Application Decisions & Communication Policy

What it means
A big congratulations and Wildcat welcome! You have been admitted to the University of New Hampshire. Earning your place at a top public research university is a tremendous accomplishment. This decision recognizes your strong record of achievement – and the future contributions you will make to the Wildcat community.

Next steps

• Take a minute (or two) to celebrate. Share the good news with the friends, family and educators who helped you get to this point. Post your #unhbound selfie.
• Accept your offer of admission. Make it official by submitting your enrollment deposit in your application portal by May 1st.
• Ask your school counselor to send UNH your final high school transcript. The admissions team does a final transcript review to ensure incoming students finish their high school careers with the same drive and dedication they demonstrated in their applications.
• Check your mailbox and email for invitations to upcoming admitted student events.

Additional options
You can also defer your offer if you’re not ready to join us this fall or decline your offer if your college plans no longer include UNH by emailing us at admissions@unh.edu.

What it means
A big congratulations and Wildcat welcome! You have been admitted to the University of New Hampshire in your second-choice or alternative major. Earning your place at a top public research university is a tremendous accomplishment. This decision recognizes your strong record of achievement – and the future contributions you will make to the Wildcat community.

While we are currently unable to offer you a place in your first-choice major, there are a number of compelling options available to you.

• If your first-choice program was a competitive major – this includes many programs in health sciences and human services, as well as all business majors – you can learn about the requirements for pursuing an internal transfer at the end of your first year at UNH. This process is competitive, but many students dedicate themselves to a strong first-year and successfully complete an internal transfer.
• Many students who were once in your shoes also chose to work closely with their academic and career advisors to explore their interests, set meaningful goals and outline a new rewarding path.
• You can expect individualized advising, welcoming faculty and relevant first-year coursework.

Next steps

• Accept your offer of admission. Make it official by submitting your enrollment deposit in your application portal by May 1st.
• Ask your school counselor to send UNH your final high school transcript.
• The admissions team does a final transcript review to ensure incoming students finish their high school careers with the same drive and dedication they demonstrated in their applications.
• Check your mailbox and email for invitations to upcoming admitted student events.

What it means
You have been offered admission to the University of New Hampshire! However, you still have outstanding application requirements you must complete before we can finalize your admission to UNH. For applicants to UNH’s programs in the fine and performing arts, this can include submitting your portfolio or completing your audition.

Next steps

• Register for an audition or submit your portfolio if you applied to a major that requires one.
  • If you have already done this, you do not need to do anything further; portfolio review happens at the departmental level alongside the university admissions process.
  • We will update you with a final admission decision as soon as we receive the results from the respective department(s).
• If you received a conditional admit for specific academic requirement(s), you may still submit your enrollment deposit in your application portal by May 1st to secure your spot at UNH.
• Ask your school counselor to send us your official final transcript to finalize your enrollment.
  • The admissions team does a final transcript review to ensure incoming students finish their high school careers with the same drive and dedication they demonstrated in their applications.
  • Continue to stay focused on your courses and finish your senior year strong.

What it means
A big congratulations and Wildcat welcome! You have been admitted to the University of New Hampshire’s College of Engineering and Physical Sciences (CEPS) as an undeclared student in our Steps to CEPS Pathway Program. The Steps to CEPS Program was created to give students a direct entry to CEPS as an undeclared student, with the opportunity to change to a specific major in CEPS after your first semester or first year.

Next steps

• The Steps to CEPS Program is carefully designed to support students in their first semester or year to establish a strong foundation for direct entry into their major of choice in the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences.
• You will be assigned a dedicated academic advisor who will work with you to ensure you are enrolled in coursework needed to pursue your intended major.
• You will receive support and work with CEPS academic ambassadors/mentor to ensure a smooth transition to UNH and CEPS.

What it means
A big congratulations and Wildcat welcome! You have been admitted to UNH and the undeclared program in the College of Life Sciences and Agriculture. Earning your place at a national research university is a tremendous accomplishment, as is demonstrating your capacity for success in COLSA’s top-ranked programs.

Next steps

• The undeclared program provides additional academic and advising support to ensure a successful transition to life at COLSA.
• Working with your academic advisor, you will be able to build a thoughtful first-year schedule that allows you to explore your interests while building a strong foundation for any COLSA major.
• Students in the undeclared program also benefit from a seminar designed to introduce you to academic and professional pathways at COLSA.
• You will have until the second semester of your sophomore year to declare your major.

What it means
We are not yet able to make an official admission decision for your first-choice competitive major. You will receive your final admission decision in March once we have a more comprehensive picture of the applicant pool and places available in your first-choice major.

Several UNH programs in the health sciences, human services and business are considered competitive majors. There is high demand for these programs and strict space limitations due to the experiential nature of their coursework.

Next steps

• You do not need to submit any additional information.
• Wait for a final decision to be released sometime in March.
• If you prefer not to be held for consideration for your first-choice competitive major, you may submit a request here to be admitted to a non-competitive major with fewer space limitations.

What it means
Your application is being held for additional grades/information and will be reviewed with our Regular Decision application pool for context with our overall applicant pool. The Admissions Committee will consider your application again during the Regular Decision review process which will begin after our Regular Decision deadline of February 1. You will receive a decision letter notifying you of your admissions status (admit, waitlist or deny) no later than April 1. 

Next steps

• Ask your school counselor to send us your most recent senior year grades or progress reports as soon as they become available.
  • Your application will not be reevaluated until your updated senior year grades have been received.
• You are invited to continue to stay in touch with your admissions counselor and provide us with any updates regarding your academic and/or personal achievements.
• Continue to stay focused on your academics and finish your senior year strong.

What it means
You have been placed on the waitlist for admission to UNH as we navigate enrollment capacity for the incoming class. We anticipate that final decisions for waitlisted applicants will be made available between April 15 and June 30.

Next steps

• Stay encouraged. This waitlist placement recognizes your record of achievement in a pool of highly qualified candidates.
• Keep in touch with your UNH admissions counselor and share any relevant updates about your academic and/or personal accomplishments.
• We are unable to offer admission to every waitlisted student, so please make the best decision for you about submitting an enrollment deposit to another institution.
• If you prefer not to remain on our waitlist, please complete the form here.

What it means
At this time, you do not meet the requirements for admission to UNH and we cannot offer you a place in the incoming class. This decision involves several members of the undergraduate admissions committee and a holistic review process of many criteria for success at UNH. In short, it is a difficult decision that is not made lightly.

Next steps

• Decisions are final and cannot be appealed.
• If you did not receive an offer of admission, you can apply again at a later time as a transfer student. The Admissions Office suggests students complete 6-8 courses (2 full-time semesters) at another accredited university, college, or community college (a minimum of 6 courses must be completed before re-applying to UNH). Students who complete a minimum of 6 courses with a cumulative GPA of 2.8 or higher, and no single grade below a "C", will be admissible to a general, liberal arts program at UNH.

Recommended courses
In regards to what courses to take, we suggest the following selection of coursework as these courses are likely to transfer most easily and fulfill UNH General Education Requirements:

• English Composition
• Mathematics (ex: statistics, finite math, pre-calculus)
• Laboratory Science (biological or physical)
• Literature/Philosophy
• Social Science (psychology, sociology)

Note: Math and science coursework are particularly important for students with deficits in their high school math preparation or those who wish to transfer into the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences (CEPS) College of Life Sciences and Agriculture (COLSA) or the Paul College of Business and Economics. In addition, UNH cannot guarantee access to restricted majors which can be found on our website. 

Admissions Appeal Policy
Admission to UNH is competitive in its admission of first-year and transfer students. The University receives more than 25,000 undergraduate applications for a limited number of spaces. Every application is reviewed carefully and given thorough consideration, and the University of New Hampshire does not consider appeals except in rare cases where there are extreme extenuating circumstances.

What it means
A big congratulations and Wildcat welcome! You have been admitted to the University of New Hampshire. Earning your place at a top public research university is a tremendous accomplishment. This decision recognizes your strong record of achievement – and the future contributions you will make to the Wildcat community.

Next steps

• Take a minute (or two) to celebrate. Share the good news with the friends, family and educators who helped you get to this point. Post your #unhbound selfie.
• Accept your offer of admission. Make it official by submitting your enrollment deposit in your application portal by the date listed in your acceptance letter.
• Ask your current college to send UNH your final transcript. The admissions team does a final transcript review to ensure incoming students finish their current semester with the same drive and dedication they demonstrated in their applications.
• Check your mailbox and email for invitations to upcoming admitted student events.

Additional options
You can also defer your offer if you’re not ready to join us or decline your offer if your college plans no longer include UNH by submitting your request using this form. Should you have any questions, please contact Admissions at admissions@unh.edu or 603 862-1630.

What it means
A big congratulations and Wildcat welcome! You have been admitted to the University of New Hampshire in your second-choice or alternative major. Earning your place at a top public research university is a tremendous accomplishment. This decision recognizes your strong record of achievement – and the future contributions you will make to the Wildcat community.

While we are currently unable to offer you a place in your first-choice major, there are options available to you.

• If your first-choice program was closed or had additional admission requirements that you did not yet fulfill – your application would have been reviewed for your listed second choice major or College of Liberal Arts Undeclared.
•  If you are still interested in your first choice major, you can learn about the requirements for pursuing an internal transfer when you are a student at UNH.  Students interested in this option will work with their UNH academic adviser to explore this academic plan.  
• Many students who were once in your shoes also chose to work closely with their academic and career advisors to explore their interests, set meaningful goals and outline a new rewarding path.

Next steps

• Accept your offer of admission. Make it official by submitting your enrollment deposit in your application portal by the date listed in your acceptance letter.
• Ask your current college to send UNH your final college transcript. The admissions team does a final transcript review to ensure incoming students finish their semester with the same drive and dedication they demonstrated in their applications.
• Check your mailbox and email for invitations to upcoming admitted student events.

What it means
You have been offered admission to the University of New Hampshire! However, you still have outstanding application requirements you must complete before we can finalize your admission to UNH. For applicants to UNH’s programs in the fine and performing arts, this can include submitting your portfolio or completing your audition.

Next steps

• Register for an audition or submit your portfolio if you applied to a major that requires one.
  • If you have already done this, you do need to do anything further; portfolio review happens at the departmental level alongside the university admissions process.
  • We will update you with a final admission decision as soon as we receive the results from the respective department(s).
• If you received a conditional admit for specific academic requirement(s), you may still secure your spot at UNH. Make it official by submitting your enrollment deposit in your application portal by the date listed in your acceptance letter.
• Ask your current school to send us your official final transcript to finalize your enrollment.
  • The admissions team does a final transcript review to ensure incoming students finish their current coursework with the same drive and dedication they demonstrated in their applications.

What it means
At this time, you do not meet the requirements for admission to UNH and we cannot offer you a place in the incoming class. This decision involves several members of the undergraduate admissions committee and a holistic review process of many criteria for success at UNH. In short, it is a difficult decision that is not made lightly.

Most Common Reasons for a Deny Decision

• A cumulative grade-point average of 2.8 or below or for majors outside of the College of Liberal Arts a 3.0 or below GPA or missing additional criteria.  
• A downward trend in academic achievement.
• Insufficient high school and college course selection as it relates to a student’s intended major.
• Insufficient academic achievement in core curriculum courses such as English, Math, or Science.
• If a student is not admissible to their first or second choice major on the application, typically a student would be reviewed for the College of Liberal Arts as a undeclared major.  If a student has more than 57 semester hours of college credit, they have hit the maximum number of credits to be eligible for undeclared admission. If this scenario applies to you, please reach out to the Office of Admissions to understand your options.
• If you are not in good standing at, and eligible to return to, the last institution of higher education you attended or if you have been suspended at another institution you are not able to apply to UNH during the period of your suspension. If you have been expelled from an institution, you must wait two years before being considered for admission to UNH.

Next steps

If you did not receive an offer of admission, you can apply again to UNH at a later time.  Transfer students often have many different academic experiences from one another.  Therefore, advising on next steps may differ from student to student.  If you have questions about your academic preparation, please feel free to reach out to the Transfer Admissions Team at transfer.info@unh.edu.  

Admissions Appeal Policy
Admission to UNH is competitive in its admission of first-year and transfer students. The University receives more than 25,000 undergraduate applications for a limited number of spaces. Every application is reviewed carefully and given thorough consideration, and the University of New Hampshire does not consider appeals except in rare cases where there are extreme extenuating circumstances.