Undergraduate Admissions
Apply to Illinois State University
Contact Admissions
Address: 201 Hovey Hall, Illinois State University, Campus Box 2200, Normal, IL 61790-2200
Phone: (309) 438-2181
Toll free: (800) 366-2478
Student Classification Types
First Time in College (FTIC)
The following will classify a student as a new beginning first time in college (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 FTIC.
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 FTIC.
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 new beginning FTIC 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:
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 FTIC under number 2 or 3 under the Beginning FTIC section).
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.
Returning Undergraduate 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.
Visiting and Non-Degree Student
A person who does not have a bachelor’s degree and desires to take classes at the University without working toward a degree.
Second Bachelor’s Student
A person who has received a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university may apply to receive a second bachelor's degree at Illinois State.
Undergraduate Certificate Non-Degree Student
A person taking a group of courses focusing on a specific area of knowledge or competency designed to provide professional development and/or career advancement opportunities.
International Student
A person who is neither a United States citizen nor a United States permanent resident and cannot be classified as undocumented.
Admission Guidelines
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.
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.
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.
Fraudulent Documents: 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.
First Time in College (FTIC) Admission Criteria
Illinois State considers the following when making an admission decision:
Grade point average
Successful completion of the high school college preparatory courses legislated by the State of Illinois
Proof of high school graduation or passing scores on GED exam
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
General Equivalency Diploma (GED) 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 for review.
Applicants with a 20 ACT/1030 SAT must show a minimum score of 150 on each of the four tests with a total of at least 600.
Applicants with no test score provided or who have scored lower than a 20 ACT/1030 SAT must show a minimum of 165 on each of the four tests with a total of at least 660
Transfer Admission
Illinois State considers the following when making transfer admission decisions:
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.
Each program has set transfer GPA requirements that must be met with an applicant’s cumulative college level course work. Some programs may have course requirements as well.
A cumulative undergraduate GPA includes all courses completed except for 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 GPA for admission.
Students with 75 or more hours must to be admitted to a major program of study
Second Bachelor’s Degree
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's degree seeking students are required to fulfill degree requirements as listed in the catalog at the time of admission to the second bachelor's 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).
Returning Undergraduate Student (Readmit)
Students who have been absent from the University for one or more semesters must apply for readmission.
Illinois State considers the following when making decisions on readmission:
Students must have left Illinois State University in good academic standing. . Those students who left the university with below a 2.0 cumulative GPA may still be eligible to return through the reinstatement or new start process. For more information about returning to the University, please refer to the Returning Student website.
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.
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.
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. There are three ways for a student to return through the New Start option: Nontraditional Student, Veteran, or Community College Transfer. To learn more about these option, please refer to the New Start website. Applicants admitted through this policy will begin with a new cumulative GPA calculated from the point of their reentry.
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.
International Student Admission
Apply to Illinois State as an International Student
Contact International Admissions
Address: Fell Hall, 2nd Floor, Campus Box 6180, Normal, IL 61790-6180
International Students
International admission requirements
International students must:
Demonstrate English proficiency by meeting English Proficiency Guidelines
Provide a passport, national ID, or most recent immigration documents
Provide transcripts or exam scores from all secondary institutions in both native and foreign languages (if applicable).
International 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.
International 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
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.
Transcript Evaluation
Transcript evaluations are conducted in-house. 3rd party evaluations are not considered for evaluation, but they can be used for English translation as long as copies of the original transcripts are included.
3rd party evaluations can be used as official documents as long as the documents are sent directly from the evaluation company and copies of the original transcript are included.
Immigration Documents for Admission
The Enrollment Deposit Fee (EDF) will be required before the form I-20 documents can be issued.
Students seeking F-1 and J-1 student visas, sponsored by Illinois State University, will need to submit the Declaration of Finances form before their Immigration Documents can be issued.
F-1 Declaration of Finances form: https://illinoisstate.edu/downloads/admissions/international-declaration-finances.pdf
J-1 Declaration of Finances Form: https://isss.illinoisstate.edu/downloads/new-students/ISSS_J-1_proof_finances.pdf
Other Visa types: a copy of the most recent immigration document will be required in lieu of immigration documents.
International Student Program Types:
Academic English
The purpose of this program is to provide students with higher levels of English proficiency. Students do not earn academic credits in this program.
Age Requirement: 17
Academic Requirements: High School Diploma or bachelor’s degree or equivalent.
Undergraduate Pathway Program
The purpose of this program is to prepare students for study in a specific Bachelor’s degree program at Illinois State University. Students earn undergraduate credits while in the Pathway and will be able to start their degree program if they meet the Pathway progression requirements.
A Pathway program provides academic, language and cultural support in order to succeed at a US university.
Students will benefit from fully integrated classes with both domestic and other international students on campus while learning from highly trained university instructors and tutors.
Undergraduate Direct Entry:
The purpose of this program is to provide international students with the opportunity to earn an undergraduate degree at Illinois State University. Students admitted directly to the undergraduate program have satisfied English Language, GPA, and additional departmental requirements.
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 falls under the Visiting- 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 post-secondary 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 Visiting and Non-Degree seeking 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 areas such as: art, music, theatre, dance or forensics.
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.