What Does It Really Take To Get Into Florida State University?

What’s Covered

• How Hard Is It Go Get Into Florida State University
• Average Academic Profile of Accepted Florida State University Students
• What is Florida State University Looking For?
• How To Improve Your Chances Of Getting Into Florida State University
• How To Apply To Florida State University
• Learn more About Florida State University

Founded in 1852, Florida State University (FSU) is the oldest continuous site of higher education in the state of Florida. Despite FSU’s reputation as a party school and notoriety for its athletics, FSU has very selective admissions, rigorous academics, and is Carnegie Commission classified as a “Doctoral University: Highest Research Activity.”

How Hard Is It to Get Into Florida State University?

Getting into Florida State University is very challenging. FSU had 63,691 applicants for its Class of 2025 and accepted 20,668—equating to just a 32% overall acceptance rate. 

FSU’s acceptance rate is low, but your actual chances of admission depend on the strength of your profile. CollegeVine can help you better understand your odds at FSU. Our free admissions calculator uses factors like grades, test scores, and extracurriculars to estimate your odds of acceptance and to provide tips to improve your profile. 

Average Academic Profile of Accepted Florida State University Students

GPA

The average weighted high school GPA of Florida State University’s Class of 2025 is 4.16, unweighted is 3.59. 

SAT/ACT

The middle 50% SAT score of Florida State University’s Class of 2025 is 1230-1350 and the middle 50% ACT score is 27-31. 

Class Rank

46% of Florida State University’s Class of 2025 graduated in the top tenth of their high school class. Over 80% graduated in the top quarter of their high school. 

What is Florida State University Looking for?

Florida State University is a big school with a national reputation—it welcomed students from all 50 states (plus Washington, D.C.) and 49 countries to its Class of 2025. That said, FSU is a state school and state residency is “important” to admissions decisions—giving students from Florida an advantage over out-of-state students. Whether you’re a Florida resident or not, FSU practices a holistic admissions process, and no single factor guarantees admissions. 

Students from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds, who are driven to succeed in school, and will be first-generation college students can gain special consideration for admission by participating in FSU’s Summer Bridge Program. 

How Florida State University Evaluates Applications

According to their 2020-2021 Common Data Set, Florida State University considers the following factors “very important”:

• Course rigor

These factors are “important”:

• GPA
• Test scores
• Talent 
• State residency 

These are “considered”:

• Class rank 
• Essay 
• Extracurricular activities 
• Character
• First generation 
• Geographic location 
• Volunteer work
• Work experience 

And these are “not considered”:

• Religious affiliation
• Recommendations
• Interview 
• Legacy 
• Racial/ethnic status 
• Applicant interest

How to Improve Your Chances of Getting into Florida State University 

1. Achieve at least a 3.59 GPA

The average unweighted high school GPA of Florida State University’s Class of 2025 is 3.59—and 64% of students earned all As and Bs in high school. FSU considers GPA “important” to admissions decisions.

Selective schools like FSU that receive a massive amount of applicants often use a tool known as the Academic Index to streamline admissions decisions. Academic Index is a distillation of your entire academic performance into a single number. If your Academic Index fails to meet a college like FSU’s standard, you risk being considered unqualified and may not be seen as a serious applicant. 

If your GPA is underwhelming and you’re early in your high school career, there is time to improve your grades. Check out our tips for increasing your GPA. If you’re a junior or senior, it’s more difficult to raise your GPA. If this is the case, the simplest method to increase your Academic Index is to get higher test scores.

2. Take challenging coursework

Stellar grades alone are not enough to wow FSU admissions officers, you’ll need great grades while taking the most challenging coursework available. The only factor that FSU views as “very important” to admissions is course rigor. How many APs should you take to impress FSU? The average number of advanced courses—AP, IB, AICE, and Dual Enrollment—a student in FSU’s Class of 2025 took was nine. 37% of FSU’s Class of 2025 completed four or more units of AP/IB world language. 

3. Aim for a 1350 SAT and 31 ACT

Standardized test scores are an “important” component of Florida State University admissions. The middle 50% SAT range of FSU’s Class of 2025 was 1230-1350 and the middle 50% ACT range is 27-31. Any score in the middle 50% will earn you consideration, but the higher into the range you score, the more compelling you make your case for admission. FSU superscores both the SAT and ACT; consequently, you should consider taking one of the exams between two and three times to maximize your score.

To improve your SAT/ACT score, check out these free CollegeVine resources:

• How to Get a Perfect 1600 Score on the SAT
• How to Get a Perfect 36 Score on the ACT
• More SAT Info and Tips
• More ACT Info and Tips

While many colleges and universities in the U.S. have embraced test-optional admissions in light of the challenges presented by COVID-19, FSU (along with Florida’s 11 other public universities) requires you to submit either an SAT or ACT score. 

4. Write engaging essays

At competitive schools like Florida State University, nearly every applicant will have outstanding academics, which makes it important to find other ways to stand out. One of the best places to set yourself apart from other applicants is the essay. While FSU only “considers” the essay in admissions, it views talent as “important,” so make sure to highlight what makes you special. 

FSU accepts the Common Application, Coalition Application, and FSU Application, each with its own unique essay prompts. The FSU essay is optional, but electing to write one is a smart strategy if you’re serious about getting into FSU. Remember to write in your unique voice, share your abilities, and highlight how FSU will benefit from having you on campus. Interested in learning more about composing an attention-grabbing FSU essay? Check out our article, “How to Write the Florida State University Essays 2021-2022.”

5. Cultivate one or two Tier 1-2 extracurriculars (find your “spike”)

FSU only “considers” extracurricular activities when making admissions decisions, however, they’re another area where you can show off your talent, which the school sees as “important.” A highly developed interest, known as a “spike,” is more impressive to colleges like FSU than a bunch of unrelated interests. Competitive applicants will have one or two extracurriculars in which they excel. 

Not all extracurriculars are equal—colleges weigh your activities outside of the classroom on a variety of factors from exclusivity to the qualities they demonstrate. The 4 Tiers of Extracurriculars are a good guide to understanding how colleges view them. 

• Tier 1 activities are the rarest and demonstrate an exceptional accomplishment or leadership. Tier 1 activities include winning a prestigious national award or attending a renowned merit-based summer program. 

• Tier 2 extracurriculars also show achievement and leadership, however, are more common than those found in Tier 1. Tier 2 activities include winning a state-level award, earning state-level recognition in athletics or music, or serving as student body president. 

• Tier 3 extracurricular activities are more common and less impressive than those in the higher tiers and are best for calling attention to your interests outside of the classroom, rather than setting yourself apart from other applicants. Tier 3 extracurriculars include holding a minor leadership position in a club or captaining a varsity sport. 

• Tier 4 activities hold the least amount of weight in college admissions. They’re frequently seen by admissions officers and don’t demonstrate great accomplishment or achievement. Tier 4 extracurricular activities include participating in a club, playing a sport, and general volunteer work. 

How to Apply to Florida State University 

Deadlines

Florida State University doesn’t offer early decision or early action admissions, however, they do have a priority admissions deadline and a regular decision deadline. 

Application Requirements

Florida State University accepts the Common Application, the Coalition Application, and the FSU Application. Other requirements include:

• SAT/ACT score
• Linking an SSAR (Self-reported Student Academic Record) by copying the 32-character code from your SSAR account
• Completing the Residency Declaration form 

Other optional materials include: 

• Supplemental essay 
• Resume

Learn more about Florida State University 

Interested in learning more about FSU? Check out these other informative articles: 

• Florida State University Student Panel
• How to Write the Florida State University Essays 2021-2022

Want to know your chances at FSU? Calculate your chances for free right now.