General Freshman Academic Requirements
The University of San Diego welcomes applications from graduating high school students from all around the United States. Admission to USD is competitive. As a private university, all applicants, whether in state or out of state, receive the same consideration. The Fall 2007 entering class consisted of 1,094 students selected from more than 10,000 candidates who applied for admission. If you are planning to enter the University as a transfer or international student, please review the other pages dedicated to these situations.
In keeping with our mission of valuing each individual, we take a very holistic approach to evaluating our applicants. The following items are required for consideration:
Grades/Official Transcripts
USD seeks serious students, and those applying as freshmen are expected to
present a well-balanced secondary school program of college preparatory courses. Since this is the single most important factor in the decision,
serious candidates should challenge themselves with higher- level courses
and strong academic course loads even in the senior year. The applicant should
have completed at least four or five academic subjects each year throughout
high school.
We recommend the following:
| English | 4 years |
| Mathematics | 3 or 4 years |
| Science (2 years with lab) | 3 or 4 years |
| Foreign Language | 3 or 4 years |
| Social Studies | 2 or more years |
When evaluating transcripts we use a weighted GPA giving students credit for any honors, AP, or IB classes. The average GPA for Fall 2007 entering freshman was 3.76.
To have your International Baccalaureate (IB) or Advanced Placement (AP) scores evaluated for college credit, please have them directly sent directly to the Office of Admissions from the IB office or College Board. Refer to the following lin to see a list of approved AP and IB classes:
Advanced Placement (AP)/International Baccalaureate (IB) Test Credit
We require transcripts of all high school and college work that you have attempted. In addition, please submit any transcripts of work in progress as soon as it is completed. We will need a final official high school transcript showing proof of graduation to complete your file.
Test Results
Applicants are required to submit the official results of the SAT Reasoning
Test or the ACT with writing. There are no minimum or required
test scores. For the fall 2007 entering class, the average SAT was 1175 (critical reading and math) and
average ACT score was 26.1. USD does not require any SAT Subject Tests.
Information about either of these tests may be obtained from your high school guidance office or by contacting:
The College Board ATP (http://www.collegeboard.com), P.O. Box 592, Princeton, NJ 08541, USA
ACT Inc. (http://www.act.org), PO Box 168, Iowa City, IA 52243-0168, USA
Extracurricular
Activities
Extracurricular activities are an enhancement to the academic components of the application. Include any leadership, talents, and community service involvements you have had during your high school career. A separate resume of activities can
be submitted, but is neither expected nor required.
Recommendation
We require only one academic recommendation, preferable your school counselor
or a teacher from one of your academic classes.
Essay
The essay is an opportunity for you to give us a glimpse of how your experiences have shaped the person you are.
