Lafayette College is a 4-year private institution that offers 37 Bachelor of Arts degrees along with 14 Bachelor of Science degrees in the field like Chemistry, Engineering, Neuroscience. The institution offers programs to students with more than 51 different areas of study divided into four most prominent academic divisions that are- humanity, social sciences, natural sciences, and engineering.
In the fall of 2023, the college received 8,521 undergraduate applications out of which 31% were accepted. The college had an overall enrollment of 2,642 students. The acceptance rate of the college indicates the selective nature of the admission review process.
Some points to be kept in mind while applying for admission to Lafayette College are as follows:
- The college accepts applications for two sessions - fall and spring.
- Applicants may seek a waiver of the application fee if it poses financial hardship.
- The academic record of the applicant, letter of recommendation, and test scores will be necessary for the admission process.
- Applications are evaluated on the basis of academic records, class grades, interviews, applicant’s personality traits like motivation, leadership skills, social awareness, talent.
- The selection committee accepts the scores of the SAT/ACT. Interested candidates are recommended to take SAT subject scores.
- International applicants are eligible to receive merit-based financial aid.
Highlights
| Application portal | Common Application |
| Application fees (Non-refundable) | 65 USD |
| Acceptance rate | 31% |
| Average SAT scores | 650-720 (Evidence-based reading and writing) 670-770 (Math) |
| Average ACT scores | 30-34 |
| Mode of Payment | FlyWire, Check Payments, Credit cards, Debit cards |
| Academic calendar | Semester-based |
| Intake sessions | Fall and Spring |
| Work experience | N/A |
| Work-study | Available |
| Financial aid | Loans, Grants, Scholarships are available. |
Lafayette College Admission Deadlines
Students willing to take admission to Lafayette College must be familiar with the important dates and deadlines. The College does entertain the late submission of application forms. A student can either apply for an early decision or regular decision deadline. It must be noted that early decisions are binding and students will have to withdraw applications from all other institutions if selected by Lafayette.
| Application type | Important dates |
|---|---|
| Early decision | November 15 |
| Regular decision | January 15 |
Lafayette College International Student Admissions
Lafayette College accepts applications from students all around the world during the intake sessions. Among the total student population, there are almost 16% of international students. A large number of international students come from India, Nepal, Bulgaria, Turkey, China, and Zimbabwe. The college offers support to international students on issues like F-1 immigration and also on making them comfortable in a new environment on the campus.
Application portal: Common Application
Application fee: 65 USD
Basic Admission Requirements: Provided below are certain requirements that the international candidate requires to fulfill in order to seek admission to this college:
- Completed application form
- Official high school transcripts
- Average GPA score of 3.43-3.90 on 4.0
- Recommendations from the guidance counselor and school teachers
- Essay as a part of the common application
- SAT or ACT self-reported scores or copies/ images of official reports will be accepted (official scores will be required at the time of enrollment)
- Proof of English language proficiency
- Copy of passport
- Financial documentation
English Proficiency Test Score for International Students
The international applicants who apply for admission to Lafayette College must submit proof of English proficiency by submitting scores of one of the following test scores:
Visa Process for International Students
All international students willing to study at Lafayette College must apply for an F-1 student visa. This process can be initiated after accepting the offer for admission. After confirmation of acceptance, the college will send the student a letter that will consist of an I-20 Certificate of Eligibility for a student visa. Following this student must complete the visa application fee and submit the necessary amount of application fee.
The following documents will be required during the process:
- Completed DS-156 visa application form
- Certificate of Eligibility issued by the college
- Passport size photograph
- Copy of passport
- Receipt of payment of visa application fee
- Receipt of payment of SEVIS I-901 fee
Lafayette College Undergraduate Admissions
The institution offers students with more than 50 undergraduate degree programs. Certain undergraduate programs that are offered by this institution are- Bachelor of Biology, Bachelor of Chemical Engineering, Bachelor of Civil Engineering, Bachelor of Engineering, Bachelor of Environmental Science, Bachelor of Mathematics, and Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering.
Where to apply: Common Application
Application fee: 65 USD
Admission Requirements: The applicants who are willing to take admissions to the Lafayette College must complete the following required criteria as mentioned below:
- Official high school transcripts
- School report
- Mid-year grades to be sent from high school
- Average GPA score of 3.43-3.90 on 4.0
- Scores of SAT/ACT (Average SAT evidence-based reading and writing score: 650-720; Average SAT math score: 670-770; Average ACT composite score: 30-34)
- Recommendation letters, one from the guidance counselor and one from a teacher
- Essay questions (part of the common application)
- English proficiency test scores
Lafayette College offers its students with multiple undergraduate degree options in areas. Also, the students can opt for majors in the areas which they are interested in. But there are no graduate programs that are offered by the college.
The College takes admission decisions for regular decisions by April 1 and early application decisions by December 15. Once the admission offer is received, students must confirm acceptance by filling the enrollment form attached with the acceptance letter and pay a tuition fee deposit of 750 USD.
FAQs
Ques. I am an international student. Can I apply for an early application deadline?
Ans. Yes, all applicants can apply for an early application deadline but it must be noted that it is a binding agreement. If you are absolutely sure that Lafayette College is your final choice for admission only then apply for early decision. If a student is accepted in the early decision deadline then he/she will have to withdraw applications from all other institutions.
Ques. Will the international applicant be updated or posted about the admission decision?
Ans. Decisions on international applications are mostly completed in late February. So, by April all selected candidates are informed by email.
Ques. Is it possible to check the status of my application submitted to Lafayette College?
Ans. Yes, applicants can check the status of their application after submission using the application status page.
Ques. Can TOEFL scores be accepted in place of SAT or ACT scores?
Ans. No, SAT or ACT score requirement is a completely separate requirement from English proficiency test scores such as TOEFL. Therefore, these exams cannot replace each other.
Ques. Will financial need affect Lafayette College’s admissions decision?
Ans. Yes, demonstrated financial need might affect the admission decision since financial aid is awarded to highly competitive applicants only.
