Freshman Admission

We expect our students to be prepared to succeed academically at The University of Alabama. A student applying for University admission should have at least a 2.0 grade point average ("C") in academic courses and an acceptable score on the ACT or SAT. We encourage applicants to take the ACT or SAT near the end of the junior year or early in the senior year of high school.

Students applying for University admission who graduated from high school at least four years prior to the date of anticipated enrollment may be admitted to the University without ACT or SAT scores, provided their high-school grade point averages are 2.5 (middle "C") or higher on a 4.0 scale.

However, prior to enrollment in coursework at the University, each admitted student must provide an ACT or SAT score for advising purposes.

Freshman orientation and registration. An orientation/registration program (Bama Bound) is provided for all new freshman students to assist them with the transition to college. Information about orientation and registration is mailed to each student after admission is granted. Each orientation session includes placement examinations, counseling, academic planning, career advising, and course selection and registration. Several orientation sessions are provided each year.

Preparation for college-level work. The University of Alabama Core Curriculum, required of all graduates, provides the foundation of every undergraduate degree program at the University. In addition to providing a solid understanding of the subjects covered, the core curriculum acquaints students with the ways knowledge is created.

The core curriculum includes academic courses in writing, the humanities, the fine arts, the social sciences, the natural sciences (including laboratory experience), and mathematics; it also requires knowledge of a language other than English or an understanding of computer language and application. To prepare for the core curriculum, applicants are encouraged to take maximum advantage of their high-school experiences by accumulating as many academic units as is practical. (Nonacademic units are not included when the grade point average is computed for purposes of admission decisions.)

Students whose records or placement scores do not meet recommended standards may be required to demonstrate that they possess the competencies supposed by these standards.

Minimum requirements for admission. As a minimum requirement for admission, The University of Alabama prefers that freshman students present either the advanced academic diploma or evidence of successful completion of the high-school academic courses listed below.* These course requirements are in addition to the requirements of a "C" average and an acceptable score on the ACT or SAT:

English	4 units
Mathematics	3 units, beginning with algebra I
Social studies	4 units, including world history or a comparable course
Science	3 units, including 2 units with a laboratory
Foreign language	1 unit
Other academic courses	5 units — students are encouraged to complete the following:
	• at least two years of a foreign language
	• one year of computer literacy
	• one year of fine arts
	• at least four years of mathematics and sciences

This requirement also applies to transfer students who have completed fewer than 24 semester hours or 36 quarter hours of college-level courses.

*Other suitable courses may be substituted for students whose high schools do not offer some of the coursework outlined above; contact the Office of Undergraduate Admissions for more information.