Freshman Applicants

Ready to begin your journey as a Towson Tiger? It all starts right here.

Please read the following instructions carefully before beginning your application. If you have questions, contact us at 410-704-2113, , or get in touch with your admissions counselor. 

Important Deadlines. 

  • December 1:  Fall Early Action deadline to be considered for merit-based scholarships offered through University Admissions.  All required documents (application, application fee, test scores, and transcript) must be received or postmarked by December 1 in order to be automatically considered for these scholarships.  Scholarship letters are mailed out in early February.
  • January 15: Fall Regular Decision deadline.
  1. Complete your application and submit the application fee. A $45 non-deferrable, non-refundable fee is required with your application. Students applying with a fee waiver will have the option to choose the type of fee waiver to be used during the payment section of the application.   
  2. Apply, if interested, to the Honors College.  The Honors College application requires a resume and specific essay. You can find the Honors College application on page 7 of the admissions application.
  3. Send official high school transcripts. Please have your school counselor submit your official high school transcript electronically (e.g., Naviance, Parchment, ACT, etc.). If your school cannot send electronically, transcripts can be emailed to  or mailed to: University Admissions, 8000 York Road, Towson, Maryland 21252.
    1. If you attended or are currently attending a non-U.S. high school, transcripts that are not in English need to include a certified English translation. 
    2. If home-schooled, you must submit an official transcript from your county school district or your home-schooled agency. The school district or home-schooled agency can also send a letter along with the transcript verifying your curriculum. Read more about transcript requirements.
  4. Write your college essay. TU requires one essay on a topic of your choice consisting of 300-800 words (Essay Advice).  If you apply to the Honors College, you will need to complete the Honors specific essay only. Watch our essay workshop video.
  5. Test Scores. TU is test-optional for fall 2021, meaning test scores are not required. If you submit test scores, your SAT and ACT scores must be sent from the testing agency to be considered official. We will not accept test scores reported on high school transcripts. 
    Test ID for SAT:  5404
    Test ID for ACT: 1718  
    *Please note that it usually takes 2-3 weeks (from the day scores were requested) to be uploaded into our system.
  6. Create a resume (optional). Upload a resume or activities list in your application. 
  7. Submit your ZeeMee link (optional).  TU partners with ZeeMee, a free service that lets you easily add short videos and photos to your college application. Create your free profile and paste your link into your application.
  8. Request letters of recommendation (optional). A maximum of two letters may be sent from your school electronically (e.g., Naviance, Parchment, ACT, etc,) or emailed to  by your recommender(s).
  9. Review Screened Majors. Students interested in studying Acting, Dance or Music are encouraged to audition during their senior year of high school. Please refer to our complete list of other screened majors to determine if there are additional requirements for the major you wish to study.
  10. Tips to Help You Navigate the Process. 
    1. Once your application is submitted you will receive an acknowledgment email. If you do not receive this email within one hour of submission, please return to the application.  
    2. Automatic scholarship consideration will only be given to students who submit or postmark ALL documents by December 1 (application, transcript, and test scores).
    3. If you took the November SAT and requested your scores to be sent already, they will be downloaded the first week of December. If this is the only item missing from your application, you will still meet the Early Action deadline.

**If your native language is not English, please check this Admissions Requirements (PDF) document for important information related to your application process.