essay requirements for tcu

First-Year Students

First-year applicant checklist.

The preferred method of submitting documents is by emailing   [email protected] . Upon applying, you'll receive an invitation to the MyTCU Portal and may upload your essay , freedom of expression and resume online.

Continue Your TCU App

Continue Your Common App

Continue Your Coalition App

Continue Your ApplyTexas App

Pay Application Fee

TCU requires a nonrefundable $50 application fee.  (Waived for First-Generation applicants , students with an ACT/College Board waiver, students enrolled in the Federal Free and Reduced Lunch Program at their high school, or applicants who have been affected by a recent natural disaster )

Choose one  from any of the prompts provided by the TCU application, the Common Application, the Coalition Application or ApplyTexas. Only one essay submission is required.

The prompts below are for applicants using the TCU application. Applicants using Common App, ApplyTexas or Coalition should use the prompts within their application.

Essay Information

TCU is a selective university, and our Admission and Scholarship Committees review thousands of applications each year. The essay tells us a great deal about our candidates and allows for expression of writing skills, organizational skills, creativity and imagination. The essay should be 300-500 words in length . Feel free to be serious, humorous or somewhere in between. Compose your essay on one of the following topics.

• At TCU, our mission statement is very important to us. “The mission of Texas Christian University, a private comprehensive university, is to educate individuals to think and act as ethical leaders and responsible citizens in the global community through research and creative activities, scholarship, service, and programs of teaching and learning offered through the doctoral level.” This is integrated into all aspects of the TCU experience. If you were to write a mission statement about your life, what would it be and how does this mission direct your life and goals?
• Tell us about the most significant person, experience, or circumstance which has shaped your life thus far. How has he, she, or it influenced your character? How might you use what you have learned to achieve your goals?
• Those we call great will usually point to some failure in their lives as a pivotal moment leading them to their successful path. Tell us about a time in your life in which failure propelled you toward success.
• In her best-selling novel The Secret Life of Bees , TCU alumna Sue Monk Kidd wrote, “The hardest thing on earth is choosing what matters.” What matters to you?

The Counselor evaluation/recommendation form (or secondary school report) must be submitted directly from the school official. We cannot accept this form from the applicant. The form may be submitted in the following ways:

• School-supported systems such as Naviance Parchment TREx Slate.org SCOIR Common App Coalition for College MAIA Duolingo
• Emailing [email protected]
• Faxing 817-257-7268
• Mailing to TCU Office of Admission TCU Box 297013 Fort Worth, TX 76129

The Teacher evaluation/recommendation must be submitted directly from the school official. We cannot accept this form from the applicant. The form may be submitted in the following ways:

TCU is test-optional through 2025. Learn more on the Frog Blog .

TCU College Board code is 6820 and ACT code is 4206, but we welcome self-reported scores e-mailed to  [email protected] . Be sure to provide your score on each section or a screen shot of your score report.

• TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) score of 80
• IELTS (International English Language Testing System) score of 6.5
• Duolingo English Test score of 110
• Completion of at least three years at a high school or college where English is the language of instruction
• Completion of at least 24 hours of transferable academic credit (including English composition) from a college in the U.S.
• English testing may be waived for applicants with strong SAT or ACT scores

Download PDF  

• Freedom of Expression Page  TCU values individuality and believes that students are more than just a GPA and test score. To help us get to know you even better, consider this opportunity to further express yourself. The only limitations are the boundaries of your imagination. Please submit an essay, poem, work of art or a URL that showcases another side of you.
• Apply to the Early Admission Masters Program
• Apply to the John V. Roach Honors College/Chancellor's Scholars Program An application to the John V. Roach Honors College is required for consideration for both entrance into the honors college and for the Chancellor's Scholars Program . The deadline to apply for the Chancellor's Scholars Program is November 15. Applicants who submit after that date will not be considered for the full-tuition scholarship, but will still be considered for the John V. Roach Honors College.

Dates & Deadlines

If you wish to be reviewed early based on transcripts through your junior year, you must have your application postmarked by November 1. Nonbinding notification by January 1.

If you are a candidate for the Chancellor’s Scholarship, it is highly recommended that you apply by the November 1 deadline, or shortly thereafter.

If you wish to be reviewed early for a binding decision based on transcripts through your junior year, you must have your application postmarked by November 1. You, your counselor, and your parent must sign this document demonstrating an understanding that an admission decision to TCU is contractually binding. Binding notification by January 1. Admitted students must pay their deposit by January 15.

Students applying Early Decision I who intend to apply for Financial Aid must also submit the CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE in order to complete their application. 

If you wish to include your fall semester/trimester grades, you must have your application postmarked by February 1. Notification by April 1. All students who apply by the Regular Decision will be considered for scholarship.

Applications received after February 1 will be considered on a space-available basis.

If you wish to be reviewed for a binding decision but missed the Early Decision I deadline, you may apply Early Decision II by submitting a completed application by February 1. You, your counselor, and your parent must sign this document demonstrating an understanding that an admission decision to TCU is contractually binding. Binding notification by March 3. Admitted students must pay their deposit by March 15.

Students applying Early Decision II who intend to apply for Financial Aid must also submit the CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE in order to complete their application. 

AP/College Credits

Through several methods, above-average students may earn academic credit for college-level learning. College credits can be helpful if you're pursuing:

• A dual concentration
• Double majors or double degrees
• A combined undergraduate and master's program
• An early graduation

You can qualify for advanced credit with:

• Dual Enrollment for college courses completed during high school or the summer
• Advanced Placement (AP) Exams
• International Baccalaureate (IB) Exams