overview
We teach students how – and not what – to think so they are well-equipped to pursue truth wherever it may lead them.
The admissions process furthers and advances the University’s mission. The University of Austin strives to build and sustain a community of excellence based on the lively clash of ideas, which are advanced or rejected through rational argument and civil discourse. Students are expected to be constructive participants in the open exchange of ideas. Through this process, the University cultivates in students a passion for learning.
Given the rigorous nature of the undergraduate program, our admissions process is designed to admit students on the basis of demonstrated (i) academic capability and (ii) capacity for creativity and leadership. We seek students who demonstrate the character and temperament to contribute to and thrive in a challenging academic environment that prioritizes intellectual curiosity, applied learning, self-motivation, and entrepreneurial spirit. We will consider an applicant’s interests, background, and experiences to help us understand whether the applicant satisfies the admissions criteria above.
View our interactive Admissions Viewbook
Dates & Deadlines
Rolling Admissions Process
The University of Austin uses a rolling admissions process in which applications are reviewed and decisions are made at regular intervals during the annual admissions cycle.
To be competitive within this process, candidates are encouraged to apply as early as possible. Please note that the application is not guaranteed to remain open and will close once the class has been filled.
Applicants may expect to receive one of the following admissions decisions:
- You are admitted to the University of Austin. You have been accepted and are now invited to join the incoming first-year class. You will have until the Candidate Reply Date to accept or decline our offer of admission. Should you fail to timely accept, your offer shall be revoked and you will automatically be waitlisted.
- You are waitlisted. You have been placed on the waitlist and do not currently have a seat in the incoming class. If you choose to remain on the waitlist -- and if space allows -- you will be considered for admission later in the cycle.
- You are denied admission. Your application process for this year is complete. If you are still interested in the attending the University, you are welcome to re-apply during the next application cycle.
If you have applied to the University of Austin and are accepted by another school under a binding Early Decision program, you must inform the Office of Admissions and withdraw your application.
Since the University communicates with candidates via email throughout the process (e.g., about missing credentials, scheduling interviews, and communicating admissions decisions), we kindly ask that you allow access to admissions@uaustin.org and notifications@populi.co through any spam filters used by your internet service provider.
Fall Term 2024: Dates & Deadlines
First-Year Applicants
Transfer Applicants 3
Application Due Date
On a rolling basis
N/A
Decision Date
On a rolling basis
N/A
Candidate Reply Date 1
Within four
weeks of offer 2
weeks of offer 2
N/A
- Applicants must pay the nonrefundable enrollment deposit by the Candidate Reply Date in order to accept their offer of admission and be guaranteed enrollment.
- Applicants who receive an offer of admission from the University dated any time after April 10, 2024 shall have such amount of time as specified in their offer letter to accept the offer and pay the nonrefundable enrollment deposit in order to be guaranteed enrollment.
- Note regarding Transfer Students: At this time, the University is unable to accept transfer credits from other institutions. A student wishing to transfer into the undergraduate program is required to apply as a first-year applicant. While the University cannot accept transfer credits, applicants starting as a first-year student at the University of Austin may, under certain circumstances, apply prior coursework to place out of specific course requirements subject to departmental approval.
Founders Scholarship Opportunity
For more information about why we’ve established the Founders Scholarship, who is eligible for this significant financial award, and program terms and conditions, please visit Founders Scholarship.
Admitted students must accept their offer and pay the non-refundable enrollment deposit by the Candidate Reply Date in order to hold their seat and claim their Founders Scholarship. Admitted students who fail to accept their offer by the Candidate Reply Date shall have their offer revoked and forfeit the Founders Scholarship award.
The Founders Scholarship is only available to those students admitted to the 2024 entering class. Apply early to enhance your chances of receiving this significant financial award.
What You Need to Apply
1. Online Application
Applicants must submit an online undergraduate application, which includes a personal statement and essay. Visit Apply Now to create an applicant profile and start your application.
Personal Statement. In no more than 1,000 words, please respond to the following prompt:
- What does the prospect of a University of Austin education mean to you? How did you come to form your opinions on this matter?
Essay. In no more than 650 words, please respond to one of the three prompts below:
- Invention, it must be humbly admitted, does not consist in creating out of void, but out of chaos; the materials must, in the first place, be afforded: it can give form to dark, shapeless substances, but cannot bring into being the substance itself.
– Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley - Be less curious about people and more curious about ideas.
– Marie Curie - The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science.
– Albert Einstein
2. Official Transcripts
Applicants must submit official transcripts, or equivalents thereof, from all secondary education institutions (e.g., high school) and official transcripts from all higher education institutions (e.g., college, university, military academic institution, seminary, or divinity school) previously attended, even if the enrollment resulted in drops or withdrawals, regardless whether a degree was completed. No transcript issued to a student will be accepted.
Schools sending official paper transcripts should send them to University of Austin at 522 Congress Ave, STE 300, Austin, TX 78701. Official electronic transcripts should be emailed to admissions@uaustin.org.
Home-schooled students must be sure they submit transcripts that contain the following:
- Cumulative GPA
- Semester-by-semester coursework and GPA
- A grade for each course, preferably traditional letter grades
- Very brief course descriptions for each course, include the type of curriculum and/or textbooks used
- Indication of any completed college or co-op coursework
- Signature of a parent or the applicant’s education administrator, if not the parent
Final Transcript: Applicants will be required to submit an official final high school transcript, or equivalent thereof, showing the awarding of a diploma before they will be allowed to register for University classes.
3. Standardized Test Scores
Please note, absent significant extenuating circumstances, the University of Austin requires the submission of a standardized test score.
Official Score Reports
Applicants will self-report their standardized test scores (ACT, SAT, and/or CLT) on the application form, and the University will verify self-reported scores against official score reports upon enrollment. Applicants must request that official scores are sent to the University such that they are received prior to enrollment. Applicants who have not already taken the ACT, SAT, or CLT should budget at least six weeks between when they sit for an exam and when official scores are received by the University. For more information about how to send your official scores, please see Standardized Test Scores.
Additional Test Scores
Students who are not resident in the United States at the time of applying must have their official TOEFL scores sent directly to the University. Students who are reporting Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate exams should have official scores sent directly to the University.
4. Two Letters of Recommendation
An applicant must have two personal references each submit a letter of recommendation on the applicant’s behalf. One letter of recommendation must be provided by a teacher or guidance counselor who knows the applicant well. The other letter of recommendation may be from any reference who knows the applicant well (e.g., a current or former employer or supervisor, another teacher or guidance counselor, a school official such as a principal or vice principal, or a friend or family member). References should address the applicant’s character and suitability for undergraduate work.
*IMPORTANT: Applicants should send requests for Letters of Recommendation directly through their online application as early as possible (i.e., before completing their application). Once an applicant submits references' email addresses, references will receive an email prompting them to upload their recommendation directly to the applicant's file. Please check with your references to make sure this email is received. Letters of recommendation must be timely received to avoid unnecessary delays in the processing of your application.
5. Application Fee
Each applicant for admission to the University must submit a nonrefundable application processing fee. Thanks to the generosity of University supporters, the application fee for applicants seeking to enter in Fall 2024 has been waived.
Interviews by Request-Only
In addition, the University may request that applicants make themselves available for a virtual interview to assist the admissions committee in making its decision. Such applicants will be provided reasonable notice regarding the interview request and an opportunity to schedule the interview within a specified window of time.
False or Misleading Information
Any applicant who supplies false or misleading information or conceals pertinent facts in order to secure admission to the University of Austin may be denied admission or, if admitted, may have such admission offer revoked, such admission being null and void. If such individual has already paid the nonrefundable enrollment deposit, he or she shall immediately be dismissed from the University and forfeit such deposit, any tuition or fees already paid, any scholarship awards (including the Founders Scholarship), and any other financial aid awards. In addition, such individual may be ineligible to receive any credit from the University.
Standardized Test Scores
Absent significant extenuating circumstances, the University of Austin requires the submission of a standardized test score. Standardized test scores should be sent to the University of Austin directly from the testing agency. The University equally accepts the ACT, SAT, or the CLT in satisfaction of the standardized test score requirement.
The University of Austin’s ACT code is 8137. Applicants who take the ACT more than once will be asked to report all separate test scores individually. The optional Writing section on the ACT is not required, nor is the Writing subscore used in the application review process.
The University of Austin’s SAT code is 9190. Applicants who take the SAT more than once will be asked to report all separate test scores individually. For applicants submitting SAT score reports that include the optional SAT Essay, the Essay will not be used in the application review process.
Applicants who intend to submit an official CLT score report may do so through their CLT student account by searching “University of Austin” and requesting official score reports be sent directly to the University. There is no University of Austin CLT code. Applicants who take the CLT more than once will be asked to report all separate test scores individually.
Free CLT Exam Registration
Registration for the February 15th CLT exam has now closed.
The University of Austin is proud to have partnered with the Classic Learning Test to make this testing option available to our applicants. Remember, the University of Austin accepts the ACT, SAT, and CLT in satisfaction of the standardized testing requirement.