Admission Requirements: First-Time Freshmen

Automatic general admission will be offered to any student with one of the following qualifications:

• A Composite ACT score of 20 or higher (HSU requires all sections of the ACT: English, Math, Reading, and Science)
• A Combined SAT score of 1030 or higher
• A CLT score of 66 or higher
• A high school GPA of 3.5 or higher
• A high school class rank within the top 25% in a class of 10 or more

Students meeting general admission requirements will receive notification within 5 business days of receiving all required documents.

Automatic enhanced admission will be offered to students who do not submit a qualifying test score but can show either of the following:

• A high school GPA greater than or equal to 3.0, but less than 3.5
• A high school class rank between the 26th and 50th percentile in a class of 10 or more

*Students with enhanced admission are enrolled in the Strategic Learning Initiative in addition to regular coursework in their first semester at Hardin-Simmons University

Strategic Learning Initiative (SLI)

The Strategic Learning Initiative is a first-semester program designed to help students strengthen academic skills, manage time effectively, and build confidence as they transition into college coursework at HSU.

How the SLI Class Works

The class meets twice per week for one hour.

• During the first half of each class, students are introduced to new learning strategies through short, guided lessons.
• In the second half, those strategies are applied directly to assignments from other courses.

In addition to class time, students meet individually with their instructor or an academic coach for 30 minutes each week. These sessions provide personalized support and help students strengthen study habits, manage time effectively, and develop strategies that fit their learning style.

Block Tuition and Credit Hours

SLI is included within HSU’s block tuition, which covers up to 34 credit hours per academic year. Students can use up to two of those credit hours for the SLI course—a valuable investment that builds the foundation for academic success from the very first semester.

While we recommend you take a college entrance exam, or submit the scores you already have, HSU will accept applications without test scores, with no penalty to the student.  HSU will continue to have a holistic application review process and will consider all submitted application items when making an admission decision.

Important Dates

Enrollment fees are non-refundable after May 1 prior to the upcoming fall semester.