Admission of First-Time Freshmen

Applicants who will or have received their high school diploma,the General Education Development (GED) high school equivalency, or are homeschooled and have not attended any college or university after high school graduation are considered first-time freshmen. These applicants must complete the following to be considered for admission:

• 2.7 academic GPA in 17 units: 4 units of English, 3 units of Math (including Algebra II), 3 units of Natural Sciences and 7 units of college-prep electives (including social studies, language, and additional math and science).
• Applicants with a cumulative GPA of less than a 2.7 must submit their SAT or ACT scores. Academic GPA and SAT or ACT scores will be reviewed on a sliding scale.

The pass/graduation date for GED and/or high school transcripts must be within 10 years of the final admissions application deadline for the term (July 1 for Fall, December 1 for Spring). Students must also pass with college-ready scores. Admitted students must submit the final grades for any high school or post-secondary courses in-progress by the deadline indicated in the student’s UH STAR account.

Applicants denied admission may reapply as transfer students after satisfactorily completing 24 college-level semester hours of transferable courses at another regionally accredited college or university.

Adjustment to admissions requirements:

Due to the limitations surrounding standardized testing as a result of COVID-19, the UH Hilo admissions requirements were adjusted for students applying for admission to UH Hilo starting in fall 2022. Students with a cumulative overall GPA of 2.7 or higher that have completed at least four units in English; three in mathematics including Algebra 1, Geometry and Algebra II; three in natural sciences; and seven additional, which may include higher mathematics, other science, social studies, and foreign language are admissible to UH Hilo.