How is my high school GPA calculated for admission?

No, first-year students are not required to live on campus. Most first-year students do live on campus because of the ease of transition from home to campus life, access to university resources and the ability to make lifelong friends.

Due to restrictive state regulations, UCF is not permitted to provide online courses or instruction to students in some states. The list of states currently restricted is available at the Registrar’s website. While residing in one of these states you may not be permitted to enroll in UCF Online courses.

There is no separate application for UCF scholarships. All freshman applicants offered admission are considered for these awards so long as funds are available.

UCF will consider applications from students who are educated through a home-school program.

If your home-school follows a traditional U.S.-based high school curriculum, you should complete and submit a SPARK form. Otherwise, please email ucfsparkhelp@ucf.edu for assistance.

Once you finish your home-school program, you will be required to submit a final official transcript that includes a list of all coursework, showing final grades and units earned for each course completed. A brief description of the methods used for evaluation should accompany the home-school transcript. If home-schooled applicants previously attended another school or completed courses through the Florida Virtual School or through dual enrollment at a local college or university, official transcripts are required. Those courses should also be reflected on the home-school transcript.

Applicants who present a GED will also be considered for admission. Official GED results, a partial high school transcript, and ACT, SAT and/or CLT results must be submitted.

To review requirements and required documents, please visit the homepage and select the category of student that best describes you.

Housing applications are available for freshmen after they are offered admission, however, the timing depends on several factors.

For students admitted on the Nov. 15 Early Action decision notification date:

• You may submit a housing application on your Housing Portal Open Date. This date will be determined by the date and time that you pay your $30 admission application fee or submit an approved application fee waiver to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. ​
• The Housing Portal Open Date is the first day that Early Action admitted students can enter the Housing Portal and submit an application for on-campus housing. ​
  • This is not the ONLY date you can submit an application – just the first date. 

​For students who are NOT admitted Early Action:

• You will be able to apply for housing after you have been offered admission to UCF.
• Admissions decisions made after the Nov. 15 Early Action notification date will be released on a rolling basis beginning in early January.
• A Housing Portal Open Date will not be assigned to you if you did not apply Early Action.

There is limited availability for on-campus housing, so we advise students who are able to apply Early Action for faster access to the Housing Portal.

Students should register for and take the SAT, ACT and/or CLT exams early – preferably once in their junior year and again at the beginning of the senior year of high school.

NOTE: SAT and ACT scores must have been taken within the last five years. CLT scores must have been taken after July 1, 2023.

SAT, ACT and CLT administration dates are published by the respective testing agencies and can be viewed here:

SAT Test Administration Dates

ACT Test Administration Dates

CLT Exam Dates

Note: It can take up to three weeks for test results to be delivered to and processed by UCF. Take note of the applicable application completion deadline for your preferred term and request your official scores early enough to allow for transit and processing time.

There are a variety of options for scholarships.

• Your high school guidance or college counseling office
• UCF’s Office of Student Financial Assistance website
• Online sites like Fastweb and CollegeBoard

For freshmen, the mid-range (middle 50 percent) of our Fall entering class was:

• GPA: 4.1 – 4.5 (recalculated academic core)
• SAT: 1270 – 1390 (Evidence-based Reading and Writing + Math)
• ACT: 26 – 30 (composite)
• CLT: 90-100

Freshmen should apply early (between September and November of their senior year in high school) for maximum consideration in the admission and scholarship review process.

Transfer students should apply 6-9 months prior to the term for which you plan to enroll.

Currently, only first-time-in-college (freshmen) students may apply to UCF using the Common App. Students wishing to transfer to UCF should complete the UCF institutional application for admission. Additionally,first-time-in-college students may, if they choose, submit their application via the UCF institutional application for admission.

For technical questions regarding your Common Application to UCF, you may contact the Common App Solutions Center, 24/7 year-round.

The Solutions Center also holds online chats throughout application season and allows you to contact them via a web form. A search function also exists using keywords to direct you to the appropriate web-based resources.

Specific high school course units are required for admission as a first-year student (an academic unit is a non-remedial, yearlong course). We require a total of 18 high school units.

• 4 units of English (at least three with substantial writing requirements)
• 4 units of mathematics (Algebra I and above)
• 3 units of natural science (at least two with laboratory)
• 3 units of social studies
• 2 sequential units of the same world language
• 2 elective units, preferably from English, mathematics, natural science, social studies or world language areas

NOTE: Satisfying the minimum requirements does not guarantee admission into UCF. Florida BOG Regulation 6.001 (7) authorizes universities to refuse admission to applicants due to past misconduct.

Beginning in Spring 2017, UCF will not require the writing section of the ACT or the essay section of the SAT.