Check in with Oberlin College's admissions department for any important information, including application fees.
Students who apply to Oberlin College for the fall semester should receive an admissions decision no later than April 1.
The following is an overiew of some of Oberlin College's admissions stats.
Oberlin College 2022 | Admissions Statistics |
---|---|
Mean Unweighted GPA | 3.7 |
Admitted Students in Top 10% of Graduating Class | 54% |
Admissions Test Policy | Not optional and are considered |
Applicants Who Submit SATs | 34% |
Applicants Who Submit ACTs | 22% |
Waitlist | Yes |
These are the application deadlines for Oberlin College.
Application Type | Offered | Application Deadline | Notification Deadline |
---|---|---|---|
Early Decision I | Info Not Available | –– | January 5 |
Early Decision II | Yes | February 1 | February 15 |
Early Action | No | –– | –– |
Regular Decision | Yes | January 15 | April 1 |
Oberlin College may or may not offer early admission, however the school has not provided any application information. Check with Oberlin College directly for more information about early applications.
🗓️ Early Decision II applications are due February 1. ED II Applicants will recieve their decision before February 15.
➡️ See a list of some competetive colleges that admit significantly more applicants during early decision or early action than during regular admission.
Oberlin College is a very difficult school to get into.
In 2021, Oberlin College accepted 34% of all applicants, around 3,639 from 10,597 applicants.
Schools that are very difficult to get into, like Oberlin College, accept fewer than 60% of all applicants. At least 50% of all admitted students have GPAs in the top 10% of their high school class and scored over 1230 on the SAT and over 26 on the ACT.
Transfer student admissions is very difficult.
Oberlin College has not reported data for waitlisted and admitted students.
Colleges consider a range of factors when choosing who to admit for their next incoming class. Each college decides which factors are are most important in the admissions process. When creating your list of schools to apply to, you may want to consider your strengths and any possible weaknesses in your application, and choose schools that put the most emphasis on the areas where you're strong.
Wondering what factors are considered by Oberlin College during the admissions process? Take a look at the list below to see which factors are most important during the admissions process.
Admissions Factor | Level |
---|---|
Academic GPA | Very Important |
Class Rank | Very Important |
Rigor of Secondary School Record | Very Important |
Standardized Test Scores | Very Important |
Alumni/ae Relations | Important |
Character/Personal Qualities | Important |
Application Essay | Important |
First Generation | Important |
Recommendation(s) | Important |
Talent/Ability | Important |
Work Experience | Considered |
Extracurricular Activities | Considered |
Level of Applicant's Interest | Considered |
Interview | Considered |
Racial/Ethnic Status | Considered |
Volunteer Work | Considered |
Make sure to check with Oberlin College for more information on admission factors.
To apply to Oberlin College, all applicants must submit the following items. Check in with Oberlin College's admissions department to confirm all application materials and requirements.
Area | Required | Recommended | Required for Some | Details (If Any) |
---|---|---|---|---|
Interview | √ | |||
Other Requirements | √ | audition for the Conservatory of Music, detailed portfolio for homeschooled students | ||
Transcript(S) of College Record | ||||
Standardized Test Scores | ||||
Statement of Good Standing From Prior Institution(S) | ||||
Letter(s) of Recommendation | 2 | |||
Written Essay or Personal Statement | √ | |||
Transcript of High School Record | √ |
Students admitted to Oberlin College have an average unweighted GPA of 3.7.
Out of all students that were admitted, 25% submitted a class rank. At Oberlin College 54% of students ranked in the top 10% of their graduating class in high school, 81% were in the top 25% and 98% were in the top 50%.
At Oberlin College, student GPAs fall in the following ranges.
GPA | Percent of Students |
---|---|
4.0 GPA | 11% |
3.75 and 3.99 | 37.9% |
3.50 and 3.74 | 24% |
3.25 and 3.49 | 18% |
3.00 and 3.24 | 6.8% |
2.50 and 2.9 | 2.1% |
2.00 and 2.49 | 0.2% |
This chart depicts the percentage of all enrolled, degree-seeking, first-time, first year (freshmen) students who had high school grade point average within the given ranges.
Note: Some schools choose not release this information. If you have any questions regarding missing numbers, be sure to reach out to Oberlin College directly.
About GPAs
Your high school grade point average (GPA) is a number that highlights your high school academic performance. A weighted GPA or an unweighted GPA are the two possible GPA scores considered by colleges.
An unweighted GPA is an average of your scores from each class on a four-point scale. Unweighted GPAs range from 4.0 to under 1.0. A weighted GPA considers your average grade and the difficulty of your classes. A weighted GPA boosts your average by adding extra points for honors or Advanced Placement courses.
Oberlin College considers ACT or SAT scores as part of the admissions process.
Oberlin College is not test optional. Test optional schools allow students to choose if they want to submit ACT or SAT scores with their applications or not.
In 2022, 34% of Oberlin College's first-year students submitted their SAT scores with their application. 22% of admitted applicants sent ACT scores.
On the SAT Math Section, 25% of Oberlin College students scored 710 or higher and 75% of students scored 680 or higher. On the SAT Critical Reading section (formerly called the Verbal section), 25% of Oberlin College students scored 750 or higher, and 75% scored a 680 or higher.
To be most competitive at Oberlin College, you should strive to earn between 30 and 34 on the ACT.
An ACT score of 34 means you fall in the 75th percentile for Oberlin College's admitted students. One out of every four students scored above a 34, and three out of four students scored lower than 34 on the ACT.
A 30 on the ACT is the 25th percentile for Oberlin College students. Only one out of every four students scored below 30.
Want To Bring Up Your ACT Score? Access ACT practice tests and study tips and see upcoming ACT test dates.
For transfer students, it is very difficult to get admitted to Oberlin College.
For transfer students wishing to start in the fall, the deadline to apply is November 15.
Transfer students can enroll in Oberlin College during the following terms:
• Fall Term
• Spring Term
Can I defer my acceptance to Oberlin College?
✅ Yes, admitted students can defer their admission to Oberlin College.
Does Oberlin College accept Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) credits?
✅ Oberlin College accepts International Baccalaureate credits (IB) credits and Advanced Placement (AP) credits.
Do I have to submit test scores to Oberlin College?
✅ Oberlin College is not test optional. You must submit test scores as part of the application.
What is Oberlin College's acceptance rate?
✅ The acceptance rate for Oberlin College is 34%.
What is the early decision acceptance rate at Oberlin College?
🟨 Oberlin College may or may not offer early decision. The school has not provided any information on early decision including ED acceptance rates.
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Admission Difficulty
How hard is it to get into Oberlin College? Oberlin College is a very selective institution. The Oberlin College acceptance rate is 34%. This means that the institution accepts 34 out of every 100 applicants.
First-Year Applications are Due
Transfer Applications are Due
The deadline for Fall first-year applications to Oberlin College is Jan 15.
The deadline for Fall transfer applications to Oberlin College is Nov 15.
Check the school website for more information about deadlines for specific programs or special admissions programs
ACT Range
ACT Score
Estimated Chance
34 and Above
30 to 34
30 and Less
Composite SAT Range
Math SAT Range
Reading SAT Range
Avg. High School GPA (non-weighted)
At Oberlin College, the average unweighted high-school GPA for admitted students is 3.67. This is the average, which means that some applicants submit GPAs lower than this and some applicants submit GPAs above this level. If your GPA falls below the average, strong test scores or other qualifications may help you make you a more competitive applicant.
Data Source: IPEDs and Peterson's Databases © 2022 Peterson's LLC All rights reserved
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Acceptance Rate
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