APPLY FOR
ADMISSION
We are excited that your student is interested
in applying to the University of Minnesota Twin
Cities! During this time, there are new terms
and dates to remember. At the U of M, we want
you to know about these important deadlines
and next steps:
Apply for admission
Once your student has picked a school that is the best fit, they will fill out an application. At the
U of M, our application requires three items: an application, self-reported academic record, and a
$55* application fee. Unlike other schools, we do not require leers of recommendation or essays.
The U of M has two applications: Golden Gopher Application and Common Application. We do not
have a preference on which application a student submits, but students should only pick and submit
one application.
Students can begin applying the August before their senior year of high school. Your student can find information
on applying to the U of M at z.umn.edu/apply.
*The $55 application fee can be waived for students who demonstrate financial need or participate in specific
programs. Questions on the application will determine if a student is eligible, and allow them to bypass the payment
screen.
Write down important application deadlines
The U of M has three application deadlines. Students must complete and submit their application by one
of the three deadlines to get an admission decision by a specific date.
• November 1 = Early Action I Deadline
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Students get a decision on their application no later than January 31.
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In addition, November 1 is the deadline to apply for the freshman nursing program.
Applications received aer this date will not be reviewed.
• December 1 = Early Action II Deadline
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Students get a decision on their application no later than February 15.
• January 1 = Regular Deadline
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Students get a decision on their application no later than March 31.
Your student can find more information on freshman application deadlines at z.umn.edu/appdeadlines.
Please note, applications received aer January 1 will be reviewed on a space-available basis.
Types of admissions decisions
Aer an application is submied, it will be reviewed by the Office of Admissions using a process
called holistic review. During this process, the U of M uses two types of factors to make a decision:
academic factors like coursework and grades, and context factors like interests and community
service. For more information on the application review process, visit z.umn.edu/review.
There are four possible decisions that can be made:
• Admit: a student has been admied to aend the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. If admied, students
will receive instructions on their next steps, including how to confirm their enrollment.
• Defer: this decision is only for students who applied by the Early Action I or Early Action II Deadline. Not
all students who apply by the Early Action deadlines are deferred. This decision means we need more
information on other students before we can make a final decision. An update will be given no later than
March 31.
• Waitlist: the student has been placed on a list of qualified students. This decision means we need to assure
we have enough space and resources at the U of M before we can offer admission. An update will be given
no later than the middle of June.
• Deny: a student has not been admied to the University of Minnesota Twin Cities.
Apply for financial aid
To be awarded financial aid, a student and their family must fill out the Free Application for
Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, which evaluates a family’s finances and calculates how much they
are expected to pay. The FAFSA is available in October, and must be submied to the U of M by
the FAFSA priority deadline on March 1 to ensure your student receives any aid they qualify for by
the start of school. We encourage both students and parents to get an early estimate of how much
financial aid they may qualify for by using U of M’s Net Price Calculator at z.umn.edu/netcalc.
Minnesota students who do not qualify for the FAFSA are encouraged to complete the MN DREAM Act. To find
out more information and eligibility, please visit z.umn.edu/MNDreamAct. For more information on resources
available to undocumented and DACA students, please visit z.umn.edu/undocumented.
Financial aid is used to pay for tuition, or the cost of aending classes and using campus resources. Tuition is
different from the cost of aendance, which is the total cost of going to college and includes tuition, the cost of
room and board, books, fees, and other expenses.
There are two types of tuition rates:
• In-state tuition: the discounted cost a resident, or student who qualifies for reciprocity* pays.
• Out-of-state tuition: the cost a student pays to aend college in a state they do not live in.
*Official resident and reciprocity status is defined in the Residency and Reciprocity Handbook at
z.umn.edu/residencypdf.
UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA //
Apply for housing
Living on campus is an experience that allows students to live closer to classes, resources, and
friends. However, living on campus is not required.
At the University of Minnesota, we guarantee on-campus housing in residence halls, for all admied
freshman who apply for housing by May 1. Students can submit a housing application before geing
an admissions decision. The housing application opens in November and can be found online at
z.umn.edu/housingapp. For more information on why living on campus adds to the freshman
experience, visit z.umn.edu/whyhousing.
The U of M offers unique housing opportunities in Living Learning Communities (LLCs) where students with
similar backgrounds or interests live near each other in residence halls. Your student can find a list of LLCs at
z.umn.edu/LLCinfo.
The U of M also has programs and resources for students who choose not to live on campus. We strive to ensure
commuter students have an on-campus network and opportunities to meet others with shared interests.
UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA //
KEYTERMS
ENGLISH TERM DEFINITION
Academic Factors
A student’s educational history used by the University of Minnesota to review a student’s
application and determine if they are academically prepared to succeed in university-level
classes
Admission A college’s response to an applicant to allow them to become a student of their college
Admission Decision
A choice a college makes on whether to offer a student admission
Admit
A college has reviewed a student’s application and agrees they are prepared to succeed at
their school and extends an offer to aend
Application
Form and documents a student gives to a college to be considered for admission
Apply
The act of submiing an application
Best Fit
Phrase used to describe a school that fits a student’s interests and goals
Commuter
A student who does not live on campus and walks, bikes, takes public transportation or
drives to campus to aend classes
Confirm Enrollment
Action a student takes to let a school know they will be aending. This action includes
paying a non-refundable confirmation fee.
Context Factors
A student’s personal background information used by the University of Minnesota to
review a student’s application. These factors can include a wide variety of topics like
aer-school clubs, sports, family responsibilities, job experience, volunteering and more.
Cost of Aendance
The total cost of going to college, including housing, books, transportation, fees, and other
expenses a student typically has while going to school
Coursework
Classes a student takes to complete a requirement
Defer
A college’s response to an early action applicant who has not been admied yet because
more information is needed
Deny A college has reviewed a student’s application and has decided not to admit them
UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA //
KEYTERMS
ENGLISH TERM DEFINITION
Early Action Deadlines
The first deadline for applications which allows students to receive an early admission
decision. The U of M has two Early Action deadlines. This decision is non-binding.
FAFSA
Shortened name for Free Application for Federal Student Aid, a government form that
calculates how much a student can afford to pay for college. This calculation is used by
the University of Minnesota to award financial aid.
Financial Aid
Money in the form of loans, grants, scholarships, and work study to help pay for college
Freshman
A student in their first year of college
Holistic Review
Process used by the University of Minnesota to look at the academic and personal
experiences a student shares on their application
Housing Application
Actions a student takes to live in on-campus residence halls. This application is different
from the admissions application.
Living Learning
Communities
U of M housing arrangements where students with similar backgrounds and interests live
near each other in residence halls
MN DREAM Act
The MN DREAM Act provides benefits to undocumented students in Minnesota who
meet specific criteria
Net Price Calculator
Online form where students enter information about themselves and/or their family’s
finances to get an estimate on how much financial aid they may be awarded
Next Steps
Actions a student takes aer their admission
Priority Deadline
Deadline to complete the FAFSA to ensure notification is not delayed
Reciprocity
Students aending the U of M from Wisconsin, North Dakota, South Dakota and Manitoba,
Canada. These students qualify for in-state tuition if they apply for reciprocity status.
Regular Deadline
The final deadline for applications
Residence Hall
Dormitories or other living quarters provided by the college
Resident
A person who lives in Minnesota
Room and Board
Money a college charges for living and dining in a residence hall
Self-Reported Academic
Record
The U of M requires students to report their test scores and high school grades on their
application - which means they do not need to provide official documents until aer they
have been admied. Please note: ACT/SAT test scores are not required for the 2021
application.
Tuition
Money a college charges for classes and use of on-campus resources. The amount a
student pays depends on their financial aid and their in-state or out-of-state status.
U of M
Shortened name for the University of Minnesota Twin Cities
Waitlist
A college has placed a student on a list of other qualified students but has not admied
them yet due to space limitations
Waive
Item or document not required for an application to be considered complete