How can we help you?
Counselor Portal & Submission Forms
The UGA Office of Admissions thanks you for all that you do in guiding bright, young students to colleges and universities that fit their interests and abilities. As true leaders and mentors in the college selection process, you are invaluable resources to your students. As such, we would like to provide you with all the resources you need to best counsel students who are interested in attending the University of Georgia.
Below, you will find a list of questions frequently asked by high school counselors. If you have any additional questions, please contact us at adm-hsc@uga.edu, a separate email account UGA has set up specifically for high school counselors. When contacting us via email, please make sure to give us detailed information about your questions or situation. You may also phone our office at (706) 542-2112.
UGA / Georgia Tech Counselor Workshops
This Fall, Admissions Representatives from UGA and Georgia Tech hit the road to conduct our annual Guidance Counselor Workshops in order to provide you with the most recent updates on admissions processes, campus developments and answers to frequently asked questions.
Download a pdf of the presentation:
>> Georgia High School Counselors
>> Non-Georgia High School Counselors
Frequently Asked Questions
- What are UGA's application deadlines for first-year admission?
- What was the 2009-10 first-year student profile?
- What is UGA's philosophy of admissions?
- How important is diversity at UGA?
- Where can I find school evaluation and teacher recommendation forms?
- What merit scholarships are available at UGA, and how do students apply? Can students apply and check their application status online?
- Can I check a student's application status online?
- What are the core academic requirements for admission to UGA?
- What do students need to submit to complete their applications for admission?
- What if a student is a valedictorian or salutatorian in a Georgia high school?
- What is the Georgia Certificate of Merit Program, and how can I submit nominees?
- Is the University of Georgia the next "public Ivy"?
- What academic programs are offered at UGA?
- What study abroad opportunities does UGA offer?
- Describe the town of Athens.
- How does a student pursue Joint or Advanced Enrollment at UGA?
Answers to Frequently Asked Questions:
1. Application Deadlines*
| First-Year Students (Summer/Fall) | |
|---|---|
| Early Action: | October 15 |
| Regular Decision: | January 15 |
| Spring Admission: | September 15 |
| Early Enrollment | |
|---|---|
| Advanced Enrollment: | January 15 |
| Joint Enrollment: | April 15 |
| Spring Admission: | September 15 |
*Note: If a deadline date falls on a Sunday or a federal holiday, the postmark deadline will be extended to the first business day following the published deadline.
2. 2009-2010 First-Year Student Profile
- Middle 50% Core GPA: 3.68-4.0
- Middle 50% SAT: 1160-1360
- Middle 50% ACT: 25-30
- Middle 50% AP/IB Courses Completed: 3-7
>> See the complete First-Year Student Profile
3. Philosophy of Admissions
In 2002, the UGA Faculty Admissions Committee drafted a comprehensive Philosophy Statement for Undergraduate Admissions, which was endorsed later that year by the University Council as the guiding principle behind their decisions regarding admission to UGA.
4. Diversity at UGA
In 2004, the University Council of the University of Georgia adopted a Concept Paper on Diversity, which we view as one of the most essential components of our vibrant learning community. Our faculty, staff and student body represent a broad range of cultures, races, ethnicities, genders, educational and socioeconomic backgrounds, languages, religions, physical abilities, sexual orientations and worldviews. This wealth of perspectives creates a dynamic learning environment for students to both draw from and contribute to.
5. School Evaluation and Teacher Recommendation
All first-year applicants must submit a completed school evaluation and teacher recommendation in order to complete their application file. Both of these forms may be completed online.
6. Scholarships at UGA
The University of Georgia offers a number of generous academic scholarships, from the Foundation Fellowship and the Bernard Ramsey Honors Scholarship, with a focus on leadership, global study, and research, to the Charter and Goizueta Scholarships. These programs are competitive, as less than 10 percent of first-year students are offered a merit scholarship.
Application deadlines for scholarships*
- Foundation Fellowship and Ramsey deadline - November 15
- Charter Scholarship priority deadline - December 15
*Note: If a deadline date falls on a Sunday or a federal holiday, the postmark deadline will be extended to the first business day following the published deadline.
7. Apply Online and Check Application Status
To simplify and speed up the application process, the Office of Admissions strongly encourages students to apply online and use the credit card payment system. This helps eliminate errors.
Students may check their application status online, generally within two to three business days after submitting an application.
High school counselors can also check a student's application status online.
8. Core Academic Requirements*
For first-year applicants, the state-mandated College Prep Curriculum (CPC) requires that incoming students have a minimum of 16 courses in specific academic areas:
- 4 English courses
- 4 mathematics courses
- 3 science courses*
- 3 social science courses
- 2 language courses in the same language
Academic electives: UGA suggests that students pursue the most rigorous curriculum appropriate to their ability levels, as grades in academic courses and curriculum difficulty are the two most important factors in first-year admission decisions.
*A more detailed listing is available from the University System of Georgia.
Students graduating from high school in 2012 or later will be required to complete 4 Carnegie Units of science. Click here for details.
9. Complete Application Files
In order to review a first-year student's application, UGA must receive seven items:
- Application Form
- Application Fee
- Application Essays
- Official High School Transcript
- Official SAT/ACT Report, received electronically from the testing agency*
- School Evaluation Form
- Teacher Recommendation
Students are discouraged from submitting additional materials beyond the letter of recommendation. We ask that students or schools mail all printed application materials in one package if possible.
*Note: UGA does not accept paper or rush score reports, nor transfer scores from a student's transcript.
10. Valedictorians and Salutatorians
In order to recognize the academic strength of the top high school students in the state of Georgia, UGA will guarantee admission to students graduating as the valedictorian or salutatorian of any SACS accredited Georgia high school. Applicants must also meet all deadlines and Board of Regents requirements, submit an application for admission by the application deadline, and we must have documented proof of the student's rank. These students and their counselors should contact the Office of Admission for more details.
11. 2011 Georgia Certificate of Merit Program
The Georgia Certificate of Merit Program recognizes the top 5% of students in the Junior Class (Class of 2011). Nominations and submission instructions will be available soon.
12. Is the University of Georgia the Next "Public Ivy"?
With outstanding new facilities, a rapidly rising academic profile and an increasingly diverse learning community, UGA has soared into the ranks of the nation's most elite public universities. In 2008, UGA was the only public university in America with 2 recipients of the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship. In the last decade, UGA undergraduates have been named recipients of the Rhodes, Marshall, Gates-Cambridge, Goldwater and Truman Scholarships. The majority of these students participated in UGA's nationally recognized Honors Program, and many were also Foundation Fellows, UGA's premier scholarship program.
13. Academic Programs
At the University of Georgia, students may choose from more than 170 academic areas. To learn more about our programs of study, please visit our catalog Web site.
14. UGA Abroad
More than 30 percent of UGA graduates have participated in a study abroad experience, including several with UGA-owned residential communities: the UGA campus in Oxford, England; and our two newest communities, a 13th-century former convent in Cortona, Italy and a 70-acre research station surrounded by a tropical rain forest in Costa Rica.
15. Classic Athens
The college town of Athens is an amazing place to live as a college student. Downtown Athens offers something for just about everyone, from coffee shops and one-of-a-kind stores to great restaurants and a thriving music scene-with more than 60 venues where live music is played almost daily.
16. Joint and Advanced Enrollment
A very limited number of students who have exhausted all the academic opportunities at their high school at the end of their junior year may be invited to begin their education at UGA a year early. Please review the Joint and Advanced Enrollment page for additional information.
