Which Colleges Require STARS? The Complete 2026–2027 List
If your student applied to UF or FSU two years ago, you knew it as the SSAR. Penn State and Rutgers families called it the SRAR. Since August 2025, both names are gone. The self-reported transcript system that dozens of selective universities rely on is now called STARS: the Self-reported Transcript and Academic Record System.
The platform is the same one schools have used for years, but the rename has created real confusion for seniors entering the 2026-2027 cycle. Parents search "SSAR" and find dead links. Students get an email referencing "STARS" and assume it's a new requirement they missed. It isn't. Same system, same data, new name, plus a few new tools on top.
Across the country, 37 colleges now use STARS: 23 require it and 14 make it optional. Here is the full 2026-2027 list, what actually changed in the rename, and where Florida families need to look twice.
The 23 Colleges That Require STARS (2026-2027)
As of the June 15, 2026 update, these schools require STARS as part of a first-year application. At a school that requires it, the application is incomplete until the STARS is submitted; the application won't be reviewed without it. Florida schools are in bold.
Clemson University (SC)
Florida Atlantic University (FL)
Florida State University (FL)
New York University (NY)
Rutgers University – Camden (NJ)
Rutgers University – New Brunswick (NJ)
Rutgers University – Newark (NJ)
State University of New York – Buffalo (NY)
Temple University (PA)
Texas A&M University (TX)
The Pennsylvania State University (PA)
United States Air Force Academy (CO)
University of Delaware (DE)
University of Florida (FL)
University of North Florida (FL)
University of Oregon (OR)
University of Pittsburgh (PA)
University of Rhode Island (RI)
University of South Florida (FL)
University of Tennessee – Knoxville (TN)
University of Texas – Arlington (TX)
University of West Florida (FL)
Virginia Polytechnic Institute (VA)
The pattern is large public flagships plus a handful of selective privates. If your student's list leans toward big state universities, the odds of hitting at least one STARS requirement are high. Lists change every cycle, so confirm the current policy on each university's admissions page before you build a deadline plan.
The 14 Colleges Where STARS Is Optional (but Often Preferred)
These schools accept STARS without requiring it. Read the labels carefully, because several go out of their way to say "preferred," "recommended," or "highly encouraged." When an admissions office tells you a step is highly encouraged, they are telling you how their strongest applicants behave. Florida schools are in bold.
Baylor University (TX) – highly encouraged
Duquesne University (PA) – optional
Florida A&M University (FL) – preferred
Florida Polytechnic University (FL) – optional
Kean University (NJ) – optional
Louisiana State University (LA) – optional
Montclair State University (NJ) – highly recommended
New College of Florida (FL) – optional
University of Connecticut – Storrs (CT) – preferred
University of Massachusetts – Amherst (MA) – highly encouraged
University of Minnesota – Twin Cities (MN) – optional
University of New Hampshire (NH) – strongly recommended
University of Tampa (FL) – optional
University of Texas – San Antonio (TX) – highly encouraged
When a school marks STARS optional but preferred, completing it is the right call. A clean self-reported record can speed up a review and signals an organized applicant. Submitting it costs an evening. Skipping it at a school that prefers it can quietly work against you.The trap nobody's flagging: Honors Program decisions land after you're already bound
What STARS Actually Is, and What the 2025 Rename Changed
STARS is an online system where students manually enter their high school coursework and grades, then submit that record directly to colleges. Instead of asking your counselor to mail an official transcript to every school on the list, these universities ask the applicant to self-report first. The official transcript comes later, after admission, and it has to match what the student entered.
The rebrand merged two separate-but-identical products. The Self-Reported Student Academic Record (SSAR) was the version Florida's public universities used. The Self-Reported Academic Record (SRAR) was the version schools like Penn State, Pitt, and Rutgers used. They were run by the same company, and on August 1, 2025, both folded into one name, STARS.
What changed for students is minimal. Accounts, logins, and previously submitted records carried over untouched. The provider also added EasyImport, a tool that pulls in courses automatically to speed up data entry, though you still have to verify every line it brings in. What did not change is the part that matters most: accuracy is entirely on the student, and a careless STARS record can stall an application.
What Florida Families Need to Know
Ten of the 37 schools on the list are Florida institutions, which is why STARS matters so much to families across South and Central Florida. UF, FSU, USF, FAU, the University of North Florida, and the University of West Florida all require it. FAMU prefers it. Florida Poly, New College, and the University of Tampa accept it.
Applying to UF, FSU, and UCF? You'll complete two different self-report systems.
UF and FSU require STARS. The University of Central Florida is not on the STARS list at all. UCF uses its own form, the SPARK (Self-Provided Academic Record for Knights), completed in the UCF applicant portal after you submit your application, whether through the Common App or UCF's own institutional application. Assuming one covers the other is a common and costly mistake.
Beyond UCF, the strategic point for Florida applicants is timing. Florida's public universities review files only once they're complete, so a STARS record that hasn't been submitted is an avoidable reason a strong application stalls while deadlines pass. For families weighing UF and FSU specifically, our guide on completing the self-reported record for UF and FSU walks through the school-specific quirks, and our breakdown of which schools actually require it is worth a second read before you start.
How to Complete STARS Without Sinking Your Application
The system looks simple. That's the trap. Because the student enters every course and grade by hand, small errors compound fast, and colleges cross-check the self-reported record against the official transcript after admission. If the final transcript materially contradicts what was self-reported, an offer can be delayed or, in serious cases, rescinded.
If you take nothing else from this section, do these three things:
Build the STARS record with the official transcript open beside you, entering it line by line rather than from memory.
Label course rigor correctly: honors, AP, AICE, and dual-enrollment courses each have to be entered the way the form specifies, because that's the rigor a college sees.
Have a second set of eyes check the finished record against the transcript before you submit.
The errors we see most often are the avoidable ones: entering a weighted GPA where the form asks for the unweighted grade, mislabeling course rigor, skipping summer courses or middle-school credits that appear on the high school transcript, and rushing the final review. Our notes on filling out the self-reported record cover the entry mechanics in detail, and JRA runs a free STARS webinar that takes students through every section live.
Start the record early, not the night before the deadline. The students who treat it as a five-minute formality are the ones who end up scrambling. Our college guidance team reviews STARS records as part of our full application support.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is STARS the same as the SSAR and SRAR?
Yes. STARS is the new name for both the SSAR and the SRAR, which merged under one brand on August 1, 2025. Accounts and previously submitted records carried over unchanged. If your student already started an SSAR or SRAR, it is now simply a STARS record.
Does UF require STARS?
Yes. The University of Florida requires STARS for first-year applicants, and you submit it separately from the Common Application. UF will not complete its review until the STARS record is in, so finishing it early keeps the application moving.
Does UCF use STARS?
No. The University of Central Florida is not on the STARS list and uses its own self-reported academic record completed inside its application portal. Florida students applying to UF or FSU plus UCF will complete two separate self-report systems, each with its own format and rules.
What happens if my STARS record doesn't match my official transcript?
Colleges verify the self-reported record against the official transcript after admission. A material mismatch can delay enrollment or, in serious cases, lead to a rescinded offer. Build the record directly from your official transcript and have someone review it before you submit.
When should my student complete STARS?
Start as soon as the application opens, well before the deadline. Florida's public universities review files only once they're complete, so an unfinished STARS record holds up the entire application. Submitting early keeps your student ahead of applicants who wait.
Florida's public universities have made the self-reported transcript a make-or-break step, and the 2025 rename to STARS has only added to the confusion. JRA Educational Consulting makes sure the record matches the transcript and that nothing in the file sits unread. To learn more, visit jraconsulting.com.
