First-Year Applicant

The Florida Board of Governors sets the minimum eligibility requirements in the State University System. Satisfying these minimum requirements does not guarantee admission to Florida State University. Admission is selective, and admitted students typically exceed the minimum requirements.

Upon graduation from high school, applicants must have earned four units of English (at least three with substantial writing requirements); four units of mathematics (algebra I level and higher); three units of natural science (at least two with laboratory); three units of social science (includes history, civics, political science, economics, sociology, psychology, and geography); two sequential units of the same world language; and two elective units (preferably from the English, mathematics, natural science, social science, or world language areas).

The units listed above represent the minimum required for admission consideration but do not guarantee admission. Most students accepted to the University exceed the minimums.

Applicants who have taken or plan to take either the SAT or ACT at the time of their application must request their test scores to be sent directly to FSU (SAT code is 5219 and ACT is 0734).

ACT/SAT Info: Requiring an ACT or SAT test score for admissions consideration is not an institutional choice. FSU, along with Florida's 11 other public universities, is subject to Florida Board of Governors admissions regulation 6.002 which requires first-year students seeking admission to submit an ACT or SAT test score.

We require all first-year applicants to submit at least one ACT and/or SAT test score. Florida State does not require the optional ACT writing score or the optional SAT essay. FSU allows students to self-report their SAT and/or ACT scores through the  Application Status Page. Since accuracy is critical, students must have a copy of their SAT/ACT score report(s) available to reference when self-reporting their scores. We recommend using your complete score report which can be found on your  MyACT or College Board account. 

To complete this form, you must list at least one set of test scores, including all sub-scores. To reference your SAT sub-scores, please visit your College Board account and select Score Overview then Skills Insight. If admitted, student will be required to submit official score reports prior to enrollment at FSU PC. 

We encourage applicants to take both the ACT and SAT, and to attempt each exam more than one time to earn the highest possible score. 

When evaluating students for admission, we use the highest earned ACT and SAT sub scores to calculate the ACT composite and/or SAT total (a process known as "super scoring"). 

The June SAT and June ACT are the latest tests that we will use in the admission process for applicants applying for the summer or fall term. 

FSU Panama City is proud to offer the Testing and Education Reference Center (TERC) in our beautiful Library and Learning Center. We encourage prospective students to access the Testing and Education Reference Center (TERC) available for all prospective students free of charge. TERC allows users to Prepare for a test (AP, SAT, ACT, CLEP, PSAT), get general skills or STEM help, search for a school or scholarship, get career advice, and more. Additionally, both  ACT and the College Board now offer test preparation programs. ACT has partnered with Kaplan Test Prep and will offer an ACT preparation program at no cost to low-income students and to all students at a significantly lower cost than traditional prep programs. The College Board has partnered with the Khan Academy and offers free, personalized SAT practice based on the student's PSAT/SAT test results. 

At least one test score must be submitted before the application deadline, but additional tests may be considered if provided.

To make changes to your application click here.

Although the essay is not required but highly recommended, it provides another opportunity to learn more about you. The essay should be no longer than 500-550 words, and may be uploaded after the student's application has been received. Applicants should choose one topic from the list below:

1. Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.
2. The resume should be no longer than two pages, and may be uploaded after the application has been submitted. It should include a list of activities such as (but not limited to) service work, employment, family contributions such as caring for siblings or sick relatives, and extracurricular and summer activities.
3. The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?
4. Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?
5. Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?
6. Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.
7. Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?
8. Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you've already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.

Up to 45 semester hours of credit can be awarded by taking AICE, AP, IB, or CLEP tests and achieving appropriate scores.* To receive credit, official test scores must be sent directly to the Office of Admissions. Credit will be awarded only once for the same subject, whether from credit by examination, dual enrollment, transfer credit, or FSU course credit. Credit awarded for dual enrollment or transfer courses takes precedence over credit by examination.

Students enrolled in college coursework prior to graduation from high school (dual enrollment) may be awarded college credit. An official college transcript will be required for the posting of credit. We will not post college credit from a high school transcript.

* Subject to change. Legislation calls for an annual review to determine the appropriate examination scores and courses for which credit is to be granted.

Florida State University considers applications from students who participated in a Home-Education program, or who have earned a GED. Home-Education applicants must complete the STARS, while students earning a GED must submit official GED results along with an official, partial high school transcript. In addition, all applicants must submit at least one ACT and/or SAT test score by the application deadline to be considered for admission. First-Year admission is a holistic and selective process, and no single criterion guarantees admission to our university.

If you were admitted for the summer or fall term, we recommend that you complete the following steps by May 1st to secure a spot in our first-year class:

• Claim the FSUID
• Complete the mandatory orientation registration, select a session, and submit payment.

Seminole Pathway Offer Students start their FSU experience in the summer term at the FSU Panama City campus and automatically continue into the fall term. After the spring term, students may choose to continue their education at the FSU Panama City campus or request a transfer to the FSU Tallahassee campus for the summer or fall term. Students will need to complete a Campus Location Change Form at the end of the spring semester if transferring to the Tallahassee campus. More information on this pathway is available on the FSU Panama City website.

Students who choose this pathway enroll in at least 15 semester hours of college credit at  Gulf Coast State College (GCSC) in the fall and must earn a minimum 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) college grade point average with no grade below C. If students take classes in the summer at GCSC, their college GPA for that term must also be 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) with no grade below C. Our 15-hour fall requirement cannot be split between summer and fall, so if students take courses during the summer, they must still take 15 semester hours during the fall. College credit earned in high school through AP, IB, AICE, CLEP, or dual enrollment cannot reduce the 15-hour fall requirement. Their coursework must include ENC 1101 (English Composition) and either MAC 1105 (College Algebra, preferred math), MGF 1106 (Mathematics for Liberal Arts), or MGF 1107 (Topics in Practical Finite Mathematics) depending on math placement and their major's math requirement, unless they have already earned comparable or higher level course credit through an accelerated mechanism such as AP, IB, AICE, CLEP, or dual enrollment. Students should refer to the Academic Program Guide for their major's math requirement. Students should refer to Accelerated Credit for college credit awarded through acceleration. More information on this pathway is available on the Spring Transfer FAQ.

Students selected by the Office of Admissions to participate in this program will be able to join the Tallahassee campus after completing one of the four pathways outlined.

Please note a deferral is not a denial. However, we would like some more information before we make a final decision. Deferred students should complete the Deferral Reply Form through their Application Status Check and submit an updated STARS with first-semester grade. We will also accept new test scores including the February ACT. Updated test scores can be submitted through the Self-Reported ACT and/or SAT Scores Form on the Application Status Check. Early Action Deferred students will receive an updated decision in February, while Regular Decision Deferred students will receive an updated decision in early April.

Early Action Applicants

• The deadline to submit this form and all additional information is Wednesday, January 11, 2025.
• The last test scores that will be considered for Early Action deferrals are December ACT and SAT.
• Decisions will be available beginning in February.

Regular Decision Applicants

• The deadline to submit this form and all additional information is Wednesday, March 1, 2025.
• The last test score that will be considered for Early Action deferrals are February ACT.
• Decisions will be available on a rolling basis in early April.

If a student is denied admission and still wishes to attend FSU, they are encouraged to re-apply in the future as a junior level transfer student, preferably with an Associate in Arts degree earned from Gulf Coast State College. Denied students should not reapply for first-year admission. We will consider an appeal only if it reveals new academic or personal information that was not present in your initial admission application. Detailed information about our appeals process may be found here. Appeals will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

For First Year students at FSU Panama City in-state tuition is $180.49 per credit hour and out-of-state tuition is $686.04 per credit hour. FSU PC is currently waiving the $30 application fee. For a full breakdown of tuition and fees visit Financial Aid & Scholarships.

FSU Panama City offers hundreds of scholarships each year, many of which you automatically apply for when you are accepted as a student. For more information on the scholarships we offer or how to apply for FAFSA visit Financial Aid & Scholarships.