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.
