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At a minimum, students must have completed the following in high school:

• 4 units of English
• 3 units of math (algebra I and II, geometry)
• 3 units of social science
• 3 units of science, including 2 lab science units
• 2 consecutive units of foreign language

There is no absolute cutoff for grades. Classroom performance would generally present competitive applicants in the top quarter of their high school class. The difficulty of curriculum and competitive nature of the high school are also important factors in the admission process.

ҹɫ����is fully test-optional. No preference is given to applicants based on whether they submit test results or not, but without test scores, all other elements of your application become more important, including grades, résumé, essays and recommendation letters.

If you indicate ҹɫ����as one of your schools to receive results when you take the SAT or ACT, the College Board sends us a record of your scores four to six weeks later. (SMU’s code for the ACT is 4174, and our code for the SAT is 6660.)

We also accept self-reported test scores.

ҹɫ����superscores the SAT and the ACT, taking the average of your best scores from each subject from multiple test attempts. (Your superscore is never lower than a single composite score.)

Yes. We want to learn more about you and evaluate your writing skills. 

Each application  — The Common Application, ApplyTexas, the ҹɫ����Online Application, and the MyCoalition application — has its own set of essay prompts with varying length requirements, but essays are generally 250 – 650 words in length. 

No matter which application method you choose, all essays are reviewed equally.

As a requirement of the University Curriculum (UC), all students must demonstrate proficiency in a second language. Students who do not enter with the equivalent of four semesters of college-level second language proficiency prior to matriculating at ҹɫ����are required to improve their proficiency by two-semester levels or to meet the four-semester proficiency requirement, whichever comes first. 

Students can demonstrate proficiency in a number of ways.

 

Applicants who graduate from a high school abroad that does not have an English-based curriculum (not bilingual) are required to submit English proficiency scores. This ensures the best chance to fully benefit from the University’s academic and social opportunities.

SMU’s approved exams and recommended minimum subscores:

• TOEFL: 90 with minimum subscores:
  • Reading and listening: 20+ in each section
  • Writing and speaking: 24+ in each section
• ACT: recommended score of 6.5 with minimum subscores:
  • Reading and listening: 6.5
  • Writing and speaking: 6.5
• Duolingo English Test (DET): 115
• Pearson Test of English (PTE): 60

English proficiency scores are not required for students:

• Who attended a high school with an English-based curriculum
• Have an SAT critical reading and writing score of 580+
• Have an ACT writing score of 25+

Conditional offers of admission: Students who are academically admissible but do not submit an English proficiency exam (or have below the recommended minimum subscores) may receive conditional offers of admission. These conditional offers may require retaking an exam and submitting new results or successfully completing SMU’s Intensive English Program (IEP).

When you apply for first-year admission, you will have the opportunity to indicate the two areas of study you are most interested in pursuing. When students get to SMU, they work with their academic advisors to determine the best course of study for all the majors they would like to pursue.

If you want to pursue a major in finance, accounting, management, marketing, and other areas of business administration, you must indicate that interest on your application to be considered for direct admission to the Cox School of Business.

If you are planning to major in Art, Film (BFA), Dance, Music, or Theatre, a required audition or portfolio is a critical factor influencing your chance of admission. Otherwise, all first-year ҹɫ����students are accepted as “pre-majors” in Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences, regardless of their intended major. 

All art, film (BFA), dance, music or theatre applicants are considered dual-admission students, which means they must apply to and be accepted by both ҹɫ����and the Meadows School of the Arts. In addition to their ҹɫ����application, dual admission students must also audition or submit a portfolio to Meadows.

More information is available about admissions, auditions, and portfolio requirements for students interested in music, theatre, dance, studio art, and film and media arts (BFA).

Like other top-tier visual and performing arts schools, Meadows School of the Arts has adopted a test-optional policy. Students who do not submit test scores should list their Meadows major first on their application for admission. 

Applicants should only submit an SAT or ACT score report for academic merit scholarship consideration. The recommended combined score to be considered for academic merit scholarships is 1380 on the SAT (critical reading and math sections only) or 29 on the ACT.

Note that students who do not submit test scores will be considered only for artistic scholarship and need-based aid; they will not be considered for scholarships based on academic merit.

Prospective athletes may call the recruiting coordinator in the ҹɫ����Department of Athletics to make arrangements with the coach of the particular sport. For more information, visit .

ҹɫ����first-year students may request college credit for coursework taken in concurrent (dual credit) programs. In order for this credit to be transferable to SMU, the courses must meet all regular transfer requirements:

1. The courses must be completed at an accredited school;
2. The courses must be grades of C- or better in comparable ҹɫ����courses;
3. The courses must be submitted on an official college/university transcript; and
4. The courses must not be a correspondence course.

To process your credit, please request that official college/university transcripts be sent from each institution you have attended. Please note that even though you may not be granted course credit, ҹɫ����must receive official transcripts from any college or university you have attended. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that a professional evaluation and an official transcript accompany all foreign transcripts. 

Send all college-level transcripts to:

Concurrent/Dual Credit Processing
ҹɫ���� - DES
PO Box 750181
Dallas TX 75275-0181

If you are an admitted student and are planning to enroll in college-level coursework the summer after your high school graduation, please be prepared to inform your Academic Advisor during your session at orientation.

You will be notified of your transfer work as quickly as possible. If your concurrent credit does not meet the above criteria, you may choose to take AP exams offered by the College Board, or you may choose to take optional departmental exams after you complete orientation.

ҹɫ����does not accept correspondence course credit. However, such coursework may represent to the Admission Committee a commitment to study beyond the minimum high school curriculum.

For your coursework to be considered, arrange for the college to forward an official transcript to SMU. If you are a transfer or first-year applicant, send the transcript to the ҹɫ����Division of Enrollment Services. If you are a continuing ҹɫ����student, send transcripts to the ҹɫ����Office of the Registrar.

Home school graduates must submit the application for admission, SAT I and/or ACT scores, an academic portfolio/transcript, two letters of recommendation, a personal essay, activities résumé, and the Home School Supplement.

The ҹɫ����Admission Committee also makes additional recommendations for home-schooled students to help them be as competitive as possible in the admission process.

Everyone is welcome at SMU. That’s part of our Methodist heritage. We respect people of all backgrounds and beliefs. 

Among ҹɫ����students reporting a religious preference, 11% are Methodist; 28% are Catholic; about 40% are from other Protestant denominations; and about 14% represent other religions (including Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism and Islam).

It costs $60 to apply for undergraduate admission to SMU.

If you are admitted through Early Decision I or II, you must pay a deposit within two weeks of receiving your admission decision. An exact due date will be listed in your admission packet.

The non-refundable $800 Orientation, Housing, and Matriculation deposit includes a $400 orientation fee, $300 matriculation fee and $100 housing deposit.