Who is considered a freshman student?

If you are still in high school or have completed fewer than 24 transferable college credits, you will apply as a freshman.

First Steps:

Apply to the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. Be sure to send official high school transcripts, official standadized test scores, and official transcrips for any transfer work you may have completed.  This includes AP credits, summer school, etc. Review the information provided by the Admissions Office online, regarding the freshman application process, and meet all posted deadlines (manoa.hawaii.edu/admissions/undergrad/freshman.html).

Once you've been accepted:

• Sign and submit your Statement of Intent to Register form, and submit your Partial Advance Tuition Payment to finalize your acceptance. Completion of these items will start your Transfer Credit Evaluation.
• Obtain health clearance. You will not be able to register until your health clearance form is submitted.

Preparing for your first registration:

Placement exams: Register and take placement exams, if necessary. Placement exam information is available in the Schedule of Classes (SOC) (www.hawaii.edu/myuh/manoa). Check with your academic advisor if you are not sure whether you need to take placement exams.

• There is no longer a placement exam for native speakers of English
  
• Non-native speakers who are not exempt will need to take the ELI placement exam (www.hawaii.edu/eli).
• Foreign Language (Refer to the SOC or department for placement exam information.)
• Mathematics (math.hawaii.edu)
• Chemistry (manoa.hawaii.edu/chem)

Attend New Student Orientation (NSO) to familiarize yourself with requirements, the campus and other students (www.hawaii.edu/nso).

Visit your academic advisors for assistance with scheduling, registration and general education and core requirements.

• If you are unable to meet with an advisor prior to registering, visit our Degree Requirements webpage for links to general education and major department requirement information.
• If you have any transfer work from other instutions, your transfer credit evaluation will be sent directly to you from Admissions and Records once it is completed. If you have not yet received an evaluation, follow the steps provided to do an informal analysis of your transfer work (Self-Analysis).
• Once you are on-campus, you may want to have your schedule reviewed by your advisor to ensure you are on track.

Housing:

The Student Housing Office at UHM has information for on-campus housing options (www.housing.hawaii.edu), as well as an Off-Campus Housing Referral Program.

You may also want to check local newspapers and publications for other off-campus housing options.

Additional resources

See our tips for freshman students to help make your transition to UHM successful.

Updated: 12/18/08