Southwest Minnesota State University Requirements for Admission

What are Southwest Minnesota State University's admission requirements? While there are a lot of pieces that go into a college application, you should focus on only a few critical things:

  • GPA requirements
  • Testing requirements, including SAT and ACT requirements
  • Application requirements

In this guide we'll cover what you need to get into Southwest Minnesota State University and build a strong application.

School location: Marshall, MN


Admissions Rate: 91.6%

If you want to get in, the first thing to look at is the acceptance rate. This tells you how competitive the school is and how serious their requirements are.

The acceptance rate at Southwest Minnesota State University is 91.6%. For every 100 applicants, 92 are admitted.

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This means the school is a nearly open admissions school. They accept nearly all students, so for the most part, you just need to submit an application to get in. But if you don't meet all their application requirements, you'll be one of the very few people who gets rejected.


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Southwest Minnesota State University GPA Requirements

Many schools specify a minimum GPA requirement, but this is often just the bare minimum to submit an application without immediately getting rejected.

The GPA requirement that really matters is the GPA you need for a real chance of getting in. For this, we look at the school's average GPA for its current students.

Average GPA: 3.4

The average GPA at Southwest Minnesota State University is 3.4.

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(Most schools use a weighted GPA out of 4.0, though some report an unweighted GPA.

With a GPA of 3.4, Southwest Minnesota State University requires you to be around average in your high school class. You'll need a mix of A's and B's, and very few C's. If you have a lower GPA, you can compensate with harder courses like AP or IB classes. This will help boost your weighted GPA and show your ability to take college classes.


SAT and ACT Requirements

Each school has different requirements for standardized testing. Only a few schools require the SAT or ACT, but many consider your scores if you choose to submit them.

Southwest Minnesota State University hasn't explicitly named a policy on SAT/ACT requirements, but because it's published average SAT or ACT scores (we'll cover this next), it's likely test flexible. Typically, these schools say, "if you feel your SAT or ACT score represents you well as a student, submit them. Otherwise, don't."

Despite this policy, the truth is that most students still take the SAT or ACT, and most applicants to Southwest Minnesota State University will submit their scores. If you don't submit scores, you'll have one fewer dimension to show that you're worthy of being admitted, compared to other students. We therefore recommend that you consider taking the SAT or ACT, and doing well.

Southwest Minnesota State University SAT Requirements

Many schools say they have no SAT score cutoff, but the truth is that there is a hidden SAT requirement. This is based on the school's average score.

Average SAT: 990

The average SAT score composite at Southwest Minnesota State University is a 990 on the 1600 SAT scale.

This score makes Southwest Minnesota State University Lightly Competitive for SAT test scores.

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Southwest Minnesota State University SAT Score Analysis (New 1600 SAT)

The 25th percentile SAT score is 900, and the 75th percentile SAT score is 1080. In other words, a 900 on the SAT places you below average, while a 1080 will move you up to above average.

Here's the breakdown of SAT scores by section:

SectionAverage25th Percentile75th Percentile
Math490450530
Reading + Writing500450550
Composite9909001080

SAT Score Choice Policy

The Score Choice policy at your school is an important part of your testing strategy.


Southwest Minnesota State University ACT Requirements

Just like for the SAT, Southwest Minnesota State University likely doesn't have a hard ACT cutoff, but if you score too low, your application will get tossed in the trash.

Average ACT: 21

The average ACT score at Southwest Minnesota State University is 21. This score makes Southwest Minnesota State University Moderately Competitive for ACT scores.

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The 25th percentile ACT score is 17, and the 75th percentile ACT score is 23.

ACT Score Sending Policy

If you're taking the ACT as opposed to the SAT, you have a huge advantage in how you send scores, and this dramatically affects your testing strategy.

Here it is: when you send ACT scores to colleges, you have absolute control over which tests you send. You could take 10 tests, and only send your highest one. This is unlike the SAT, where many schools require you to send all your tests ever taken.

This means that you have more chances than you think to improve your ACT score. To try to aim for the school's ACT requirement of 17 and above, you should try to take the ACT as many times as you can. When you have the final score that you're happy with, you can then send only that score to all your schools.

ACT Superscore Policy

By and large, most colleges do not superscore the ACT. (Superscore means that the school takes your best section scores from all the test dates you submit, and then combines them into the best possible composite score). Thus, most schools will just take your highest ACT score from a single sitting.

We weren't able to find the school's exact ACT policy, which most likely means that it does not Superscore. Regardless, you can choose your single best ACT score to send in to Southwest Minnesota State University, so you should prep until you reach our recommended target ACT score of 17.


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SAT/ACT Writing Section Requirements

Currently, only the ACT has an optional essay section that all students can take. The SAT used to also have an optional Essay section, but since June 2021, this has been discontinued unless you are taking the test as part of school-day testing in a few states. Because of this, no school requires the SAT Essay or ACT Writing section, but some schools do recommend certain students submit their results if they have them.

Southwest Minnesota State University considers the SAT Essay/ACT Writing section optional and may not include it as part of their admissions consideration. You don't need to worry too much about Writing for this school, but other schools you're applying to may require or recommend it.



Final Admissions Verdict

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This school offers nearly open admissions, which means they give almost every student an offer of admission. To be safe, you should aim for a 900 SAT or a 17 ACT or higher. If you can achieve this, you're pretty much guaranteed a spot in the incoming class.


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We know what kinds of students colleges want to admit. We want to get you admitted to your dream schools.

Learn more about PrepScholar Admissions to maximize your chance of getting in.


Admissions Calculator

What are your chances of admission at Southwest Minnesota State University?
Chances of admission with these scores:

Here's our custom admissions calculator. Plug in your numbers to see what your chances of getting in are.

Pick your test: SAT ACT

SAT Score
Your GPA

Note: Your admission decision relies not only on your GPA and SAT/ACT scores, but also on your coursework difficulty, extracurriculars, letters of recommendation, and personal statements. This tool provides only a simplistic estimate of your chances of admission. Instead of treating this tool as a crystal ball, we recommend you consider the big picture of what your chance means:
  • 80-100%: Safety school: Strong chance of getting in
  • 50-80%: More likely than not getting in
  • 20-50%: Lower but still good chance of getting in
  • 5-20%: Reach school: Unlikely to get in, but still have a shot
  • 0-5%: Hard reach school: Very difficult to get in
We recommend you apply to schools across a range of chances. Applying to some safety schools will guarantee you have a college to go to, while applying to some reach schools will give you a shot at getting into the school at the top of your range.

How would your chances improve with a better score?

Take your current SAT score and add 160 points (or take your ACT score and add 4 points) to the calculator above. See how much your chances improve?

At PrepScholar, we've created the leading online SAT/ACT prep program. We guarantee an improvement of 160 SAT points or 4 ACT points on your score, or your money back.

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Application Requirements

Every school requires an application with the bare essentials - high school transcript and GPA, application form, and other core information. Many schools, as explained above, also require SAT and ACT scores, as well as letters of recommendation, application essays, and interviews. We'll cover the exact requirements of Southwest Minnesota State University here.

Application Requirements Overview

  • Common Application Not accepted
  • Electronic Application Available
  • Essay or Personal Statement
  • Letters of Recommendation
  • Interview Required for some
  • Application Fee $20
  • Fee Waiver Available? Not available
  • Other Notes Top half of graduating class or 21 ACT required for freshmen

Testing Requirements

  • SAT or ACT Considered if submitted
  • Scores Due in Office None

Coursework Requirements

  • Subject Required Years
  • English 4
  • Math 3
  • Science 3
  • Foreign Language 2
  • Social Studies 3
  • History 1
  • Electives 1

Deadlines and Early Admissions

  •  
    • Offered? Deadline Notification
  • Regular Admission
    • Yes September 1 June 1
  • Early Action
    • No
  • Early Decision
    • No

Admissions Office Information


Other Schools For You

If you're interested in Southwest Minnesota State University, you'll probably be interested in these schools as well. We've divided them into 3 categories depending on how hard they are to get into, relative to Southwest Minnesota State University.


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Reach Schools: Harder to Get Into

These schools are have higher average SAT scores than Southwest Minnesota State University. If you improve your SAT score, you'll be competitive for these schools.

School Name Location SAT Avg ACT Avg
Washington State University Pullman, WA 1130 23
University of Texas at San Antonio San Antonio, TX 1120 22
University of North Texas Denton, TX 1110 23
Texas State University San Marcos, TX 1080 23
Georgia State University Atlanta, GA 1067 22
Hampton University Hampton, VA 1059 22
Kean University Union, NJ 1030 18

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Same Level: Equally Hard to Get Into

If you're competitive for Southwest Minnesota State University, these schools will offer you a similar chance of admission.

School Name Location SAT Avg ACT Avg
California State University Fresno Fresno, CA 1010 19
University of Texas at El Paso El Paso, TX 1008 20
California State University Stanislaus Turlock, CA 1000 19
California State University East Bay Hayward, CA 992 19
California State University Fullerton Fullerton, CA 990 22
California State University Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA 985 18
State University of New York College of Agriculture and Technology at Cobleskill Cobleskill, NY 970 20

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Safety Schools: Easier to Get Into

If you're currently competitive for Southwest Minnesota State University, you should have no problem getting into these schools. If Southwest Minnesota State University is currently out of your reach, you might already be competitive for these schools.

School Name Location SAT Avg ACT Avg
Saint Elizabeth University Morristown, NJ 950 16
Albertus Magnus College New Haven, CT 930 22
Texas Southern University Houston, TX 912 17
California State University San Bernardino San Bernardino, CA 900 17
Idaho State University Pocatello, ID 875 22
Pine Manor College Chestnut Hill, MA 870 15
Bloomfield College Bloomfield, NJ 629 17

Data on this page is sourced from Peterson's Databases © 2024 (Peterson's LLC. All rights reserved.) as well as additional publicly available sources.


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Want to build the best possible college application?

We can help. PrepScholar Admissions is the world's best admissions consulting service. We combine world-class admissions counselors with our data-driven, proprietary admissions strategies. We've overseen thousands of students get into their top choice schools, from state colleges to the Ivy League.

We know what kinds of students colleges want to admit. We want to get you admitted to your dream schools.

Learn more about PrepScholar Admissions to maximize your chance of getting in.


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