What are Mercyhurst 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:
In this guide we'll cover what you need to get into Mercyhurst University and build a strong application.
School location: Erie, PA
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 Mercyhurst University is 75.2%. For every 100 applicants, 75 are admitted.
This means the school is lightly selective. The school will have their expected requirements for GPA and SAT/ACT scores. If you meet their requirements, you're almost certain to get an offer of admission. But if you don't meet Mercyhurst University's requirements, you'll be one of the unlucky few people who gets rejected.
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.
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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.
The average GPA at Mercyhurst University is 3.36.
(Most schools use a weighted GPA out of 4.0, though some report an unweighted GPA.
With a GPA of 3.36, Mercyhurst University accepts below-average students. It's OK to be a B-average student, with some A's mixed in. It'd be best to avoid C's and D's, since application readers might doubt whether you can handle the stress of college academics.
If you're currently a junior or senior, your GPA is hard to change in time for college applications. If your GPA is at or below the school average of 3.36, you'll need a higher SAT or ACT score to compensate. This will help you compete effectively against other applicants who have higher GPAs than you.
Each school has different requirements for standardized testing. Most schools require the SAT or ACT, and many also require SAT subject tests.
Mercyhurst 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 Mercyhurst 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.
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.
The average SAT score composite at Mercyhurst University is a 1120 on the 1600 SAT scale.
This score makes Mercyhurst University Competitive for SAT test scores.
The 25th percentile SAT score is 990, and the 75th percentile SAT score is 1230. In other words, a 990 on the SAT places you below average, while a 1230 will move you up to above average.
Here's the breakdown of SAT scores by section:
| Section | Average | 25th Percentile | 75th Percentile |
| Math | 550 | 500 | 590 |
| Reading + Writing | 570 | 490 | 640 |
| Composite | 1120 | 990 | 1230 |
The Score Choice policy at your school is an important part of your testing strategy.
Just like for the SAT, Mercyhurst University likely doesn't have a hard ACT cutoff, but if you score too low, your application will get tossed in the trash.
The average ACT score at Mercyhurst University is 22. This score makes Mercyhurst University Moderately Competitive for ACT scores.
The 25th percentile ACT score is 19, and the 75th percentile ACT score is 26.
Even though Mercyhurst University likely says they have no minimum ACT requirement, if you apply with a 19 or below, you'll have a harder time getting in, unless you have something else impressive in your application.
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 19 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.
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 Mercyhurst University, so you should prep until you reach our recommended target ACT score of 19.
Download our free guide on the top 5 strategies you must be using to improve your score. This guide was written by Harvard graduates and ACT perfect scorers. If you apply the strategies in this guide, you'll study smarter and make huge score improvements.
Both the SAT and ACT have an optional essay section.
Mercyhurst 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 it.
Schools vary in their SAT subject test requirements. Typically, selective schools tend to require them, while most schools in the country do not.
Mercyhurst University has indicated that SAT subject tests are recommended. Typically this means that SAT subject tests are not required, but submitting them can showcase particular strengths. For example, if you're applying to an engineering school, submitting science and math SAT subject tests will boost your application.
Typically, your SAT/ACT and GPA are far more heavily weighed than your SAT Subject Tests. If you have the choice between improving your SAT/ACT score or your SAT Subject Test scores, definitely choose to improve your SAT/ACT score.
Because this school is lightly selective, you have a great shot at getting in, as long as you don't fall well below average. Aim for a 990 SAT or a 19 ACT or higher, and you'll almost certainly get an offer of admission. As long as you meet the rest of the application requirements below, you'll be a shoo-in.
But if you score below our recommended target score, you may be one of the very few unlucky people to get rejected.
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.
Here's our custom admissions calculator. Plug in your numbers to see what your chances of getting in are.
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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 Mercyhurst University here.
If you're interested in Mercyhurst 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 Mercyhurst University.
These schools are have higher average SAT scores than Mercyhurst University. If you improve your SAT score, you'll be competitive for these schools.
| School Name | Location | SAT Avg | ACT Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Temple University | Philadelphia, PA | 1238 | 27 |
| University of Arizona | Tucson, AZ | 1235 | 25 |
| University of Alabama | Tuscaloosa, AL | 1184 | 27 |
| Quinnipiac University | Hamden, CT | 1175 | 26 |
| Ohio University | Athens, OH | 1170 | 24 |
| University of North Texas | Denton, TX | 1160 | 23 |
| University of Texas at Arlington | Arlington, TX | 1160 | 23 |
If you're competitive for Mercyhurst University, these schools will offer you a similar chance of admission.
| School Name | Location | SAT Avg | ACT Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pace University | New York, NY | 1140 | 25 |
| Florida Gulf Coast University | Fort Myers, FL | 1135 | 23 |
| Hampton University | Hampton, VA | 1130 | 22 |
| Washington State University | Pullman, WA | 1125 | 23 |
| University of Texas at San Antonio | San Antonio, TX | 1125 | 22 |
| East Carolina University | Greenville, NC | 1105 | 22 |
| Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis | Indianapolis, IN | 1100 | 22 |
If you're currently competitive for Mercyhurst University, you should have no problem getting into these schools. If Mercyhurst University is currently out of your reach, you might already be competitive for these schools.
| School Name | Location | SAT Avg | ACT Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of California, Merced | Merced, CA | 1080 | 20 |
| La Salle University | Philadelphia, PA | 1074 | 22 |
| Liberty University | Lynchburg, VA | 1069 | 24 |
| University of Texas at El Paso | El Paso, TX | 1040 | 20 |
| California State University Sacramento | Sacramento, CA | 1035 | 19 |
| California State University Northridge | Northridge, CA | 1030 | 19 |
| Indiana University of Pennsylvania | Indiana, PA | 1017 | 19 |
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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