Freshman Applicants

The following information is required prior to evaluation of admissibility:

Application, Statement of Agreement, and Personal Statement

The undergraduate application, which includes the statement of agreement and the personal statement, should be completed, signed, and submitted.

Application Fee

A $45 nonrefundable application fee is required and must accompany the application. The check or money order should be made payable to Azusa Pacific University. Online applicants may choose to pay by credit card when submitting their application. 

Preadmission Tests

All freshman applicants are required to submit scores from the American College Testing (ACT) Program or the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT I). It is recommended that all high school applicants take the ACT or SAT I by October of their senior year. Applicants may secure detailed information on testing schedules from their high school. The minimum SAT I score is 990, specifically with a 470 math section score. SAT I exams administered before March 2016 will be reviewed using College Board concordance tables to determine equivalent scores. The ACT minimum score is 19, specifically with 19 in Reading, English, and Math. Meeting minimum test score requirements does not guarantee admission to Azusa Pacific University. Should applicants feel that the SAT I or the ACT are not representative of their academic potential, see the Test-Optional Admission Process section below.

Recommendations

Applicants are encouraged to supply contact information for a character recommendation. The recommender must be a person who has observed the applicant’s character and/or spiritual development over a reasonable period of time. When possible, APU prefers pastors or youth pastors/leaders. Alternatively, a coach, employer, or adult family friend is also acceptable. Contact information for a recommender who is a relative, friend, peer, or someone who knows the applicant from a purely academic setting will not be accepted.

Test-Optional Admission Process

Freshman applicants for whom a standardized test score is not the best reflection of their academic ability may choose to participate in the Test-Optional Admission Process if they meet the following criteria: 

  • Attending a public or private high school
  • Are not majoring in nursing, biology, chemistry, allied health, or biochemistry

Through the Test-Optional Admission Process, a student may submit additional materials at the request of the university, in lieu of their standardized test scores, for the purpose of admission. Applicants will be evaluated on the entirety of the application, with special attention given to their high school transcripts and the additional test-optional requirements. Participation in the Test-Optional Admission Process does not guarantee admission to the university. Contact the Office of Undergraduate Admissions for more information on this process.

Transcripts

Applicants are responsible for submitting transcripts from the high school from which they graduated and each college or university they attended. An official transcript is one that Azusa Pacific University receives unopened in an envelope sealed by the issuing institution(s) and bears the official seal of that high school, college, or university. Azusa Pacific University reserves the right to request that the transcript be sent directly from the issuing institution(s). High school students applying for admission as freshmen should submit a preliminary transcript showing courses and marks for freshman through junior years, or through the first semester of the senior year if the application is made after the completion of that semester. A final transcript must be sent following graduation. To be considered final, the high school transcript must show grades for each course taken as well as the high school graduation date. The transcript(s) and other documents submitted as part of the application become the property of APU and cannot be returned to the student or forwarded in any form to another college or university.