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Additional information for:


transfer students
veteran applicants
international applicants

Admission Requirements

 

Welcome!

Application Updates

How to Apply

Application Deadlines

When will I hear?

How to Check My Application Status?

General Admission Requirements

The Evaluation Process

Standardized Tests

Freshmen with Advanced Standing

Admission to Pharm.D. (6-year Doctor of Pharmacy)

Admission for Home-Schooled Applicants

How do I qualify for in-state tuition?

 

Application Deadlines for 2013

  • Early Action: December 1, 2012 (received by)
    Engineering, Nursing, and Pharmacy majors are encouraged to apply by December 1st
  • FAFSA filing date: We recommend that you complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid between January 1 and March 1.
  • Freshman Application: February 1, 2013
  • Enrollment and Housing Deposit: May 1, 2013 (postmarked)
  • Spring admission (January) 2013: November 1, 2012 
    We are not accepting applications for Nursing for the spring semester.

As of February 12, we are no longer accepting freshman applications for Fall 2013 for nursing, engineering, or the 6-year doctorate in pharmacy program. (Transfer applicants: Please check the transfer page for information about these programs.) We are still accepting freshman applications for all other majors.

Please Note:

  • Be sure to include your name and date of birth (mm/dd/yy) on the top of each individual page of your supporting materials and submit your application BEFORE submitting any supporting materials.
  • Paper applications receive the same consideration as applications submitted online.
  • We are unable to offer individual interviews.

How to Apply

When you apply, you will receive a confirmation from the Common Application that your application has been submitted. URI will then send a letter acknowledging that we have received your application and telling you how to check the status of your application online. Due to very high mail volume, it may take up to three weeks for paper and electronic documents to be attached to your application. Once they are attached, they will reflect the actual date that they were received.  If your “to do” list reflects that we have not received something, we may have in fact received it, but have not yet attached it to your file. We appreciate your patience at this very busy time of year. Please continue to check your status regularly.

Applications are not reviewed until all materials are received by the Office of Admission. These materials include:

  • A completed Common Application and URI Supplement, which are both available and preferred online. 
  • Application fee of $65 (can be paid online)
  • Official high school transcript (sent by the school)
  • List of senior courses (admission is contingent upon successful completion of all your current coursework)
  • Official SAT* or ACT Scores ( MUST be sent electronically by the testing service: the URI ID code is 3919 for SAT and 3818 for ACT)
  • Essay (pharmacy applicants must include an additional paragraph explaining your choice of major)
  • At least one letter of recommendation (please limit to two). If your guidance counselor writes your letter of recommendation (which is our preference), there is no need to submit a teacher evaluation/recommendation; pharmacy applicants are required to provide two letters of recommendation (see details below).

Does URI Superscore the SAT and the ACT?

Yes. URI takes the single highest score from each section of the SAT and the ACT (across all test dates) and calculate the highest total for the student.

We recommend that you send us all of your SAT scores, because we will take your highest score for each section from different test dates. If you elect to use “Score Choice,” your November scores may not reach us by the Early Action deadline (December 1).

Please note:

Students who choose to participate in dual-enrollment programs at their local community college during their senior year of high school (such as the Jump Start program at CCRI) are still required to submit SAT or ACT scores.

 

When will I hear from URI?


Applications are reviewed when they become complete, although the process can take several weeks. Should we request additional information, such as mid-year grades, you can expect to receive an admission decision by the end of March. You should check the status of your application online to see if any requests are added to your "to do" list.

In late January, we begin to mail acceptance packages on a daily basis. Acceptance letters include detailed information on merit-based scholarships. If you apply by the Early Action Deadline it is particularly important for you check your status online to see if your application remains complete. If you apply by the regular admission deadline of February 1, 2013, you can expect to receive a decision by the end of March, unless additional information is required to review your application.

General Admission Requirements

Admission to the University of Rhode Island is competitive, and applications are reviewed as soon as complete credentials are submitted. Each admission candidate is given individual consideration. However, a minimum of 18 units of college (secondary school) preparatory work are expected:

  • 4 in English
  • 3 in algebra and plane geometry
  • 2 in a physical or natural science
  • 2 in history or social science
  • 2 in the same foreign language*
  • 5 Additional units to total 18

All students are encouraged to select their additional units from the arts, humanities, and foreign languages, mathematics, social sciences, or laboratory sciences. The strongest applicants take the most rigorous secondary school curricula available to them.

* This requirement is not waived for students who attend high schools that do not offer foreign language. These students may complete the language courses at a local community college or through their local comprehensive high school.

The following are additional requirements related to specific colleges and majors:

  • We recommend that applicants to Business, Chemistry, Computer Science, and Physics complete 4 units of mathematics (including precalculus or trigonometry)
  • Engineering applicants must complete 4 units of mathematics (including precalculus or calculus), 3 units of physical science classes with hands-on laboratories (including 1 unit of physics, 2 other physical sciences, chemistry is recommended)
  • Nursing and Pharmacy applicants are strongly encouraged to apply by the Early Action deadline
  • Nursing applicants who have demonstrated strength in math and science will be given preference
  • Applicants to the Bachelor of Music degree program must audition and should contact the Department of Music at (401) 874-2431 for audition dates and requirements

The Evaluation Process

  • Course Selection
  • Academic Performance
  • Standardized Test Scores
  • Unique Talents
Admitted Student Profile for 2012 Incoming Freshmen
GPA
SAT Total
Math
Reading
Writing
ACT
Class Rank
3.39
1,659
565
543
551
24
Top 1/3


Standardized Tests

Primary emphasis in the freshman application review process is placed on your high school record, the rigor of the courses you selected, and your grades. Your performance on standardized tests (ACT or SAT) is also considered. The ACT or SAT test is required for freshman candidates. Students whose first language is not English are encouraged to submit official TOEFL examination results to supplement the SAT verbal score. A TOEFL score of IbT 79, Computer 213, Paper 550 or higher is required for all international applicants (please refer to International Requirements for more details).

We recommend that you send us all of your SAT scores, because we will take your highest score for each section from different test dates. If you elect to use “Score Choice,” your November scores may not reach us by the Early Action deadline (December 1).

Freshmen with Advanced Standing (less than 24 transferable credits)

Students applying for admission as “freshmen with advanced standing” must meet the minimum freshman admission requirements. Advanced standing applicants are considered for admission on the basis of the grades they have earned and the types of courses they have taken in both high school and college. Applicants must be “in good standing” (academically and otherwise) at their previous institutions. Due to space limitations in certain majors, admission to some programs is highly selective.

Admission to Pharm.D.

Due to the large number of applications we receive for a limited number of spaces, admission to the College of Pharmacy's Pharm.D. program is highly selective. The Admission Office carefully evaluates each candidate’s strength in the following areas:

  • High School Transcript including the rigor of the high school curriculum and academic performance
  • Standardized Test Scores (we review only SAT or ACT results)
  • Personal Essay (including an additional paragraph required of all Pharmacy applicants – details are available on the URI Supplement of the Common Application)
  • Letters of Recommendation (we require a minimum of two letters: one from a science or math teacher and one from a guidance counselor or a teacher from another subject area)
  • Extracurricular Activities (including employment experiences) and interests outside of the classroom
  • The College of Pharmacy web site provides detailed information regarding standards required for continuation in the Pharm.D. program, as well as graduation requirements
  • Please note: The average SAT score (combined Critical Reading, Math, and Writing) of students offered admission for the fall of 2012 was a 1938, the average ACT score was a 29 (composite score), and the average high school grade point average (computed at the completion of the junior year) was a 4.1 on a weighted scale of a 4.0.

We strongly encourage Pharm.D. applicants to submit all of their application materials by the December 1 Early Action deadline.  The Admission Committee makes every effort to notify Pharm.D. applicants of their admission status mid January.

All incoming students, including Pharmacy, begin in University College, URI's designated academic advising college. Our Doctor of Pharmacy is a 0-6 program. To maintain eligibility, students must successfully complete 2 pre-professional years of coursework and a formal interview. The interview with faculty from the College of Pharmacy assesses the students' verbal and written communication skills, understanding of the pharmacy profession, and commitment to patient care. Within the pre-professional curriculum, there are 19 specific general education courses that students must take, passing each with a minimum GPA of 2.5 and receiving no other grade less than a C-. The required Communications and Writing courses must be completed by the end of the third semester (fall of the second year) at which time students must successfully complete the formal interview to proceed into the first professional year (P1) of the curriculum.

Admission for Home-Schooled Applicants

For those students who have been home schooled, the requirements are the same as students who have followed a traditional schooling profile. There are several ways the home schooled student can present the required material.

  • Those students who have had an established working relationship with a home schooling agency which supplies curriculum outlines and reviews and grades work completed can submit a transcript from that agency for review. The University will require SAT Subject exams if specific course content is unclear.
  • Students who have not worked with a home schooling agency can submit the results of SAT Subject exams in the following subjects to demonstrate competencies:
    • Writing
    • American History or World History
    • Math Level C
    • Biology, Chemistry or Physics (select 2)
    • Any Foreign Language
  • Home schooled students are required, as are all applicants to the University, to submit official SAT or ACT scores as well.
  • Other options for demonstrating course competency include submission of college courses covering the subject areas listed on attachment A, results of Advanced Placement exams in those same subjects, or CLEP exam results.

Rhode Island Residency Policy

Please click here for Rhode Island residency information.