Gallaudet University has a selective admissions process to admit a select group of hearing undergraduate students who know American Sign Language (ASL), want to study alongside deaf and hard of hearing individuals, and will pursue a career that furthers the education of deaf and hard of hearing. No other university in the world offers full immersion in a bilingual ASL and English environment, along with internship and research opportunities that span the globe.

When you apply to the Hearing Undergraduate (HUG) program, you must choose a  major  with the goal of obtaining a career that benefits or furthers the education of the deaf and hard of hearing. 

The application requirements for the HUG program are:

Phase 1:

  • Submit an  online application
  • $50 application fee (waived if you submit by December 1, attend an Open House event or campus visit-virtual or in-person, attend a virtual Gallaudet event, or have ever participated in any of our Gallaudet University Youth Programs)
  • One written essay and one video essay in ASL (the essay questions can be found in the online application)
  • A letter of recommendation from an academic teacher who teaches core subjects such as English, mathematics, or social studies
  • Unofficial high school and college transcripts (if applicable)* 
  • ACT or SAT scores (or alternative testing**)

*Official transcript(s) will be required following acceptance to the University. We accept both paper and electronic transcripts. If you have your transcript sent electronically, it should be sent to  admissions.office@gallaudet.edu. If you earned college credits during high school, please send in your college transcript(s) for transfer credit evaluation. 

Gallaudet admits students based on superscores for both the ACT and SAT, which has been recognized as best practice. Research conducted by the ACT has confirmed that superscores are just as strong a predicator, if not stronger, of how students will perform at the collegiate level than other scoring methods. Superscoring takes the highest scores for each section across multiple SAT or ACT tests and section retests, resulting in a “super” composite score that will, in most cases, be higher than the composite score of any individual test taken. To learn more, visit the ACT website.

**Due to the coronavirus pandemic, we are also offering, free of charge, two online assessments, the Degrees of Reading Power (DRP) and the Math College Readiness (MCR) Test that may be taken in lieu of the ACT or SAT. Students may sign up for these tests through the Gallaudet application portal after submitting their application.

Phase 2: 

  • The HUG/BAI admissions counselor will contact you to arrange an admissions interview and initial language screening.
  • At the time of your interview, you will be given information about the American Sign Language Proficiency Interview (ASLPI).
  • You will be notified of your admissions decision following completion of the ASLPI.

TRANSFER CREDIT EVALUATION

If you are a transfer student, please visit the  Transfer Credits website for more information about transferring your credits to Gallaudet, course equivalencies, and more. If you wish to contact our Transfer Specialist, please email  transfer.specialist@gallaudet.edu. 

APPLYING FOR FINANCIAL AID

The financial aid process is separate from the process of applying for admission. Complete the FAFSA as soon as possible when it is made available on October 1. The priority filing date is June 1.  Once we have your FAFSA on file, we will send you a Financial Aid award letter that provides detailed information about your eligible financial aid and your estimated remaining cost. Please note that hearing undergraduate applicants are not eligible for merit-based scholarships.