Direct Admission to the College

An honor for the College’s top incoming freshmen

Each year outstanding incoming freshmen are offered direct admission to the College of Arts and Sciences.

If you’re offered direct admission, you can:

  • Declare a major in the College and begin your studies as an official College student at the start of your freshman year
  • Declare a second major or a minor in your first semester
  • Work with an advisor who is a specialist in your major as soon as you arrive at IU
  • Apply to the Arts + Sciences Undergraduate Research Experience as a Direct Admit applicant
  • Tap into other resources and support in your academic department from the very beginning of your studies

Fall 2023 Direct Admit criteria

You will be offered direct admission to the College if:

  • You’ve been admitted to IU Bloomington, and you indicated a major in the College of Arts and Sciences on your application for admission. This includes majors within all departments in the College of Arts and Sciences and our College exploratory major.
  • You earned a cumulative high school GPA of at least 3.5 on a 4.0 scale.
  • You earned an ACT composite score of at least 26 or an SAT score of at least 1240 in math and evidence-based reading and writing. Or, if you’re a test-optional applicant, direct admission to the College is based on your performance in academic coursework, extracurricular activities, personal achievements, and the quality of your application essay. Learn more about IU’s test-optional admissions policy.

If you meet these criteria, we’ll tell you that you qualify for direct admission about six weeks after you’re admitted to IU. Keep an eye on your inbox!