How to Apply to Economics at Hamilton College: An Open Curriculum With No Major Chosen at Application, Economics Declared in Spring of Sophomore Year, and a STEM Concentration According to the Department, for U.S., International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

Hamilton College is a liberal arts college in Clinton, New York. Economics is taught by the Department of Economics; the pages we read mention no separate business or economics school, and you apply to the college. Hamilton has an open curriculum: the college says you design your education from the first semester, and it calls majors concentrations. This guide covers fall 2027 entry according to Hamilton’s official information, in sections for U.S. applicants, international applicants, applicants from China and transfer students. Business and computer science have their own guides on this site, so they are not covered here.

A note on sources: Hamilton’s detailed economics concentration requirements, AP/IB credit rules and conditions for entering the concentration are in its online course catalog, a third-party catalog system that this guide did not read under its sourcing rules. Those items are marked “not stated on the pages we read”; check the Catalog links on the department page.

1. Degrees and tracks

• Economics concentration: the department page says its goal is to educate engaged citizens who understand the economic institutions they are part of and can assess and develop opportunities for responsible participation and positive social change. Students investigate topics such as the economic legacy of redlining, evidence of discrimination, the effects of a minimum wage increase and the effectiveness of environmental policy, developing strong data analysis skills and learning to argue with quantitative evidence. Some students work with faculty as teaching or research assistants, and a few have published collaborative work in professional journals.
• STEM: the department page states: “Economics is a STEM concentration at Hamilton.” The CIP code and the implications for STEM OPT are not stated on the pages we read; ask International Student Services.
• Degree name, B.A./B.S. distinction, minors and double majors: not stated on the department page. The Open Curriculum page says students can choose more than one concentration or combine a concentration with a minor, and that Hamilton offers 44 concentrations and 58 areas of study.
• Senior Project: every concentration has one. In economics it can be satisfied by a project in a designated 500-level course or by a senior thesis, an original research project undertaken in the department’s Research Seminar (Economics 560), where students present work in progress and usually submit theses for department honors. The department says some theses have become the basis for collaborative publications. Recent project titles range from natural disasters and political polarization to Medicaid expansion, sports betting and bankruptcy, India’s Aspirational Districts Program, and provincial leadership teams and local economic growth in China; they are student examples.
• Learning goals (department page): design a research plan to address an economic question, implement it competently, and communicate the findings.
• Sample courses (department page): Economic Theory and Evidence, Economics of Discrimination, Health Economics, Environmental Economics, Financial Economics and The Economics of Technology and Innovation.

2. How admission works: enter first, declare in sophomore spring

• At application: the Common App, Coalition/Scoir App or QuestBridge. The first-year application page we read does not ask you to choose a major and does not describe admission by major. The Open Curriculum page says many students start without a clear idea of a concentration and many change their proposed concentration during their first two years.
• When to declare: the Open Curriculum page says you declare your concentration in the spring of your sophomore year.
• Conditions for entering economics: any GPA minimum, required course grades or limits on places are not stated on the pages we read; check the catalog and the department.
• Internal transfer: no separate rules are stated on the pages we read.
• Graduation requirements (Open Curriculum page): 32 units (almost all courses are one unit), including three writing-intensive courses, at least one quantitative and symbolic reasoning course, the physical education requirement, and the requirements of your concentration (including a course on how social categories structure the world). The page says you show quantitative and symbolic reasoning by completing one or more courses in at least one of three categories: statistical analysis, mathematical representation, and logic and symbolic reasoning.

3. Prerequisites

• High school courses: the first-year, testing and international pages we read list no specific high school course requirements (including math); ask the Office of Admission (admission@hamilton.edu).
• College course sequence: course numbers and order for calculus, statistics, principles, intermediate micro/macro and econometrics are not stated on the pages we read; see the catalog. The department page describes an introductory course, Economic Theory and Evidence, as an introduction to how economists develop and test theory, with emphasis on the causes and consequences of inequality; it teaches basic probability and statistics along with labor markets, the inflation and unemployment tradeoff, fiscal and monetary policy, externalities, public goods and international trade.
• AP / IB / A-Level credit: the international page says Hamilton’s credit policies vary by department and points to the Registrar’s website; whether the economics department has a specific rule is not stated on the pages we read.

4. Rounds, deadlines and materials (the page does not print a year, so confirm the dates are for fall 2027 entry)

• Early Decision: two plans, with deadlines of 15 November and 4 January. Early Decision is binding: if accepted you withdraw your other applications and commit to enroll. The international page says Regular Decision applicants may convert to Early Decision II any time before 1 February.
• Regular Decision: 4 January, with decisions in late March.
• January admission: each year dozens of students start as “Jans” in the spring semester, joining a global experience in the fall and staying on track to graduate with their class.
• Application fee: $65; the college has a Fee Waiver page.
• Required: the application, the fee, a high school transcript, a school counselor recommendation and one teacher recommendation. Optional: a second teacher recommendation, standardized test scores, a supplemental short answer and the 60-second “Hamilton Hello” video. The short answer is in all three application platforms and can also be completed from the applicant portal after submitting; the video and the studio or performing arts supplement go through the portal.
• Testing: Hamilton does not require the SAT or ACT and says all candidates receive full consideration and that not submitting does not lower your chance. For the class of 2029 (new students in 2025-26), the middle 50% of those submitting scores were SAT 1440 to 1510 and ACT 33 to 34, and roughly half of enrolled students submitted scores; Hamilton generally encourages submitting at 1400 SAT or 32 ACT or higher. It superscores both tests and does not require the ACT science section. Official or self-reported scores are accepted; students who enroll on self-reported scores must send official scores by 1 July (SAT/TOEFL code 2286; ACT code 2754).

5. By reader

1. U.S. applicants

• Admission, courses and testing are as above. The pages we read list a single tuition figure and do not mention in-state rates or a home-state preference.
• The tuition page says Hamilton meets the full demonstrated financial need of every accepted and enrolled student for all four years through family contribution, scholarships, loans and campus employment. Whether U.S. admission is need-blind is not stated on the pages we read.

2. International applicants

• Hamilton says it welcomes students from 50 states and U.S. territories and 57 countries; international students are 8% of the student body, and 16% are international citizens including dual citizens and U.S. permanent residents. There is no separate international application; the procedures are essentially the same, and official documents not in English should be translated, preferably by an official agency.
• English: non-native English speakers must show proficiency through TOEFL iBT, IELTS or Duolingo, or through studies at a secondary school where English is the primary medium of instruction. There is no specific required score, but competitive applicants typically earn at or above: TOEFL before January 2026, a minimum of 100; TOEFL from January 2026, a minimum of 5.0 with 5.5 recommended; IELTS 7.5; Duolingo 130. Hamilton does not accept superscoring on any English test, including TOEFL MyBest; it accepts TOEFL Home Edition; and it does not grant fee waivers for these exams. Official scores are required and self-reported scores do not satisfy the requirement. Waivers can be requested through a form on the applicant portal checklist.
• Testing and interview: SAT or ACT is not required; interviews are not required, but virtual interviews are offered. If one cannot be arranged you may submit an InitialView or Vericant video interview, and families facing financial hardship can contact the Director of International Recruitment.
• Credential evaluation: external foreign credential evaluations are not required, though certified translations may be needed; your record is evaluated in the context of your education system and school.
• Proof of funds: the Certification of Finances in your applicant portal is required of all international applicants, whether or not they apply for aid; those seeking aid may also need the CSS Profile.
• Financial aid: Hamilton is not need-blind for non-U.S. citizens, so a family’s ability to pay may be a factor in the admission decision; if admitted, it meets demonstrated need for all four years. You must apply for aid when you apply for admission; aid applications are not accepted after decisions, and those who do not apply or qualify at admission are not eligible in any of their four years. Students with aid may be eligible for on-campus jobs, most limited to about 10 hours a week. Scholarships specifically for international students are not described on the pages we read.
• Other: Hamilton says international students take part in all programs, including research, internships and study abroad; Curricular Practical Training is available for some internships; and multilingual students can get tutoring from the Writing Center and the Oral Communication Center.

3. Applicants from China

• Hamilton’s international admission, English proficiency and first-year application pages have no separate statement on whether the gaokao is considered, on huikao records, or on Chinese applicants.
• The international page says international applicants should contact the Associate Dean of Admission and Director of International Recruitment, whose contact details are on that page. Ask about gaokao and transcript requirements.
• The process, optional testing, English requirements, Certification of Finances and aid rules are the same as in the international section above.

6. Costs

• 2026-27 direct costs (USD): tuition $75,210, housing $10,540, food $8,750, student activity fee $750; total comprehensive fee $95,250. Estimated costs: books and supplies $800, miscellaneous personal expenses up to $1,000, travel allocation up to $1,800. All students must carry adequate health insurance, and some families may incur related costs.
• No separate surcharge for the economics concentration is listed, and none is mentioned on the pages we read.

7. Internships and research

• The department page says some students work with faculty as teaching or research assistants, and a few have published collaborative work in professional journals.
• The cost page lists college-wide resources including research stipends, college-funded internships and 100+ global learning options, and the international page says each student is paired with a career coach for four years. These are college-wide, not specific to economics.

8. Transfer

• Deadlines: spring 2027 entry 1 November 2026; fall 2027 entry 15 March 2027. Spring decisions typically come in early December and fall decisions in early May. Apply through the Transfer Common App or Coalition App, including Hamilton’s member-specific questions.
• Size: Hamilton enrolls about 10 to 20 transfer students in the fall and 5 to 10 in the spring.
• Who is a transfer applicant: anyone who previously enrolled as a degree-seeking student elsewhere and completed a semester or more of credits, including community college associate degree students (except courses counted toward high school graduation or taken through dual enrollment). Those who only took non-degree college courses apply as first-year applicants.
• GPA: there is no minimum; successful applicants have typically earned a college GPA of 3.33 or higher.
• Materials: a Transfer College Report from each institution where you were degree-seeking, a mid-term report for current courses, one Transfer Instructor Evaluation from a college professor, and official transcripts from all high schools and colleges. Testing is optional; interviews are optional but strongly encouraged; international applicants must show English proficiency.
• International transfers: international students without a currently active visa allowing study in the U.S. are not eligible for spring transfer admission because of visa timeframes; this does not apply to fall.
• Credit: credit is granted only for liberal arts courses, not for pre-professional courses such as business or engineering, college work completed during secondary school, or online courses; the grade must be C or higher; one Hamilton unit equals four semester hours; students with more than four semesters of full-time coursework must complete four full semesters at Hamilton, so no more than two years of credit transfer. Only admitted students receive an official credit evaluation. Rules for transferring into the economics concentration are not stated on the pages we read.
• Aid: aid is typically available, depending on the budget; transfer admission is need-aware, so it is more selective for aid applicants; you must apply at admission, and admitted transfers who applied (including international transfers) have full need met.

Checklist

U.S. applicants:

• Apply by 15 November (ED I) or 4 January (ED II, RD); $65 fee; one teacher recommendation; testing optional
• Declare economics in the spring of sophomore year; check the catalog for the concentration’s courses

International applicants:

• Same deadlines; official English scores (TOEFL new scale 5.5 recommended, IELTS 7.5, Duolingo 130) or an English-medium school record
• Submit the Certification of Finances; if you need aid, apply with your application; admission is not need-blind

Applicants from China:

• Gaokao and huikao requirements are not published on the pages we read; ask the Director of International Recruitment. Otherwise as for international applicants

Transfer students:

• 1 November (spring) or 15 March (fall); a college GPA of 3.33 or higher is typical; liberal arts credit only, up to two years transfer
• International students without an active visa cannot apply for spring transfer

Sources: Hamilton College, Department of Economics; Economics Senior Program; Open Curriculum; First-year applicants; Testing policy; International admission; English language proficiency; Financial aid for international students; 2026-27 costs; Transfer FAQs. Major course requirements sit in the college’s online catalog, which this guide did not read; the first-year page does not print a year for its deadlines, so confirm they are for fall 2027 entry. Check Hamilton for the latest details.