Admission

Admission to either division of Oberlin College—the College of Arts and Sciences or the Conservatory of Music—is competitive and selective, and based on a student’s prior achievement as well as future promise. Students may apply to both divisions. Separate applications, fees, transcripts and recommendation forms are required for each division. Students admitted to both divisions can choose to enroll in either the College of Arts and Sciences or the Conservatory of Music or in the five-year Double-Degree Program (leading to a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Music degree). Decisions on the two applications are reached independently.

Click on a link to be taken to the entry below.

Applicants should write to the appropriate Admissions Office for application forms, indicating the date they plan to graduate from high school. Application forms for high school seniors are available after August 1. High school juniors may file an inquiry online, which is kept in a database to ensure forwarding of the application at the appropriate time.

Oberlin enrolls first year students in September and transfers in the fall or spring semester.

Applications for fall semester must be postmarked by

— November 15 (‑College of Arts and Sciences, Early Decision I and spring semester transfer applicants);
— January 2 (College of Arts and Sciences, Early Decision II);
— January 15 (College of Arts and Sciences, Regular Decision);
— January 15 (All Conservatory Applicants); and
— March 15 (College of Arts and Sciences fall semester transfer applicants).

Students wishing to enter Oberlin before completing the traditional four years of high school should submit a letter outlining their educational goals and provide evidence that they are socially and emotionally ready for the challenge of college. Early Decision I and II students are required to visit the campus for an interview.

Students admitted to the Arts and Sciences division of Oberlin College can request deferred enrollment for up to one year. While the Conservatory of Music does not ordinarily consider admitted students for deferred enrollment, in exceptional circumstances approval to defer enrollment up to one year may be granted.

A written request for deferred enrollment should be submitted to the Dean of College of Arts and Sciences Admissions specifically outlining the student’s plans for the interim. Approved deferral requires the student’s commitment to enroll and a $200 deposit to secure a place in the class. In return, the Admissions Office will hold a place in the entering class of the subsequent September (or February for transfer students only), as requested. A letter reconfirming admission and a new intent-to-enroll card will be mailed to all deferred admittees in December or March, prior to their anticipated Oberlin enrollment. During deferment, students may take six semester hours of credit per semester, with a maximum of 12 semester hours.

Though requests for deferred enrollment ordinarily will be honored, the Admissions Office has the option to ask for additional information and can deny the request. If attending Oberlin College is one of several options a student is considering after a period of time off, deferred enrollment is unlikely. Rather, the student will be invited to reapply for admission at a later date.

Additional questions about Oberlin’s deferred admission policy should be directed to the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences Admissions or the Conservatory of Music Office of Admissions.

Oberlin welcomes applications from students currently attending colleges and universities in the United States and other countries who wish to study at Oberlin for a limited period. Entrance standards are the same as for regular transfer candidates. Normally, students are accepted for one semester only. In some cases, visiting students may be accepted for an entire year. Institutional based financial aid is not available for visiting students. (For more details, contact the Admissions Office.)

Preparation

Students applying to Oberlin should present a program of studies combining breadth and depth, and are encouraged to include enriched or Advanced Placement courses when available.

The best-prepared candidates usually present the following:

— four years of English (with an emphasis on writing);
— three years of one foreign language;
— four years of mathematics;
— three years of natural science, with laboratory; and
— three years of social studies, including history.

Applicants whose interests in college may require calculus should take as much mathematics as possible. Trigonometry and pre-calculus are especially recommended.

For students intending to major in the natural sciences, courses in biology, chemistry and physics are all highly desirable. Foreign language study beyond the third year is also highly desirable.

Students from secondary schools that do not offer all of these courses should not feel discouraged from applying to Oberlin, especially if they have strong records of achievement within their schools and are looking for an academic challenge at the college level. Oberlin seeks students who exhibit traits of leadership and significant involvement in their schools and communities, and gives careful individual attention to each application. Entry-level foundation and introductory courses are offered to help entering students of special circumstance. For example, Effective Reading Strategies is a course designed to improve critical reading skills.

Students who have been enrolled in ungraded or innovative systems should present evidence of serious academic and intellectual effort, including detailed recommendations from a variety of academic teachers and counselors. Home-schooled students should contact the appropriate Admissions Office for information about Oberlin’s Home School policy.

Admissions Testing Program

Candidates for admission to the College of Arts and Sciences must submit the results of either the SAT I: Reasoning Test of the College Board or the admissions tests of the American College Testing (ACT) Program. Writing test results from either the SAT I or ACT are required for fall 2006 applicants and beyond. Students whose native language is not English must submit the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the University of Michigan English Language Proficiency Examination (MELAB). Three SAT II: Subject Tests are recommended. Although the Admissions Committee prefers that applicants take the tests early in the senior year, the results of tests taken on other dates are accepted. Details concerning application for the examination may be obtained from a high-school guidance counselor.

Admission with Advanced Placement

Incoming students may receive credit toward graduation for prior achievement in:

1. successful completion of college-level coursework in secondary school, as measured by performance on the College Board Advanced Placement Program (AP) examination;
2. successful completion of approved liberal arts courses taken at a college while enrolled in high school; credit for such courses must appear on a transcript from an accredited college or university; and
3. work completed in International Baccalaureate (IB) programs.

AP credit is granted on the assumption the student does not enroll in an equivalent course at Oberlin.

Oberlin does not recognize the results of CLEP (College Level Examination Program) and other programs of credit by examination not tied to the completion of specific courses leading up to the tests. Academic credit is not granted to incoming students for experiential learning programs.

Individual departments in which AP credit is being requested decide standards and grant credit. Information on those guidelines is included in each department’s description of course offerings.

The following departments grant AP credit: art (art history only), biology, chemistry, classics (Latin), English, environmental studies, French, German, Hispanic studies, history, mathematics, computer science, music (theory only), physics, politics, and psychology. Individual departments in which AP credit is being requested decide standards and grant credit. Information is included in each department’s description of course offerings found in this catalog.

International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Program

Oberlin grants up to a total of 28 hours: 8 semester hours of credit toward graduation for each higher-level course completed in the International Baccalaureate program with a score of 6 or 7 and four hours of credit toward graduation for each higher-level course completed with a score of 5. Oberlin students planning to take additional hours in subjects in which they have received IB credit must negotiate with the department involved. A student may have to relinquish some IB credit initially earned if the work is repeated at Oberlin.

Admission of Transfer Students

The method of selecting transfer students is essentially the same as for first-year students. In addition to the record of preparatory work, personal recommendations and SAT I, ACT or TOEFL scores, an applicant must submit an official transcript of college work completed, a list of courses being carried during the current term/semester and evidence of good academic standing. Final decisions concerning the amount of credit to be assigned are deferred until the completion of work at the previous college. Where grades are available, the strongest candidates usually have a B average or better and have provided the Admissions Committee with valid reasons for transfer. Conservatory of Music applicants should refer to that division’s catalog section for information about audition requirements.

Transfer students should plan to complete the requirements for graduation in not less than four semesters. No student can graduate without four semesters of residence and the completion at Oberlin of 56 credit hours (for Arts and Sciences majors) or 62 hours (for Conservatory of Music majors) of college work.

The single most important criterion for admission to the Conservatory of Music is the performance audition or, in the case of composers, the compositions submitted. The audition standards are the same for all candidates regardless of intended majors. Prospective non-performance majors (e.g. music education) are scheduled for conferences with faculty members at the time of their on-campus auditions.

Admission Auditions

Conservatory of Music applicants audition in their principal performing medium (instrument or voice) unless applying for admission as a composition or electronic and computer music major. Under normal circumstances an applicant will be limited to an audition in one performing area.

Candidates are encouraged to audition in person at Oberlin. During January and February, however, regional auditions are held throughout the country. Please contact the Conservatory of Music Admissions Office for details.

Applicants may submit pre-recorded auditions only if travel to Oberlin or to a regional audition is cost-prohibitive. Transfers to Oberlin should try to audition in person. Composers are asked to submit scores of at least three recent works that demonstrate aptitude for this major.

Details on auditions are furnished with application materials. The Conservatory of Music notifies applicants of the outcome of their applications by April 1.

Aptitude and Achievement Tests

Candidates for admission to the Conservatory of Music must submit results of either the SAT I: Reasoning Test of the College Board or the admissions tests of the American College Testing (ACT) Program. Although the Admissions Committee prefers that applicants take the test late in the junior year or early in the senior year, it accepts results from other testing dates. Details concerning application for the examination may be obtained from a high-school guidance counselor. No achievement tests are required. Transfer applicants who have successfully completed a college English composition course are not required to submit SAT or ACT results. Applicants whose first language is not English should submit the results of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).