Admissions

Phone: (309) 438-2181
Toll free: (800) 366-2478

Illinois State University maintains a small college environment within a large university. We value personal attention for each and every student and our commitment to individuals begins with the recruitment and admission processes.

Illinois State seeks a highly-motivated, academically well-prepared, and diverse student body. Admission to the University is competitive. Applying during the priority filing period is encouraged as the University has the right to limit enrollment due to space availability in major programs and overall student capacity. Please refer to the Admissions website for more information and detailed dates and deadlines.

Student Types

Beginning Freshman, also known as First Time in College (FTIC)

The following will classify a student as a new beginning freshman (FTIC):

A person who has never attended any college or university since graduating from high school. A student earning college hours while in high school will be classified as a new beginning freshman.
A person who enrolls at any college or university during the summer term immediately following high school graduation and then enrolls during the subsequent fall term at Illinois State University will be classified as a beginning freshman.
A person who graduates early from high school, attends a college or university during the spring term, and begins at Illinois State the following fall will be considered a beginning freshman if the high school transcript lists the graduation date as May or June.

Transfer Student

The following will classify a student as a transfer student:

1. A person who has enrolled at any college or university after graduating from high school, whether or not any work was completed (except for students who classify as beginning freshmen under number 2 or 3 under the Beginning Freshman section).

2. A person who graduates early from high school and attends a college or university during the spring term and begins at Illinois State the following fall will be considered a transfer student if the high school transcript lists the graduation date as December or January.

Former Illinois State Student/Readmit

A person who wishes to return to Illinois State after not enrolling for one or more semesters, excluding summer, and has not received their bachelor’s degree from another institution while away.

Non-Degree Visiting Student

A person who does not have a bachelor’s degree and desires to take classes at the University without working toward a degree.

International Student

A person who is neither a United States citizen nor a United States permanent resident and cannot be classified as undocumented.

Undocumented Student

A person who lives in the United States without documentation of U.S. citizenship or legal residency.

Admission Guidelines

The following sections outline the admission guidelines for the student types previously listed. Please note that catalog year does not govern admission requirements to the University or to a specific major. Requirements can change yearly based upon the competitiveness of the applicant pool and the space availability at the University and within each major program. Only graduation requirements are governed by catalog year.

Program-Specific Admission Criteria

Illinois State University regulates admission to designated programs when the number of students seeking admission exceeds the available educational resources of the department or school. Specific majors may have additional admission requirements.

Freshman Admission

Illinois State considers the following when making an admission decision:

Grade point average
SAT or ACT (optional)
Academic Personal Statement (optional; may be requested based on application review)
Applicants must also show successful completion of the following:
English – 4 years
Mathematics – 3 years; we encourage college readiness courses like algebra, geometry, trigonometry, or fundamentals of computer programming.
Natural science – 2 years with laboratories
Social science – 2 years
Foreign language or fine arts – 2 years*
Electives – 2 years

*NOTE: All students in the College of Arts and Sciences must satisfy a foreign language graduation requirement that may be met by: 3 years of the same foreign language in high school or completion of the second semester or higher of college-level foreign language with a passing grade or equivalent proficiency as determined by examination. Students who have completed 1 semester of college foreign language credit may elect to satisfy this requirement by studying abroad in an approved program in a non-English speaking country. American Sign Language may be used to fulfill this requirement by transfer credit or by proficiency.

General Equivalency Diploma in Lieu of High School Diploma

Applicants who use general equivalency diploma (GED) test results in lieu of a high school diploma are required to submit GED test results reflecting the standard of 150 on four tests and a total score of 600 or better. Applicants may also submit SAT or ACT test scores.

Finalizing Admission

Admission decisions are conditional until final transcripts are received and satisfactory completion of courses is confirmed. Admission may be revoked if this information is not verified by the final official transcript(s). If the validity of the transcript or high school diploma is questioned, the Office of Admissions will request documentation from the secondary school that confirms the validity of the student’s diploma. In addition, the Office of Admissions may contact the relevant department or agency in the state in which the secondary school is located to confirm that the secondary school is recognized as a provider of secondary school education. Withholding information or giving false information to the University may make a student ineligible for admission to the University or subject to dismissal.

Transfer Admission

Illinois State considers the following when making admission decisions:

Transfer program requirements:

Good academic standing from last school attended.
If fewer than 24 college semester hours completed at the time of application, high school courses and high school grade point average (SAT or ACT scores are optional)
Proof of high school graduation or passing scores on GED exam, if requested.
Optional: an academic personal statement explaining circumstances that affected collegiate academic performance.
Some programs have cumulative college grade point average and prerequisite coursework

Illinois State requires all students to have a declared major upon completion of 75 hours. Due to this policy, transfer students are encouraged to apply to a major program of study. Transfer students with a high amount of transfer credit will be carefully reviewed and evaluated on a case by case basis for admissibility to the University and to their intended major.

Illinois State University will calculate a cumulative undergraduate grade point average, which will include all courses completed with the exception of developmental (non-credit) coursework. However, for a course repeated at the same college or university, only the highest grade received will be used in calculating the grade point average for admission.

Finalizing Admission

Admission decisions are conditional until final transcripts are received and satisfactory completion of courses is confirmed. Admission may be revoked if this information is not verified by the final official transcript(s). Withholding information or giving false information to the University may make a student ineligible for admission to the University or subject to dismissal.

Transferability of Course Credit

After admission to Illinois State, the Office of the University Registrar will determine how much transfer credit will be given and how it may be used to fulfill Illinois State’s curricular requirements. Transfer credit from community colleges is limited to 70 semester hours; credit from four-year colleges and universities is limited to 90 semester hours. Additional credit for military service may be considered.

Students who have completed an A.A. from any regionally accredited post secondary institution or the Illinois Articulation Initiative General Education Core Curriculum (IAI GECC) at an accredited, participating Illinois college or university will be considered to have met the Illinois State University General Education requirements.

Students who have completed an A.S. from an accredited, participating Illinois college or university must complete the IAI GECC either as part of their A.S. degree or by completing the GECC at ISU or by transfer credit. All distribution requirements of each GECC category must be followed; that is, both a humanities and a fine arts course must be completed and at least two different disciplines must be represented in Social and Behavioral Sciences.

Students who have completed an A.S. from any regionally accredited post-secondary institution outside the state of Illinois will be considered to have met the Illinois State University General Education requirements.

Students completing an A.A. or A.S. will also have junior class standing. Illinois State University accepts the AAT degree as a baccalaureate-oriented degree when the AAT degree includes the IAI transferable core.

Transfer students who transfer credit from participating Illinois colleges or universities that satisfies some but not all requirements of the IAI GECC may satisfy Illinois State General Education requirements by completing requirements for the IAI GECC at Illinois State or by completing the University’s own General Education program. Other students must complete Illinois State’s General Education program.

Illinois State generally accepts transfer courses with earned grades of D. However, certain courses in some major programs may require a grade of C or better. When a student who pursues one of these majors transfers D grade course credit that is equated to an Illinois State course requiring a grade of C or better, the student will have to repeat the course to satisfy the major program requirements.

Second Bachelor’s Degree

A student who has already received one bachelor’s degree may receive a second bachelor’s degree at Illinois State University upon completion of degree requirements. Students must meet the admission requirements for the major selected and meet appropriate deadlines. All college-level undergraduate coursework will be taken into consideration when computing an overall GPA for evaluation.

Second bachelor degree seeking students are required to fulfill degree requirements as listed in the catalog at the time of admission to the second bachelor degree program. The program of studies completed for the second degree must include at least 32 semester hours of coursework taken after the granting of the first degree, of which 30 hours must be taken in residence at Illinois State. At least 24 of the 32 hours completed toward the second degree must be at senior college-level (courses numbered 200 and above).

Former Illinois State Students Seeking Readmission

Students who have been absent from the University for one or more semesters must apply for readmission. Early application is encouraged as it may not be possible to offer readmission for the term requested due to space limitations. Readmitted students should consult the section on Undergraduate Catalog Requirements to determine which catalog should be used to determine graduation requirements.

Illinois State considers the following when making decisions on readmission:

Students must have left Illinois State University in good academic standing.
If coursework is completed since leaving Illinois State, a minimum 2.00 GPA is required for all college coursework completed and good academic standing must be shown from the last institution attended. Please note that many majors require higher GPA standards and prerequisite college coursework for admission. The student’s Illinois State University GPA is used to determine eligibility for any new major.

View the admission requirements for specific majors.

If on probation or dismissed, students may be considered for reinstatement or for the New Start readmission program. Supplemental information may be requested to determine eligibility.

Learn more about these readmission options.

If dismissed for disciplinary reasons, students should contact the Office of Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution for disciplinary clearance. Readmission cannot be considered until clearance is given.

New Start Policy

Students who leave Illinois State in a degree program with less than a 2.00 cumulative grade-point average (GPA) may be considered for readmission through the New Start Policy. Applicants admitted through this policy will begin with a new cumulative GPA calculated from the point of their reentry.

Students may be considered for readmission through the New Start Policy after being away from the University for one full year (example: a student who last attended the University during the fall 2016 term may not be considered for reenrollment through the New Start Policy until the spring 2018 term) and only when the requirements of one of the following New Start categories are met: Nontraditional Student, Veteran, or Community College Transfer.

Students may exercise the New Start policy only once. Such students will have “New Start” indicated on their transcript. New Start will affect only the cumulative GPA and eligibility for graduation honors. All grades earned at Illinois State, regardless of when earned, will be used in the calculation of the major GPA, the minor GPA, and for Satisfactory Academic Progress calculation for financial aid eligibility.

Students who are admitted through the New Start Policy will be admitted on academic probation and be required to participate in Project Success (see the Academic Policies and Practices section for further information). Students who reenter under the New Start Policy must follow the Undergraduate Catalog in effect at the time of reentry. To be eligible for graduation, a student must earn at least 30 semester hours at Illinois State University after exercising New Start.

Visiting Student/Unclassified Admission

Individuals desiring to take a class or classes at Illinois State as a visitor without working toward a specific degree at Illinois State may be admitted as non-degree seeking students. Applicants may be required to provide evidence showing prerequisite background for the course(s) desired. Non-degree students must maintain the same standard of performance as degree-seeking students. Visiting students who wish to become candidates for a degree at some later time must apply for admission as a degree seeking student and must meet published requirements for admission into the desired program. There is no guarantee that courses taken as a visiting student will count towards a degree should the student be admitted into a degree program in the future. Additionally, some courses at Illinois State are only available to students in specific majors, so there is no guarantee of course availability. Students who hold a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited college or university are not eligible for the unclassified undergraduate status.

International Student Admission

Freshmen Admission:

Illinois State considers the following when making an admission decision:

Grade point average
English proficiency

Applicants must also earn the equivalent of a U.S. high school diploma from a recognized international institution of secondary or high school level, or will do so prior to enrollment.

English as a Second Language

Illinois State University's Office of International Engagement offers the Academic English, International Year One, and Graduate Pathway programs for international students to improve their English language comprehension while preparing them to be successful, degree-seeking students at the University.

Transfer Admission

Transfer program requirements:

Good academic standing from last school attended
If fewer than 24 college semester hours are completed at the time of application, high school grade point average
English proficiency
Some programs have cumulative college grade point average and prerequisite coursework

Upon receipt of all necessary materials, the Office of International Admissions will review the application file for an admission decision. Students who are admitted and submit federally required financial documentation will be sent a Certificate of Eligibility (I-20) for Non-immigrant (F-1) student status.

Eligibility:

International students must:

Demonstrate English proficiency by meeting our English Proficiency Guidelines
Submit a declaration of finances showing source of support and official documentation of funds available for the first year’s expenses. Financial proof is required for all students seeking F-1 status.

International applicants who meet all other academic criteria for admission but whose scores do not meet the minimum standards for English proficiency may be admitted to a degree program. In such cases, students will be required to attend courses in the Academic English program at their own expense and remain in the program until their English proficiency has improved to a level required for University enrollment.

Finalizing Admission

Admission decisions are conditional until final transcripts and other supporting documents are received.

Withholding information or giving false information to the University may make a student ineligible for admission to the University or subject to dismissal.

Special Admission Programs

The University may admit a limited number of applicants who show the potential for success in collegiate work but who do not meet all the regular admission standards.

The special admissions programs are as follows:

Adult Learner Program

All persons 25 years of age or older prior to the first day of class for any given semester, who hold a high school diploma or General Equivalency Diploma, may be considered for admission as an Adult Learner. Admission as an Adult Learner is an unclassified/non-degree seeking student status. If attendance at a college or university has been within two years of anticipated enrollment, students must submit transcripts indicating a cumulative grade point average of 2.00 on a 4.00 scale and be in good standing at the last school attended. Adult Learners who, at some later time, wish to become candidates for a degree must complete a minimum of 12 semester hours at Illinois State, apply for admission as a degree seeking student, and meet university admission requirements for the desired program. A student's Illinois State Adult Learner GPA is used in determining admission to desired major, along with other course prerequisites.

Concurrent Admissions Program (ConAp) for Army and Army Reserve Enlistees

The Concurrent Admission Program (ConAp) is a partnership between the Army Recruiting Command and over 1,900 participating colleges to mutually advance the goals of lifelong learning and postsecondary education for Future Soldiers. This program allows individuals enlisting in the Army or Army Reserve who are part of the Future Soldier program to declare their intent to enroll at a college or university at the time of their enlistment. The Future Soldier submits a College Referral and Intent to Enroll form to a ConAp college stating his/her intent to enroll during or after their enlistment. The college acknowledges the intent to enroll form and sends information about the college to the Future Soldier.

The ConAp form provides guidelines about applying for admission, preparing for the academic experience, beginning college work during enlistment, and staying in touch with the college. Please note that individuals must apply to Illinois State by using the standard application process, and individuals must meet admission requirements in effect at the time of their enrollment. In addition, a DD214 showing honorable discharge is required as part of the application process.

Dual Enrollment Program

Offers qualified high school students an opportunity to take college-level classes. Dual Enrollment students are evaluated on a case-by-case basis. If admitted, they are given unclassified student status and are advised by University College. They cannot be full-time students while still in high school and must take classes offered on campus.

Talent Program

Applicants who demonstrate an outstanding talent in art, music, theatre, dance, forensics, or athletics.

Veterans Program

Applicants who were Illinois residents at the time of entrance into the Armed Forces, who present a discharge for other than dishonorable reasons showing completion of at least a one-year active tour of duty in the Armed Forces, and whose first attendance at a college or university after discharge is at Illinois State can be considered for admission through this program.

Inquiries regarding these programs should be directed to the Office of Admissions, 201 Hovey Hall, Illinois State University, Campus Box 2200, Normal, IL 61790-2200, (800) 366-2478 or VetAdmissions@IllinoisState.edu and should specify the particular program of interest.

Criminal Activity and Disciplinary Disclosure

Illinois State University is committed to maintaining a safe and positive environment for all members of the University community. Therefore, at the time of application, applicants will be required to disclose information regarding criminal background. In addition, applicants must report misconduct that resulted in disciplinary separation from a previous school or university. These cases will be reviewed by the University prior to an admission decision being made. Such disclosure does not automatically disqualify an applicant. For additional information, please contact the Office of Admissions.

Fraudulent Documents [HA1]

All documents and information submitted to the University are required to be true, accurate, and complete and the submission of documents that are forged, fraudulent, altered from the original, materially incomplete, obtained under false pretenses, or otherwise deceptive is prohibited as is the submission of information that is inaccurate or misleading, whether by act or omission. Further, it is the applicant's responsibility to notify the Office of Admissions of any changes to submitted application documentation and information.

Submission of fraudulent documents or information in the admission process shall automatically invalidate the application to Illinois State university and be grounds for revocation of admission and/or a temporary or permanent ban on future admission.

Immunization and Medical Requirements for all Students

All Illinois State University students are required, by College Immunization Code (77 III.Adm.Code 694), to provide documentation of the following:

Two Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccines given on or after the first birthday for students born after January 1, 1957.
A combination of 3 shots for DTP/Dtap/Td/ or Tdap. One must be a Tdap. One must be within the last ten years.
One Meningococcal conjugate vaccine after the age of 16 for new students under the age of 22 as of the first day of class. (Meningitis B and Menomune do not meet this requirement).

All immunization dates must be signed/certified by a physician or public health official. All immunization records must be submitted in English.

Please note that a physical examination is not required. International students are required by University regulations to have TB screening within ten days of their arrival on campus. The Student Health Services also strongly recommends that all students have immunization against Hepatitis B (a series of three injections).

Information and further instructions for meeting the stated requirements will be provided via future communication from Student Health Services for all incoming students. Student Health Services recommends completion of the immunization information as soon as possible. Students not in compliance with the immunization requirements by the 10th class of the first semester will have subsequent semester registrations blocked and be assessed an administrative noncompliance fee.

Further information can be obtained by calling Student Health Services at (309) 438-7559.