Scope

All applicants beginning with those who apply to matriculate at Indiana University, either as first-time students or as external or inter-campus transfer students, for the summer and fall of 2011.

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Policy Statement

Academic Preparation
Indiana University Bloomington has adopted the following standards for academic preparation to ensure that its undergraduate students are properly prepared for college work.

All persons applying for admission to baccalaureate programs should^v complete, before they matriculate, at least thirty-four (34) credits of college-preparatory courses, advanced placement courses, and/or college courses (note: the phrase "one credit" means a one-semester course, such as a one-semester course in high school, a three credit-hour college semester course, or a four credit-hour college quarter course), including:

1. eight credits of English, of which one credit may be speech and one credit may be journalism^vi;
2. seven credits of mathematics, including (i) four credits of algebra and two credits of geometry or an equivalent six credits of integrated algebra and geometry, and (ii) one credit of precalculus, trigonometry, or calculus^{vii viii};
3. six credits of social science including two credits of U.S. history, two credits of world history/civilization/geography, and two additional credits in government, economics, sociology, history, or similar topics^ix ;
4. six credits of sciences, including at least four credits of laboratory sciences - biology, chemistry, physics^x;
5. four credits of world languages^xi; and
6. three or more credits of additional college-preparatory courses: trigonometry and additional mathematics credits are recommended for students intending to pursue a science degree; additional world language credits are recommended for all students.

If a student's high school does not offer the courses needed to meet one or more of these course requirements, then alternative college-preparatory courses may be substituted for those courses that are not available.

If the requirements of a student's high school diploma preclude satisfying these course requirements, then alternative college-preparatory courses may be substituted where necessary, but the student should satisfy as many of these requirements as possible.

Indiana residents must have completed or, if still in high school, must be on track to complete a Core 40 curriculum or equivalent or a Core 40 Academic Honors curriculum or equivalent as a condition to be offered regular admission. Indiana residents must complete a Core 40 curriculum or equivalent or a Core 40 Academic Honors curriculum or equivalent before matriculating.^xii A Core 40 Academic Honors curriculum that includes precalculus, trigonometry, or calculus will satisfy all of the course requirements above. Indiana residents who were residents of other states while attending high school for one or more terms may request appropriate exceptions.^xiii Some of Indiana University Bloomington's Schools and academic programs may require additional or equivalent coursework for direct admission.

Academic Achievements, Abilities, Motivation, and Maturity
Academic success at the college level depends upon a range of factors in addition to academic preparation including: academic achievement; verbal, quantitative, and reasoning abilities; academic motivation, work, and persistence; and academic maturity.

Academic achievement can be demonstrated by grades in college-preparatory course work, class rank, and scores on standardized subject exams. Preference will be given to applicants who have a grade point average of B or better (greater than a 3.0 on an unweighted 4-point scale) in their college-preparatory courses; to Indiana residents who are in the top 40% of their graduating class; to nonresidents who are in the top 30% of their graduating class; and to applicants whose exam scores on standardized subject exams demonstrate proficiency in their subjects.^{xiv xv xvi}

An applicant must submit scores on a nationally standardized college admissions exam (SAT or ACT).^xvii Preference will be given to Indiana residents who score above the state average and to non-residents who score above the national average. Additional preference will be given to applicants who score at least one-half standard deviation higher than the corresponding average.^{xviii xix}

Essays; honors, dual-credit, Advance Placement (AP), and/or Advanced College Project (ACP) courses; extra-curricular activities; letters of recommendation; community service; and work experience may also be considered as evidence of academic motivation and maturity.

First-time Undergraduate Students
Applicants for admission as first-time undergraduate students must have followed or be following a program of study that will meet the standards in Section 2 Academic Preparation in order to be admitted and should be evaluated according to the criteria in Section 3 Academic Achievements, Abilities, Motivation, and Maturity.

An admission decision may also take account of the known strengths and weaknesses of an applicant's college preparation program and of the trend of an applicant's grades in college-preparatory courses.

An admission decision may also take account of an applicant's potential contribution to a diverse educational environment as one factor in an individualized holistic evaluation for admission.^xx U.S. residents who are not home-schooled should, under normal and ordinary circumstances, complete a high school diploma.

For applicants who are at least twenty-one years old or have been out of high school three or more years, admission can be based also on factors such as a General Educational Development (GED) diploma, maturity, work experience, and military service, as determined by the campus and by the schools and academic programs to which they apply. Applicants who are at least twenty-one years old or have been out of high school three or more years may be admitted without scores on nationally standardized exams.^xxi

For applicants who were home-schooled and/or did not graduate from a high school, admission can be based also on factors such as a General Educational Development (GED) diploma, scores on national standardized exams, maturity, work experience, and military service, as determined by the campus and the schools and academic programs to which they apply.

The campus may, at its discretion, admit a student on a probationary or conditional basis and/or through faculty sponsorship.

Scholarship and outreach programs may, independent of the admissions process, take into account factors not mentioned here.

External Transfer Students
Applicants who have previously attended one or more institutions of higher education - community colleges, colleges, and universities - but have not attended any campus of Indiana University must have satisfied the course requirements in Section 2 Academic Preparation either in high school or in their prior college studies, and must satisfy the following requirements:

1.  Applicants must submit official transcripts from all institutions previously attended. For applicants who have attended a community college, college or university within the past three years, the transcripts for all recently attended institutions must demonstrate a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.3 on a 4-point scale for Indiana residents and at least 2.5 on a 4-point scale for others. For applicants who have not attended a community college, college, or university within the past three years, admission can be based also on factors such as a General Educational Development (GED) diploma, maturity, work experience, and military service, as determined by the campus and by the schools and academic programs to which they apply.
2.  Applicants who have fewer than 26 transferable semester hours should also satisfy the guidelines in Section 3 Academic Achievements, Abilities, Motivation, and Maturity. Some schools and academic programs at Indiana University Bloomington may have higher standards and specific requirements in addition to those mentioned here.

The campus may, at its discretion, admit a student on a probationary or conditional basis and/or through faculty sponsorship.

Inter-Campus Transfer Students
Applicants for transfer to the Bloomington campus from another campus of Indiana University who have not previously been admitted to the Bloomington campus must have an Indiana University cumulative grade point average of at least 2.3 and should have satisfied the course requirements in Section 2 Academic Preparation either in high school or in their prior college studies.^xxii For applicants who have not attended a community college, college, or university within the past three years, admission can be based also on factors such as maturity, work experience, and military service, as determined by the campus and by the schools and academic programs to which they apply.

Applicants who have fewer than 26 semester hours of Indiana University credits (including accepted, external transfer credits) should also satisfy the guidelines in Section 3 Achievements, Abilities, Motivation, and Maturity.

Some schools and academic programs at Indiana University Bloomington may have higher standards and specific requirements in addition to those mentioned here. The campus may, at its discretion, admit a student on a probationary or conditional basis and/or through faculty sponsorship.

Non-Admitted Applicants
Applicants who are not admitted should be advised of what steps to take in order to be reconsidered at a later date.

Implementation and Accountability

1. This policy shall go into effect beginning with applicants who apply to matriculate at Indiana University, either as first-time students or as external or inter-campus transfer students, for the summer and fall of 2011.
2. The Office of Admissions will, as soon as is reasonable, begin encouraging prospective students to meet the course requirements in Section 2 Academic Preparation and begin applying the criteria in Section 3 Academic Achievements, Abilities, Motivation, and Maturity.
3. The President and the Provost of Indiana University Bloomington shall be held responsible for the admission procedures followed on the campus, for insuring compliance with the goals and guidelines herein set forth, and for achieving satisfactory levels of student academic quality and success. During the period 2006-2010 they shall monitor the progress towards implementing this policy and consult with the Bloomington Faculty Council if any temporary adjustments are needed. They may approve exceptions for a few individuals from time to time. If a need for a policy exception should arise, then that matter must be brought back to the Bloomington Faculty Council for consideration and approval.

i This proposal is the work of the 2003-04, 2004-05, and 2005-06 Educational Policy Committees. 2003-04 EPC: Joanne Alexander, Bennet Brabson, Les Coyne, Marc Dollinger, Richard Hvale, Kelly Kish (ex officio), Diana Lambdin, Grant McFann, Ted Miller, Dennis Senchuk, Holly Stocking, Herbert Terry, William Wheeler (chair), Daniel Zeno. 2004-05 EPC: Bennet Brabson, Roland Cote, Les Coyne, Romualdo De Souza, Marc Dollinger, Erika Dowell, Alyce Fly, Pat Hopen, Richard Hvale, Kelly Kish (ex officio), Diana Lambdin, Michelle Myers, Ted Miller, Gary Potter, Dennis Senchuk, Holly Stocking, Carla Aguilar-Thoele, William Wheeler (chair), Gary Wiggins. 2005-06 EPC: Alan Bender, John Carini (co-chair), Michael Carroll, Roland Cote, Les Coyne, Alyce Fly, Matthew Fortman, Patrick Hopen, Richard Hvale, Kelly Kish (ex officio), Diana Lambdin, Nancy Levine, Ted Miller, Gary Potter, Paul Purdom, Laura Scheiber, Dennis Senchuk, Munirpallam Venkataramanan, William Wheeler (co-chair).

ii The focus of this policy is on identifying and requiring the academic preparation - curriculum and course work - that students need in order be prepared to pursue baccalaureate programs on the Bloomington campus. This curriculum is available to all students attending public high schools in the state of Indiana and in most public high schools in this country. Consequently, every student, regardless of the student's diversity and social and economic characteristics, has the opportunity to prepare for and, if prepared, to attend Indiana University Bloomington.

iii The phrase "full diversity" is the term that professionals working in the areas of diversity and Affirmative Action now prefer. It is intended to convey that diversity has a broad scope not limited to particular minorities and that that scope may expand from time to time. Vice President Nelms proposed this language when the BFC debated the Indiana University Bloomington mission statement. The BFC accepted Vice President Nelms suggestion and used this phrase in the mission statement. Mission Statement for Indiana University Bloomington, BFC Circular B42-2005.

iv The University seeks the diversity which has the potential to enrich everyone's education and make its student body stronger than the sum of its parts. The University has found that the benefits of diversity are substantial. These benefits include promoting cross racial understanding, helping to break down racial stereotypes, and enabling students to better understand persons of different races. The University has found that discussions both in and out of the classroom are livelier, more spirited, more enlightening and more interesting when the students have the greatest possible variety of backgrounds. The University also reaffirms its commitment to one particular type of diversity, that is, racial and ethnic diversity with special reference to the inclusion of students from groups which have been historically discriminated against, like African-Americans, Hispanics and Native Americans, who without this commitment might not be represented in our student body in meaningful numbers. The University is committed to enrolling a critical mass of underrepresented minority students in order to ensure their ability to make their unique contributions to the character of the University.

v Wherever the word should is used in sections 2-6 of this policy, it means that an applicant must satisfy the specified conditions unless there are extraordinary circumstances which prevent that; in most instances, the nature of such circumstances is described and alternative conditions are set forth. Wherever the word must is used, there are no exceptions.

vi Same as current requirement.

vii Strengthens current requirement by one credit.

viii The alternatives of discrete mathematics and probability/statistics are specifically excluded here. Precalculus and trigonometry are high school courses that are remedial and do not count for credit toward baccalaureate degrees on the Bloomington campus. Precalculus and trigonometry are the foundation for college-level mathematics courses. The calculus courses offered in Indiana high schools are dual-credit or advanced placement courses, so they afford the opportunity to earn college credit. By contrast, discrete mathematics and probability/statistics courses in high school neither lay a general foundation for college level mathematics courses nor afford an opportunity for college credit.

ix Strengthens current requirement from four to six credits.

x Strengthens current requirement from two to six credits.

xi The phrase “world languages” here encompasses non-English, ancient and modern languages that were or are both spoken and written. It also includes sign language. It does not include computer programming language.

xii Section 20-12-17.5 of the Indiana Code, created by the 2005 Senate Bill 200, requires all baccalaureate granting state institutions of higher education to require that Indiana residents complete the Core 40 curriculum or an equivalent curriculum as a condition for regular "admission". However, because high school students are given offers of admission during their senior year, the event that corresponds to the intent of the word "admission" in the legislation is matriculation.

xiii Section 20-12-17.5 of the Indiana Code also specifies that state institutions of higher education should state their exceptions to requiring the Core 40 curriculum.

xiv In an unweighted grade point scale, honors courses, dual-credit courses, advanced placement courses, etc., are not given extra weight or higher grade points than other courses.

xv Indiana University’s policy on class rank, which has been in effect since the 1960’s, specifies that Indiana residents should be in top half of their graduating class and that nonresidents should be in the upper third of their graduating class. This contrast reflected the primacy of the University’s access mission in the 1960’s during the “baby boom” period. Today, Indiana University Bloomington endeavors to balance its quality and access missions and actively recruits students from top non-Indiana high schools; that is why the class rank goals are changed as indicated.
xvi Examples of standardized subject exams are the Core 40 subject exams, the College Board's subject/achievement exams, and the ACT's subject exams.

xvii The SAT and ACT exams measure certain types of academic ability. In spite of their limitations, these exams are nationally accepted measures.

xviii This provides the policy framework for the campus to pursue its goal of improving the SAT/ACT profile of its undergraduate students without setting minimum scores.

xix The Vice Provost for Enrollment Services and the Office of Admissions will be responsible for translating this statement into actual SAT and ACT scores for Indiana residents and non-residents.

xx Indiana University is committed to full diversity. The University also reaffirms its commitment to one particular type of diversity, that is, racial and ethnic diversity with special reference to the inclusion of students from groups which have been historically discriminated against, like African-Americans, Hispanics and Native Americans, who without this commitment might not be represented in our student body in meaningful numbers.

xxi One must distinguish between "maturity" and "academic maturity". The former is a matter of age and personality; that is the sense of maturity to which this sentence refers as a basis for an exception to the normal requirements for admission; this exception is normally relevant only to non-traditional students. The latter is a matter of academic preparation and intellectual development; that is the sense referred to in Section 3 as one of the positive factors for granting admission.

xxii Heretofore, the only requirement for students who wished to transfer from one Indiana University campus to another was that the student be in academic good-standing, i.e., have an Indiana University GPA of 2.0 or higher. But because different campuses of Indiana University are adopting different admission criteria - some stronger, some weaker - criteria for inter-campus transfers must now take into account these differing admission criteria.

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Policy Summary

Indiana University is committed to the goals of quality, full diversity, and access in its admissions policies.^{ii iii} The University will strive to have an undergraduate student body whose members are well-qualified for the University's courses and programs and who represent the full range of diversity within our state, nation, and world.^iv

Indiana University will base its admission decisions on the academic quality of the applicants; no one will be denied admission on grounds of sex, age, race, religion, ethnic origin, veteran status, disability, and/or sexual orientation. In its admission policies, Indiana University supports and complies with Affirmative Action regulations.

Indiana University will base its admission decisions on an overall evaluation of applicants' merits, strengths, and weaknesses. An applicant should demonstrate a combination of academic preparation, achievements, abilities, motivation, and maturity that promises success in Indiana University's academic programs. Indiana University does not use a rigid set of rules. Admission to the University is at the discretion of the University.

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History

Approved: BFC 2/21/2006.

The title of this policy was changed from “Undergraduate Admissions Policy for Fall 2011” when the policy was moved into the updated database in 2016.

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