Who can apply to UCF using The Common Application?

No, first-year students are not required to live on campus. Most first-year students do live on campus because of the ease of transition from home to campus life, access to university resources and the ability to make lifelong friends.

Due to restrictive state regulations, UCF is not permitted to provide online courses or instruction to students in some states. The list of states currently restricted is available at the Registrar’s website. While residing in one of these states you may not be permitted to enroll in UCF Online courses.

UCF superscores both the SAT and the ACT.  The SAT superscore is compiled using the highest Evidence-Based Reading/Writing and Math from all test components received.  The ACT superscore is compiled using the highest English, Math, Reading and Science (for tests taken before April 2025**) scores from all test components received.

UCF does not prefer one test over the other.  Since students perform differently on each test, they are encouraged to take both exams if possible.

** Effective April 2025, the Science section of the ACT exam is optional, and UCF no longer requires a Science score to be considered for admission. If a student presents one or more ACT exams, and those exams were all taken prior to April 2025, UCF will use all four sections to calculate a superscore. If a student presents any ACT exam taken in April 2025 or later, the composite score will be calculated using the English, Mathematics and Reading sections only. The State of Florida has released the following guidance:

• The ACT Science subsection is not required for admission to Florida public universities under FL BOG 6.008.
• The ACT Science subsection is required for students to be eligible to receive the Bright Futures scholarship.

There is no separate application for UCF scholarships. All freshman applicants offered admission are considered for these awards so long as funds are available.

Your GPA is recalculated based on the academic core courses (including English, math, science, social studies and foreign language). UCF uses a 4.0 grading scale, and also awards additional quality points for any weighted courses within the academic core. Courses marked as pre-AP, pre-IB, pre-AICE and honors are given an additional 0.5 quality point. Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), Advanced International Certification of Education (AICE) and Dual Enrollment (DE) courses are given 1 additional quality point.

UCF will consider applications from students who are educated through a home-school program.

If your home-school follows a traditional U.S.-based high school curriculum, you should complete and submit a SPARK form. Otherwise, please email ucfsparkhelp@ucf.edu for assistance.

Once you finish your home-school program, you will be required to submit a final official transcript that includes a list of all coursework, showing final grades and units earned for each course completed. A brief description of the methods used for evaluation should accompany the home-school transcript. If home-schooled applicants previously attended another school or completed courses through the Florida Virtual School or through dual enrollment at a local college or university, official transcripts are required. Those courses should also be reflected on the home-school transcript.

Applicants who present a GED will also be considered for admission. Official GED results, a partial high school transcript, and ACT, SAT and/or CLT results must be submitted.

Housing applications are available for freshmen after they are offered admission, however, the timing depends on several factors.

For students admitted on the Dec. 5 Early Action decision notification date:

• You may submit a housing application on your Housing Portal Open Date. This date will be determined by the date and time that you pay your $30 admission application fee or submit an approved application fee waiver to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. ​
• The Housing Portal Open Date is the first day that Early Action admitted students can enter the Housing Portal and submit an application for on-campus housing. ​
  • This is not the ONLY date you can submit an application – just the first date. 

​For students who are NOT admitted Early Action:

• You will be able to apply for housing after you have been offered admission to UCF.
• Admissions decisions made after the Dec. 5 Early Action notification date will be released on a rolling basis beginning in early January.
• A Housing Portal Open Date will not be assigned to you if you did not apply Early Action.

There is limited availability for on-campus housing, so we advise students who are able to apply Early Action for faster access to the Housing Portal.

There are a variety of options for scholarships.

• Your high school guidance or college counseling office
• UCF’s Office of Student Financial Assistance website
• Online sites like Fastweb and CollegeBoard

For freshmen, the mid-range (middle 50 percent) of our Fall entering class was:

• GPA: 4.1 – 4.5 (recalculated academic core)
• SAT: 1310-1430(Evidence-based Reading and Writing + Math)
• ACT: 28-32 (composite)
• CLT: 92-100

For technical questions regarding your Common Application to UCF, you may contact the Common App Solutions Center, 24/7 year-round.

The Solutions Center also holds online chats throughout application season and allows you to contact them via a web form. A search function also exists using keywords to direct you to the appropriate web-based resources.

Beginning in Spring 2017, UCF will not require the writing section of the ACT or the essay section of the SAT.