How to Apply

The University of Richmond offers four undergraduate application plans with different deadlines, decision timelines, and commitment levels. These include Early Decision I, Early Action, Early Decision II, and Regular Decision.

Students who are confident that Richmond is their top choice may benefit from Early Decision. Those who want an early decision without a binding commitment and/or to compare financial aid offers can apply Early Action, while Regular Decision offers the most time to finalize application materials and college choices.

Key Application Deadlines

• Early Decision I (ED I): November 1
• Early Action (EA): November 1
• Early Decision II (ED II): January 1
• Regular Decision (RD): January 1

At the risk of oversimplifying it, the best way to improve your chances of admission is to send a great application. At Richmond, we practice holistic admissions. This means that we are using the whole application to consider the whole applicant. There is no perfect combination of advanced classes, grades, or leadership positions. There is no specific essay topic that seals the deal. There are, however, a few decisions in your control that can strengthen your position. We cover this topic in our blog post: Myth-Busting: How to Get Accepted into Richmond. Give it a read!

Richmond accepts first-year applications through either the Common Application or the Coalition Application. A complete application also requires submission of a supplemental essay (we call this the Richmond Question), high school transcript containing grades 9-11, school report, at least one recommendation letter from a school official, and senior progress grades. Standardized test scores are optional. Application materials are tracked and submitted through the Spider Portal, which you gain access to after submitting your admission application. Refer to our complete list of first-year application materials for more details.

Students completing high school in non-traditional settings — including students who will have completed at least two years in a home-schooled environment or in online classes or programs by the time they graduate — are encouraged to apply to the University of Richmond. A high school diploma (or recognized equivalent) is required for admission. Because records from non-traditional environments vary, these students are offered several opportunities to provide additional information to the admission committee to further highlight their preparedness for the University of Richmond’s academic environment. For specific requirements, our webpage for Students in Non-Traditional High School Settings is the best resource.

The University of Richmond is test optional for first-year students entering in 2027. Our testing policy is evaluated yearly, and decisions regarding this policy are made each April.

If you do not want to include standardized test results in the review of your application, please indicate so when prompted on the application. The University of Richmond will superscore the SAT and ACT for students who submit test scores. For the updated version of the ACT, we do not require submission of a science score. 

If English is not your native language, you must submit official test results from either TOEFL, IELTS, Duolingo, or meet one of our other University-approved waivers for English proficiency. Please see our English proficiency policy for more details.

We require evidence of your academic performance in your senior year.  Depending on your school’s academic calendar, senior progress grades can be your first quarter, trimester, semester, or "In Progress" grades. These grades may need to be submitted as soon as they become available. Progress grades will be accepted after the credential deadline. 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. A careful review of our Senior Progress Grade policy is recommended before emailing our office with questions.

The University of Richmond is a highly selective university with acceptance rates ranging from 22-28%. Each year and each class is different. Statistics on the most recent enrolling class can be found on our Student Profile.