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FAQs: Admission Requirements
Click on a question to jump to the answer:
• What are the minimum requirements for admission?
• Which standardized tests does SMU require
for admission?
• What is the GPA requirement?
• What are the minimum high school course requirements?
• Are the SAT IIs required for admission?
• How and when will SMU receive my test scores?
• Do I have to take a foreign language class before
or after I come to SMU?
• What do I write my essay about, and how long should
it be?
• Do you conduct interviews, and are they required?
• Does my choice of major influence my chance of
admission?
• How does SMU consider students who have been home-schooled?
• How are athletes recruited to SMU?
• Do I have to be Methodist to attend SMU?
• For what Advanced Placement or International
Baccalaureate tests can I get credit?
• Do you accept correspondence course credit?
• How may I receive credit for an Advance Placement
test in high school?
• How do you treat concurrent (dual credit) high
school/college programs?
• How may I get credit for a course taken at another
college?
• Must I audition for the music, theatre, or
dance department?
• What do I need to do to get into an art program?
What are the minimum requirements for admission?
There are no absolute minimum requirements, but SMU considers GPA, grade
pattern, standardized
test scores, rigor of high school curriculum, counselor recommendation, extracurricular
activities, essay, talents, life experiences and personal qualities. Typically, a student who has
a strong academic record and has exhibited a variety of academic and personal
interests gains the most from the SMU experience.
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Which standardized tests does SMU require for admission?
SMU requires all applicants to submit SAT I scores and/or ACT scores.
We do not have a preference as to which of the two tests you take. We
will take the highest comparable score if you have taken both the SAT and ACT. We
will take the highest combined math and verbal scores on the SAT if it
has been taken more than once.
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What is the GPA requirement?
There is no absolute "cutoff" for grades. Classroom performance
would generally present competitive applicants in the top quarter of their high school
class. The difficulty of curriculum and competitive nature of the high
school are also important factors in the admission process.
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What are the minimum high school course requirements?
We strongly recommend a minimum of 17-18 solid academic units including
4 English, 3 math (algebra I, II, geometry), 3 social science, 3 science
(2 lab science), and 2 foreign language (of the same language). Students
who present programs in excess of minimum requirements generally have
an advantage in the admission process. Competitive applicants
present an average of 20 high school academic units.
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Are the SAT IIs required for admission?
Although a large percentage of applicants submit SAT II scores, they are
not required.
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How and when will SMU receive my test scores?
When the ACT or SAT is taken, students may indicate three schools to receive
their scores. When SMU is indicated, the College Board sends us a record
of your scores four to six weeks later. SMU's code for the ACT is 4174,
and our code for the SAT is 6660.
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Do I have to take a foreign language class before or after I come to SMU?
A minimum of two years of the same foreign language is required for admission.
Students who have not met this requirement will be required to take two
semesters of a single foreign language upon matriculation to SMU. Certain
majors may require additional foreign language classes at SMU.
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What do I write my essay about, and how long should it be?
Our application provides three essay suggestions, or you may write on a
topic of your own choosing. Most essays are approximately two pages, typed
and double-spaced. A thoughtful, well-written essay can positively influence
the admission committee's final decision.
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Do you conduct interviews, and are they required?
While interviews are not required to be considered for admission, we strongly encourage all applicants to interview with their admission counselor. While planning your campus visit, you may also schedule an interview with your admission counselor. Regional interviews are also available during the fall travel season, if you are unable to visit campus or unavailable when SMU visits your area, we also welcome phone interviews.
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Does my choice of major influence my chance of admission?
If you are planning to major in the performing arts, a required audition
is a critical factor influencing your chance of admission.
Otherwise, all first-year SMU students are admitted as "premajors" in Dedman
College of Humanities and Sciences, regardless of their intended major.
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Does SMU consider students who have been home-schooled?
Home school graduates must submit the application for admission, SAT I and/or ACT scores, and three SAT II subject exams (to include English, math, and science). Exceptions to the SAT II subject exam requirement will be considered if a student is able to demonstrate mastery of subject areas through successful completion of accredited college course or when the majority of the high school years have been in a traditional high school setting. SMU also requires the SMU Home School Application Supplement in addition to the application.
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How are athletes recruited to SMU?
Prospective athletes may call the recruiting coordinator in the SMU Department
of Athletics to make arrangements with the coach of the particular sport.
For more information, visit http://www.smumustangs.com.
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Do I have to be Methodist to attend SMU?
No. Actually about 15% of the SMU student population is Methodist, while
12% is Roman Catholic. The remaining students represent other Protestant
denominations and other religions, including Judaism, Buddhism, Greek
Orthodox, and Islam.
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For what Advanced Placement tests or International Baccalaureate tests
can I get credit?
SMU grants credit and placement for scores of 4 or 5 on most AP examinations
taken in high school. Six to eight credits will be awarded for scores
of 5, 6 or 7 on International Baccalaureate higher-level exams, with a
maximum award of 32 credits. For more information, visit http://smu.edu/catalogs/undergrad/admission.asp.
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How may I receive credit for an Advance Placement test in high school?
Arrange for an official copy of your test scores to be sent to SMU's
Registrar Office. Upon receipt of this information, SMU will determine the
credit you will receive.
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Does SMU accept correspondence course credit?
No. However, such coursework may represent to the Admission Committee
a commitment to study beyond the minimum high school curriculum.
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How do you treat concurrent (dual credit) high school/college programs?
SMU first-year students may request college credit for coursework taken
during high school. In order for this credit to be transferable to
SMU, the course(s) must meet all regular transfer requirements:
1) The course(s) must be completed at an accredited school;
2) The course(s) must be grades of C- or better in comparable SMU
courses;
3) The course(s) must be submitted on an official college/university
transcript; and
4) The course(s) must NOT be a correspondence course.
To process your concurrent credit, please request that official
college/university transcripts be sent from each institution you have
attended. Please note that even though you may not be granted course
credit, SMU must receive official transcripts from any college or
university you have attended. It is the student's responsibility to
ensure that a professional evaluation and an official transcript accompany
all foreign transcripts. Send all college-level transcripts to:
Concurrent/Dual Credit Processing
Southern Methodist University - DES
PO Box 750181
Dallas, TX 75275
If you are an admitted student, and are planning to enroll in
college-level coursework the summer after your high school graduation,
please be prepared to inform your Academic Adviser of this intent during
your session which will occur during Academic Advising, Registration, and
Orientation (AARO).
You will be notified of your transfer work as quickly as possible.
If your concurrent credit does not meet the above criteria, you may choose
to take AP exams offered by the College Board, or you may choose to take
optional departmental exams when you arrive for AARO.
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How may I get credit for a course taken at another college?
Arrange for the college to forward an official transcript to SMU. If you
are a transfer or first-year applicant, send the transcript to the SMU
Division of Enrollment Services. If you are a continuing SMU student,
send transcripts to the SMU Office of the Registrar.
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Must I audition for the music, theatre, or dance department?
Yes. All first-year and transfer students who intend to major or minor
in the performing arts must satisfy a performance audition requirement
as part of the admission process prior to matriculation. Auditions are
offered several times here on campus and throughout the country in fall
and early spring. Contact the Meadows School of the Arts to arrange an
audition. Performing arts students also must be admitted to the University
based on the undergraduate admission criteria, as discussed above. For
more information, visit http://www.smu.edu/~meadows/pstudentinfo.html.
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What do I need to do to get into an art program?
Students who wish to pursue a BFA in studio art are required to submit a portfolio to the Meadows School of the Arts. Students wishing to pursue a BA in art are encouraged but not required to submit a portfolio. A portfolio is required for scholarship consideration.
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