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Application Help

If you are going to college for the first time or transferring from another university, you probably have questions about applying. This breaks down our application so you know what to expect and documents you might need to fill out your application.
  • Begin your application here! Certain section of the application can take some time to complete so the sooner you start, the better.

    To start your application, you must have a BYU account. Below is a video explaining how you can discover if you already have an account, and if not, how to create one.

    BYU ID Creation

  • Make sure you read the instructions in the right-hand column of the application as you go. These instructions update depending on which section of the application you are working on to provide relevant and helpful information.

  • You may be required to submit an English Proficiency Exam. After filling out the profile section of your application, refer to the status section to see if an English Proficiency Exam is required.

  • BYU, BYU-Idaho, BYU-Hawaii, BYU-Pathway, and Ensign College all have different applications. Complete the application for each school you would like to apply to.

  • We ask you to select your major, but if you are not sure what you want to study, simply select "Open Major (Undecided or exploring students)".

  • If you are a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and did not sign in with your church account, you will be required to link your Church account to your application. If you are having trouble with this, view the instructions in the right-hand column of the religion page.

    By linking your church account, your application will automatically update seminary and institute records. We provide a space for you to comment on your seminary and institute experience, and encourage you to do so if you would like to clarify anything about your experience.

  • To be considered for admission, you must agree to live by the Honor Code, Related Policies, and will be required to begin the Ecclesiastical Endorsement process.

    NOTE: Do not start the Ecclesiastical Endorsement before the admission application opens. To see when the application opens click here.

  • If you have completed any secondary education or received any college credit outside of the United States, that is not U.S. accredited, your work must be evaluated by an approved international credential evaluation agency. View the requirements here.

  • If you are applying with less than 24 college credits or a recent high school graduate, you will be required to report all graded, US-accredited high school coursework completed from 9th through 12th grade.

    You will need to access your high school transcript to accurately self-report your courses and grades in the application. Enter your courses and grades exactly as they appear on your high school transcript, following the grading scale used by your high school. Official transcripts that do not match the self-reported grades may result in revocation of your acceptance to BYU.

    Official high school transcripts are only required AFTER you are admitted. You will not be able to register for classes until your official transcripts have been received and verified, which takes about one week.

  • BYU requires official transcripts from each college you have attended, including concurrent enrollment courses taken during high school and CES Institute of Religion courses.

    You must report all college work in the college section of the application, whether it was completed on a college campus or not. Even if the credits also appear on your high school transcript, it must still be included in the college section of the application. Incomplete or inaccurate academic histories may result in the revocation of your acceptance, loss of credit, or dismissal from BYU.

    Official college transcripts ARE required and you cannot submit your admission application until after BYU receives your official college transcript, if applicable.

  • Most applicants will not be required to submit a standardized test score to be considered for admission to BYU for spring 2021 through winter 2026. You may choose to submit a test score if you feel it would strengthen your application.

    If a test score is required or you choose to include a test score, the score must be included at the time of submission.

  • We email a recommendation form with specific questions to your recommender, so you will need to input the email address for your high school teacher and non-relative recommender (and potentially your seminary teacher) in your application. Let your recommenders know that the recommendation form will come from noreply@mailing.byu.edu. No other forms/letters of recommendation that are sent to us will be accepted.

    Freshman applicants may be required to have up to three recommendations submitted on your behalf, depending on individual circumstances:

    • Current seminary teacher (if applicable)
    • High school teacher (any teacher that taught a class that counted towards the completion of either a math, English, science or social science requirement in your junior or senior year of high school)
    • Non-relative of your choosing

    Transfer applicants are required to have one recommendation from a non-relative submitted on your behalf.

    Continue to check your application to see if your recommendations have been received. For more information about recommendations click here.

  • The essays are an important part of your application. Please remember that we can only evaluate information you choose to share with us in your application; make sure you read the prompt and answer what is being asked. If there is something about you we should know, make sure to include it in your essay responses.

    • Freshmen applicants are required to submit five essays.
    • Transfer applicants are required to submit six essays. 

    Become familiar with the Mission and Aims of BYU. Your application, including your essays and activities, should demonstrate your preparation and alignment with the Mission and Aims of BYU.