Direct Admission: The top-tier path to a Tippie business degree
For qualified high-achieving students, direct admission is a clear path to your BBA. Direct admits have access to special scholarships, plus people and resources to help you transition to college, explore business careers, and get involved with causes that speak to you. An upper-level student will serve as your mentor, helping you find your place at Tippie—and at the University of Iowa.
Graduating high school seniors should apply to the University of Iowa as a first-year student, and choose the Tippie College of Business as their college of interest. If you meet the university’s criteria for admission, we’ll automatically review your application for direct admission to the Tippie College of Business.
Direct Admit Seminar: your springboard to success
The Direct Admit Seminar is a launching pad to success as a first-year student—and every year beyond.
Decide on the right major. Meet the right faculty. Join the right student organization. Get internships. Build your resume, so when it's time to look for your dream job, you're confident and competitive. There's a lot to get done, and to maximize your odds of success, it needs to start in your first year.
“I think it’s important that all students, and their families, know they belong at Iowa.”
Direct admission criteria
Admission directly out of high school is guaranteed to students who meet the following two criteria:
- 3.60 high school GPA
- 26 or higher composite ACT score (SAT equivalency—1230 or higher)
We encourage you to apply as soon as possible in your senior year. The application opens in June and decisions start rolling out in September—but we will accept updated first semester/second trimester grades and standardized tests from the February dates if you are working to become eligible.
When to apply
The application opens in June and decisions start rolling out in September, so applying early in your senior year is ideal. We accept direct admit students for the fall semester only.
Applying early means you’ll have plenty of time to apply for business scholarships available to direct admit and prebusiness students. The priority deadline for graduating high school seniors to apply for Tippie scholarships is December 15. Applications completed after that date will be reviewed subject to the availability of additional funds.
Fall application dates
Recommended dates to apply: June to December
Last dates to apply: March 1*
Scholarship deadlines
Priority scholarship deadline: December 15
Final scholarship deadline: March 1
*While May 1 is technically the final date to apply for fall admission, the Office of Admissions may institute a waitlist for admission after March 1—the sooner you apply, the better.
What if I don’t meet the direct admit criteria?
We’ll review students who meet at least one of our guaranteed criteria as a pool and make decisions the first of each month, December through March. That means the sooner you apply, the more chances you have to be admitted.
If you don't meet either of our direct admission criteria but experienced extraordinary adversity or if you became eligible after the May acceptance deadline, you can petition to be included in the pool for review. You must be admitted to the University of Iowa as a prebusiness student to petition.
What if I’m not admitted directly from high school?
You still have a guaranteed path to a business degree—standard admission is designed just for you. If you’re admitted to the UI but not directly to Tippie, you’ll start as a prebusiness major in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. During your second year, you’ll apply for standard admission to Tippie.
Tippie's Gateway Summer Program—for students from diverse backgrounds
The Gateway Summer Program is a way for high school juniors to experience campus life at a Big Ten institution, complete with residence hall living and student activities. You’ll be introduced to the seven business majors at Tippie and discover career opportunities in business by hearing from Tippie alumni and business professionals. You'll have access to hands-on business experience with simulations, case studies, and company visits while working closely with current Tippie College of Business students. The program will help you develop critical skills needed to make a successful transition from high school to college.
Tippie Early Access for Master’s
Exclusively for Direct Admission students, you’ll enjoy guaranteed admission to our master’s programs in finance and business analytics. There’s no cost to join, and you’ll enjoy sizable savings on tuition.
How to get started
Sign up any time before the end of your first semester at Tippie. Click below to let us know you're interested, and an enrollment specialist will get in touch.
Take the next step
Ready to become Tippie’s next rising star? Start your application today.