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Undergraduate Admissions

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Incoming Freshman

At the University of Houston, you will have the freedom and support to find your passion and acquire new skills.

You will find over 110 degree programs, taught by world-renowned professors, and pave the way to a future you envision — from shaping young minds as an educator to providing care to patients as a doctor to designing 21st-century resilient cities as an architect. The future is yours, and we will help you make it happen.

Not sure if you should apply as a freshman? Read up on our freshman requirements.

Undergraduate Admissions Brochure

View on ISSUU Download

110+ Undergraduate Majors

We have more than 110 majors to choose from. But it’s about more than just choosing a major. It’s about finding a calling and using your passion to create change and carve out your place in the world.

Important Dates and Deadlines

Spring 2025

  • Application Due: Dec. 2, 2024
  • Supporting Information* Due: Dec. 9, 2024

Summer 2025

  • Application Due: May 5, 2025
  • Supporting Information* Due: May 12, 2025

Fall 2025

  • Application Due: June 2, 2025
  • Supporting Information* Due: June 9, 2025

Fall 2025 Scholarship Priority Deadline

  • Application Due: Nov. 1, 2024
  • Supporting Information* Due: Nov. 8, 2024

Codes

Use these codes to submit your FAFSA and send your test scores to us directly from the testing agency:

  • FAFSA: 003652
  • SAT: 6870
  • ACT: 4236

*Supporting information includes application fee, self-reporting transcript information and test scores (if applicable). If applying without test scores, supporting information also includes your essay and resume.

We're Test Optional

What exactly does test optional mean, you ask? Freshman applicants have the option to apply with or without test scores (like the ACT or SAT). Applicants are not disadvantaged by applying without a test score; they simply must meet a different set of requirements. Compare admission requirements with a test score and without a test score below:

Requirements With Test Score

Class Rank SAT or ACT Admission Type
Top 10% No Minimum No Minimum Assured Admission
11-25% 1080 21 Assured Admission
26-50% 1170 24 Assured Admission
51% and Lower, No Rank - - Individual Review*

Requirements Without a Test Score

Class Rank Calculated Unweighted GPA** Admission Type
Top 10% No Minimum Assured Admission
11 - 25% 3.40 or higher Assured Admission
lower than 3.40  Individual Review*
26 - 50% 3.45 or higher Assured Admission
lower than 3.45 Individual Review*
51% and Lower, No Rank —  Individual Review*

*If you don't meet the assured admissions requirements, we will use your CommonApp or ApplyTexas essay and your resume in our review process. All students regardless of how they apply need to submit an essay and resume.

**This unweighted GPA will be calculated by UH (out of a 4.0 scale) using English, math, science and social studies grades on your transcript. Extracurricular classes will not be included.

Texas Education Code (TEC) 51.803-51.809 requires all students meet college readiness standards to be eligible for admission at a Texas four-year public institution. Read about the Texas Uniform Admission Policy.

To learn more about test optional admissions, visit test optional admissions webpage. You may also schedule a virtual appointment with an admissions representative for more guidance.

For those students who wish to include testing as part of their applications, UH will continue to accept SAT and ACT scores. We will accept ACT and SAT scores through the October 2024 test dates for students who wish to meet our priority scholarship deadline of November 1.

All students, regardless of their application type (with or without test scores), are required to self-report their core academic grades (English, science, social studies and math) as well as submit an essay and resume (submitted within the application for admission). We do not allow submission of essays or resumes after a student has submitted their Common App. Students also should be mindful of our majors with additional requirements as these programs have requirements that exceed the general University admissions requirements.

 

Incoming Freshman Application Process

  1. 1. Apply Online

    Use the Common App to apply. This is where you will indicate whether you want to be reviewed with or without a test score. Be sure to complete the short admissions essay (essay prompts 1, 2, 3 or 5 only — choose one) and tell us about your extracurricular activities within the activities section of your CommonApp — be as detailed as possible listing hours per week and weeks per year for each activity. We do not allow for resume or essay submission after the application has been submitted, so take your time! 

    Apply now

  2. 2. Pay Application Fees

    Pay the $75 application fee (It’s $90 for international students). You may qualify for an application fee waiver, which you can submit in your my.uh.edu self-service portal.

    Apply for a fee waiver

  3. 3. Self-Report Your Transcript

    After you submit your Common App application, you’ll receive an email from us within a few business days that includes your myUH ID, which you'll use to access your my.uh.edu self-service portal — this is where you’ll self-report transcript information. You’ll see an option for it on your applicant To-Do List. View our self-reporting guide or watch our video tutorial for step-by-step instructions.

    View all transcript submission options

  4. 4. Submit Test Scores

    Admissions With Test Scores
    Have your ACT or SAT score(s) sent directly from the testing agency to us.

    Admissions Without Test Scores
    If you applied for “admissions without a test score,” then skip this step.

    See full requirements

  5. 5. Check Your Status

    Check your application status in your my.uh.edu self-service portal.

  6. 6. Become an #OfficialCoog

    Applicants who are admitted will receive an admit packet in the mail and are encouraged to celebrate on social media using the hashtag #OfficialCoog! Then, register for Freshman Orientation in your my.uh.edu self-service portal. Learn more about orientation, when sessions are offered and other related topics on the orientation webpage.

    Sign up for orientation

Admissions Essay

You will be asked to submit a short admissions essay with your Common App application. Remember, you need to respond to only one of the essay prompts listed:

Common App Essay Prompts

Topic 1

Some students have a background, identity, interest or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.

Topic 2

The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?

Topic 3

Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?

Topic 4

Discuss an accomplishment, event or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.

Your myUH ID

Once you submit your Common App application, you’ll receive an email from us within a few business days that includes your myUH ID. You'll need this ID to access your myUH self-service portal.

It is imperative that you consistently monitor and update your myUH account. Within myUH, you will find important information like a personalized To-Do List, details on financial aid offers and your term balances. Additionally, your transcript will be self-reported through this portal.

Applicant Resources

  • Admissions Appeals
    Freshman applicants to UH who do not meet regular admission requirements may request further consideration by submitting a Freshman Admissions Appeal Form.
  • Transfer Credit Estimator
    Meet our Transfer Credit Estimator, a tool designed to help you estimate how many course credits may transfer to your chosen degree program at UH.
  • Change Your Application Term
    Use our application term change request form. The request is only available to applicants (not for students with decisions). Applicants are not required to submit a new application and must submit a request before the new application term deadlines.
  • Test Optional Admissions
    Still confused about applying without a test score? Go to our test optional admissions webpage to learn more.

Cost & Aid

  • Cougar Promise
    We’ll cover tuition and fees for those with an adjusted gross family income at or below $65,000. Tuition support is provided for those with an adjusted gross family income between $65,001 and $125,000. You must be a Texas resident, submit all required admissions documents by Jan. 15, 2025 and have completed the 2025-26 FAFSA or TASFA by the state of Texas priority deadline to be considered. The state of Texas priority deadline for 2024-25 FASFA was April 15, 2024.
  • Out-of-State Tuition Waiver
    Out-of-state and international students who receive $1,000 or more from various competitive University of Houston scholarships may qualify for an out-of-state tuition waiver. This means waiver recipients will pay in-state tuition rates.

Student Life

  • Housing
    Want to learn and grow in your own space? Living on campus is a great option. With multiple housing options to accommodate your campus experience, we can't wait to welcome you home!
  • Get Involved
    550+ student organizations. 35+ fraternities and sororities. 100+ multi-cultural organizations. 15 intercollegiate sports teams. No matter who you are, we have a lot to o­ffer. So, between classes and making memories that’ll last a lifetime, you’re going to have plenty to do.
  • Guided Virtual Tours
    The Office of Admissions offers virtual campus visits. Register for an opportunity to receive a live campus tour from a UH student ambassador and a brief information session from an admissions representative. This visit is approximately 30 minutes.

Questions?

Admissions representatives are experts when it comes to applying to UH. If you'd like to talk to an admissions representative for admissions support, you can schedule an in-person or virtual admissions advising appointment, or contact us by phone at 713-743-1010, option 4 or by email at admissions@uh.edu. Admissions representatives do not provide support with course selection or registration.

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