Admission to the Broad College for high school students
This information is for high school students who plan to apply to the MSU for direct admission to the Broad College; this applies to students seeking a degree in the following majors: accounting, finance, human resource management, management, marketing, and supply chain management; hospitality business has separate requirements.
This information does not apply to students at other institutions who plan to apply to MSU and the Broad College through the transfer application process, or the current student standard admission process.
Direct Admission Process
High school students wishing to apply for direct admission to the Broad College must complete the Michigan State University first-year application process through the MSU Office of Admissions (students also can apply via the Common App and Coalition App). There is no separate application for the Broad College direct admission process. Direct admission invitations will be communicated via your online MSU application account.
Applicants are first reviewed by the MSU Office of Admissions for admissibility to the university, and then reviewed by the Broad College for direct admission. Students not admitted to Broad via the direct admission process can apply to the Broad College through the current student standard admission process after matriculating to MSU.
Applicant Review and Invitation
Minimum Criteria for Consideration
- Apply to MSU and selected one of the following intended majors: Accounting, Finance, Human Resource Management, Management, Marketing, Supply Chain Management (all students will be classified as “Exploring Business Preference” until they are selected for direct admission)
- Admitted to MSU for the upcoming fall semester
- Have a 3.5 or higher high school GPA at the time of MSU admission, as listed in their MSU application material
Academic performance, business involvement, and business-related leadership experience will be considered when reviewing applicants for direct admission, as represented on the university admission application. There are no criteria for automatic direct admission; the Broad College has limited space and many students meet the minimum criteria for consideration.
Note: As MSU is test-optional for admission to the university, the Broad College does not consider ACT/SAT scores when reviewing applicants for direct admission.
Invitation Timeline
- Two rounds of invitations will be issued; students who do not receive an invitation in February will still be considered for the second round.
- Round 1: mid-February
- Round 2: mid-March
- Students who were admitted to MSU and are classified as Exploring Business Preference in their application portal by January 15 will be considered for the first round of invitations. Students who are admitted to MSU and classified as Exploring Business Preference by March 1 will be considered for the second round of invitations.
- Invitations will be issued through the MSU Office of Admissions’ online application account (students will be sent an email prompting them to check their admissions account); invited students’ majors will be changed to Business Admitted.
- Students accept the Broad College direct admission invitation by accepting their admission to MSU and paying their Acceptance Fee by the Office of Admissions’ designated deadline; students must remain in the Business Admitted major – if they change majors they forfeit the direct admission invitation.
Confirming Your Direct Admission Status
Beginning with the Fall 2025 direct admit cohort, the following confirmation requirements will be in effect:
- Completion of the following College Precore Courses: STT 200, WRA 101 or 195H, EC 201 and EC 202 (with credit*)
- 3.0 minimum cumulative GPA
- 3.0 minimum College Precore (CPC) GPA (collective GPA, not 3.0 in each individual course)
- 28 cumulative credits
Students have three fall/spring semesters to meet the requirements and will be reviewed for confirmation at the end of each fall/spring semester. If students complete the requirements prior to the third fall/spring semester, their status will be confirmed at that time.
*AP “waivers” of WRA 101 and EC 201/202 will not fulfill Broad admission confirmation and degree requirements – credit must be earned.
Admission to a Degree-Granting Major
Once a student’s admission is confirmed (see Confirming Your Direct Admission Status, above), the student will be admitted to the degree-granting major of their choice. This major choice is not final; students may change majors after the point of admission confirmation as they choose.
Degree-granting majors: accounting, finance, human resource management, management, marketing, supply chain management.
Frequently Asked Questions - Invitation Process
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If I do not receive a direct admission invitation, can I apply to the Broad College another way?
Yes. After matriculating to MSU, current students can apply to the Broad College through the standard admission process. Standard admission is limited and competitive, but is a robust process. Most Broad students continue to gain admission via this process.
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My high school GPA was below a 3.5 (on a 4.0 scale) at the time I was admitted to MSU. Can I petition for direct admission consideration?
No. Students who were not eligible for direct admission consideration per the listed criteria may apply to the Broad College via the standard admission process once at MSU.
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I was admitted to MSU as Exploring Business Preference before the first round of invitations, but did not receive a direct admission invitation. WilI I be considered for the second round?
Yes. There is no further action to request consideration in the second round – this will be done automatically.
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How do I accept the direct admission invitation?
Accept your admission to MSU and pay the acceptance fee by May 1. You must remain in the Business Admitted major – if you change your major you forfeit direct admission status.
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What criteria are considered when applicants are reviewed for direct admission?
Academic performance, business involvement, and business-related leadership extra-curricular experiences are considered as part of the direct admission review process. Including non-academic factors in the college-level admission decision process enhances the student’s educational experience through the process, recognizes attributes employers and industries value in the process, and acknowledges qualities that are valued by and consistent with the mission of the Broad College.
Note: As MSU is test-optional for admission to the university, the Broad College does not consider ACT/SAT scores when reviewing applicants for direct admission.
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Where do I indicate on the application that I want to be considered for direct admission?
All students who choose a Broad College major (with the exception of Hospitality Business) on their admission application will automatically be considered for direct admission. There is no extra box to check or form to complete.
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Do I need to complete the MSU application for admission to be considered for direct admission? Can I be considered if I used the Common Application to apply to MSU?
All students applying to MSU and choosing a Broad College major (except Hospitality Business), regardless of the application (MSU vs Common vs Coalition), will be considered for direct admission.
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Can I add information/material to my application for Broad direct admission consideration?
The Broad College will make Direct Admit invitation decisions based on a student’s university admission application content. We do not accept supplemental information, updated transcripts, or letters of recommendation.
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Will I be considered for direct admission if I have Early College or dual enrollment credits?
All students admitted via the first-year application process will be considered for direct admission to Broad. Many first-year students come to MSU with significant credit earned prior to MSU via exams (AP, IB, etc.), dual enrollment, or Early College; this does not change their status to “transfer” students, and they are still considered first-year students and eligible for direct admission to Broad. No weight is given to the presence or number of such credits in the direct admission consideration process.
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I did not receive a direct admission invitation. Can I appeal the decision?
There is no appeal process for direct admission. Close to 20% of students admitted to MSU are interested in a Broad degree, and we have limited space for direct admission, so not all students who meet the minimum criteria for consideration will be invited. The Broad College continues to maintain a robust standard admission process as another pathway to Broad, and most Broad students are admitted via that process. Current MSU students of all majors are eligible for standard admission consideration, and can apply as soon as the semester they are completing the academic requirements. See our Standard Admission page for details.
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I received a Direct Admission invitation, and would like to defer my admission to MSU to a future semester. Can I keep my Direct Admit status?
Broad College direct admit invitations are valid only for the fall semester the student designated on their admission application. Direct admit invitations are not transferable or deferable to future semesters/years.
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I have questions that are not addressed here; how can I get them answered?
Please email us at admissions@broad.msu.edu.
Frequently Asked Questions - Confirmation Process
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How is the College Precore (CPC) GPA calculated?
How to calculate any GPA
- Grade in course X number of credits = grade points
- Total all grade points
- Total number of credits
- Grade points / credits = GPA
CPC GPA Example*
- WRA 101 4.0 X 4 cr = 16 grade pts
- STT 200 3.0 X 3 cr = 9 grade pts**
- EC 201 3.0 X 3 cr = 9 grade pts
- EC 202 3.5 X 3 cr = 10.5 grade pts
- 44.5 grade pts / 13 cr = 3.423 CPC GPA
*Adjust your specific GPA calculation based on your course credit amount if using substitutes, and on the number of MSU courses
**If you are taking STT 200 beginning Fall 2026, the course is now 4 credits
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Can I transfer in a College Precore course?
Per MSU policy, students may earn transfer credit in any course if a course at another school is approved for transfer as the MSU equivalent. See Transfer MSU for currently approved equivalencies. The Broad College accepts all course-specific transfer equivalencies the same as they are listed on Transfer MSU. Note that “GCU” (general credit) will not fulfill College Precore courses.
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I received test credit (AP/IB/CLEP/A-level) credit for a College Precore course. How will this be used in CPC GPA calculation?
Credit in College Precore Courses earned via AP/IB/CLEP will translate into a 4.0 course grade equivalency for the College Precore GPA only, if students have fewer than two MSU graded College Precore Courses.
Credit in College Precore Courses earned via A-Level exams does not carry a GPA equivalency for the College Precore GPA.
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My AP exam score resulted in a "waiver" of one or more of the College Precore courses. Will the waiver fulfill the course requirement?
No. Students must earn credit in all required courses – the AP waiver does not fulfill the requirement.
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I took some College Precore courses at another institution or earned test credit, and took some at MSU. How will my College Precore GPA be calculated?
- All College Precore courses in transfer/test credit (zero MSU numerically graded precore courses) = transfer Precore grades & test credit GPA equivalents will be used to calculate the CPC GPA.
- One MSU numerically graded Precore course = transfer Precore grades & test credit GPA equivalents will be considered when calculating the CPC GPA (if it benefits the student).
- Two or more MSU numerically graded Precore courses = only MSU grades used to calculate the CPC GPA.
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I took all my College Precore courses at another institution. How will my College Precore GPA be calculated?
- All College Precore courses in transfer (zero MSU numerically graded precore courses) = transfer Precore grades & test credit GPA equivalents will be used to calculate the CPC GPA.
- One MSU numerically graded Precore course = transfer Precore grades & test credit GPA equivalents will be considered when calculating the CPC GPA (if it benefits the student).
- Two or more MSU numerically graded Precore courses = only MSU grades used to calculate the CPC GPA.
Transfer equivalent grades are based on the most recent chronological course, up to a maximum of 3 attempts, in keeping with MSU’s repeat policy.
Example: STT 200 from Macomb Community College was completed twice – Fall 2025 grade: B-; Spring 2026 grade: C. Since the Spring 2026 grade is the most recent, that is the grade that will be used.
The original course credit amount is used (example: if a course that transfers as STT 200 – a 3-credit course – to MSU, but is a 4-credit course at that school, the full 4 credits are calculated in the GPA).
When using transfer grades from institutions that give individual course grades as letter grades (“C” instead of “2.0”), we apply that institution’s grade equivalencies (usually found on the back of the transcript and on that institution’s website).
Example Transfer College Precore GPA:
- Writing: ENG 1020 4 credits (Wayne State University) B (3.0 per WSU’s grade conversion)
- Statistics: STT 210 4 credits (Macomb CC) A- (3.7 per MCC’s grade conversion)
- Economics: ECON 201 4 credits (Macomb CC) C (2.0 per MCC’s grade conversion)
- College Precore GPA: 2.9
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I earned a low grade in a MSU CPC course, and am repeating it this semester. Which grade will be used in my CPC GPA ?
If you are repeating the course at MSU, the grade you earn this semester will be used. Note: the most recent grade is used, whether or not it is the higher grade. This is consistent with MSU’s repeat policy.
If you are repeating the course at another institution, the transfer credit will remove the MSU grade from your cumulative (and College Precore, if applicable) GPA calculation. The original grade will not be replaced by the grade earned at the other school in your cumulative GPA calculation. You must earn a 2.0/C grade at the other school for MSU to accept the transfer credit/course.
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STT 200 at MSU is 4 credits beginning Fall 2026. How will my College Precore GPA be calculated if I took it for 3 credits before Fall 2026, or do I need to take the course again to earn 4 credits?
GPAs are calculated based on the number of credits for each course:
- Grade x credits = grade points
- Total all grade points
- Divide by total credits
A student’s College Precore GPA will be calculated with the number of credits they earned for the class; completing the class in Fall 2026 or beyond = 4 credits, and prior to Fall 2026 = 3 credits.
Students who earned 3 credits for STT 200 at MSU prior to Fall 2026 do NOT need to repeat the course to earn 4 credits. The 3 credit version of the course fulfills Broad’s admission requirement.
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What if I don't meet the confirmation requirements by the end of my third fall/spring semester?
If a student does not meet the confirmation requirements by the end of their third fall/spring MSU semester, their admission to the Broad College is revoked. They are still an MSU student, but must change to another major to continue pursuing their education at MSU. There are many degree programs at MSU that offer a business focus, and students in any non-Broad major can pursue the Business minor.
Students who do not meet confirmation requirements may later apply to Broad via Standard Admission, but should discuss this plan with a Broad academic advisor as standard admission is limited and competitive.
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Who can I talk with if I have concerns about my progress toward confirmation?
Please schedule a 30-minute appointment with an academic advisor in Broad’s Undergraduate Academic Services (drop-in advising is not the appropriate venue for this discussion). To schedule an appointment, log into your MSU SIS account; instructions for scheduling an appointment are found on the Broad Advising page in the 30 Minute Appointment section.