First-year Student

First Year (Domestic and International)

Bradley welcomes applications for admission from all students who feel that they can benefit from and contribute to the varied academic and extracurricular offerings of the University. High school students are encouraged to apply early in their senior year but later applications will be considered as space permits.

Admission Requirements

Admission is based on a review of each student’s comprehensive academic and extracurricular record to predict their likelihood to be successful at Bradley. In determining an applicant’s qualifications, the following criteria are used:

  1. Required
    1. Completed Application
    2. High School Transcript. Students may submit either an unofficial or official transcript for consideration for admission. If an official copy of the transcript is not provided at the time of application, an official copy must be sent prior to enrollment.
    3. One or two-page personal statement or essay. Be sure to include your full name on each page
  2. Optional
    1. One letter of recommendation may be valuable for some students. Students may elect to include a letter from a teacher, school counselor, coach, or school activity advisor. No specific form is required.

  3. Generally, minimum curriculum requirements for all entering freshmen are as follows:

    1. 4 units (years) of English (1/2 or 1 unit of which may be speech),

    2. 3 units of college preparatory mathematics,

    3. 2 units of laboratory science, and

    4. 2 units of social sciences.

Certain applicants may be required to provide proof of English language proficiency. Details on acceptable exams, minimum scores, and eligibility criteria for a waiver of the testing requirement may be found on the Admissions website. Admissions reserves the right to request evidence of English proficiency from any applicant.  

Music

Required: An audition either in person or on tape. (Contact the chairperson of the Department of Music for an audition appointment.) Recommended: A minimum of four years experience in orchestra, band, choir, and/or chorus or four years of private music instruction. No musical experience or music audition is required for students enrolling in the Music and Entertainment Industry major.

Entrance Examinations

Bradley University does no require the ACT or SAT for undergraduate admissions.

Standardized test scores, if provided, may be used to help determine math proficiency. Applicants may be required to submit results from the school they are leaving or national exams, such as (but not limited to) the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) and Advanced Level exams or West African Examinations Council (WAEC), in addition to their school mark sheets or transcripts.

General Equivalency Diploma in Lieu of High School Diploma

Applicants who apply using general equivalency diploma (GED) test results in lieu of a high school diploma are required to submit GED test results.

Notification of Admission and Reply Date

Admission notifications begins September 1 prior to enrollment in the following fall semester. After that date, all notifications will be mailed as soon as the student’s application file is complete and reviewed by the Admissions Committee.  Best consideration for admission and scholarships is provided during the Early Action period, with the Early Action deadline being November 1.

Applicants for spring, interim, or summer terms will be notified as soon as admission decisions are made.

Applicants respond to offers of admission by submitting a non-refundable $200 enrollment fee. Applicants requiring on-campus housing must submit an additional $100 housing fee. Applicants will receive preference for university housing based on the date by which both are received.  First-year applicants for on-campus enrollment beginning in the Fall semester are not required to respond to an offer of admission before May 1. Students admitted to an online undergraduate program, to a term other than Fall, and/or who are admitted after May 1 for on-campus Fall entry, will be notified in their admission letter of their deadline to respond.

Admission Decision Appeal Process

Students who are denied admission may contact the Office of Admission to inquire about the appeal process. Exceptions to the admission denial will be made only under special circumstances. The dean of the college in which the student wishes to enroll, the Office of the Provost and, in some cases, the Office of the President may be included in an admission appeal.

High School Diploma

Prior to starting classes at Bradley, first year students are required to provide the university a final high school transcript that indicates the date of high school graduation. Students who were homeschooled must provide comparable documentation as established by their respective state boards of education.

If the institution or the Secretary has reason to believe that the high school diploma is not valid or was not obtained from an entity that provides secondary school education the Office of Admission will take the following steps to confirm high school completion:

  1. Obtain documentation from the high school that confirms the validity of the student’s diploma, including transcripts or other written descriptions of course requirements, or written and signed statements by principals or executive officers at the high school attesting to the rigor and quality of the coursework at the high school.
  2. If the high school is regulated or overseen by a state agency, Tribal agency or Bureau of Indian Education, confirming with or receiving documentation from that agency that the high school is recognized or meets requirements established by that agency.
  3. If the Secretary has published a list of high schools that issue invalid high school diplomas, the Office of Admissions will confirm that the high school does not appear on that list.

A high school diploma is not valid if it:

  1. Did not meet the applicable requirements established by the appropriate state agency, Tribal Agency, or Bureau of Indian Education in the state where the high school is located
  2. Has been determined to be invalid by the Department, the appropriate state agency in the state where the high school was located, or through a court proceeding
  3. Was obtained from an entity that requires little or no secondary instruction or coursework to obtain a high school diploma, including through a test that does not meet the requirements for a recognized equivalent of a high school diploma under 34 CFR 600.2.

The Office of Admissions may contact the relevant department or agency in the state in which the secondary school is located to confirm that the secondary school is recognized as a provider of secondary school education. Admission may be revoked if this information cannot be confirmed and or if the validity of a transcript cannot be verified as a final official transcript. Withholding information or giving false information to the university may make a student ineligible for admission to the university or subject to dismissal.