.
•  What courses should I take to be admitted to UGA?
  • Freshmen: There are no specific courses that will lead to admission to UGA, but rather we want you to challenge yourself to the best of your ability in your HS while still being successful in your classes. This means that over your 4 year HS career, you should look at the core academic areas and take classes that will prepare you for college, such as Honors/Advanced courses, AP/IB/Dual Enrollment work, etc.
  • Transfers: UGA does not have any specific courses that you need to take to transfer into UGA, but you should review your intended major in the UGA Bulletin to see what courses are needed for graduating in this major, and if the department has any suggestions for transfer courses.
• Does the timing of my application impact a decision?
  • Freshmen: While the timing of the application has no impact on a decision (applications sent in on the first day & the last day are treated the same), applying earlier gives you and your counselor/teacher more time to submit documents/required materials. We heavily suggest not waiting until the deadline.
  • Transfers: While there is no difference in a decision due to when you apply, we make decisions on a rolling basis, and the earlier your have a complete application, the earlier you will most likely hear a decision (with some exceptions).
•  What are the minimum requirements for admission to UGA?
  • Freshmen: The only minimum requirements to UGA are set forth by the Board of Regents (BOR) for the state of Georgia, and they are as follows: minimum test requirements for research universities – SAT EBRW: 480, SAT Math: 440; or ACT English or Reading: 17, ACT Math: 17. In addition, the high school course requirements can be found in the BOR Staying on Course document. Due to the strength of the applicant pool, you will see that the average SAT/ACT scores and the academic course selections for enrolling UGA students are generally much higher than the minimum requirements.
  • Transfers: The Admissions Office sets minimum academic consideration levels for review of transfer applicants. These are not minimum requirements, but rather academic levels that we expect in order for a transfer student to be in consideration for admission. We do not take Work In Progress courses into account in our review, and you must meet consideration levels by the deadline(s). A student meeting or exceeding these consideration levels is not guaranteed transfer admission.
• When can I be considered for admission to UGA?
  •  Freshmen: Our freshman application generally opens up in August/September of your senior year, and so you would generally apply during your senior year for admission into Summer or Fall term following your HS graduation. We do have freshman who apply to start in the Spring, but that is a rare situation.
  • Transfers: The main part of our review of transfer applicants is to be able to look at your academic work at another college. As such, transfers can only apply for a term that starts at least a year beyond HS graduation (so if you graduate in May of 2015, you could apply for Summer 2016 or beyond). In addition, we need to have at least 30 hours of completed college work on a transcript by the deadline so we can get a sense academically of what your are like as a college student. At the same time, we set our deadlines so that we can respond with a decision in a manageable time frame for both the applicant and our office. As such, most transfer students start at UGA with at least 1.5 years of work prior to enrolling.
• My parent(s) graduated from UGA. Does that have an impact on my decision?
  • Legacy does not have an impact on an admission decision, and neither does your gender, ethnicity, high school/county, state, or eye color. There are always a number of rumors that are associated with college admissions, most of which are false, so I suggest you ask on the blog if you hear about a rumor.
• What matters most in the admissions review?
  •  Freshmen: Academics come first, with a focus on how you have challenged yourself over your 4 years in HS and how you have done in those classes. While we do look at the SAT/ACT scores, what you do over 3-4 years is much more important than what you do in 3-4 hours on a Saturday morning. In addition, for many applicants we will also look at your extra-curricular activities, essays, recommendations, etc.
  • Transfers: We focus only on your academic work from your previous colleges, and we look at all your college work, not just the latest colleges/terms. As such, we need official transcripts from all colleges ever attended.
• If I apply/am accepted to a specific term at UGA, does that mean I have to attend UGA for that term?
  • When you are admitted to UGA for a specific term, that means that you need to start UGA for that term in order to continue your future enrollment at UGA. Admission is only good to start in the term you have been admitted, and it does not carry over to future terms if you choose not to attend. As such, we heavily suggest applying for the term for which you actually want to attend, and since there is no difference in the decision process (contrary to some rumors), this will make sure you are able to actually attend UGA.