Early Decision at Florida State University is an application plan for students who are certain that FSU is their first-choice institution. By applying Early Decision, students are committing to enroll if admitted.

Early Decision is binding, meaning admitted students must:

• Withdraw all other college applications
• Submit the enrollment deposit by January 15
• Register for orientation once available

Students applying Early Decision may still apply to other institutions through non-binding Early Action, Regular Decision, or Rolling Admission, as long as they do not apply to another binding plan and they honor policies at restrictive Early Action schools.

All Early Decision applicants must complete an Early Decision Agreement, signed by the student, a parent/guardian, and a school counselor, confirming their understanding of the binding commitment. Early Decision decisions are released in December.

Early Decision applicants will receive an admissions decision on December 17.

Apply Early Decision if FSU is your clear first choice and you feel that your grades and test scores already represent your strongest work. Because Early Decision is binding, you must be prepared to enroll if admitted and be comfortable with your anticipated financial commitment. Families considering Early Decision are encouraged to use the Net Price Calculator to estimate potential costs and aid eligibility.

You should apply Early Action (FL residents only) or Regular Decision if you are still exploring your college options, are not prepared to meet the October 15 application deadline, plan to take additional standardized tests, or prefer to compare admissions offers, merit scholarships, and financial aid packages before making your final choice. Both Early Action and Regular Decision are non-binding and give you until May 1 to make your college choice.

Other key considerations:

• Students applying to FSU through talent-based programs (Acting BFA, Athletics, Dance, Film, Music, Music Theatre, Stage Management BFA, and Studio Art BFA) or the CARE Summer Bridge Program are not eligible to apply for Early Decision
• Merit scholarship funds are limited, so priority consideration for merit scholarships is given to students applying Early Decision and Early Action
• In some limited cases, students may request to be released from their Early Decision contract for financial reasons or extenuating circumstances. These scenarios are evaluated on a case-by-case basis after discussions with your family, Financial Aid, and the Office of Admissions

*Students applying to FSU through talent-based programs (Acting BFA, Athletics, Dance, Film, Music, Music Theatre, Stage Management BFA, and Studio Art BFA), the CARE Summer Bridge Program, or international applicants, are not eligible to apply for Early Decision

Early Decision may appeal to students who want to show their commitment to FSU, focus on one application, and/or receive an earlier decision. Early Decision applicants are reviewed using the same holistic process as all other applicants. You should only apply Early Decision if FSU is your clear first choice and your academic record is strongest based on your 9th–11th grade performance and current ACT/CLT/SAT scores.

Early Decision is only available to domestic students; international applicants should apply through Regular Decision.

Students applying to FSU for talent-based programs (Acting BFA, Athletics, Dance, Film, Music, Music Theatre BFA, Stage Management BFA, and Studio Art) or the CARE Summer Bridge Program are also not eligible to apply for Early Decision. These programs use separate, specialized review processes with varying timelines that do not align with a binding admissions plan.

Admitted Early Action and Early Decision students who have submitted their admissions deposit gain access to orientation when registration opens in mid-January, and students admitted in later rounds will be able to register for orientation after they have submitted their admissions deposit. Housing contracts are available in late February to all admitted students.

To apply Early Decision, eligible students must submit their FSU application through the Common App by October 15, select “Early Decision” as their preferred application plan, and submit all required materials by October 22.

A complete Early Decision application includes:

• Signed Early Decision Agreement
• Self-reported ACT/CLT/SAT test scores
• Self-reported Transcript and Academic Record System (STARS)
• Essay
• Resume/List of activities
• Florida residents should complete the Residency Declaration Form

The Early Decision Agreement must be signed by the student, a parent/guardian, and a school counselor. This form confirms an understanding of the binding nature of Early Decision.

If students plan on submitting additional standardized test scores, they must be provided by December 1 by updating the Self-reported Test Scores form on their Admissions Portal.

Note: If submitting the Common Application in early August, students may experience a delayed confirmation email due to the annual Common App rollout later in the month - this is normal and not a cause for concern.

Students applying early who wish to be considered for need-based financial aid should submit the FAFSA (available on October 1) by December 1. Early Decision and Early Action students who meet this deadline should receive their financial aid package in January. Be sure to submit all required documents, as missing materials may delay your offer.

Families considering Early Decision are encouraged to use the Net Price Calculator to estimate potential costs and aid eligibility.

Yes. Early Decision applicants receive full consideration for admissions merit scholarships, and no separate application is required. Any scholarship awards will be included with the Early Decision admission notification. Scholarships associated with the University Honors Program (such as Presidential Scholars) are released on a later timeline.

Early Decision applicants may apply for the University Honors Program by submitting the Honors Application by December 1. All Honors decisions will be released on February 18.

Yes, students may change their application plan through December 1 if they have met the requirements and deadlines for their desired plan (i.e., Out-of-state students cannot switch into Early Action). Applicants can submit the change request using the Application Update Form on their Admission Portal. If switching to Early Decision from Early Action/Regular Decision, the applicant, a parent/guardian, and a school counselor will also need to complete the Early Decision Agreement.

Early Decision applicants will receive one of these decisions on December 17: Admit, Defer, or Deny

• Admit – You are admitted to FSU for the summer or fall term. Because Early Decision is binding, you must pay your enrollment deposit by January 15 and withdraw all other college applications.
• Defer – Your application will be reviewed again during Regular Decision, thus releasing you from your Early Decision Agreement. Deferred students must complete the Deferral Reply Form to remain under consideration and will receive a final decision on February 18.
• Deny – We are unable to offer you admission to FSU or reconsider you in another application round. We encourage you to reapply in the future after earning an Associate in Arts degree or completing 60+ semester hours.

Students admitted through Early Decision must submit their enrollment deposit by January 15 and withdraw their applications to all other universities to secure their place in the incoming first-year class.

Early Decision is a binding commitment, but in rare and exceptional cases, students may request to be released from the agreement. Release requests are reviewed on a case‑by‑case basis and will include the Office of Admissions, Financial Aid, and your family.

The most common reason a student may be released from their Early Decision commitment is a significant change in financial circumstances. If the applicant’s family experiences a financial hardship, such as loss of income, they should contact the Office of Admissions to discuss their options.

If a release from the Early Decision agreement is granted, their acceptance is withdrawn and the applicant cannot be reconsidered for admission in a later, non‑binding round.

Students deferred from Early Decision are released from the binding Early Decision commitment and are no longer required to enroll if admitted. Deferred students are still under active consideration and will receive a decision on February 18. To receive a final decision, deferred applicants must complete the Deferral Reply Form on their Admissions Portal.

If you are admitted in February, applicants will have until May 1 to decide whether to enroll.

Letters of recommendation are not required and will not be used in the decision-making process.

All first-year applicants must complete a STARS Record, with the following exceptions:

1. Applicants who have not followed an academic curriculum patterned after the U.S. system - must submit official or certified copies of all secondary school records and/or examination results. This includes students who have attended an institution not patterned after the U.S. system for any length of time. All academic records not in English must be accompanied by a certified English translation. In addition, these credentials must be evaluated by a credential evaluation agency. We recommend a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services or International Education Credential Services provided by the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers.
2. GED graduates - students must submit their official GED transcript, along with official partial high school transcript(s).

Florida State University's first-year application fee is $30. The Common App carries an additional $5 processing fee. If a student qualifies for a College Board, ACT, or NACAC fee waiver, the entire amount, including the processing fee, is waived.

Please allow up to two business days to receive an email confirmation from Florida State University. That message will contain instructions about how to access the Admissions Portal.

FSU requires the Profile, Family, Education (excluding Grades and Current / Most Recent Year Courses), Writing, Institution-Specific Questions, and Recommenders & FERPA sections of the Common App.

The Common App is used by a large number of colleges, many who do require a school report. When a student submits an application via the Common App, regardless of how many colleges they apply to, their college counselor is asked to submit one school report - which is made available to all colleges on the Common App. FSU will not use the school report. We require a STARS Record.

The Common App does require students to provide a counselor contact information. However, Florida State University requires no further action on behalf of the counselor. FSU does not require a school report to be uploaded and submitted at the time of the application, as the STARS Record will provide us with the necessary information needed for application review.

No. The Common App provides the ability to invite recommenders to submit information to colleges on your behalf, however, Florida State University does not require applicants to submit recommendations and will not consider them as part of the holistic review of an application.

Florida State will still receive the student's Common App even if a school report has not been uploaded.

No. The information gathered from the school report will be collected through the STARS Record.

No, Florida State University does not require one to be submitted. FSU uses the Self-reported Transcript and Academic Record System (STARS).