Eckerd College seeks to admit students of various backgrounds, ethnic and national origins who are prepared to gain from the educational challenge they will encounter at the College while also contributing to the overall quality of campus life. Admission decisions are made after a careful review of each applicant’s aptitudes, achievements, and character. When you apply, we will look at your academic performance. For First-Year students and some transfer students we will also consider your performance on the college entrance examinations (ACT or SAT), if provided. Students are not required to submit standardized test scores in order to be considered for admission or scholarship.
SAT II’s are not required. Your potential for personal and academic development and positive contribution to the campus community is important, and we will look closely at your personal essay, record of activities, and recommendations from your counselors and/or teachers.
Students who have earned their high school diploma or its equivalent without completing any post-secondary coursework may apply as a first-year student.
First year students considering Eckerd College should have taken a college preparatory curriculum. The College’s preference is for students who have taken four units of English, three or more units each of mathematics, sciences, and social studies, and at least two units of a world language. Although no single criterion is used as a determinant for acceptance and there are no automatic “cutoff” points, the great majority of students who gain admission to Eckerd College have a high school average of B+ or better in their college preparatory courses, and those who choose to submit standardized test scores place in the top 25 percent of college-bound students taking the ACT or SAT.
First-year students may apply under our Early Action or Regular Decision process. Early Action applicants must have a completed application and supporting materials sent to the Admission Office by November 15. Notification of admission status will be postmarked by December 15. Applications completed after November 15 will have regular decision notification delivered on a rolling basis.
Eckerd College welcomes students from other colleges, universities, junior and community colleges that have earned regional accreditation. A transfer student is defined as anyone who has taken post-secondary courses after receiving a high school diploma or its equivalent. There is no minimum number of courses required to be considered a transfer student. Applicants are expected to be in good academic and social standing at the institution last attended and eligible to return to that institution.
Transfer student applications are reviewed on a rolling basis beginning in October and continuing through the academic year for the following fall. Students considering mid-year admission for winter term (January) are advised to complete application procedures by December 1. Applicants for fall entry should complete procedures by August 1.
We do not have minimum requirements. Admission to Eckerd College is based on past academic performance, aptitude, intellectual potential, character, special talent, leadership, range of interests, emotional maturity, and potential for personal development. Students admitted to Eckerd generally have earned B+ averages or higher in academic subjects in high school. Most first-year students come from the top 20 percent of their high school classes.
The average GPA of the recent incoming class was 3.6 on a 4.0 scale.
The middle 50 percent of the recent incoming class scored:
Students are not required to submit standardized test scores in order to be considered for admission or scholarship.
Eckerd College does not require SAT or ACT scores for consideration.
Test scores are not required for our academic or merit-based scholarships. Students who wish, may share their scores with the College and those scores will be evaluated as part of the application for admission.
If test scores are submitted, Eckerd will superscore to create your best possible composite score. We accept either the ACT or the SAT and use the test on which you scored higher.
Yes. To support access to all applicants and reduce submission barriers, Eckerd will accept self-reported test scores directly from a PDF submitted by the applicant or school counselor.
Advanced standing classes (AP, IB, AICE) are weighted as we view transcripts and GPA. Honors courses do not receive numerical weight, although they are looked upon favorably when considering the challenge of an applicant’s coursework.
The encouraged curriculum is:
An interview is not required but encouraged for high school seniors who have not yet applied to Eckerd. Interviews for juniors are conducted when there is availability. Phone and regional/off-campus interviews are also available as an alternative for those who are unable to come to campus. If you would like to schedule a phone or regional interview, please contact your admission counselor.
Students who plan to graduate after their junior year of high school will be considered for admission to Eckerd. They will be requested to interview with an Admission Counselor to discuss their preparation and path to college. These students will also be required to submit their Fall Semester grades of their junior year before a decision is made. In order to be eligible to live on campus, students must be at least 17 years of age.
Typically, the process takes about four weeks once the application is complete; files needing committee review may take longer. An additional letter, detailing an admitted student’s merit-based scholarship, is sent with the admission decision.
Once you have made your final decision, you can reply to your offer of admission within your Eckerd College portal. If you choose to attend Eckerd, you must submit your $400 enrollment deposit within your portal, on our dedicated deposit page or by sending a check along with the reservation form that is included with your acceptance letter. The enrollment deposit is due May 1st. This deposit will be credited to your account and deducted from your fees at the time of registration. Deposits are refundable until May 1st.
Eckerd College supports students taking a gap year to enrich themselves academically through travel, internships, volunteer work or other interests. Students pursuing a gap year may request a deferral of their enrollment for up to one year. A student who has been accepted for admission must submit a statement in writing which explains their plans during the time of deferral. Requests should be addressed to the Dean of Admission and must be approved on or before May 1 for students admitted for Autumn/Fall term or by December 1 for candidates admitted for Winter/Spring term.
If the request is approved, in order to secure a place at Eckerd for the following year and retain an academic scholarship award, a $400 non-refundable enrollment deposit must be paid.
Candidates who defer admission and take more than 12 hours of college coursework during their deferral, or who wish to defer their enrollment for a period greater than one year, will need to re-apply for admission and scholarship. Students taking more than 12 hours of college coursework should re-apply as a Transfer Student.
Conditions of Deferral
Financial Aid
Any student who chooses to defer for Autumn Term of the next academic year and who has applied for need-based aid will need to file the necessary forms (i.e. FAFSA) for the new academic year.
Scholarship
Any student choosing to defer for the next academic year remains eligible for a merit-based scholarship, assuming satisfactory performance in any subsequent academic work. Artistic Achievement Award recipients may carry their award over to the next academic year. First-Year Research Associateships do not carry over to the next academic year; recipients of our Freshman Research Associateship must reapply for that opportunity and compete with candidates for the new academic year.
Eckerd recommends that transfer students have a 3.0 GPA from the last college attended. Courses earning a C or better can likely be transferred, dependent upon the equivalent course offerings at Eckerd. If the student has earned more than 27 credit hours, the high school record will not be considered. Transfer students can get an unofficial estimate of which courses will transfer by viewing the transfer page.
Are we considered a Florida resident if:
The short answer to these questions is, unfortunately, no. Many parents and students from outside the State of Florida wish to claim residency in the state in order to gain tuition benefits, or to gain access to federal or state grant programs available to Florida residents. In the case of Eckerd, there are no tuition benefits for Florida residents. Our total costs are the same for all students, regardless of residency.
There are a few state programs open to Florida residents including the Florida EASE Grant and The Bright Futures Scholarship. Each of these programs is intended for students who either graduate from a Florida high school, and/or the legal guardian with whom the student resides for the majority of the year has their primary residence in Florida and has lived there for at least one year. There are additional guidelines to each of these programs. If you think you may qualify, please feel free to contact your counselor.
Yes. Eckerd accepts American Sign Language (ASL) as an official world language during high school curriculum evaluation on your application. But ASL does not fulfill your Eckerd College world language credit. Students who enroll are still expected to take a year of world language here at Eckerd.
One of the goals of an Eckerd College education is to instill in students a global awareness. Thus, proficiency in a world language, which is directly or indirectly linked to study abroad, another important College objective, is required for graduation. Language study beyond the beginning level is strongly encouraged and is in fact required by several majors and our Phi Beta Kappa chapter.
The College’s world language requirement consists of two semesters (or the equivalent) of beginning language study. The two semesters (101 and 102) must be completed in one single language.
Eckerd College uses a language placement exam to evaluate the world language skill of incoming students.