More Information About Applying to MTSU

The sooner you submit the admission application, fee, and required documents, the sooner we can notify you about your admission status. Freshman applicants can apply as early as the beginning of their senior year and many will receive tentative acceptance based on their grades through the end of their junior year. Transfer applicants can apply the semester before they intend to transfer, with tentative acceptance decisions being made based on grades through the previous semester.
 
Plan ahead and follow through to make sure all of your documents arrive in a timely manner; it makes the process much easier for YOU as well as for us. (The Financial Aid and Housing Offices would also encourage you to submit their applications as early as possible!)

First, read the admission requirements in the Undergraduate Catalog and the instructions that are included on the Admission Application. Second, refer to the schedule of classes for that semester. In particular, read the introductory information which includes how to register, when to register, how and when to pay your bill, and much more. A little reading will answer a lot of your questions!

We can’t tell you if you’re admitted or not without having your completed application, any necessary test scores, and official copies of your transcript(s). Likewise, we won’t guess about your residency status if you haven’t submitted a residency application and supporting documents. Additionally, the financial aid office will not tell you how much aid you will be eligible for if you have not provided the appropriate paperwork.

University faculty and staff are here to assist you. If you’ve read the directions but still aren’t clear on how something works, call the office that handles that area and ask for clarification. MTSU is a large campus, so be prepared that not every staff member can answer every question, especially when it’s a question about an activity managed by another office. If you’re not sure who to ask, try calling the campus switchboard (615-898-2300) for the number of the appropriate office. Your faculty advisor will also be an important source of information so get to know him or her.

We recommend that students apply as early as possible.  Please see Important Dates and Deadlines for Students webpage for complete information on application deadlines.  Scholarships may be available to you and require earlier application deadlines. 

Freshman applicants are encouraged to apply during their senior year in high school and to submit their official transcript as it stands at the point of application for admission.  A final official transcript will need to be sent after you graduate.

Transfer applicants can apply during their last semester at the current college and you can request an official transcript be sent to us at that time.  This will show grades earned through the previous semester and work in progress.  A final official transcript will need to be sent when your grades are posted. 

If you previously applied to MTSU but did not actually enroll in classes, please submit a NEW application.  You will not be required to pay the undergraduate application fee again. 

When you get to the payment screen on your new application, stop and save your application.  Contact [email protected] with your name and date of birth to let us know you have created an application and previously paid.  We will apply your previous payment to your new application. 

Please see our online documentation for freshmen, transfers, re-enrolling students, and other types of students. If you have any questions, please contact the Admissions Office for assistance from one of our counselors.

Once an application is submitted and processed, students are able to check their admissions status on their Admissions Portal. Here, you can see what documents we still need from you. You can also use this portal to update information about your application such as your contact information, major (as long as you have not yet enrolled in classes), and update your application term.

MTSU requires official copies of transcripts and other documents as part of the admission process.  An “official transcript” is one that is submitted directly to MTSU from the granting institution under that school’s sign or seal. 

Transcripts issued to the student or another third party in paper, email, or fax transmission cannot be accepted as an official transcript. 

High School and College officials can use Slate.org to send transcripts or we accept any electronic transcript services. 

Official Transcripts can also be mailed to:

MTSU Undergraduate Admissions
SSAC 120
1301 E. Main St. Murfreesboro, TN 37132

Registration information to any college you planned to attend is reported to the National Student Clearinghouse.

 If you were admitted to a college but never enrolled in classes, or you withdrew from classes prior to the start of school, a letter of nonattendance must be obtained. 

 For evidence that you have no transcript at any college, the Registrar at the college you were reported to have attended will issue a letter to MTSU indicating you did not attend that college during the period in question. 

 All letters of nonattendance must be submitted directly to MTSU from the granting institution, just like an official transcript. 

 Note:  If you attended classes but withdrew after the start of school, you would need to request an official transcript. 

The first step is to familiarize yourself with the admission standards used to evaluate your application. The freshman and transfer requirements are available online.

 If you do not understand why your application was denied, you can call the Admissions Office and speak to one of the Admission Counselors.  

If you do not meet the guaranteed admission standards, you will be asked to complete a personal statement form to give us more information about your academic, extracurricular, and work histories. The personal statement is your opportunity to tell the Admissions Review Board about any factors that you would like to be considered in addition to your formal academic record when reviewing your application. The decision of the Admissions Review Board is final, but it is possible for an applicant who has been denied to re-apply at a later time after making some improvements academically.

Freshman still in high school can consider retaking the ACT or SAT to meet the guaranteed admission requirements.  Depending on timing and your academic history, you may have time to raise your high school GPA to meet the requirements before the priority deadline. 

Transfer applicants are encouraged to return to their current college or to a community college to work on raising their GPA (grade point average).  See guaranteed admission requirements for Transfer Students.  Showing improvement in the next semester will be a positive factor in reviewing your application the next time.  One of the best ways to raise your GPA is to re-take classes which you previously failed — by repeating the class and passing it, the new grade replaces the failing grade when your GPA is calculated. Consult your current college’s catalog or handbook for information on repeating courses.

The Admissions Office only assesses coursework completed at other colleges or universities if no previous bachelor’s degree has been earned.

After initial review of your transcripts, the Admissions Office will send you an email with instructions to view your “Transfer Evaluation” on Pipeline showing each of your courses and their equivalent MTSU courses. Our academic departments assist us in determining whether another school’s course is equivalent to one at MTSU.

T.E.A.M. (Transfer Equivalencies at Middle) is a helpful guide for students and advisors which shows MTSU course equivalencies from hundreds of colleges and universities across the country. This guide is subject to change as course content changes over time. It is important for students to understand that while courses will transfer, they may or may not apply toward your degree program.

 If a course does not appear in the list, then an official course equivalency has not been determined by the department yet. Courses and schools will be added to the list as official equivalencies are determined. A class listing on the T.E.A.M. website does not guarantee that it is currently offered at either school.

Yes – you can receive credit for AP, CLEP, and other tests as long as the test is one that we accept and your score meets or exceeds our requirements.

A complete list of accepted tests and required scores is available on our Credit by Examination website and is in the MTSU Undergraduate Catalog.

Middle Tennessee State University awards military credit two ways:

Submit a DD214 indicating time served. This may give a student up to 8 elective credits. Students who have not separated from military service may submit their most recent LES statement instead of the DD214.

Submit a Joint Services Transcript (JST). Students who submit a JST are eligible for up to 52 elective credits.

Students who attended the Community College of the Air Force are required to submit an official copy of their CCAF transcript.

The Admissions Office is charged with classifying new undergraduate students as in-state or out-of-state for fee-paying purposes, according to the guidelines established by the state legislature and the MTSU Board of Trustees. If there is any reason to question your status as a permanent resident of Tennessee, we will classify you out-of-state until we receive a completed in-state classification application and supporting documents. You can obtain a copy of the in-state classification application online or by calling the Admissions Office. The in-state classification application should be filed with the Admissions Office at least 10 days in advance of the fee payment deadline so that we will have time to process it before your fees are due.

Yes, you can contact the Center for Student Involvement & Leadership at (615) 898-5812 to schedule an appeal before the In-State Classification Appeals Committee. Students appealing their residency decision have the option of meeting in person with the committee to explain their situation. You cannot contact the Appeals Committee until after your in-state classification application has been denied by the Admissions Office.

MTSU participates in Academic Common Market, a program that enables students to pursue out-of-state college degrees at discounted tuition rates through agreements among the states and colleges and universities. Click here to find out what programs are available through the Academic Common Market at MTSU. To learn more about the Academic Common Market program, please visit www.mtsu.edu/acm.

If you have any questions about your residency status or want more information on how to establish residency in Tennessee, please visit www.mtsu.edu/residency or contact the MT One Stop at 615.898.2111 or [email protected].