First-Year Application Materials

• Application Fee – $50 USD. View our fee waiver policy here.
• Applications are accepted through Common Application or Coalition Application. All supporting application materials must be on file by the credential deadline for the corresponding application plan.
  • Applications for transfer admission are accepted through Common Application, Coalition Application, or University of Richmond’s Institutional Transfer Application. For more information about the transfer application process, please click here.
• All applications on file by December 1 (regardless of application plan) will be considered for Richmond Scholars. For more information about this program and other merit scholarship opportunities, please click here.

*Early Decision I and II are binding application plans. View the “Early Decision Agreement” section below for more information.

The following essay prompts will appear on the 2024-25 application.

One essay response is required. Choose from the following prompts:

1. You have a platform to create change. What is an action or policy you might propose to address an issue of social injustice in your school or local community, or on a national or global scale?

2. Tell us about a time you learned something unexpected. What did you learn, and what happened next?

3. Richmond welcomes students from various backgrounds, perspectives, and lived experiences. What is at least one way you will contribute to our community that is not already mentioned in your application?

Word Limit: Minimum 350. Maximum 650 words.

How to Submit: The Richmond Essay is included in the Common Application and Coalition Application, or it may be submitted in your Spider Portal prior to the credential deadline for your application plan.

An official high school transcript containing grades 9-11.

How to Submit: Transcript documents must be submitted by a school official through the Common Application or Coalition Application, a third party electronic service (e.g., Naviance, Parchment or Scoir), email, or mail.

* Final high school transcript due upon enrollment.

• This document is completed by a school official. It provides a profile of the high school, and a summary of the applicant’s academic standing within the context of their graduating class.
• Any secondary school report form is acceptable, including a Common Application or Coalition Application form, or a form provided by the high school.

How to Submit: This document must be submitted by a school official through the Common Application or Coalition Application, a third party electronic service (e.g., Naviance, Parchment or Scoir), email, or mail.

• One recommendation letter from a school official is required, ideally from a school counselor.
• Up to two additional recommendations will be reviewed with the application; however, given the volume received each year, these cannot be tracked or acknowledged individually.

How to Submit: Letters must be submitted by a school official or recommender through the Common Application or Coalition Application, a third party electronic service (e.g., Naviance, Parchment or Scoir), email, or mail. 

Outside recommenders (former teachers, coaches, employers, etc.) may email their letters of recommendation to application@richmond.edu.

For the class entering in Fall 2025, applicants may apply with or without standardized test scores.

Applying Test Optional

If you do not want to have standardized test results included in the review of your application, please indicate so when prompted on the application. The University of Richmond superscores the SAT and ACT for students who submit test scores.

Applying with Test Scores

If you have indicated that you want standardized test scores considered in admission review, those scores must be on file by the credential deadline for the corresponding application plan. See the  “Application” section for a complete list of deadlines.

The University of Richmond superscores the SAT and ACT for students who submit test scores.

Unofficial scores may be used for application review, however all enrolling students who were not test optional are required to submit an official score report directly from the testing agency before the start of the Fall term. UR’s test code for the ACT is 4410 and for the SAT is 5569.

• Download the test score report from CollegeBoard or ACT, and self-report through the Spider Portal, even if you self-reported your scores on your application for admission.
• Request that your counselor send the official score report via email or a third party electronic service (e.g., Naviance, Parchment or Scoir).

Official Scores directly from the testing agency.

• College Board: UR School Code 5569
• ACT: UR School Code 4410

Depending on your school’s academic calendar, senior progress grades are either first quarter, trimester, or semester grades from your senior year. These grades may not become available to you until after you submit your application and they should be submitted as soon as they become available. Progress grades will be accepted after the credential deadline.

Please Note: Missing senior progress grades will not prevent your application from being reviewed by the admission committee - but must be on file before an admission decision is fully rendered and released.

Required Grades by Application Plan

• Early Decision I – First quarter/trimester senior grades
• Early Action – First quarter/trimester senior grades
• Early Decision II – First semester/trimester/quarter senior grades
• Regular Decision – First semester/trimester senior grades

How to Submit:

• Scan or copy a progress grade report, and self-report through the Spider Portal
• Take a screen shot of an online grades page (the capture must include your first and last name), and self-report through Spider Portal
• Submit a request to a counselor to send progress grades via email or a third party electronic service (such as Naviance, Parchment, or Scoir).

Submit recordings or portfolios to be considered for admission and/or merit scholarships (Richmond Scholars and Presidential Scholarships). To be considered for scholarships, submit your portfolio by December 1. 

How to Submit: Upload in your Spider Portal. Only submit the items listed. Additional items that you wish to be considered as part of your application can be sent via email to application@richmond.edu.

Supplemental documents are optional, and may be submitted in addition to the required application documents. Students are encouraged to consider how their selected additional information will provide insight to their academic, professional, and personal experiences.

How to Submit: Upload in your Spider Portal or email to application@richmond.edu. If you are sending supplemental materials in the form of a screenshot, please send as an attachment to the email. We are not able to process screenshots that are sent within the body of an email.

• Only required for Early Decision I and Early Decision II application plans
• Common Application Agreement or Coalition Application Agreement
  • Signed by the applicant, a parent or guardian, and a school counselor
• By completing this contract, a student commits to enrolling at Richmond upon admission, and subsequently withdrawing all applications to other institutions.

How to Submit: Submit with application or self-report through Spider Portal

• Because the University of Richmond is need-aware in the admission process for non-U.S. citizens/non-U.S. permanent residents, we require a Certification of Financial Responsibility to be submitted prior to rendering an admission decision.
• This form must be completed whether or not a student intends to apply for need-based financial aid.

How to Submit:

• Self-report through Spider Portal

• To ensure that students are prepared for our rigorous curriculum, we recommend that a student whose first language is not English submit TOEFL results or an alternate English proficiency test.
• View our English Proficiency Policy to determine if you qualify to have this requirement waived.

How to Submit:

• Order the score report from the official testing site (we cannot accept score reports from applicants)

In addition to the standard complete admission application, the following documentation must be provided:

• If you are not provided with a transcript through an educational institution or cooperative, create and submit a transcript that will help us understand your high school curriculum. Include courses taken and grades earned from grades 9-12 (through the first semester of senior year), including units earned, a full description of the content, and texts used for each subject. If you have taken courses at a community college, university, or other organization, please submit transcripts from those institutions.
• Strongly recommended that you provide evidence of your proficiency in history, natural science, and a second language. This requirement may be met through the results of college coursework, AP examinations, or SAT subject tests.
• Ensure that letters of recommendation are submitted from individuals other than your parents with whom you have had academic contact.
• Submit a narrative explaining your decision to take high school coursework in a non-traditional setting; any special arrangements that may have been made for instruction (such as home school co-ops, etc.); how you were and are instructed; and what a typical day is like for you during the school year.

How to Submit:

• Self-report through Spider Portal
• Email to application@richmond.edu

*If deemed academically competitive by the Admission Committee, interview with an admission officer either in person, over the telephone, or through Zoom.

Please contact Lindsey Stevens, Admission Counselor, with questions about additional requirements.