David Graves      June 30th, 2015 in Blog


It’s mid summer, and questions are beginning to flood in about
UGA’s First Year admission process. Here are answers to some of our
more frequently asked ones.

  •  When can I apply?  There is early, and then there is late.
     The 2016 First Year application first becomes available on September 2.  Please know that, while there is a HUGE
    penalty for missing our application and document deadlines, we give no
    admission benefit or prize for being among the first to submit the
    application.  Take your time.  (Just don’t wait until the week before
    the deadline when most mistakes are made!). All EA decisions will be released in late
    November or early December.  The file completion deadlines for EA and RD will be one week after the application deadlines.  
  • I plan to apply Early Action.  What is the last ACT/SAT exam date you will accept for Early Action (EA)?
     We will only be able to use SAT/ACT scores for tests taken by the
    October 15 EA deadline.  For us to receive your scores in time, you must
    designate UGA as an automatic recipient when you register for the exam.
    We are fine with the SAT or ACT or both scores, and we superscore the
    individual exams, and use whichever test is strongest (see our post on UGA and test scores).
  • Do I have to complete the essays if I am applying for Fall 2016 as a First Year student?  It

    depends.  Are you applying Early Action or Regular Decision? Early
    Action applicants do not have to complete the short essays, but Regular
    Decision and deferred Early Action applications will
    need to complete the short essays for admission. Regular Decision/Deferred Early Action also requires a teacher
    recommendation and allows you to submit your first term senior grades. 

  • How long does it take to fill out the application?  Most
    students say it takes longer than they thought it would, so be
    encouraged by the fact that you don’t have to complete the application
    in one sitting.  Once you create your UGA “ApplicantID”, you can save
    your work and come back later to complete the application and make any
    corrections.  Warning: Once you agree to the UGA Honor Code and choose
    “submit” at the bottom of that final page, you cannot return to make
    changes or corrections to your application. As well, you need to
    complete a payment option (check/waiver or credit card) to finalize the
    submission of the application.
  • What will I need when I sit at my computer to I apply?  Great
    question!  We suggest you have four documents available:  (1)
    SSN card, (2) resume, (3) copy of your latest HS transcript, and (4) fee
    payment information. You absolutely must give us your correct Social
    Security Number (please proofread it). We ask you to list your honors,
    activities, leadership, and work experiences which you may have already
    collected for a resume.  You need to accurately report the college prep
    curriculum you’re taking and the grades you’ve earned.  And finally, to
    complete the application you must give us payment information, ideally
    from a credit card.    
  • Should I apply Early Action or Regular Decision?  We can’t
    tell you which decision plan is right for you.  That decision should be
    made by you with the help of your family and high school counselor.
     Read our Regular Decision vs. Early Action page here.
  •  What items do I need to submit if I am applying EA or RD? I suggest you review the Deadlines & Required Items page for more details, and do not wait until the last minute to take care of things!
  • Do my AP/IB grades count towards my GPA? When UGA
    recalculates your GPA from the self-reported grades on the application
    and a review of your transcript, we will add 1 point to each AP grade (so a B which is a 3.0 becomes a 4.0), unless
    your school already adds points to your actual teacher grade (for
    instance, an 85 becomes a 95 on the transcript). We do not look at the
    GPA calculated on the HS transcript, but instead focus on the actual
    grades. We calculate the GPA based on grades in the areas of English,
    Math, Science, Social Sciences and Foreign Languages, and as well any
    AP/IB courses that are non-core (such as AP Computer Science or IB
    Theory of Knowledge). Have your post junior year transcript available and review the self-reported grades section carefully, then fill in the information as best as you can.
  • What if I am from Out-of-State and am not taking a fourth year of science in HS?
    The state of Georgia, and therefore UGA, are flexible for out-of-state
    students when it comes to the fourth science requirement. We will use a
    science course from the 8th grade if is a HS course, and as well there
    are a number of HS courses that can be used aside from the standard
    science courses (please see the state’s Staying on Course
    document). You also do not need to get us documentation of the 8th
    grade science course until you decide that you will enroll at UGA, and
    you would have it sent with a final HS transcript showing senior grades
    and a graduation date.
  • I have heard a number of rumors about UGA admissions. What is true and what is not? The best way to learn about the myths that surround UGA, and as well the actual truth, is to go to our Top 10 Admissions Urban Legends page.

We hope this FAQ helps.  Please post any
questions you have, and I will try to answer them as best as possible
and update this page if needed.

Go Dawgs!