A freshman is a student who has never previously attended a college or university, or who will have completed fewer than 30 semester (45 quarter) hours of transferable work at a college or university at the time he or she proposes to enter East Carolina University.
To be admitted as a freshman, you must have completed the following courses upon high school graduation:
English - 4 course units in English, emphasizing grammar, composition, and literature.
Mathematics - 4 course units including Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II AND a higher-level mathematics course for which Algebra II is a prerequisite. NOTE: The fourth math course unit is applicable only to students who graduated high school in 2006 or later.
Natural science - 3 course units including a life or biological science, a physical science, and a laboratory science.
Social studies - 2 course units, one of which must be U.S. History.
Foreign Language - 2 course units of a language other than English. Both units must be in the same language (ex. Spanish 1 & 2). ECU accepts both American Sign Language and Latin. NOTE: The foreign language component is applicable only to students who graduated high school in 2004 or later.
Arts - 1 or more course units recommended.
During your senior year, we recommend that you take a foreign language, mathematics, and a natural science course in addition to English. These courses will better prepare you for placement tests you may have to take during orientation at ECU.
A complete application for freshman admission includes
• A completed application (online or mailed)
Download Freshmen / Transfer Application • A check, money order, or credit card authorization for the $60 application fee
• A high school transcript sealed by the school, and showing class rank, senior year courses, and grade point average on a 4.0 scale
• Transcripts from all post-secondary schools attended
• SAT and/or ACT scores (PLEASE make sure that all test scores are sent directly from ACT or CollegeBoard)
NOTE: If applicants choose to take the ACT, they must also provide scores for the supplemental writing section.
Applications received after March 15 for fall, and November 1 for spring, will be reviewed on the basis of space availability.
With college fairs, ECU Open House, campus visits, and the ECU Today Program, you have a number of opportunities to speak with an admissions representative regarding East Carolina University. For more information on these programs, please visit our Visitor Information page.
