Requirements | First-year Students, Admissions, Oregon State University

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Admission Requirements

Selection of First Year Students

OSU's admission requirements promote student success by assessing student preparedness and academic potential in the unique context of each student's personal experience. Admission assessment will consider all achievement, both academic and non-academic, to enroll students with a broad range of characteristics and perspectives. Considerations include, but are not limited to: academic achievement, creativity, initiative, motivation, leadership, persistence, service to others, intellectual curiosity, exceptional personal or academic recognition, unusual talent or ability, substantial experience with other cultures, and ability to overcome significant challenges.

The admissions process consists of a fair and comprehensive review of all applicants to determine potential success at OSU. It is crucial for applicants to carefully complete the application process by providing thorough information. Estimating the likelihood of admission is very difficult without considering the complete application file.

Regular Admission
Extended Admission
Graduates of Non-standard or Unaccredited High School or home-schooled students

Regular Admission

The newest version of the SAT and ACT exams include a written essay portion. OSU requires students graduating in the year 2006 and beyond to submit scores for the new SAT Reasoning Test including the written essay test, or ACT test scores including the writing exam.

Initial admission selections are based on a holistic assessment of the criteria listed below:

Strength of Curriculum:

Quality, quantity, and level of coursework throughout the entire high school program, especially coursework completed beyond the minimum courses required (see high school course requirements chart).
AP, IB, Oregon PASS, or college coursework completed or in progress.
Strength of the program taken within the context of the high school attended.
Completion of a progressively challenging math sequence, demonstrated by performance.

Academic Performance:

Minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 and completion of the 14 required subject area courses.
Class rank taken in context with academic rigor and class size of high school attended.
Performance on standardized tests: SAT I, or ACT. SAT II subject tests will be considered when available.

Insight Resume:

Understanding of you as a unique, contributing individual.
Your accomplishments, perspectives, experiences, and talents.
Your achievements within the context of your social and personal circumstances.
Participation in activities that develop academic, intellectual, and leadership abilities.

High School Course Requirements

High school students must graduate from standard (private) or accredited (public) high schools.

Required Subject Area Courses

College Preparatory Subjects	Minimum units	Grades received must be C- or above in each class.
English	4 years
Mathematics	3 years	Culminating at the Algebra II level or higher
Social Studies	3 years
Science	2 years	One year each of two different sciences (Biology, Chemistry, Physics, etc.)
Foreign Language	2 years	May be met in any one of these ways: Completing two years of the same high school-level foreign language Earning grade of C- or higher in the third year of high school-level foreign language Completing two quarters of the same college-level foreign language Earning a satisfactory score on an approved assessment of foreign language knowledge Demonstrating proficiency in American Sign Language (ASL) Completion of grades 1-7 at a school in which all courses are taught in a language other than English. (Documentation is required.)

Extended Admission

Students not selected for regular admission may choose to participate in the Extended Admission process. Extended admission decisions will be determined by the Undergraduate Admissions Committee and are subject to Oregon University System guidelines for special admissions. In addition to regular admission requirements, students participating in the Extended Admission review will be required to provide the additional materials listed below:

Personal letter requesting special consideration. Your letter should focus on:
- Why you believe you should be admitted to OSU;
- Why you've chosen OSU;
- Your academic and/or career goals and how you have prepared for those goals;
- Any other information that would help the committee understand your unique situation.
Three letters of recommendation
- Two letters must be from classroom teachers, counselors, or academic instructors;
- One letter may be from an employer
Any additional relevant information or documentation.

Graduates of Non-standard or Unaccredited High School or home-schooled students

Graduates of non-standard or unaccredited high schools, or home-schooled students, may be admitted by successfully completing one of the following options:

SAT and ACT Scores

Students completing high school studies before 2006 must show:

A minimum SAT I score of 1070 on the recentered scale or an ACT - Enhanced score of 23 AND a score of 1410 on three SAT II subject tests (Writing, Math I or IIC and a third exam of the students choice).

Students completing high school studies during and after 2006:

A minimum score of 1540 on the new SAT I exam or 23 on the ACT (writing scores are required by OSU); AND an average of 470 or above and a minimum total of 940 on two SAT II Subject Tests:(Math Level I or IIC is required) plus a second test of the students choice.

OR

GED Scores

Achieve an average GED score of at least 58 (if taken prior to January 2002) or 580 (if taken January 2002 or later). No subtest score can be less than 41 (if taken prior to January 2002) or 410 (if taken January 2002 or later).

Please note: Students who graduate from high school or take the GED test in the 1996-97 school year and later must pass two years of the same foreign language prior to admission. Foreign language taken at an unaccredited high school does not qualify. If you have questions pertaining to any of this, please contact the OSU Admissions Office regarding your options for completion of this requirement.

Nontraditional Students

Applicants who have graduated from high school prior to 1985 must present SAT, SAT-I, or ACT scores and meet the minimum grade-point average requirement for entering first-year students. The high school subject requirements are waived.

Future Students