First-Year Domestic Students

The University of Tulsa’s Early Decision program is binding, meaning that if you are admitted, you are obligated to accept our offer of admission. Students should only apply to one school, their first-choice school, under an Early Decision application plan.

Early Decision Application Deadline: November 1
Admission Decision Received by: December 15
Early Decision Deposit Deadline: January 15

Admission Decision

By December 15, you will receive one of three possible outcomes from your Early Decision application:

• You are admitted to The University of Tulsa. As part of our Early Decision program, you are committed to accepting our offer of admission. You must withdraw any active applications you have to other colleges/universities. The only instance in which you could request to be released from our Early Decision binding agreement is if your financial need cannot be met, which would be determined only after consulting with The University of Tulsa’s Student Financial Services office.
• You are deferred for consideration during Regular Decision. Your application will be considered among our Regular Decision candidates, and you will no longer be bound by the Early Decision binding agreement. You will receive final notification of our decision by March 1. Instructions on how to provide updates to your application will be found on your applicant portal, Tracker.
• You are denied under the Early Decision program. Your application process for this cycle year is complete. If you are still interested in UTulsa, you may petition the Dean of Admission for reconsideration or re-apply during the next application cycle.

The University of Tulsa offers Early Action I and II application plans for the fall term. Early Action admission is non-binding in that candidates who are admitted under the Early Action application plan may wait to respond to the offer of admission until May 1 and may apply to other schools for Regular Decision.

Early Action I Application Deadline: November 1
Admission Decision Received by: December 15
Early Action Deposit Deadline: May 1

Early Action II Application Deadline: February 1
Admission Decision Received by: February 15
Early Action Deposit Deadline: May 1

Rolling admission refers to a college admissions policy where applications are evaluated continuously as they are received, rather than according to strict deadlines.

The University of Tulsa begins rolling admission after the Early Action II admission decisions have been made. Applications are received and reviewed as they are submitted with all supporting documents.

Rolling Admission Begins: February 16
Admission Decision Received: Rolling basis
Rolling Admission Deadline to Deposit: May 1

To be considered for admission, First-Year Domestic Students must submit the following:

• Application for admission (See above for the two application platform options)
• Official high school transcript (Request your transcript to be sent directly from your school to The University of Tulsa)
• $50 application fee

While not required, we strongly encourage First-Year Domestic Students to submit the following:

• SAT or ACT results (Information on TU’s Test Optional Policy can be found here)
• Essay (Essay prompts are on the application for admission.)
• A School Report Form and/or a counselor recommendation (Request this to be sent directly to The University of Tulsa. The Report/Recommendation form can be found here)
• A School Profile (sent from your high school counselor)
• A Talk with Tulsa interview with an admission counselor (Click “Meet with Me” on your counselor’s page to schedule an appointment). This is a requirement for students pursuing the National Merit Semifinalist Full-Ride Package.

Other circumstances: 

• Students who’ve earned a GED must submit an official record of the GED scores (not the diploma) and a final high school transcript from the last school attended.
• Home school students should refer to the Home School Checklist for additional requirements.
• Permanent Residents with green cards must have their status documented. Please submit a scanned copy of both sides of your Permanent Resident “green card” to apply@utulsa.edu.
• Students who are 21 years of age or older could be asked to submit additional testing records if deemed necessary by the admission committee.

The admission committee may request additional information before finalizing an admission decision to help determine fit for TU. This information might include an admission interview, an updated test score, a writing sample and/or personal statement, an updated transcript, etc.

Materials can be emailed to apply@utulsa.edu. Counselors can upload materials via a secured electronic software system such as slate.org, SCOIR, parchment, etc.

The University of Tulsa consists of students of diverse backgrounds and cultures and with varied interests who make a positive difference on campus and in their communities. TU students are committed to the university’s core values: excellence in scholarship, dedication to free inquiry, integrity of character, and commitment to humanity.

We utilize a holistic review for each applicant to select students whom we think will thrive at TU. During the review process we consider many things including, but not limited to, strength of high school curriculum, grades within that curriculum, grade trends from year to year and within each discipline, writing ability, recommendation letters, co-curricular activities (including work and home responsibilities), community involvement, interest in TU, and standardized test scores if available.

While no minimum GPA is required for admission, a weighted GPA of 4.0 or higher is typical to be competitive. And, while ACT/SAT scores are optional, they’re strongly encouraged. Standardized test scores in the 80th percentile or higher nationally are generally considered competitive for admission when accompanied by other criteria that indicate potential academic success.

We use TULSA as an acronym to represent the important factors in our review process:

Time
Understanding the TU environment
Leadership
Service
Academics

We encourage every applicant to provide as much information as possible when applying to TU – through the required application materials and all optional aspects of the application process. A robust application file allows our admission committee to conduct a thorough review process to make accurate and fair decisions. Should you have any questions, please contact your TU admission counselor.

The TU Office of Admission awards scholarships based on a holistic approach centered around the following criteria:

• Grade Point Average
• ACT/SAT Scores
• High School Curriculum
• Academic Accomplishments
• Letters of Recommendation
• Writing Samples

Scholarships are awarded at the time of admission and a separate application is not required with the exception of The University of Tulsa Presidential Scholarship.

For official consideration of federal, state, and university need-based aid, students must submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Families are encouraged to use the Net Price Calculator (NPC) to get an estimate of scholarship funding and any need-based aid that might be offered.

Once you have your financial aid offer, you can meet with your admission counselor to go through the information together and determine your out-of-pocket cost.

At TU, admission counselors get to know you personally. They are by your side from day one and remain there until you have made your college choice. Their goal is to give you a personalized experience you won’t find at other schools.

• Domestic First-Year Freshmen
• Virtual/Online Students
• Homeschool Students
• U.S. Students Living Abroad
• U.S. Territories