Admission & Aid

We strive to make the admission process as smooth as possible, so you can get started on making an impact and securing your future.

• Common Application or Eckerd College Application
• $50 Application Fee (waived for applications submitted before December 1)
• Official High School Transcript and/or G.E.D. results
• Letter of Recommendation
• Personal Essay
• Official ACT or SAT Test Scores (optional)
  • SAT code: 5223
  • ACT code: 0731

Application process

Early Action

Submit your application by November 15. You’ll receive a decision from us by December 15.

Early Action at Eckerd allows students the opportunity to submit their application early and receive an early decision. All students who submit their completed application and supporting materials postmarked by November 15 will be considered in our Early Action pool. Early Action admission decisions will be mailed by December 15. An Early Action application is non-binding, allowing students to submit applications to other colleges and does not require an enrollment deposit from the student until May 1.

Rolling Admission

Starting December 1, Eckerd will begin reviewing applications submitted in the Rolling Admission pool. We will review and return decisions as applications become completed. We typically return a decision for our rolling applications within four weeks of a completed application. Rolling Admission allows students to submit applications to other colleges and does not require an enrollment deposit from the student until May 1.

How applicants are considered

Eckerd College is a place where students are given close personal attention. We aim to make the admission process just as user-friendly. We want to get to know you, as a student and a person, so our process takes into account both your academic and personal merits.

Academic strengths

Eckerd seeks applicants who have taken high school courses that are demanding and rigorous. Most of our students have taken honors, accelerated, advanced placement, dual enrollment, and/or international baccalaureate courses.

The average GPA for an entering freshman is 3.5 on an unweighted 4.0 scale and most students come from the top 20% of their high school classes.

We want our students to have at least:

• Four years of English.
• Three years of math.
• Three years of lab sciences.
• Three years of history or social science.
• Two years of a world language.

Personal qualities

We pride ourselves on having very successful students, and part of that comes from the fact that we evaluate the personal qualities of our applicants to assure Eckerd is a good fit for you. Most successful applicants will have demonstrated leadership accomplishments in school, community, or church. They will also have shown a commitment to community service.