Provisional Admission: What It Is and How It Works

• Students admitted provisionally may need to show academic or English-language proficiency.
• Each college sets its own requirements for provisional admission.
• Conditional admission steps vary for first-year, transfer, and international students.

College admissions officers sometimes discover that a student may have a fairly strong application package, but they are missing documents or have not clearly demonstrated their full academic potential.

Some schools offer provisional admission to these students, granting acceptance in exchange for fulfilling extra requirements. But what is provisional admission exactly? And what does it mean if you're provisionally accepted to a college?

What Is Provisional Admission?

Provisional admission — also called provisional acceptance, conditional admission, or conditional acceptance — is when a school accepts you, provided you meet specific conditions.

A conditional acceptance letter spells out the next steps you must take to complete the admissions process and qualify for full admission to that school.

Usually, students who've been provisionally accepted must provide certain documentation, such as final transcripts and test scores. Alternatively, they may be required to complete current or future coursework before their acceptance becomes official.

Provisional acceptance letters may contain one or more of the following:

• Specific condition(s) the student must meet
• List of required documents they must submit
• Deadlines for each step
• A firm reminder that if you fail to meet all conditions and deadlines, you will not be admitted

Some colleges may also ask students to verify in writing that they will comply with the provisional admission requirements.

How Does Provisional Admission for Transfer Students Work?

Provisionally accepted transfer students may be asked to provide official transcripts and test scores, such as AP or IB scores. They may also need to document successful completion of the college courses they listed on their application.

Additionally, keep in mind that changing or withdrawing from a class could affect your provisional admission status. If you need to change your current class schedule, get written permission from the school you're transferring to first.

Be sure to find out whether the college you're transferring to will check your social media accounts to verify your conduct. This practice is becoming increasingly common.

How Does Provisional Admission for International Students Work?

Depending on where a student lives, U.S. colleges may ask provisionally accepted international students to provide documented evidence of their English language skills.

Some schools require a minimum TOEFL or IELTS score. Others may accept high scores on common standardized tests, like the SAT or ACT, or strong grades in English language classes.

Finally, some schools may require international students to enroll in and pass one or more English proficiency courses before extending full admission to them.

Should You Accept Conditional Admission?

Whether you should accept provisional admission depends on your goals, finances, and overall commitment to the school.

If conditional admission offers a workable path to regular admission at your dream school, you may benefit from accepting an offer of provisional admission.

Unfortunately, provisionally admitted students are not eligible for many types of financial aid. Until you receive a full admission offer, you may need to pay for required coursework or take out a loan from a private lender. As such, you may prefer a full admission offer from another school that promises a solid financial aid package.

If you must take prerequisite courses while in provisional admission status, it may take you more than four years to earn your degree.

Frequently Asked Questions About Provisional Admission