Special Admission for First-Time Freshmen

Applicants who do not meet requirements for admission as traditional or non-traditional freshmen may be considered for special admission. They must complete their admission file by the published deadline for the term in which they plan to enroll, including having official high school transcripts and college entry examination scores or GED test scores sent to the Office of Admissions.

Students who meet the minimum admission composite score of 100 (see Admission Standards for Traditional Freshmen above) but have not taken the required subjects also are considered under Special Admission criteria.

Recent high school graduates must have an ACT composite score of at least 17 (or equivalent) and rank in the upper two-thirds of their high school graduating class; or have an ACT composite score of at least 15 and rank in the upper half of their high school graduating class.

Non-traditional freshmen, those who graduated from high school five or more years ago, must take SIUE tests in English, mathematics and reading as part of the application process for special admission. Scores on these tests, together with other academic credentials, will be the basis for determining approval for special admission.

Students with special admission status must remedy, in one of the ways listed below, any high school course deficiencies identified by the Admissions Office.

English: Earn an ACT English subscore of 23, OR earn an SAT verbal score of 600, OR earn successful placement in English 101 on the basis of the University-administered English Placement Test, OR successfully complete an appropriate Academic Development (AD) writing course (that is, AD 090 or AD 092), OR successfully complete a three- semester-hour English course for every year (or fraction thereof) of deficiency. These courses must be selected from Introductory or Distribution General Education courses numbered 200 or below.

Mathematics: Earn an ACT Mathematics score of 22, OR earn an SAT mathematics score of 570, OR earn successful placement into Mathematics 120 on the basis of the University-administered mathematics placement test, OR successfully complete AD 095, OR successfully complete AD 085 for a geometry deficiency and Mathematics 120 or appropriate AD courses for an Algebra-Advanced Math Fundamental Computer deficiency. The appropriate mathematics deficiency course work will be determined by the mathematics placement test, if testing is required.

Science: Earn an ACT Science Reasoning subscore of 23, OR successfully complete a three-semester-hour course in Science for every year (or fraction thereof) of deficiency. These courses must be selected from Introductory or Distribution General Education courses numbered 200 or below or from other courses specifically approved for correcting deficiencies.

Social Science: Earn an ACT Reading subscore of 23, OR earn an SAT Verbal score of 540 , OR earn a score of 500 or higher on the CLEP* Social Science/History examination, OR successfully complete a three-semester-hour course in Social Science for every year (or fraction thereof) of deficiency. These courses must be selected from Introductory or Distribution General Education courses numbered 200 or below.

Electives: Earn a score of 452 or higher on the CLEP* Humanities examination, OR successfully complete a three-semester-hour course in an appropriate elective area for every year (or fraction thereof) of deficiency. These courses must be selected from Introductory or Distribution General Education courses numbered 200 or below.

*NOTE: CLEP testing and scoring standards were under revision at the time of publication.

You may also remedy high school course deficiencies by redistributing up to three units of high school course work. No more than one unit may be deducted from each of the categories of social studies, mathematics, sciences and electives, and used to remedy a high school deficiency in any other of those categories. This option may not be used to remedy deficiency in English.

If an academic adviser believes a particular high school course deficiency should be waived, a decision will be rendered by the Director of Academic Counseling and Advising.

Students approved for special admission must begin the program of study appropriate to their test results in English, mathematics, and reading, as prescribed by the Office of Academic Counseling and Advising, in their first term of enrollment. They must make steady progress in remedying any deficiency in these areas of basic skills in each term. The basic skills requirement must be completed within 32 semester hours, before enrollment in courses for which they are prerequisite, and before applying for a major.

Courses taken to remedy high school course deficiencies carry no credit toward General Education requirements or major/minor requirements. Credit will be awarded as general elective credit toward graduation, i.e., elective credits not required by the major and/or minor. Courses designated AD (Academic Development) carry institutional credit, but do not carry credit toward graduation. Other courses in which students must enroll, depending upon test results, carry credit toward graduation. Specially admitted students who do not follow the program of study prescribed by the Office of Academic Counseling and Advising will not be permitted to enroll the next term. You must achieve a C average to remain in good standing.