ADMISSION STANDARDS FOR UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS

Sam Houston State University accepts applications for undergraduate admission from students without regard to race, color, religion, sex, disability, or age.

All undergraduate admission applications and all transcripts (high school and college/university) are discarded/destroyed when students do not enroll (or register for classes) for the semester/summer session for which admission was sought.

BEGINNING FRESHMEN

A beginning freshman student who graduated from an accredited high school must take the ACT Composite or SAT I Total (verbal + quantitative).
A beginning freshman student must submit all of the following documentation.

• Completed Texas Common Application or the SHSU Undergraduate Admissions Application with non refundable application fee.
• Official copy of ACT Composite or SAT I Total (verbal + quantitative) score
• Official copy of high school transcript showing class rank. Upon graduation from high school, applicant must provide a final official high school transcript showing final class rank, date of graduation, and graduation plan.

Admission considerations include the following.

• Students in the top 10 percent, no minimum score on ACT Composite or new SAT I Total (Critical Reading + Math)
• Students in the top 11-25 percent range, a minimum score of 17 on ACT Composite or a minimum score of 850 on new SAT I Total (Critical Reading + Math)
• Students in the second quartile, a minimum score of 19 on ACT Composite or a minimum score of 930 on new SAT I Total (Critical Reading + Math)
• Students in the third quartile, a minimum score of 22 on ACT Composite or 1030 on new SAT I Total (Critical Reading + Math)
• Students in the fourth quartile, a minimum score of 25 on ACT Composite or 1140 on new SAT I Total (Critical Reading + Math)
  
  Score does NOT include writing portion.

A beginning freshman student who has attempted college/university course work while enrolled in high school or in the semester prior to entering Sam Houston State University must provide official transcript(s) indicating the completion of all transferable academic hours (excluding developmental, remedial, vocational/technical, continuing education, or lifelong learning courses) with an overall cumulative transfer grade point average of 2.0 or higher on all academic hours attempted.

GRADUATES OF A NON-ACCREDITED HIGH SCHOOL INCLUDING HOME SCHOOL AND STUDENTS WHO EARNED THE GED

• Completed Texas Common Application or the SHSU Undergraduate Admissions Application with non refundable application fee.
• Official copy of ACT Composite or SAT I Total (verbal + quantitative) score.
• Official copy of high school transcript showing class rank or official GED certificate with GED scores. If the student is home schooled, a notarized copy of the transcript must be provided. Upon graduation, applicants must provide a final official transcript showing final class rank and date of graduation.

Sam Houston State University considers admission for qualifying graduates from non-accredited high schools, home school graduates, or students who earned the GED who meet the following criteria.

• Score at least 21 on the ACT Composite or 1010 on the SAT I Total (verbal + quantitative).
• Present a high school/home school transcript that meets the Texas State Graduation Requirements as approved by the State Board of Education. (See the website or Texas Administrative Code (TAC) Chapter 74.) Students who earned the GED must present an official copy of GED certificate with GED scores in lieu of a transcript.

TRANSFER STUDENTS

For purposes of this policy, a transfer student is defined as an undergraduate student who has attempted transferable academic course work from an accredited college or university. “Transferable academic course work” is defined as those attempted hours of course work which are applicable to a baccalaureate degree program.

Transfer Students from U.S. Colleges or Universities. Undergraduate students who transfer to Sam Houston State University from another regionally accredited college or university must have a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or higher AND provide all of the following documentation.

• Completed Texas Common Application or the SHSU Undergraduate Admissions Application with non refundable application fee.
• Official transcript(s) from all accredited colleges and universities attended.

Undergraduate students who transfer from a regionally accredited college or university with less than 12 transferable hours must also meet the standards of beginning freshmen students (see Beginning Freshmen above).

Sam Houston State University accepts a maximum of sixty-six academic hours plus four hours of activity based physical education (kinesiology) for a total of seventy semester hours from the accredited community colleges attended.

Students who are currently suspended from another college or university are not eligible for admission to Sam Houston State University.

All academic courses attempted at a four-year regionally accredited U.S. college or university will be reviewed for transferability. Sam Houston State University reserves the right to refuse courses taken at U.S. schools other than regionally accredited colleges or universities.

FORMER SHSU STUDENTS

• Application for undergraduate admission
• Official transcripts from all institutions attended since last attending SHSU.

SUMMER TRANSIENT STUDENTS

Students applying for summer school only must meet the same undergraduate admission requirements as stated in the Transfer Students from U.S. Colleges or Universities section above. Also, summer school only students are required to provide verification of THEA Test scores to the Registrar’s Office.

EARLY UNDERGRADUATE ADMISSIONS PROGRAM

High school students who have completed the junior year may be accepted to attend classes at Sam Houston State University. To be accepted to attend classes, the students must provide official documentation for the criteria listed below, complete the undergraduate admissions application form, and pay the non refundable application fee. To qualify for the Early Undergraduate Admissions Program, a high school student must meet the following criteria:

• Be in the top 25% of the graduating class.
• Have the intent to return to high school and complete the senior year.
• Have the recommendation of the high school principal or counselor.
• Have written permission of parent or guardian.
• Provide verification of THEA status.
• Submit the completed Early Admission Application.

Upon graduation from high school, the student must submit a new undergraduate application to change the classification from “Early Admissions” to “Undergraduate Student” and meet the appropriate admission standards in order to continue taking classes at Sam Houston State University.

FULL-TIME EARLY UNDERGRADUATE ADMISSIONS PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

Sam Houston State University recognizes that in some instances a truly gifted high school student may receive considerable educational benefit from a full-time early undergraduate admissions program to a college or university.

To be admitted to the University, the student must provide official documentation for the criteria listed below, complete the undergraduate admissions application form, and pay the non refundable application fee. High school students desiring to enter a full time early undergraduate admissions program must fulfill the following requirements.

• Complete the junior year of high school.
• Be in the top 25% of the graduating class.
• Score 27 or higher on the ACT Composite or 1200 or higher on the SAT I Total (verbal + quantitative).
• Provide letters of recommendation from the high school principal and two other high school teachers.
• Provide a signed letter from the student’s parents or guardian stating that they understand the program and approve of the student’s participation.
• Have a personal interview with the Academic Standards and Admissions Committee.

ADMISSION OF UNDERGRADUATE INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

All undergraduate international students must file the Texas Common Application or the SHSU Undergraduate Admissions Application and pay the non refundable application fee in U.S. currency.

Sam Houston State University has five categories of undergraduate international students: beginning freshmen who have graduated from a high school outside the United States, beginning freshmen who have graduated from a high school in the U.S., transfer students who have attended a college or university from outside the U.S., transfer students who have attended a college or university in the U.S. and have obtained at lease 60 hours or an associate degree, and transfer students who have attended a college or university in the U.S. and have obtained less than 60 hours.

International students who are beginning freshmen graduating from a high school outside the U.S. must provide the following:

• TOEFL score of 550 or 213 (computer version) if English is not their first language.
• Official high school transcript.
• Evaluation of high school transcript from an accredited evaluation company.
• Support documents (see Requirements for Registration by Undergraduate International Students below).

International students who are beginning freshmen graduating from a high school in the U.S. must provide the following:

• A final high school transcript showing the date of graduation and class ranking and submit satisfactory ACT or SAT scores. The admissions requirements for beginning freshmen graduating from U.S. high schools are:
• Students in the top 10 percent, no minimum score on ACT Composite or SAT I Total (verbal + quantitative)
• Students in the top 11-25 percent range, a minimum score of 17 on ACT Composite or a minimum score of 850 on SAT I Total (verbal+quantitative).
• Students in the Second Quartile, a minimum score of 19 on ACT Composite or a minimum score of 930 on SAT I Total (verbal + quantitative).
• Students in the Third Quartile, a minimum score of 22 on ACT Composite or 1030 on SAT I Total (verbal + quantitative).
• Students in the Fourth Quartile, a minimum score of 25 on ACT Composite or 1140 on SAT I Total (verbal + quantitative).

Support documents (see Requirements for Registration by Undergraduate International Students listed below).

• Copies of all immigration documents.

International students who are transfer students who attended a college or university outside the U.S. must provide the following:

• TOEFL score of 550 (paper based) or 213 (computer version) if English is not their first language.
• Official transcripts from all colleges/universities attended.
• Evaluation of all transfer work from an accredited evaluation company.
• Support documents (see Requirements for Registration by Undergraduate International Students listed below).

International students who are transfer students who attended a college or university in the U.S. and have obtained at least 60 hours or an associate degree must provide the following:

• Official transcripts from all colleges/universities attended.
• Support documents (see Requirements for Registration by Undergraduate International Students listed below).
• Advisor’s report.
• Copy of all immigration documents.

International students who are transfer students who attended a college or university in the U.S. and have obtained less than 60 hours must provide the following:

• TOEFL score of 550 (paper based) or 213 (computer version) if English is not their first language.
• Official transcripts from all colleges/universities attended.
• Support documents (see Requirements for Registration by Undergraduate International Students listed below).
• Advisor’s report.
• Copy of all immigration documents.