How to Apply to Economics at the College of the Holy Cross: Economics Is Taught by the Department of Economics and Accounting in a Jesuit Liberal Arts College, You Are Signed Into the Major After Enrolling, With Nine or More Economics Courses and a Year of Calculus, and Admission Routes and Prerequisites for Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

The College of the Holy Cross is a Jesuit liberal arts college in Worcester, Massachusetts. The economics major is taught by the Department of Economics & Accounting; the catalog says the department offers majors in two distinct areas, economics and accounting, and that students may not double major in the two. The pages I read show no separate business school or school of economics and no separate admission bar for economics: you apply to Holy Cross and arrange the major with the department after you enroll. Accounting is a different major and our business guide covers it; this guide is about economics. It follows the Holy Cross website for fall 2027 entry and covers US domestic, international (including Chinese) and transfer applicants.

1. Degrees, tracks and how you get into the major

• Degrees and tracks: the website lists one “Economics Major.” I saw no Business Economics, Quantitative Economics or similar variants, and no B.A./B.S. split. Whether the major is STEM-designated is not written on the pages I read; ask the department or admissions. Rules for minors and second majors outside the department are not covered on the pages I read either.
• Choosing a major on the application: the “How to Apply” page I read does not ask you to select a major; this is not published there, so confirm with admissions.
• How you get into the major: a student can be signed into the major by the department chair after showing evidence of having completed or being enrolled in an economics class; first-year students cannot be signed in until their second semester, and everyone must be signed in by the fall of the third year. All students who want to major must have completed ECON 110 and Calculus 1 by the end of the second year. The pages I read state no GPA threshold or cap on places; this is not published there.
• Course cap: majors may take up to 14 courses in the department (including accounting courses).
• Department Honors Program: open to economics and accounting majors in the fall of the junior year; it usually admits six to eight students. Three parts: ECON 460 Research Methods 1 (spring of junior year, counts as a lower-level elective), ECON 462 Honors Directed Research (fall of senior year, counts as a 300-level elective) and ECON 461 Research Methods 2 (spring of senior year, a half-unit overload with a presentation at the College’s Academic Conference). Applicants send a cover page, an unofficial transcript, a list of economics and accounting courses, a faculty letter, a one-to-two-page statement and a short writing sample, then interview. The page gives an information session on September 23 and a deadline of October 7 at 5 p.m. with no year, so check which year they belong to. Students studying away in the spring of junior year or at any time in senior year are not eligible.

2. Prerequisites and first-/second-year courses

• High school: the pages I read set no specific high school math requirements (algebra, precalculus, calculus) for economics; this is not published there, so ask admissions.
• Required courses on the department’s program page: at least nine department courses plus a year of calculus (math department): ECON 110 Principles of Economics, ECON 249 Statistics, ECON 255 Microeconomics, ECON 256 Macroeconomics, ECON 265 Quantitative Microeconomics or ECON 266 Quantitative Macroeconomics, and four electives (at least three at the 300 level). Suggested plan: ECON 110 and a year of calculus in year one; ECON 249, 255 and 256 in year two; ECON 265/266 and a 200- or 300-level elective in year three; three 300-level electives in year four.
• Required courses in the catalog: ECON 110, 255 and 256; statistics ECON 149 or ECON 249; MATH 135 Calculus 1 (or MATH 133 Calculus 1 with Fundamentals) and MATH 136 Calculus 2 (or equivalent); one 200-level quantitative course (ECON 265 or 266); and four electives (three at the 300 level). The two sources differ: the catalog requires Calculus 2, which a 4 or 5 on the AP Calculus BC exam can satisfy, while the program page says “a year of calculus,” recommends MATH 133–134 or 135–136 and accepts at least a 4 on all sections of AP Calculus BC; the catalog allows ECON 149 or 249 for statistics while the program page lists only ECON 249. Check the current catalog and ask the department.
• Prerequisites: the catalog lists ECON 110 (or ECON 111 and 112) and MATH 134 or 136 as prerequisites for ECON 255 and 256, and ECON 110, 111 or 112 for ECON 249. ECON 110 is open only to first- and second-year students.
• Credit for exams (stated by the College): a 4 or 5 on both AP Microeconomics and AP Macroeconomics replaces ECON 110, and a 4 or 5 on AP Statistics may be used for ECON 249. Students who use AP credit must still complete nine economics courses and fill the gap with electives. College-wide: one unit of credit for a 4 or 5 on an AP exam, a 6 or 7 on an IB Higher Level exam in a liberal arts subject, or an A/A* or B on an A-Level in a liberal arts subject (A-Level scores are reviewed by the department chair); no credit for IB Standard Level or O-Level; each department sets its own policy. The mapping for IB Economics specifically is not published on the pages I read.
• Limits on courses taken elsewhere: up to two economics courses may be taken at other institutions (including consortium schools, summer school and study abroad), up to three at the London School of Economics through the College’s program; ECON 255, ECON 256 and the 200-level quantitative course must be taken at Holy Cross. The Washington Semester Program earns no credit toward the economics major.

3. Rounds, deadlines and materials

• Early Decision I (binding): deadline November 15, notification December 15. Early Decision II: January 15, notification February 15. Regular Decision (non-binding): January 15, notification mid-March. Holy Cross has no non-binding Early Action. The international page adds that Early Decision notifications go out “continually throughout December and January” and Regular Decision decisions are mailed in late March or early April, which differs slightly from the table; confirm with admissions.
• Apply with the Common Application or the Coalition Application (Scoir).
• Application fee: $65; the College lists several waiver routes (Common App or Coalition waivers, Catholic or Jesuit high school students, Worcester public school students, residents of listed Gateway Cities and others).
• Required: the high school transcript; two recommendations (one counselor, one teacher); the Early Decision Agreement for ED applicants.
• Essays: the pages I read do not describe essay requirements; follow the application form.
• Testing: SAT/ACT scores are entirely optional and not submitting puts you at no disadvantage; you may self-report, and Holy Cross superscores.
• Interview: “strongly recommended.” ED I applicants must interview by November 15, ED II and Regular Decision applicants by December 5; alumni interviews off campus are not available for ED applicants.

4. US domestic applicants

• Holy Cross is private and the pages I read do not describe a different price for in-state students; all students pay the same charges (section 8). The College expects residents of Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Vermont to apply directly for their state grant programs.
• Aid: the College says it meets 100% of demonstrated need for all admitted students, and families earning $100,000 or less with reasonable assets receive a full-tuition grant. Institutional funding is primarily need-based, with a limited number of merit scholarships (for example Magis and Faber).
• Testing is optional; the application fee is $65 (waivers available).

5. International applicants (including those from China)

• Who counts: applicants who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents. They may apply Early Decision or Regular Decision. The application must be completed in English and originals or notarized copies of secondary school records and recommendations must come with certified English translations.
• Required: the Holy Cross Certification of Finances form (completed in the applicant status portal after you apply, all amounts in U.S. dollars, funding for all four years) and a bank letter, bank statement or financial affidavit in English.
• English proficiency: if you did not attend an English-speaking high school and are not a native speaker, send TOEFL (including Home Edition), IELTS (including Indicator) or the Duolingo English Test. The College says its most competitive applicants score 100+ on the TOEFL, 7+ on the IELTS or 120 on the DET. The FAQ on the same page mentions only TOEFL or IELTS, which differs from the list; confirm with admissions.
• Interview: not required but strongly encouraged; a limited number of virtual Holy Cross interviews is offered to international applicants (request after you apply), and applicants can complete the Duolingo English Test in place of an interview.
• Visa: an F-1 visa is typically required; the I-20 is issued only after admission (assembled and mailed in early summer). After admission your advisor connects you with services for I-20 and SEVIS updates, work authorization and STEM-OPT extension support (the page also lists an Office of International Students).
• Aid and scholarships: the FAQ states that limited funding is available for international students; contact the financial aid office (financialaid@holycross.edu). The pages I read describe no dedicated international scholarship.

6. Applicants from China

• The one sentence on the international page that names China says that the most successful applicants from China submit interviews through the online platforms InitialView or Vericant.
• Whether the Gaokao is considered: not stated on the pages I read; contact admissions (admissions@holycross.edu, +1-508-793-2443).
• Transcripts and exam records: the international page only requires originals or notarized copies of school records with certified English translations; whether exit-exam or huikao records are needed is not published there.
• English results, financial documents, interview and visa details are in the previous section.

7. Transfer applicants

• Eligibility: the transfer page says first-, second- and third-year transfer students may apply, while the main “How to Apply” page says second- and third-year transfer students; confirm with admissions. There is no application fee.
• Deadlines: fall entry April 1, spring entry November 1, with rolling notification. Supporting materials are due a month after the application deadline (May 1 for fall, December 1 for spring). Interviews are highly recommended: by May 1 (fall) or December 1 (spring). Financial aid (CSS Profile, FAFSA, tax documents): April 1 for fall, December 1 for spring.
• Materials: Common Application Transfer Application, final high school transcript, all college transcripts, mid-term progress report, two professor recommendations (preferred), course descriptions for every course completed or in progress and the College Official’s Report; SAT/ACT optional.
• Credit: credits are evaluated during the review; admitted students receive an evaluation within 24 hours of the decision letter. Transfer students are eligible for need-based aid and merit scholarships.
• Entering economics: no economics-specific transfer entry requirement appears on the pages I read; it is not published there. By the department’s rules, ECON 255, ECON 256 and the 200-level quantitative course must be taken at Holy Cross and at most two economics courses (three with the London School of Economics) may be taken elsewhere, so ask the department what will count before you transfer. The deadline for ECON 110 and Calculus 1 is in section 1.

8. Costs, research and internships

• 2026-27 (fall plus spring): tuition $70,220; standard housing $11,500; resident food plan $9,090; health service fee $470; activity fee $460. The total with housing and food is $91,740; without them, $71,150. The pages I read list no extra school surcharge for economics.
• Summer research: the department’s Weiss Summer Research Program places economics and accounting students as research assistants for eight weeks, with a stipend, dining allowance and housing; the page gives the dates June 2 to July 25, 2025, so check the current year’s dates.
• Other opportunities: the Omicron Delta Epsilon honor society, the Saltus Prize for the best student economics essay, tutor and grader positions, a preferred admissions opportunity into Notre Dame’s ESTEEM graduate program, and the Washington Semester Program (no credit toward the economics major). The department says graduates go into consulting, finance, banking, insurance, law, journalism, teaching and government. The pages I read do not list a department-run internship program.

Checklist

US domestic applicants:

• Choose ED I (November 15), ED II or Regular Decision (January 15); $65 fee (waivers available); two recommendations; interview strongly recommended; testing optional
• After enrolling, take ECON 110 and a year of calculus, finish ECON 110 and Calculus 1 by the end of year two, and be signed into the major by the fall of year three

International applicants (including those from China):

• TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo results; Certification of Finances and a bank letter in U.S. dollars; interview encouraged (applicants from China use InitialView or Vericant)
• Whether the Gaokao is used: not published; ask admissions

Transfer applicants:

• Fall April 1, spring November 1; no fee; course descriptions and professor recommendations
• ECON 255, 256 and the quantitative course must be taken at Holy Cross; check credit with the department first

Sources: College of the Holy Cross, Economics program page; Catalog: Economics and Accounting; Catalog: Economics major; How to apply; International students; Transfer students; 2026-27 tuition and fees; Scholarships and grants. Information is for fall 2027 entry (costs are 2026-27 figures; dates on pages that carry no year should be checked against your entry year). Check Holy Cross for the latest details.