Freshman Admission Requirements
Freshman/First-Year Admission Snapshot – Fall 2023
The Admissions Committee at UH Mānoa takes a holistic look at a student's academic record when reviewing an application. We take into consideration a student's completion of the high school courses listed below, their grade performance, any academic trends in courses and/or grades, and the curricular rigor of their courses.
In alignment with our institutional commitment to serve the higher educational needs of the State of Hawai’i, all Hawai’i residents who apply for admission with at least a 3.2 cumulative GPA and who have successfully completed the high school academic/courses requirements will be offered admission to UH Mānoa.
Below is a snapshot of the admitted freshman/first-year class for fall 2023. We advise that students use this as a guide for selectivity and admission, and not as a predictor of admission to UH Mānoa.
| All Freshmen/First-year Students | Hawai’i In-state | U.S. Out-of-state | WUE States | International | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # Applicants | 19,219 | 4,544 | 14,669 | 9,109 | 659 |
| # Admitted | 13,392 | 3,775 | 9,617 | 6,896 | 282 |
| % Admitted | 70% | 83% | 65% | 75% | 42% |
| # Enrolled | 3,067 | 1,575 | 1,492 | 1,040 | 75 |
ACADEMIC PREPAREDNESS
Coursework and Curriculum
The Admissions Committee at UH Mānoa reviews your high school curriculum and courses to ensure you are academically prepared to pursue a UH Mānoa degree. Specifically, we expect to see that you have successfully completed the following courses:
English
Math
Science
Social Sciences
Other
College-Prep
Electives
- English (4 units)
- Math (3 units) Including Algebra I, II, and Geometry
- Science (3 units)
- Social Studies (3 units)
- Other College Prep (4 units) College-prep courses can include a 4th unit of math, science, or social science. High school foreign language courses count toward other college-prep courses, but are not required.
- Electives (5 units) Examples of elective courses: Art, Dance, Band, Physical Education, AVID, Computer Science, etc.
Certain programs (e.g., nursing, social work, education, etc.) may have additional requirements. Please check with the appropriate department for more information.
High School Cumulative GPA
A student’s cumulative GPA helps the Admissions Committee to further determine their academic preparedness for UH Mānoa. To give applicants an idea of the academic performance of students to whom we’ve offered admission, below is the mid-range GPA of all admitted students:
- 25th percentile: 3.49 cumulative GPA
- 75th percentile: 4.04 cumulative GPA
The mid-range GPA indicates that 25% of admitted students had below the 25th percentile GPA (3.49 cumulative GPA) and 25% of admitted students had above the 75th percentile GPA (4.04 cumulative GPA).
Professional and certain other programs may require specific GPAs and additional prerequisite course work. Please check with the appropriate department for more information.
SAT and ACT Scores
UH Mānoa is test-optional, which means that students can choose whether or not to submit SAT or ACT scores for admission consideration. We have adopted a “Do No Harm” policy that prevents submitted test scores from penalizing you in our assessment of your academic ability. If a submitted score would harm your likelihood for admission or scholarship, we will exclude it from consideration.
To give applicants an idea of the test scores of students to whom we’ve offered admission, below is the mid-range SAT of all admitted students:
- 25th percentile:1130
- 75th percentile:1350
The mid-range SAT indicates that 25% of admitted students had below the 25th percentile SAT score (1130) and 25% of admitted students had above the 75th percentile SAT score (1350).
This is the mid-range ACT of all admitted students:
- 25th percentile: 21
- 75th percentile: 29
The mid-range ACT indicates that 25% of admitted students had below the 25th percentile ACT score (21) and 25% of admitted students had above the 75th percentile ACT score (29).
Additional PREPAREDNESS for Homeschooled Applicants
The Admissions Committee at UH Mānoa understands that there is often additional context to consider with applicants who have been homeschooled.
Here is some guidance regarding additional information that will help the Admission Committee assess the preparedness of a homeschooled student:
- If your homeschooling curriculum is provided by a U.S. regionally accredited school/program and you will receive an official transcript and high school diploma, follow the academic preparedness for freshman applicants as listed above.
-
If your homeschooling curriculum is not provided by a U.S. regionally accredited school/program and you will not receive an official transcript and high school diploma:
- Follow the academic preparedness for freshman applicants as listed above. AND
- Submit one of the following (these scores are used in lieu of the official transcript and high school diploma).
- ACT scores
- SAT scores
- GED scores (Minimum score of 165 across all sections)
- HiSET scores (Minimum score of 15 for most sections; Minimum score of 4 for Essay section)
- TASC scores (Minimum scores: 580 for English; 560 for Math; 500 for Science; 500 for Social Studies; 560 for Writing; 6 for Essay)
Homeschool requirements are subject to change.
Application Checklist
UH Mānoa takes all your application materials into consideration when making an admissions decision. To apply for admission, please submit the following:
First time attending college? Apply as a Freshman.
The application fee is nonrefundable and nontransferable and valid only for the semester indicated on the application. The application fee will be waived for residents of Hawai‘i.
All high school information must be submitted through the Self-Reported Application. The initial admissions decision will be based on this information. Upon request from the Office of Admissions an official transcript must be submitted directly to UH Mānoa from your high school for validation and/or scholarships. If you have attended more than one high school, you are required to submit a transcript from each school you have attended.
Freshman applicants will have the option of submitting test scores as part of their admissions application. Please note that scholarships or department direct entry programs may require test scores for consideration. For applicants who choose to submit scores they can either be submitted in the Self-Reported Application or sent to the Office of Admissions. UH Manoa's college codes are SAT 4867 and ACT 0902.
manoa.admissions@hawaii.edu
or:
University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Office of Admissions
2600 Campus Road, Room 001
Honolulu, HI 96822-2385
If you are not a U.S. citizen, are a non-native speaker of English, or have been educated in a country other than the United States, refer to the International Admission Process.
Application Deadlines
All applicants must meet application deadlines set by the Office of Admissions. Incomplete or late applications will not be considered. Admission requirements are subject to change.
Fall Semester
| January 5th | Priority Deadline |
| April 1st | Final Deadline |
Spring Semester
| September 1st | Priority Deadline |
| October 1st | Final Deadline |
| December 1st | Late Application* Deadline |
We encourage all applicants to apply by the priority deadline to increase your chances of gaining access to resources that you may need such as financial aid and/or student housing. Certain programs (e.g., nursing, social work, education, etc.) may have earlier admission deadlines. Please check with the appropriate department for more information. Late applications* may be accepted after the final deadline
Direct Admission Program
Get started early in your major. The following programs offer direct entry for high-achieving and highly motivated freshman applicants.
- business
-
The Shidler Freshman Direct Admit Program (DAP) is designed for high achieving incoming freshmen who wish to enter the UH Shidler College of Business and get a head start on their Business curriculum.
Learn More - nursing
-
University of Hawai'i at Mānoa offers direct entry for high school graduates who are dedicated to completing their Bachelor of Science in nursing degree in four years. With direct entry into our nursing program, a student’s academic path is secure. Students can have confidence that they have been admitted to the nursing program while they complete their prerequisite classes in a cohort based learning model. Students enter the program in the fall of their freshman year. With the BS degree, the student is prepared for graduate education and continued career development. The student completes pre-requisites in Year 1 and begins nursing courses in year 2.
Learn More
- dental hygiene
-
University of Hawai'i at Mānoa offers direct entry for high school graduates who are dedicated to completing their Bachelor of Science in dental hygiene in four years. With direct entry into our dental hygiene program, a student’s academic path is secure. Students can have confidence that they have been admitted to the dental hygiene program while they complete their prerequisite classes in a cohort based learning model. Students enter the program in the fall of their freshman year. With the BS degree, the student is prepared to sit for the national board dental hygiene examination (NBDHE) and eligible for licensure. The student completes pre-requisites in Year 1 and begins dental hygiene courses in year 2.
Learn More - Medicine
-
The Doctor of Medicine Early Acceptance Program for Entering Hawaiʻi Resident Freshman
The Doctor of Medicine Early Acceptance Program is not accepting new applications at this time. There are no further updates on the Doctor of Medicine Early Acceptance Program. Any updates will be posted immediately on the JABSOM and UH Mānoa websites.
Revised: June 2020
John A. Burns School of Medicine
Office of Admissions
651 Ilalo Street, MEB 3rd Floor
Honolulu, HI 96813
808-692-0892
808-692-1251 (FAX)