Early Acceptance Programs (EAP)
Prior to applying for these Early Acceptance Programs, students must be admitted to South Alabama.
College of Medicine Early Acceptance Program (COMEAP)
APPLICATION DEADLINE: December 15, 2023
The COMEAP is jointly offered by the university’s Honors College and the College of Medicine. The COMEAP offers a small number of qualified high school seniors a conditional acceptance to the University of South Alabama College of Medicine (USA COM) contingent upon satisfactory completion of the program.
Minimal qualifications for initial consideration:
Application to Honors College
Alabama residents: 27 ACT composite (results of one administration; scores are not mixed from multiple tests), or 1260 SAT (based on 2018 ACT/SAT Concordance Table) score and a 3.5 GPA as computed by USA Admissions
Out of state (preference is given to Alabama residents and students residing in the service areas of Mississippi and Florida): 30 ACT composite (results of one administration; scores are not mixed from multiple tests), or 1360 SAT score (based on 2018 ACT/SAT Concordance Table) and a 3.5 GPA as computed by USA Admissions
Deadline for COMEAP Application/Priority Deadline for Honors College: December 15, 2023
Procedures to Apply for the Early Acceptance Program:
For consideration to this program, student MUST:
- Be admitted to the University of South Alabama
- Be a Citizen or Permanent Resident
- Be a high school senior
- Apply for the Honors College by the priority deadline
- Submit the following items by the priority deadline:
- Completed application for the Early Acceptance Program
- Completed Honors College application to include references (name and contact information only)
Selection Process:
Applications will be reviewed by the EAP Committee and students will be selected for an interview in early February with interviews taking place in March. Applicants will be simultaneously interviewed for acceptance into Honors College, a requirement for matriculation in the COMEAP.
The most highly ranked of those interviewed will be selected to participate in the
program.
NOTE: Preference is given to applicants from Alabama and our Service Area Counties
in Mississippi and Florida, although highly competitive applicants from outside these
areas may be considered under special circumstances.
The Program:
Students must enroll in and meet all graduation requirements for Honors College at USA before starting medical school. Students in EAP are required to commit four years to their baccalaureate degree, attending on a full-time basis.
Students in EAP must simultaneously enter the Pre-Health Program at USA and their curriculum includes the core requirements for the selected baccalaureate program and prerequisites for medical school. All prerequisite courses must be taken at USA unless taken through AP, IB, or Dual Enrollment in high school or otherwise approved in advance by the Pre-Health Advisor.
Students in EAP must maintain a minimum overall grade point average of 3.50 on a 4.0 scale, with a minimum grade point average of 3.50 in the sciences (biology, chemistry, physics and mathematics). Students are required to take the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) and must receive a minimum score of 504. Requirements also include two semesters of clinical observation and one semester of team-based learning exercises.
Students in EAP meet with the Pre-Health Adviser each semester and meet annually with the EAP Evaluation Committee of the College of Medicine. At the beginning of the junior year, students will be formerly evaluated by members of the College of Medicine Admissions Committee.
After completing their application to medical school through AMCAS, students who have fulfilled the academic requirements of EAP and have demonstrated exemplary behavior representative of the ideals of the medical profession are offered a position in the USA COM medical school class.
Contact:
New Student Recruitment
(251) 460-7834
recruitment@southalabama.edu
College of Nursing Early Acceptance Program
APPLICATION DEADLINE: No application required. Priority given to students who are admitted to USA by February 15, 2024.
The College of Nursing has an early acceptance program for highly qualified high school seniors. Students selected for the early acceptance program and fulfilling all program requirements are guaranteed admission to the upper division professional component of the nursing curriculum. Students are admitted to the College of Nursing and must complete all Pre-Professional Nursing courses at USA; their curriculum includes core requirements and prerequisites for the upper division nursing program. Students participating in the College of Nursing's Early Acceptance Program must maintain an overall GPA of 3.2 on all required prerequisite courses and must be continuously enrolled a minimum of 12 credit hours each semester (does not include summer terms) and making acceptable progress toward completing the pre-professional component of the curriculum to be admitted to the professional component of the program.
Minimum Qualifications for Initial Consideration:
- Official ACT composite score of at least 22 or 1100 SAT score (based on 2018 ACT/SAT Concordance Table)
- GPA requirement of 3.5 as computed by USA Admissions.
For consideration to this program, student MUST:
- Be admitted to the University of South Alabama
- Be a high school senior
- Have declared pre-nursing as your intended major
Students who meet the above qualifications for this program will automatically be considered. No separate application is necessary.
The priority deadline for this program is February 15th, but applications will be reviewed until August 1st.
Therefore, all students who have been admitted to USA by August 1, 2024 and meet these requirements will be considered for admission to the Nursing EAP program.
Contact:
New Student Recruitment
(251) 460-7834
recruitment@southalabama.edu
AU Harrison School of Pharmacy Early Acceptance Program
APPLICATION DEADLINE: June 1, 2024
The University of South Alabama, in conjunction with Auburn University, offers highly qualified high school students a position in the Harrison School of Pharmacy (HSOP) upon successful completion of pre-requisite requirements and their USA undergraduate degree.
Minimum Qualifications for Initial Consideration:
- Official ACT Composite of 26 in STEM sections (results of one administration; scores are not mixed from multiple tests) or SAT of 1230 (based on 2018)
- ACT/SAT Concordance Table), and a 3.5 high school GPA as computed by USA Admissions.
Procedure to Apply for the Early Acceptance Program: For consideration to this program, students must:
- Be admitted to the University of South Alabama
- Be a high school senior
- Submit two letters of recommendation - one math & science related and the other a personal reference.
The Program:
Candidates selected for the program will receive a conditional acceptance to the AU Harrison School of Pharmacy contingent upon successful completion of the program. EAP Students enter a curriculum that includes the core requirements for USA's baccalaureate program and prerequisites for the pharmacy school.
Program Requirements:
At the completion of each academic semester, USA's pre-health advising office will review each EAP student. In order to maintain admission in the HSOP, students must:
- Be enrolled in a minimum of 12 hours each semester (excluding summer terms)
- Maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.25 at the completion of each academic year
- Have no grade of less than "C" in any course
- Have no withdrawals from any course (The HSOP's Associate Dean will review on a case-by-case basis those students where extenuating circumstances may have resulted in course withdrawals)
- Participate in required activities as outlined in A and B below
- Have not been disciplined by USA or a state licensing agency
EAP students who maintain the requirements outlined above will be waived from the requirements of taking the PCAT.
All prerequisites must be taken at the University of South Alabama unless otherwise approved by the USA Advising Office and the Associate Dean of AU HSOP.
Students will have up to four years to complete pharmacy prerequisites and core degree requirements if seeking baccalaureate degree prior to matriculation (optional), or matriculating at a time after they have completed the prerequisites.
- HSOP will host at least one required activity per semester for individuals who receive EAP admission. All students in the EAP are expected to participate in these activities. EAP students are also expected to participate in USA's two pre-health honors organizations: Future Pharm D and Alpha Epsilon Delta (AED).
- EAP participants are required to submit an early decision application to PharmCAS by the September 1 deadline in the year prior to their planned matriculation into the HSOP. They will be reviewed to assure that they are in compliance with all of the requirements as stated above. They must also demonstrate a plan for completing the remaining prerequisite courses without exceeding normal course loads. Those individuals meeting these requirements will not be re-interviewed and will be provided a formal offer of admission.
Students who lose their EAP positions due to not maintaining the requirements as outlined above remain eligible for admission using HSOP's regular admission process.
Department of Physical Therapy Early Acceptance Program (DPTEAP)
APPLICATION DEADLINE: February 1, 2024
The Department of Physical Therapy Early Acceptance Program offers a selected number of talented high school seniors a position in the University of South Alabama Department of Physical Therapy first year class after completion of the pre-requisite requirements of the program and their USA undergraduate degree.
Minimum Qualifications for Initial Consideration:
28 ACT Composite (results of one administration; scores are not mixed from multiple tests), or 1300 SAT score (based on 2018 ACT/SAT Concordance Table) and a 3.5 GPA as computed by USA Admissions.
Deadline for Application: February 1, 2024
Procedures to Apply for the Early Acceptance Program:
For consideration to this program, student MUST:
- Be admitted to the University of South Alabama
- Be a Citizen or Permanent Resident
- Be a high school senior
- Submit the following items by the February 1, 2024 deadline:
- Completed application for the Early Acceptance Program
NOTE: Letters of recommendation are not required for the PTEAP program and will not be included in the applicant’s profile.
Selection Process:
All application materials must be received by February 1 of the student's senior year
of high school to be considered.
The Selection Committee will meet shortly after the stated deadline. The Committee
will select up to 25 students to invite for initial interview.
Interviews will take place in March. Selected students will receive information regarding
the interview specifics.
The five most highly ranked of those interviewed will be selected to participate in
the program.
The Program:
Candidates selected for the DPTEAP program will receive an acceptance letter from the University of South Alabama and a conditional acceptance to the Department of Physical Therapy. The curriculum will include core requirements for the selected baccalaureate program and prerequisites for matriculation in the physical therapy program.
Students in the DPTEAP must:
- Sign and adhere to the departmental Early Acceptance Program contract, including withdrawal of the acceptance if the student is involved in any academic misconduct.
- Take all prerequisite courses at USA, unless otherwise approved in advance by the Chair of the Admissions Committee of the Department of Physical Therapy.
- Maintain a minimum overall grade point average of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale during undergraduate studies at USA.
- Submit an application to PTCAS and the supplemental application to the USA PT Department in the fall of the senior year at USA.
- Complete required science coursework with only 8 credits of required science coursework remaining to complete after application to the physical therapy program
- Take the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) and receive a minimum total score of 290.
DPTEAP students will be required to:
- Participate in observation of 50 hours of physical therapy clinical practice by December 1 of the senior year at USA
- Participate in community and campus service project and/or attend cultural and scholarly events
- Be an active participant in the USA Pre-PT club by attending meetings/activities each year during undergraduate studies at USA
- At the end of each spring semester, all DPTEAP students will be reviewed by the Pre-PT Advisor to determine if academic requirements have been met.
Students participating in the program must enter the University of South Alabama Physical Therapy professional program in the fall following completion of the baccalaureate degree. Students not completing the baccalaureate degree within 4 years can appeal, in writing, to the department faculty for permission to delay their admission by up to 2 years.
Contact:
New Student Recruitment
(251) 460-7834
recruitment@southalabama.edu
Psychology Early Acceptance Program
APPLICATION DEADLINE: February 15, 2024
The Department of Psychology offers highly qualified high school students a position in the Master's Program in Experimental Psychology (Behavior and Brain Sciences) upon successful completion of pre-requisite requirements and their USA undergraduate degree.
Minimum Qualifications for Initial Consideration:
Official ACT Composite of 27 (results of one administration; scores are not mixed from multiple tests) or SAT of 1260 (based on 2018 ACT/SAT Concordance Table), and a 3.5 high school GPA as computed by USA Admissions.
Procedure to Apply for the Early Acceptance Program: For consideration to this program, students must:
- Be admitted to the University of South Alabama
- Be a high school senior
- Complete the application for the Early Acceptance Program
The Program:
Candidates selected for the program will receive a conditional acceptance to the Master's Program in Experimental Psychology (Behavior and Brain Sciences) contingent upon successful completion of the program.
Students in the Psychology Master's Program in Experimental Psychology (Behavior and Brain Sciences) EAP - Non-thesis track must (1) maintain a 3.5 GPA, including no grades lower than B in PSY core courses, (2) be continuously enrolled for at least 12 hours/semester (does not include Maymester or Summer Terms), and (3) remain in good standing.
Students in the Psychology Master's Program in Experimental Psychology (Behavior and Brain Sciences) EAP - Thesis track must (1) also meet the conditions for the non-thesis track and (2) interview after completing 90 undergraduate hours and be successfully matched with a mentor based on research interests and activities (students who do not match may continue in the non-thesis track).
Contact:
New Student Recruitment
(251) 460-7834
recruitment@southalabama.edu
Only students who are admitted to USA and are graduating from high school in the same year they will attend USA will be considered for the Early Acceptance Programs. No letters of recommendation will be considered for any of the programs.
The EAP applications will open on September 1, 2023.
Please use the link below to complete and submit your EAP application. Please note the deadline dates for each application.
COM/Honors Application: Deadline December 15, 2023
https://explore.southalabama.edu/apply/form?id=1ebb8fe8-761b-462d-be34-dd0e41d43a44
Psychology: Deadline February 15, 2024/Physical Therapy: Deadline February 1, 2024/Pharmacy: Deadline February 15, 2024
https://explore.southalabama.edu/apply/form?id=c7ae3290-24cf-4303-851c-929e20d944e9