Sewanee: Acceptance Rate and Admissions Statistics

The University of the South

McClurg Hall at Sewanee: The University of the South

Rex Hammock / Flickr / CC BY-2.0

Sewanee: The University of the South is a private Episcopal liberal arts university with an acceptance rate of 67%. Located on a 13,000 acre campus on the Cumberland Plateau between Chattanooga and Nashville, Tennessee, Sewanee undergraduates can choose from 36 majors including pre-professional programs in business, health and medicine, education, engineering, and law. Every class at Sewanee is taught be a professor, and the university boasts of a 10-to-1 student faculty / ratio, and an average class size of 17. The English program at Sewanee is particularly strong, and the university is home to The Sewanee Review and Sewanee Writers Conference. In athletics, popular sports include football, lacrosse, soccer, softball, track and field, and tennis.

Considering applying to Sewanee? Here are the admissions statistics you should know, including average SAT/ACT scores and GPAs of admitted students.

Acceptance Rate

During the 2018-19 admissions cycle, Sewanee had an acceptance rate of 67%. This means that for every 100 students who applied, 67 students were admitted, making Sewanee's admissions process competitive.

Admissions Statistics (2018-19)
Number of Applicants 3,545
Percent Admitted 67%
Percent Admitted Who Enrolled (Yield) 19%

SAT Scores and Requirements

The University of the South has a test-optional standardized testing policy. Applicants to Sewanee may submit SAT or ACT scores to the school, but they are not required. During the 2018-19 admissions cycle, 40% of admitted students submitted SAT scores.

SAT Range (Admitted Students)
Section 25th Percentile 75th Percentile
ERW 580 680
Math 570 660
ERW=Evidence-Based Reading and Writing

This admissions data tells us that of those students who submitted scores during the 2018-19 admissions cycle, most of Sewanee's admitted students fall within the top 35% nationally on the SAT. For the evidence-based reading and writing section, 50% of students admitted to Sewanee scored between 580 and 680, while 25% scored below 580 and 25% scored above 680. On the math section, 50% of admitted students scored between 570 and 660, while 25% scored below 570 and 25% scored above 660. While the SAT is not required, this data tells us that a composite SAT score of 1340 or higher is competitive for The University of the South.

Requirements

Sewanee does not require SAT scores for admission. For students who choose to submit scores, note that Sewanee participates in the scorechoice program, meaning that the admissions office will consider your highest score from each individual section across all SAT test dates. Sewanee does not require the essay section of the SAT.

ACT Scores and Requirements

Sewanee has a test-optional standardized testing policy. Applicants may submit SAT or ACT scores to the school, but they are not required. During the 2018-19 admissions cycle, 61% of admitted students submitted ACT scores.

ACT Range (Admitted Students)
Section 25th Percentile 75th Percentile
English 25 34
Math 23 28
Composite 25 30

This admissions data tells us that of those who submitted scores during the 2018-19 admissions cycle, most of Sewanee's admitted students fall within the top 22% nationally on the ACT. The middle 50% of students admitted to Sewanee received a composite ACT score between 25 and 30, while 25% scored above 30 and 25% scored below 25.

Requirements

Note that The University of the South does not require ACT scores for admission. For students who choose to submit scores, Sewanee participates in the scorechoice program, meaning that the admissions office will consider your highest score from each individual section across all ACT test dates. Sewanee does not require the ACT writing section.

GPA

In 2019, the average weighted high school GPA of Sewanee's incoming freshmen class was 3.7. This data suggests that most successful applicants to The University of the South have primarily A grades.

Self-Reported GPA/SAT/ACT Graph

Sewanee: The University of the South Applicants' Self-Reported GPA/SAT/ACT Graph.
Sewanee: The University of the South Applicants' Self-Reported GPA/SAT/ACT Graph. Data courtesy of Cappex.

The admissions data in the graph is self-reported by applicants to Sewanee: The University of the South. GPAs are unweighted. Find out how you compare to accepted students, see the real-time graph, and calculate your chances of getting in with a free Cappex account.

Admissions Chances

Sewanee, which accepts just over half of applicants, has a competitive admissions pool with high average SAT/ACT scores and GPAs. However, Sewanee also has a holistic admissions process and is test-optional, and admissions decisions are based on much more than numbers. A strong application essay and glowing letters of recommendation can strengthen your application, as can participation in meaningful extracurricular activities and a rigorous course schedule. The college is looking for students who will contribute to the campus community in meaningful ways, not just students who show promise in the classroom. Sewanee also values an applicant's demonstrated interest exhibited through campus visits, college fairs, and off-campus meetings. Students with particularly compelling stories or achievements can still receive serious consideration even if their grades and scores are outside of Sewanee's average range.

In the graph above, the blue and green dots represent accepted students. You can see that the majority of admitted students had high school averages of B+ or higher, ACT composite scores of 24 or higher, and combined SAT scores of 1150 or better (ERW+M). Sewanee is test-optional, so qualified students with SAT/ACT scores below Sewanee's average may choose not to submit test scores.

If You Like Sewanee, You May Also Like These Schools

All admissions data has been sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics and Sewanee: The University of the South Undergraduate Admissions Office.

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Grove, Allen. "Sewanee: Acceptance Rate and Admissions Statistics." ThoughtCo, Aug. 26, 2020, thoughtco.com/sewanee-gpa-sat-and-act-data-786625. Grove, Allen. (2020, August 26). Sewanee: Acceptance Rate and Admissions Statistics. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/sewanee-gpa-sat-and-act-data-786625 Grove, Allen. "Sewanee: Acceptance Rate and Admissions Statistics." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/sewanee-gpa-sat-and-act-data-786625 (accessed March 29, 2024).