Navigating the EXCEL Program at UCF: A Comprehensive Guide to Requirements and Opportunities

The EXCEL program at the University of Central Florida (UCF) is designed to bolster student success in STEM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). By creating a supportive learning community and connecting students with faculty and staff in STEM disciplines, EXCEL aims to ease the transition to university life and foster discovery and engagement. This article provides a detailed overview of the EXCEL program's requirements, opportunities, and distinctions, drawing directly from information provided by the program itself.

EXCEL Program Overview

EXCEL focuses on STEM retention and increasing a student’s academic success in their selected STEM discipline as well as building a community of STEM support. EXCEL aims to increase student success in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) during the transition to university life by connecting UCF students, faculty, and staff in STEM disciplines and creating a learning community to support discovery and engagement. The backbone of the EXCEL program is increasing student success in STEM by creating a strong foundation in mathematics. EXCEL offers College Algebra through Differential Equations.

Eligibility and Application

Who Can Apply?

The EXCEL program admits first-time-in-college (FTIC) students and transfer students applying before their first year at UCF begins.

Application Timeline

The FTIC application is available from November to May 1st annually for summer/fall applicants. Applications may be accepted for spring admission IF space allows. New transfer students can apply for the term they plan to attend UCF with deadlines of May 1st (summer), August 1st (fall), and December 1st (spring).

How to Apply

Prospective students to UCF, who plan on pursuing a STEM degree, can apply to the EXCEL program by logging on to the application using their NID and NID password. The application is 3 steps:

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Contact Information
Academic History
Questionnaire & Submission

Application Review

The EXCEL selection committee begins reviewing applications in January and meets every 2 weeks. Based on the volume of applications, not all submissions received may be evaluated in one sitting and would be given consideration at the next available meeting. The EXCEL selection committee will not review an applicant’s EXCEL application until he/she has been admitted to UCF.

Math Placement is Crucial

Our selection committee looks for basic admissions criteria and admission will depend upon the assessment of a college level math placement. EXCEL’s primary intervention centers around strengthening a student’s math foundation for success in their STEM discipline courses. Science and Engineering subjects require that students have a strong mathematics foundation.

Candidates may receive acceptance in one of two phases:

Phase 1: Accepted/Confirm: Students who meet program requirements but do not readily show math eligibility will receive preliminary admission (Accepted). If a student confirmed the initial acceptance this indicates that the student is interested in being a part of EXCEL and they intend on providing proof of math eligibility at their earliest convenience and prior to our application deadline for a final admission based on earning a qualifying placement.
Phase 2: Final Acceptance/Confirmation of Participation: Final acceptance means a student was offered final admission into EXCEL based on qualifying math scores, dual enrollment or transfer credit, or a placement score from the AP Calculus AB or BC exam.

No applicant is guaranteed a spot until the student has met all requirements and confirms “Final Acceptance”. This can be done on the application status page.

Math Eligibility Requirements

First Time in College (FTIC) applicants must be College Algebra ready at a minimum. Transfer students should be Calculus I ready or higher for admitted Engineering and Computer Science majors. Transfer students in Bio-related majors should be at least Precalculus or Trigonometry ready for their first term at UCF.

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Several factors determine math eligibility:

Dual Enrollment Math Credit or AP Math Exam Scores: Dual enrollment math credit OR qualifying scores from the AP math exams prior to a student’s 12th-grade year will be considered for giving a student Final Acceptance into the EXCEL program. Any pending dual enrollment grades or AP/IB/AICE scores (to be completed in 12th grade) will not be used in a student’s initial math placement and the student must take the MPT and score at least College Algebra placement.
UCF Math Placement Test (MPT): Students who do not have math dual enrollment credit or AP math scores from the 11th grade, must take the MPT to determine their math eligibility for acceptance into the EXCEL program.

The UCF Math Placement Test (MPT)

The MPT is crucial for determining a student's readiness for college-level math courses and, consequently, their eligibility for the EXCEL program.

Purpose: The MPT is the university’s assessment of the math skills that students have acquired and is designed to determine proficiency level and therefore placement for math courses. All students who do not have prior to college math credit should take the MPT to avoid being placed in a math course that may not accurately reflect their skills and abilities.
Importance: The MPT is a true TEST and should be given the attention and respect awarded to any other academic or skills test. Students are encouraged to complete the MPT at their earliest convenience for the best opportunity to be accepted into EXCEL.
Test Details: In order to receive a Final Acceptance into the EXCEL program, students must take the Algebra section of the test and score into at least College Algebra (or higher) level placement no later than May 1.

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MPT Retake Policy: Yes, eligible students can retake the UCF Math Placement Test once. Additional retesting beyond the second attempt will not be provided under any circumstances. All students who retake the UCF Math Placement Test must do so in a proctored test environment scheduled at the UCF University Testing Center (UTC). It costs $35 to retest.
MPT Result Processing Time: However, please allow up to 1-2 business days for the results to populate in the UCF system. Completion of the UCF MPT will not be reflected in the EXCEL status message, therefore, the status message will remain the same until the EXCEL decisions committee considers the MPT results and updates the message for final admission. Results of the MPT will populate in the UCF record’s database 5-7 business days after the completion of the test. These scores are then pulled and the student’s Confirmed application is considered for Final Acceptance at the next EXCEL selection committee meeting.
Taking the MPT: UCF strongly recommends to students to complete the MPT prior to attending Orientation so that students are not delayed in registering for their math course. In order for a student to take the MPT, they must submit their enrollment deposit.
Submitting Enrollment Deposit: Students can submit their Enrollment Deposit Form and non-refundable $200 enrollment deposit online by logging into myUCF (freshmen only). Click on: Student Self Service > Undergraduate Admissions > Application Status in the left navigation to submit your completed form and the deposit.
Transcripts: Transcripts submitted to UCF will be reviewed to determine the highest level of math completed from the transfer institution. If transcripts are not current, the student will be asked to supply unofficial transcripts to the EXCEL program for the decision-making process.

Program Components and Requirements

Required Courses

Yes, in addition to taking the required math course for the major with EXCEL, FTIC students will also participate in the STEM Seminar sequence (ISC 2054 and ISC 2055) during the first year of college. Transfer students will complete STEM Seminar I in their first term. STEM Seminar I and II are required classes for our FTIC students in their first year. These courses encourage community building, provide information and tools necessary for a student’s transition to college and their academic success and strengthen the professional skills employers are looking for in their future employees. They are each 1 credit hour. Students must take our EXCEL required courses (EXCEL Math or discipline specific, STEM Seminar) in their first semester (Transfer) or year (FTIC fall/spring) at UCF.

EXCEL Orientation

While we do not require our students to come to our orientations, it is strongly recommended. If you decide to go to another orientation you might miss EXCEL program specific information. Additionally, there will be no face time/interaction with EXCEL staff. Attending the EXCEL orientation will give students the opportunity to meet other program students, your coaches, the associate director and director of EXCEL. The EXCEL coaches will work with each student to register them for their required EXCEL courses and other courses. Spring admits do not currently have designated EXCEL orientation dates. EXCEL advisors will be available to assist you with schedule planning at orientation.

Living Learning Community (LLC)

Yes! The Office of Housing and Residence life provides a Living Learning Community (LLC) for approximately 100 EXCEL first year students (summer or fall admits) who wish to live in the same dorms as other EXCEL students. Living with other EXCEL students is a great way to network and create study groups within the EXCEL community. EXCEL offers free tutoring in the evening in the Common Room. The EXCEL LLC is located in Nike 103 and students choosing to be apart of the LLC are offered a Shared Bedroom Residence Hall. EXCEL housing is not a requirement and admission into EXCEL does not guarantee housing in the LLC.

Undergraduate Research Experience (URE)

Eligible students (3.0 UCF GPA) will be contacted to apply for an URE. FTIC students will receive notice during the Fall of their second year for participation in the spring semester of their second year. In the Fall, interested students will participate in workshops leading up to the URE in spring. EXCEL will pair students that completed the workshops with a faculty mentor in a field of the student’s interest. Transfer students are encouraged to participate in research (or other high impact practices) as early as their second term.

Financial Aspects

Tuition doesn’t cost any more or any less for members of the EXCEL program. Additionally, the EXCEL program does not financially assist students with their tuition.

Distinctions and Opportunities within EXCEL

EXCEL vs. COMPASS

The EXCEL and COMPASS programs are both run by the Center for Initiatives in STEM at UCF. EXCEL is for students that have already declared a STEM major. EXCEL students take STEM Seminar, which provides students with the information and tools necessary for a smooth transition to university life, as well as academic support in the STEM courses. The COMPASS program serves incoming first year students who are undecided in their major but are interested in exploring STEM disciplines. COMPASS students take STEM Explorations (MHS 2330), which expands on the curriculum found in STEM Seminar I and II to include an exploration piece aimed to guide students to determine, clarify, or confirm your major and career options. In addition to all of the resources that EXCEL participants receive, COMPASS participants also enjoy the benefits of a peer mentor, an upper division STEM student who has been through the program.

Simultaneous Program Participation

Yes! EXCEL’s focus is on STEM retention and increasing a student’s academic success in their selected STEM discipline as well as building a community of STEM support. With that said, simultaneous participation is permitted in other programs (Honors, Lead Scholars) or extracurricular activities (Student Organizations, Greek Life).

EXCEL Events

Join your mentors for a workshop in creating career profiles for various job and internship sites! Learn the tips and tricks of how to build your profile and what stands out to recruiters.
Join us for an enlightening PowerPoint Night! Learn about research, career prep, internships, and more through PowerPoint presentations put together by your mentors!
Join us for a guided tour of the Texas Instruments Innovation Lab in the Engineering 2 atrium!
Join your Cluster mentors for a hands-on CPR training experience with Orlando Health!

Addressing Common Questions

Can I meet with an EXCEL advisor before applying?

Unfortunately, we are not able to meet with applicants for the program. We are a small office serving our 1,000 existing program students as well as the other 600+ upper division EXCEL students on a day-to-day basis.

What if my science major is not listed as a supported EXCEL major?

The backbone of the EXCEL program is increasing student success in STEM by creating a strong foundation in mathematics. We provide this support through the cohort-based math courses.

What if I've already completed the math requirements for my major?

FTIC: No, you would not be eligible because you have completed the math for your major. We would never require students to take a math course that was not needed for their major.
Transfer: Yes, you would be eligible even if you have completed your required math courses.

I’ve been accepted and confirmed my participation in EXCEL.

Our staff will send an eligibility list of confirmed EXCEL participants to the Office of First Year Experience (FYE).

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