Admission Criteria
While we have no admission deadline, admission prior to February 1st is required for Foundation Scholarships. Earlier admission ensures early access to class registration and the housing application.
Guaranteed Freshman Admission
Students who meet any of these criteria will be guaranteed admission as freshman applicants:
- 2.75 GPA*
- ranked top 50% of your high school class
- ACT Composite score of 21+
* When provided, weighted GPAs will be used to determine a student’s admissions eligibility.
Conditional Admission
What if you don’t meet the guaranteed admission requirements?
Applicants below the automatic admission criteria can be conditionally admitted to BSU by the Admissions Review Committee. Applicants are given two (2) weeks to respond to a set of questions that will be sent via email. The committee then evaluates secondary school achievements, counselor recommendations, test scores, personal achievements, and any special circumstances shared by the student.
Admission is granted to applicants who will, in the judgment of the Admissions Review Committee, make positive contributions to the university community and adequate progress toward the completion of all degree requirements. No applicant is refused admission based on race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, or disability.
In evaluating applications, the Admissions Review Committee also considers special circumstances which may have affected the applicant’s prior academic achievement.
Honors Program Admission
The purpose of the Honors Program is to provide superior students with instructional services which will challenge them to put forth their best efforts in undergraduate study and to enrich their college experience up to the level of their ability to learn.
Honors application packages are evaluated holistically. This means that we do not have minimum requirements. Instead, community members are selected based on the combination of all pieces of the application: GPA, percentage of high school class, testing scores, and so forth. Thus, the letter of interest is a crucial component of your application because it shows us why you’d like to learn with us and what you believe you can contribute Honors.
Application Instructions
- Complete and submit the online application.
- Have your official* high school, GED and/or college transcripts sent directly from the issuing institution to BSU Admissions.
- ACT or SAT scores are not required for admission. We encourage the official submission of test scores if you have them.
- You will receive a letter from BSU Admissions regarding the status of your application.
*In order for a transcript to be considered official, it must come to Bemidji State University Admissions directly from the issuing institution. Homeschool transcripts must come directly from a teacher/parent/guardian.
There may be additional admission requirements for your intended major. Upon submission of your application, the system will inform you of any additional requirements needed to complete your admission. Be sure to fulfill these requirements by the posted deadlines.
Submitting Transcripts
Your high school counselor or staff from the school district needs to submit the transcripts directly to BSU Admissions through a secure online system such as Parchment or by mail to:
Bemidji State University
Office of Admissions
1500 Birchmont Dr NE
Box #13
Bemidji, MN 56601
If you’re a high school senior and not done with classes, send your incomplete transcript now to admissions@bemidjistate.edu. You should have your high school send us a transcript that reflects your progress at the time you apply to BSU, even if you haven’t graduated from high school, yet.
You will also be required to have your high school send a transcript after you’ve graduated from high school.
Submitting Optional Test Scores
If you didn’t include BSU as a school to receive your ACT score automatically, you can go into your ACT account and request it be sent. If your ACT Composite and all subscores are listed on your high school transcript, we will accept that. If you took the SAT and those scores are not on your transcript, please request they be sent to BSU through your College Board account.
Transferring College Credit
Did you complete AP classes or earn college credit while in high school? Be sure documentation is sent to BSU for transfer of credit.
Deferred Enrollment
If you’ve been accepted to Bemidji State University and plan to delay your start with us, make sure you communicate with your Admissions Representative or the Office of Admissions that you do not intend to enroll for your original start date.
Your original application is good for one semester. For example, if you applied for fall of 2025, you can defer your start until spring 2026 without re-applying. This assumes that you are not attending any other institutions during the semester of deferral.
If you’d like to defer for longer than one semester, you will need to re-apply. Please select the new semester for which you’d like to apply, and submit a new application. You will not be charged any fees for this new application. After you log in to the application, scroll to the bottom of the page and click the “Apply to Another Institution” button. This will allow you to apply again to BSU.
We will need to have a final transcript that reflects your successful graduation from high school on file. Please contact your high school to request a new transcript if you haven’t already submitted a final transcript.