Direct Admit Business Schools
Earning admission into an elite undergraduate business program is often a two-step process; first, students have to earn general admission into a college, and then after enrolling, earn a threshold GPA in a series of pre-requisite courses during their freshman and sophomore years. Entry into a business major is not guaranteed, and at some institutions, can prove an extremely competitive process.
However, there are a growing number of institutions who now grant general admission and admission into their business major at the same time--a very attractive offer for students whose college choice depends heavily on their ability to pursue a business curriculum as an undergraduate.
Below is a comprehensive list of selective colleges and universities offering direct admit business programs as well as another list of institutions requiring a separate application process to their business schools. Please click the links below to explore each program's offerings and admission criteria.
| Institution | Notes |
|---|---|
| Washington University in St. Louis (Olin) | Current students in other schools may apply for internal transfer. Click here for more info. |
| Villanova University | Students not admitted directly into VSB may apply for internal transfer later. Click here for more information. |
| University of Wisconsin - Madison | Students not admitted directly may apply in the second semester of their freshman year after completing certain requirements. Click here for more info. |
| University of Washington (Foster) | Direct Admission is extremely competitive and awarded to only 200 incoming freshmen each year. The majority of students enroll in Foster after completing 60 credits via the Standard Admission program. Click here for more info. |
| University of Texas at Austin (McCombs) | Students not admitted into McCombs as freshman may apply for internal transfer. Click here for requirements. |
| University of Southern California (Marshall) | Students not admitted into Marshall as freshmen may apply for internal transfer later. Click here for more info. |
| University of Pittsburgh | Current Pitt students in other schools may apply for internal transfer after completing at least 30 BSBA-relevant credits. Click here for more info. |
| University of Pennsylvania (Wharton) | Students not admitted into Wharton as freshmen may apply for internal transfer. Admission process is very competitive. Click here for requirements. |
| University of Notre Dame (Mendoza) | Applicants are pre-approved to enroll after their freshman year. A very limited number of students not pre-approved for Mendoza enrollment may apply for admission as a sophomore. Click here for more info. |
| University of North Carolina (Kenan-Flagler) | Only a small number of applicants are accepted via UNC's Assured Admission program. The majority apply after their freshman year. Click here for more info. |
| University of Minnesota (Carlson) | Students not admitted directly may apply for admission into Carlson after completing 26 credits and fulfilling certain prerequisites. Click here for more info. |
| University of Michigan (Ross) | UMich enrolls 80% of its BBA class through its Preferred (i.e. Direct) Admission program. Click here for more info. |
| University of Maryland (Smith) | Students not admitted directly to Smith can apply via a Limited Enrollment Program during the semester in which they will earn 45 credits. Click here for more info. |
| University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | Students not admitted may apply via Inter-College-Transfer. Clickhere for more info. |
| University of Colorado Boulder (Leeds) | Students not admitted directly into Leeds can still apply for intra- university transfer. Click here for more info. |
| University of California, Irvine (Merage) | Students not admitted directly into Merage may apply for internal transfer later. However, the admissions process is extremely competitive; typically, less than 10 students per year are admitted. Click here for more info. |
| Texas A&M University (Mays) | A limited number of (approximately 100) students not admitted directly into Mays may apply for entry after completing 30 credits. Click here for more info. |
| Southern Methodist University (Cox) | A limited number of students are offered direct admission through the BBA Scholars program. However, most enter Cox during their sophomore year. Click here for more info. |
| Santa Clara University (Leavey) | Students not admitted directly into Leavey may apply for transfer later. The admissions process is competitive. Click here for more info. |
| Rutgers Business School | Students not admitted directly into Rutgers may apply for transfer later. The admissions process is competitive. Click here for more info. |
| Purdue University (Krannert) | Most students admitted into Krannert are placed into the Lower (i.e. pre-major) Divison and wll have to actually meet course and GPA requirements to enter into their actual major. Click here for more info. |
| Ohio State University (Fisher) | Students not admitted directly to Fisher are considered for Fisher's Pre-Major program and can eventually apply after completing certain business-related coursework and earning a minimum GPA. Click here for more info. |
| New York University (Stern) | Students not directly admitted into Stern as a freshman can apply for internal transfer into Stern for the fall of the following year. However, admission is very competitive. Click here for more info. |
| Miami University (Farmer) | Students not initially admitted into Farmer may enroll after completing 30 credits and if they earn a 3.5 GPA or above. Click here for more info. |
| Indiana University (Kelley) | Kelley enrolls approximately 70% of its students through its Direct Admit program. Students not admitted into Kelley as freshmen may apply for internal transfer. Click here for requirements. |
| Georgia Institute of Technology (Scheller) | Current GA Tech students in other majors can switch to business after enrolling. |
| Georgetown University (McDonough) | Current Georgetown students in other schools may apply for internal transfer. Click here for more info. |
| George Washington University | Students wishing to pursue finance must undergo a separate application process their freshman year. Click here for more info. |
| Cornell University (Dyson) | Students not admitted into Dyson as freshmen may apply for internal transfer. Click here for requirements. |
| Boston University (Questrom) | Current BU students in other schools may apply for internal transfer later. Click here for more info. |
| Boston College (Carroll) | Students not admitted into Carroll can apply for internal transfer later. However, admission is very competitive. Click here for more info. |
| Arizona State University (Carey) | Students not admitted directly into Carey can apply for transfer later. Click here for more info. |
| Carnegie Mellon University (Tepper) | Current CMU students in other schools may apply for internal transfer. Click here for more information. |
| Northeastern University (D'Amore-McKim) | Students not admitted directly into D'Amore-McKim can apply for internal transfer. |
Schools Requiring a Separate Application
The following institutions require students to submit a separate application to enroll in the business school.
| Institution | Notes |
|---|---|
| Wake Forest University | Students apply during their sophomore year. Click here for more info. |
| University of Virginia (McIntire) | Applicants must complete 54 semester credits before enrolling. Click here for more info. |
| University of Richmond | Students may declare a major in business after earning 12 credits, including ECON 101, ACCT 201, and MATH 211, with a 2.7 GPA. Click here for more info. |
| University of Georgia (Terry) | Students apply to Terry after completing certain course and testing requirements. Click here for more info. |
| University of Florida (Warrington) | Students must meet certain course and GPA requirements before officially declaring a major. Click here for more info. |
| University of California, Berkeley (Haas) | Applicants must complete 60 semester credits before enrolling. Click here for more info. |
| University of Arizona (Eller) | Students are admitted as pre-business majors and then must apply for professional admission into Eller, typically toward the end of their sophomore year. Click here for more info. |
| Penn State University (Smeal) | Students apply to a Smeal major after completing 44 credits. Click here for more info. |
| Michigan State University (Broad) | Students apply to Broad during the semester in which they will complete 28 credits. Click here for more info |
| Emory University (Goizueta) | The majority of students matriculate into Goizueta's BBA program in the junior year after completing necessary pre-requisites. Click here for more info. |
| College of William & Mary | Students apply to the School of Business during the second semester of their sophomore year. Click here for more info. |
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