FAQ - Freshmen

Yes. First-time-in-college (freshman) students may apply via the Common App or the FAU Online Application.

However, students interested in applying for Spring entry term may only apply via the FAU Application . Students cannot utilize the Common App to apply for Spring entry. 

Students interested in applying to Florida Atlantic's Wilkes Honors College should apply directly via the Wilkes Honors College Common App.  

Students should only submit one application for admission to Florida Atlantic. View the steps to apply.

Yes! Florida Atlantic offers Merit Scholarships, and the best part is there’s no extra application needed—just submit a complete admissions application by January 15 (including your SSAR, official test scores, and application fee), and you’ll automatically be considered for merit-based scholarships. 

There are also extra merit scholarships available through the Office of Admissions that recognize top academic achievements and require additional materials. Learn more.

If you have obtained your college credits (including an AA) while in high school through AP, AICE, IB, or Dual Enrollment, you should apply as an incoming first-year student. If you are accepted, you will be placed in the appropriate courses .

If you have completed 12 or more college credits after graduating from high school, you should apply as a transfer student.  

Nursing applicants must send their official test scores directly from College Board and/or ACT. All other applicants may self-report their SAT/ACT/CLT test scores on their Application Portal after applying to Florida Atlantic. 

Florida Atlantic does not require an essay, personal statement, letter of recommendation, or resume for evaluation purposes.

If you wish to submit supplemental information, you can send the documents to admissions@fau.edu . However, there is no guarantee that this information will be utilized in the evaluation process.    

Students who apply Early Action (by November 1) will receive an admissions decision on December 6. Early Action applicants will be considered for all pathways and entry terms, and will be automatically considered for Merit Aid. 

Students who apply Rolling Decision (by March 14) will receive their decision on a rolling basis. 

Waitlisted students will receive an admissions decision by May 31.

Yes. If you’re not admitted as a freshman, attending Florida Atlantic is still possible through our two transfer pathways:  

Link2FAU. This innovative program allows you to earn your AA degree at one of our partner state colleges, then receive guaranteed admission* to Florida Atlantic to continue your bachelor’s.  

Direct Transfer Partnership with Verto Education. This program allows you to begin your college journey by studying abroad. Upon fulfilling the program’s minimum requirements, students receive guaranteed admission* to Florida Atlantic.  

*Guaranteed and priority admission based on meeting FAU transfer admissions requirements. 

Students attending our Boca Raton campus are not required to live on campus.  

However, students attending our Wilkes Honors College in Jupiter are required to live on campus for their first two years. Learn more about student housing in Jupiter.

Please note that there is an approximate 20 minute delay between paying the enrollment deposit and being able to contract for housing.

To learn more about living on our main campus in Boca Raton, please visit FAU Housing.  

To learn more about living on our Jupiter campus as a Wilkes Honors College student, visit FAU Jupiter Housing.

Yes, Florida Atlantic students can earn academic credit while studying abroad. Whether you choose a short-term, faculty-led program or a semester-long experience, our Education Abroad programs allow you to travel the globe while working toward your degree.

Explore Florida Atlantic is a campus-wide event welcoming all prospective students – high school juniors, seniors, transfer students, and their families – to tour our Boca Raton campus and learn more about Owl life. 

Choose Florida Atlantic is a campus-wide event exclusively for admitted students and their families. Choose FAU is not the same as new student orientation; rather, it is an optional opportunity for admitted students to visit campus and learn more about our academic programs, student organizations, and support services. Choose events are held each February and March.

Discover Florida Atlantic is a mini open house experience welcoming all prospective students and families to explore our Boca Raton campus. Discover events are held during the summer. 

The Wilkes Honors College on our Jupiter campus also hosts prospective student tours and admitted student events.

Yes. Florida Atlantic offers programs that allow outstanding students the opportunity to achieve their B.S. and M.D. degrees in 7-8 years. Students admitted into these highly selective programs will be offered conditional admission* to the Schmidt College of Medicine provided they maintain the required program standards. 

Programs are available at both our main Boca Raton campus (Med Direct) as well as our Wilkes Honors College campus (Wilkes Medical Scholars). Learn more about these dual degree programs.

*upon completion of program requirements

Visit our Exam Credit page for detailed instructions on how to submit your scores for exam credit. 

All first-year students who submit a completed application by January 15 will be automatically considered for merit-based scholarships.  

Students can also apply for additional internal and external scholarships, which may require supplemental materials. Learn more about scholarships.  

Students must meet all criteria to qualify for a merit scholarship. New test scores will be considered if they are received by our merit scholarship deadline. Test scores received after our merit scholarship deadline will not be considered for merit scholarships.

Note: all FAU-specific scholarships require a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). 

The Wilkes Honors College of Florida Atlantic is a highly selective, all-honors college located on our Jupiter campus. Wilkes Honors College students benefit from an average class size of 16 students, personal attention from faculty, and exceptional opportunities for experiential learning and research. Many students participate in internships at the world-renowned scientific institutes on the Jupiter campus, including the Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience and the FAU Stiles-Nicholson Brain Institute.   

The Boca Raton campus is Florida Atlantic’s main campus, which provides a dynamic learning environment for more than 70% of our 30,000 students. Located just 1.8 miles from the beach, this campus features everything you’d expect from a modern university: suite-style housing, Division 1 athletics, brand-new recreational facilities, and more. High-achieving students on the Boca Raton campus are invited to join the University Honors Program, which offers advanced Honors seminars, small class sizes, and special advising and registration.  

Students with grandparents residing in Florida may be eligible for a tuition and fee waiver of the Non-Resident (out-of-state) fee. Policies for the Grandparent Waivers are maintained by the Florida Board of Governors of the State University System.

Students must meet all admission requirements, including the minimum test score requirement, to be considered for the grandparent waiver. Learn more.

Click here  to update your home address, date of birth, social security number, email address or the spelling of your name.

In order to make any other changes to an application that has already been submitted, please email us at admissions@fau.edu  and indicate which changes you would like to make. Please do not submit another application.