Campus News

Application for undergraduate admission now open

Arden Barnes | UK Photo
Arden Barnes | UK Photo.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Aug. 1, 2022) High school seniors who are ready to make their boldest dreams a reality can now begin their University of Kentucky journey. The application for undergraduate admission opened today, Aug. 1, for the 2023-24 academic year.

Prospective students have two online application options — the UK Application and the Common App

Students who want to be considered for competitive and academic scholarships and the Lewis Honors College should apply by Dec. 1 using the Early Action track. The Regular Decision deadline is Feb. 15. 

“The Office of Undergraduate Admission is excited to begin receiving applications for the 2023-24 academic year,” Christine Harper, associate vice president for enrollment management and chief enrollment officer, said. “We encourage all incoming first-year students to apply as soon as possible to join our Wildcat family. Applying early gives students the best opportunity and access to scholarships and financial aid.”

To complete the application, students will need their high school transcript, their emergency contact information and a resume or list of activities. Applying for competitive, academic scholarships and/or the Lewis Honors College requires completion of an additional essay portion of the application. There is also a $50 ($60 international students) application fee.

UK is ensuring that the opportunity to access higher education is simpler for prospective students. For the 2023-24 academic year, the university is continuing to be “test-optional” for admission. This means that an ACT or SAT score is not required for a student seeking admission to UK. If a student chooses to submit their test scores, they will be accepted either directly from the testing agency or on the official high school transcript.

In addition to not requiring an ACT or SAT exam score for admission, the university is committed to making scholarship opportunities available to students, whether they apply with or without test scores.

The best way to discover the opportunities at UK is to experience them for yourself. The  admissions team is traveling the country and rolling out the Big Blue carpet on campus in a series of fall events. Potential Wildcats are invited to join a UK Preview or Big Blue Open House. Students may also contact the Visitor Center to register for a campus tour.

“We invite all prospective students to visit campus and see for themselves why the University of Kentucky is the best place to further their education,” Harper said.

As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and health care. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $476.5 million research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.   

In 2022, UK was ranked by Forbes as one of the “Best Employers for New Grads” and named a “Diversity Champion” by INSIGHT into Diversity, a testament to our commitment to advance Kentucky and create a community of belonging for everyone. While our mission looks different in many ways than it did in 1865, the vision of service to our Commonwealth and the world remains the same. We are the University for Kentucky.