Getting In

Freshman Guidelines

• Minimum Required High School Courses (twenty-six credits)

  High school graduates who have earned a minimum of twenty-six units are eligible to be considered for regular admission. Students who have obtained college credit hours prior to high school graduation must apply according to freshmen admission guidelines. Of the twenty-six units required for admission, the following are prescribed:

  • English* - 4 units
  • Mathematics** - 4 units
  • Social Science - 4 units
  • Science - 4 units
  • Speech Communication - 0.5 units
  • Physical Education - 1 unit
  • Foreign Language - 2 units
  • Fine Arts - 1 unit
  • Electives - 5.5 units

  *Requires English I, II, III and IV. Other courses, including Correlated Language Arts and courses from other subject areas, are not acceptable.

  **Requires courses at the level of Algebra I and above. Consumer mathematics, pre-algebra, informal geometry, and fundamentals of mathematics is not acceptable. The elective units may be chosen from the list of subjects accepted by the Texas Education Agency.

• Documents to Submit
  • Application for Undergraduate Admission.
  • Official high school transcript showing rank in class and graduation date. Tentative approval can be granted with a three year transcript.ce
  • Official ACT or SAT (with writing) sent directly from the testing center to Hardin-Simmons or from an official high school transcript.
  • Mail ALL transcripts and test scores to:

  Hardin-Simmons University
  Attn: Admissions Office
  P.O. Box 16050
  Abilene, TX 79698

• Admissions Status and Requirements

  Regular Admission*	Level I	Level II
  	Minimum ACT 23 or SAT 1650 or Top 10% of HS graduating class	Minimum ACT 20-22 or minimum SAT 1390-1640 or Top 25% of HS graduating class ( if ACT is less than 20 or SAT less than 1390, then COHD 1300 (Student Success Seminar) is required)

  * NOTE: No course load restrictions for Level I and II admission.
  Continuation to next term for Level I and II admission is academic progress.
  

  ** NOTE: SAT scores are based on the new SAT, which includes writing.

  • For information regarding limited or restricted admission to HSU, please contact your admission representative. Acceptance under a limited or restricted program is based on program curriculum, load restrictions, contractual agreements, and letters of recommendation.
  • Special Student Admission - Individuals, age twenty-five (25) or older, who wish to enroll for no more than 6 to 7 semester hours during any one enrollment period may be admitted to special student status upon approval of the Vice President for Enrollment Management. These individuals will be expected to have completed high school or scored 450 (effective January 1, 2002) or better on the G.E.D. prior to admission. They will also be required to take a student placement test in both Math and English prior to the beginning of their first semester at HSU. Special students will be permitted to accumulate no more than 24 semester hours, and all work will be designated as special student status until the student qualifies for regular admission. Regular admission will be granted after completion of 24 hours as a special student and a 2.00 cumulative grade point average.

  ***NOTE: Students that have obtained college credit hours prior to high school graduation must apply according to freshman admission guidelines.

• Admission Notification

  Upon receipt of all required information, students are contacted by mail in regard to admission to the university. All student files are updated by the Enrollment Services Office as new paperwork is received. Students are contacted by mail when items pertaining to their file are received.

• Orientation, Advising, and Registration

  Each student entering Hardin-Simmons for the first time is assigned an academic advisor from their field of interest. Students who have not declared a major are advised by members of the Advising Center. All advisors are members of the HSU faculty/staff, and all students are required to confer with their academic advisor to approve a schedule before registration.

  All new students are encouraged to participate in New Student Orientation. Organized by the Office of Student Development, new Student Orientation affords students the opportunity to become acclimated with HSU as well as meet other new students, faculty, and staff. Current students serve as orientation leaders to guide students through the week, which culminates with the traditional beanie capping ceremony and evening at Abilene's Historic Paramount Theater.

• Accreditations & Memberships

  Please refer to Page 01 of the Undergraduate Bulletin.

Transfer Guidelines

• Transferring into HSU

  If you are graduating from a two-year college, seeking a change from your present school, or planning to resume your education, Hardin-Simmons University is the place where every student--traditional or non-traditional--is welcomed as a part of the family. HSU provides you with the opportunity to be involved in many organizations and activities, and stresses the importance of your receiving individual attention from faculty and staff.

• Transfer Student Admission

  A student applying for admission as a transfer student from another college or university beyond high school graduation must submit:

  • Application for Admission: An application must be completed and returned to Enrollment Services.
  • Transcripts: An official transcript needs to be sent from each of the colleges or universities attended. Transfer students with less than 24 transferable hours must also submit a high school transcript and satisfactory scores on the ACT or SAT exams.
  • Eligibility: A student who is not eligible to continue at another institution, whether for academic or disciplinary reasons, is not eligible for regular admission to HSU. For admission purposes, all equivalent work attempted at another institution is included in the calculation of the grade point average on the same basis as courses completed on the HSU campus.
  • Immunization Record: All students must have a student health form completed and on file before classes begin. All students under 30 years of age must comply with the meningitis vaccination requirement.
  • Housing Agreement: All students living on campus must present a housing agreement.
• Transferring Credits to Hardin-Simmons

  A tentative course-by-course evaluation of transfer work is prepared by the Registrar's office. If a student is transferring from a college or university accredited by a regional accreditation association, his/her work will be generally accepted if such work is equivalent to or parallel with course work offered at HSU and satisfactory grades have been earned. Final acceptance of transfer work is subject to the approval of the Registrar.

• Financing a Hardin-Simmons Education

  Many students and their families do not realize the amount of financial assistance that is available to help pay for the cost of a Hardin-Simmons education. Once you have applied for financial assistance, you will be considered for aid from a variety of sources.

  There are two types of assistance: grant aid and self-help aid. Grant aid, in the form of scholarships and grants, does not have to be repaid. Self-help aid, in the form of loans and college work-study programs, means you either borrow money which you repay after completing your education or you work to earn money to subsidize the cost of your education. Both grant aid and self-help aid are funded through federal, state, institutional, and private dollars.