Brigham Young University exists to provide an education consistent with the religious values taught by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Church). The university prefers admitting members of the Church in good standing and does not unlawfully discriminate against applicants based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, disability, genetic information, or veteran status, who (1) meet the admission requirements, (2) agree to abide by the Church Educational System Honor Code (Honor Code) and the Dress and Grooming Standards, and (3) are otherwise qualified based upon available space.

Admission Procedures

From year to year, the director of Admission Services will publish in the University Catalog admission procedural guidelines for undergraduate applicants to the university, and Graduate Studies will publish admission procedural guidelines for graduate applicants. In order to be considered for admission, applicants must abide by the current published procedural guidelines.

Admission Deadlines

All application materials must be submitted or postmarked on or before the deadline for the semester or term for which the applicant intends to apply. Admission deadlines are reviewed periodically and amended by the director of Admission Services for undergraduate applicants and the dean of Graduate Studies for graduate applicants.

Full Disclosure

Failure to disclose and submit all documents required for admission, including transcripts from each institution in which the applicant has or is currently enrolled, or any falsification of information required for admission consideration may result in the immediate rescission of an offer of admission, suspension, or loss of all credit earned at BYU.

Admission Status and Academic Standing

The university’s Admission Committee has responsibility for determining the admission status (i.e., admitted or denied) for all undergraduate applicants. In cases involving the admission status of transfer, former, or reapplying students for undergraduate studies, the Admission Committee has responsibility for determining the academic standing (i.e., good, warning, or probation) under which the student is admitted. Graduate Studies and the relevant university department or school have responsibility for determining the admission status for their respective graduate applicants.

Honor Code Standing

Applicants should have a current ecclesiastical endorsement to be admitted to BYU, and they must continue to abide by the Honor Code and the Dress and Grooming Standards, whether on or off campus after admission. Unless granted an exception, an applicant whose membership is withdrawn from the Church, who has formal membership restrictions in the Church, or who has resigned membership in the Church is not admissible until reinstated to full fellowship in the Church. Also, unless granted an exception, an applicant who is on probation with the Church or who otherwise lacks an ecclesiastical endorsement is not admissible until the issue giving rise to the probation or lack of ecclesiastical endorsement is resolved with the applicant’s authorized ecclesiastical leader. The university ultimately reserves the right to make the admission decision.

Application for Exception

An individual wishing to apply for admission whose membership is withdrawn from the Church, who has formal membership restrictions in the Church, who has resigned membership in the Church, or who otherwise lacks an ecclesiastical endorsement, may request an exception to this policy by completing an Application for Exception to Policy form. Undergraduate applicants may obtain these forms from the executive director of Enrollment Services, and applicants to graduate programs may obtain them from the dean of Graduate Studies. The burden of persuasion is upon the applicant to clearly demonstrate to the university through the information submitted that the relevant facts and circumstances warrant an exception to this policy.

The executive director of Enrollment Services, or his or her designee, will review the Application for Exception to Policy for undergraduate applicants, and the dean of the relevant graduate school, or his or her designee, will review the Application for Exception to Policy for graduate applicants. The reviewer may also personally interview the applicant, who may further explain the circumstances that might justify an exception to the policy of not admitting individuals whose membership is withdrawn from the Church, who has formal membership restrictions in the Church, who has resigned membership in the Church, or who otherwise lack an ecclesiastical endorsement. The reviewer may not speak to the applicant’s present and former ecclesiastical leaders unless the reviewer receives the express written consent of the applicant. If such consent is not provided by the applicant, then the Application for Exception to Policy will be determined based on the information otherwise available.

After reviewing the applicant’s Application for Exception to Policy, the reviewer will make a recommendation to the president of the university, who has the sole authority to grant exceptions. The president will grant an exception only in very limited cases where the president determines in his or her sole discretion that the relevant facts and circumstances warrant an exception to this policy.

If an exception is granted and the individual is admitted as a student to the university, then the university may place an Honor Code hold on the student’s record. The Honor Code hold will remain in effect until the issue giving rise to the Honor Code hold is resolved. If the individual has not resolved the issue within one year, he or she may be dismissed from the university.

High School Graduation

Undergraduate applicants must be graduates of fully accredited high schools. Those who complete their secondary education through home study, home school, or other programs, or who seek enrollment at the university before graduating from high school, will be reviewed individually by the Admission Committee to determine ability to benefit from a BYU education. Additional information (such as achievement test scores, personal interviews, etc.) may be required as part of the application process.

ACT Test or SAT Reasoning Test

All new freshman applicants, or students whose high school graduating class has yet to graduate, and specified transfer students are required to take the ACT or SAT. New freshman applicants are individuals who have no college credit, or who completed college credit prior to high school graduation, and are high school graduates, home school graduates, or high-school-aged students not completing high school. An applicant’s performance on the ACT or SAT is one of the competitive factors reviewed by the Admission Committee for determining admission status.

Seminary

Individuals are encouraged to participate in Church seminary during each year of high school. Brigham Young University is committed to the concept that thoughtful and consistent study of the scriptures is vital to the preparation of those desiring to enter the university. The number of years of Church seminary completed (released-time, early morning, online, or home study) and the quality of that study are additional considerations in undergraduate admission decisions.

Establishing an Enriched Environment

The university seeks to create an environment with students of varying backgrounds and talents. The Fostering an Enriched Environment Policy provides admission guidance in this regard.

International Students

In addition to the standards for admission considered for domestic applicants, international student applicants must also pay for and submit a foreign credential evaluation and demonstrate evidence of competency in English and sufficient financial support.

Transfer Applicants

Undergraduate students who have completed post-secondary academic work from an accredited institution after graduating from high school are considered transfer student applicants. The university will only accept transfer credit from institutions that receive accreditation or approval through appropriate bodies. The director of Admission Services will establish the minimum number of post-secondary credit hours required of undergraduate transfer students in order to disregard performance in high school course work and standardized test scores. Graduate-level transfer applicants may be accepted in accordance with procedural guidelines established by the relevant department or school.

Admission of Non-Matriculated Students

An applicant for undergraduate admission who has already obtained a bachelor’s degree or who has obtained a postbaccalaureate degree is not normally admitted as an undergraduate to the university. Under rare circumstances, the university will consider admitting applicants to the university in non-degree-seeking programs for limited periods of time as space permits. The director of Admission Services will annually establish and publish in the University Catalog the conditions under which applicants will be considered for admission as nonmatriculated students (e.g., concurrent students, postbaccalaureate students, and visiting students).

Official Notice of Admission

Undergraduate applicants will receive formal notice of the official action taken by the Admission Committee. Graduate applicants will receive formal notice from Graduate Studies or the relevant department or school. Oral communication does not constitute a valid offer of admission. Admission can be granted only by the Admission Services office for undergraduate applicants and not by any other university department. Only Graduate Studies or the relevant department or school may grant admission for graduate applicants. An official offer of admission is valid only for the semester or term indicated and may not be unilaterally deferred by the student.

Deferral of Initial Admission

Undergraduate students who wish to change the entry date specified in their notice of acceptance must request permission to do so from the director of Admission Services on or before the designated deadline for the entry date they desire. However, for non-missionary deferments, depending on space availability, the university may deny the deferral request. As a general matter, graduate students may not defer admission, but may be reconsidered upon reapplication with a new applicant pool for a subsequent semester or term. Graduate students should consult with the relevant department or school about any exceptions to this policy regarding deferral of admission.

Missionary Deferment

Undergraduate students may defer their enrollment to serve a Church mission, and graduate students should consult with the relevant department or school about any deferrals. Students who intend to defer their enrollment to serve a Church mission must notify the university prior to leaving and must complete a deferment application. The notification procedure can be completed only after receiving a mission call and must be submitted in accordance with published procedural guidelines.

Otherwise eligible students returning from missionary deferments may enroll under the following conditions:

• They have completed a mission and received an ecclesiastical endorsement.
• They will return for the semester or term indicated on the missionary deferment notice. Limited exceptions may be considered by petitioning the director of Admission Services for undergraduate students or by consulting with the relevant department or school for graduate students.

For students who return home early from missionary service, the missionary deferment is void, and the student must reapply for admission to the university.

The granting of a missionary deferment is for enrollment and undergraduate scholarships only, and it does not by itself imply the deferral of graduate scholarships, fellowships, assistantships, or commitments that have been made to affiliate with specific faculty members, labs, or research projects.

Continuing Undergraduate Student Leave of Absence

Except for newly admitted students, daytime eligible undergraduate students may take a leave of absence for one major semester (fall or winter) per academic year without prior notification to the university. For purposes of this paragraph, an academic year begins with fall semester and continues through the next summer term. Newly admitted students may not take a leave of absence until they have completed an initial enrollment.

International Undergraduate Student Leave of Absence

International undergraduate students must be daytime students for eight months prior to a leave of absence and must obtain clearance from the International Student Services Office before taking a leave of absence. Responsibility for maintaining proper visa status, even while on deferment, remains solely with the international student.

Former Student Applicants

Undergraduate students who interrupt their studies for more than one major semester (fall or winter) in the academic year without a missionary deferment must reapply for admission. Former graduate students who started but did not complete their course of study may submit an Application to Resume Graduate Study according to published procedural guidelines. Previous coursework may be re-evaluated, and degree requirements may be changed to reflect current expectations.

Military Leave

Subject to the conditions cited below and the applicable law (see 34 C.F.R. § 668.18), the university will readmit students who have left the university to perform service in the uniformed services with the same academic status they had when they last attended the university. “Service in the uniformed services” means voluntary or involuntary service in the Armed Forces of the United States, including service in the National Guard or Reserve, for a period of more than thirty consecutive days. Readmission is available if

• the student gave the university’s Admission Services advance notice of the service prior to leaving unless a military necessity precluded notice, or the student provides an attestation after completing the service that performing the uniformed services necessitated the absence;
• the cumulative length of the absence and all other absences for service performed in the uniformed services does not exceed five years;
• the student gives notice to the university’s Admission Services of the intent to reenroll; and
• the student qualifies for an ecclesiastical endorsement at the time of readmission.