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Information For High School Counselors

Our admission staff recognizes the key role high school counselors play in guiding students through the college admissions process. You are our essential professional partners and we appreciate the time and effort you spend to help students make one of the most important decisions of their lives. 

Here are some helpful resources and quick links to help you navigate CU-Boulder's admission and application process:

Academics

Our six undergraduate colleges and schools, offering more than 80 undergraduate majors, provide students countless opportunities to enhance their knowledge, prepare for a career, challenge their intellect, and introduce themselves to brand-new thoughts and experiences.

Students have the opportunity to explore:

  • 3,400 courses in 150 fields of study
  • A variety of honors courses
  • Over 90 service learning courses offered through 30 departments
  • Combined majors and minors, bachelors/masters programs, and certificate programs
  • 330 study abroad programs in more than 70 countries

Important Links:

Broadening the CU-Boulder Experience

We have programs for students who seek leadership training, research experience, academic honors, residential academic programs, international experience, community involvement, military officer training, and more. Learn more >

Freshman Admission

Freshmen (or first-year) students can apply for summer, fall, or spring admission. They are encouraged to apply as early as possible since admission is competitive and decisions are made on a space-available basis.

Application Dates and Deadlines

For updated application dates, deadlines and notifications, go to our Application Deadlines page for freshmen applicants.

Admission Criteria

CU-Boulder's aim is to build a freshman class of highly qualified, intellectually curious, and actively involved students who have demonstrated high levels of maturity and personal integrity as well as a commitment to serving their communities. To achieve this, we practice a holistic admission review process taking into account a variety of primary academic factors as well as secondary factors as they relate to a student's ability to be successful in our competitive academic environment. While admission is competitive, students will be considered on an individual basis relative to a prediction of their academic success in the college to which they apply.

The primary factor in admission decisions for freshmen is high school academic achievement. CU-Boulder focuses on the student's grade point average (GPA) in core academic courses, the rigor of the student's course selection, and the student's best combination of scores on the SAT I and/or ACT. Students are also reviewed for deficiencies in any of the Minimum Academic Preparation Standards (MAPS), as well as any grades of D or F.

The following plan of study meets the requirements of all CU-Boulder colleges and schools and is excellent preparation for collegiate-level study:

Minimum Academic Preparation Standards

  • English-4
  • Mathematics-4
  • Natural Science (includes biology, chemistry, and physics)-3
  • Social Science (includes U.S. history, world history, and world geography)-3
  • Single Foreign language-3

Students may be admitted to CU-Boulder without meeting all of the MAPS requirements. In these cases, MAPS requirements may be met after students enroll at CU-Boulder. (See the specific MAPS requirements for CU-Boulder's colleges and schools).

Important Links

Finances

Voted one of the "100 Best Value Colleges for 2011" by The Princeton Review and USA Today, CU-Boulder is one of the nation's most accomplished universities. As you and your family consider college costs, we hope you'll explore the many resources we offer to help you meet your financial needs and achieve your college goals.

Important Links:

 

Visit Programs

The best way to experience our academic environment is for students and their families to come spend some time with us.

Daily Information Sessions and Campus Tours

These are held Monday through Friday at 9:30 a.m., again at 1:30 p.m. and on most Saturdays at 10:30 a.m. View available dates and times >

All-Day Visit Programs

Choose an All-Day Visit Program that's right for you and your family. Discover more >

  • Be a CU-Boulder Student for a Day (multiple dates, fall and spring)
  • CU-Boulder Engineering Sampler (October 9, 2010)
  • CU-Boulder Diversity Sampler (January 15, 2011)
  • Admitted Student Day (April 2, 2011)
  • CU-Boulder Summer Sampler (July 9, 2011)

CU-Boulder on the Road

Our admission counselors visit high schools, attend college fairs, and host previews throughout the year. We may be in your area soon. Find out more >

Ralphie's Group and Community Visits (Group Tours)

Ralphie's Group and Community Visits are specialized programs for schools, organizations, clubs, and other groups of eight or more people. Learn more >

High School Counselors

We encourage high school counselors to visit our campus whenever possible. If you would like more information about scheduling a visit, contact your area representative.

Applying to CU-Boulder

Admission to CU-Boulder is competitive. Many factors are considered in evaluating an application, including the quality of a student's course work, grade point average, college entrance test scores (SAT or ACT), the trend in grades, and potential contributions to the campus community.

What Students Should Know

  • Consider the application deadlines
  • Review the application instructions and gather the documents they need to complete their file
  • Fill out the online admission application
  • Review their information, submit their online application, and mail all supporting documents to the Office of Admissions.

After Submitting an Application

Once the student has submitted an application, they should review the application instructions to make sure they have also submitted and/or requested all the required information and credentials. Incomplete applications cannot be reviewed until the necessary items are received. Most items sent by mail typically require 10 days to two weeks to reach our office, as well as additional time to be processed.

Applying for Financial Aid and Scholarships

Once the scholarship application is available in December, students can begin applying. They do not need to be admitted to apply for scholarships. The scholarship deadline is 5 pm, March 1. Students seeking financial aid can begin applying after January 1 but must submit the application by the April 1 priority deadline.

Updating Personal Information

Throughout the admission process we will send e-mail and printed information regarding admission, registration, and orientation, as well as other information to the e-mail and mailing address included on the student's application. If either their e-mail or mailing address change after they've submitted their application, notify the Office of Admissions immediately by sending an e-mail to apply@colorado.edu or by calling 303-492-2451. If the student sends an e-mail, please have them include their full legal name and birth date.

Check Application Status Online

We will begin reviewing completed files in early October and students will be able to check the status of their application online at that time. Applicants can regularly check their application status through their MyCUBoulder account.

After Admission

Once your student has been admitted, they should continue to work through their MyCUBoulder account to learn more about housing, financial aid and scholarship opportunities, and orientation. Students can also accept their offer of admission and pay their 0 enrollment deposit through their MyCUBoulder account.

Important Links