Freshman Admission
Welcome!
General Admission Requirements
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?
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).
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).
When will I hear from URI?
We were pleased to be able to begin releasing our Early Action decisions on January 16—a bit ahead of our anticipated schedule. If you submitted a complete application by December 1, please continue to check your status through e-Campus regularly, as decisions continue to be posted daily. All Early Action decisions will be posted by February 3 as promised. Acceptance packages are also being mailed daily. If you are receiving a merit-based scholarship, your acceptance letter will include this information. If we have requested more information from you, such as mid-year grades, you will receive an admission decision by March 31. Congratulations to all who have been admitted through our Early Action process!
If you apply by the regular admission deadline of February 1, 2012 (see below for detailed deadline information), you can expect to receive a decision by the end of March, unless additional information is required to review your application. We will not send you a letter requesting such materials as mid-year grades, which is why we encourage you to check the status of your application online throughout the process to be sure it remains complete.
Application Deadlines for Fall 2012
- Early Action / Merit Scholarship: December 1, 2011 (received by)
Nursing and Pharmacy majors are encouraged to apply by December 1st - Freshman Application: February 1, 2012
- Enrollment and Housing Deposit: May 1, 2012 (postmarked)
- Spring admission (January) 2012: November 1, 2011
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.
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.
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
GPA |
SAT Total |
Math |
Reading |
Writing |
ACT |
Class Rank |
3.38 |
1,670 |
568 |
547 |
555 |
25 |
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).
We are aware that the November 5, 2011 SAT was delayed in numerous locations in several states due to weather. If you took the test on one of the make-up dates, we will still consider you for Early Action and Centennial Scholarship eligibility as long as we receive your scores by December 31, 2011. The deadline remains December 1 for all other applicants, including students who took the SAT on November 5th and students whose SAT site was not closed due to weather on November 5th.
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 2011 was a 1980, 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 Early Action deadline. The Admission Committee makes every effort to notify Pharm.D. applicants of their admission status by February 3, 2012.
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.
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Merit Scholarship
Merit scholarship for freshmen
View Our Tour Schedule
Along with our student-led tours (approximately 90 minutes), you will see listings for Information Sessions (45 minutes), which are hosted by a member of the Admission staff. Information Sessions are followed immediately by a full tour of campus. We are unable to offer individual interviews.
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