How to Apply to Life Sciences and Pre-Health Study at Swarthmore College: Admission to the College Rather Than a Major, Applying to Your Major in Sophomore Year, Biology, Biochemistry and Neuroscience, No Premed Major, and the Path for Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

Swarthmore College is a private liberal arts college in Pennsylvania, about 11 miles southwest of Philadelphia. Its life-science and health-related majors are spread across the Biology department, the Chemistry and Biochemistry department and the Psychology department (Neuroscience). The United States has no premed major, and Swarthmore’s Health Sciences Office says the same: the College offers no premed major and no prescribed premedical curriculum. Below, from Swarthmore’s website, are the points for fall 2027 entry, for U.S. applicants, international applicants and applicants from China, then transfer students.

One limit up front: the detailed credit requirements for each major sit in the College Catalog (catalog.swarthmore.edu), which is a third-party hosted catalog and was not read. Where the sections below describe major requirements, they use only what the department websites themselves print; check the catalog for the rest.

1. Majors in this area

• Biology: offered by the Biology department as a course major, an honors major and a minor. The site says almost every course has a weekly laboratory taught by full-time faculty, and that advanced seminars centre on current research in eleven fields.
• Biochemistry: a special major offered by Biology in collaboration with Chemistry and Biochemistry; approval and advising go through Chemistry and Biochemistry.
• Neuroscience: a course major and an honors major offered jointly by Psychology and Biology, advised by a Neuroscience faculty administrator.
• Biology and Educational Studies: another special major listed by the Biology department.
• Chemistry: the Chemistry and Biochemistry department also offers a Chemistry major; it says students who complete an independent research project may earn a degree certified by the American Chemical Society.
• Engineering: the College has an Engineering department, and the Neuroscience elective list includes engineering courses such as Biomedical Signals and Introduction to Biomechanics; engineering is only mentioned here.
• The pages we read list no nursing degree and do not say whether these majors are STEM-designated. That is not published on the pages we read; ask admissions.

2. How admission works: the College, then your major in sophomore year

• Applying: the site says, “We admit students to Swarthmore College, not a specific major,” and that the most popular “major” tends to be undecided. You do not choose a life-science major on the application.
• Biology major: the Sophomore Plan of Study page says students must submit a Sophomore Plan of Study to the Registrar in the second semester of sophomore year, listing the biology courses planned for the next two years with a short essay explaining the sequence. The department chair and academic coordinator give an information session early in the spring semester. We found no GPA cut-off or quota on the pages we read; this is not published there.
• Entry courses: Biology begins with BIOL 001 (Cellular and Molecular Biology) and BIOL 002 (Organismal and Population Biology), in either order; the Health Sciences guide says BIOL 001 is taught only in the fall and BIOL 002 only in the spring.
• Neuroscience entry requirements: BIOL 001, BIOL 002, CHEM 010, CHEM 022, MATH 015, STAT 011, PSYC 001 and PSYC 025. The site says students applying to the major should normally have completed these (or satisfied them another way), and that provisional (“Deferred”) admission is normally granted for substantial progress at the time of application. The major itself needs at least eight further credits beyond these prerequisites, at least five from Group A electives (including one foundation course, BIOL 022 or PSYC 030, one seminar, and at least one course each from Psychology and Biology), plus a senior thesis.
• Biochemistry major: the chemistry department says that the ideal first four semesters are CHEM 010/011, CHEM 022, CHEM 032 and CHEM 038, with the prerequisites for the biology courses (often BIOL 001 and/or 002), two semesters of physics (Physics 3 or 3L and 4 or 4L) and two or more semesters of calculus. It also says that if you think you may major in Chemistry or Biochemistry you are strongly encouraged to take CHEM 010/011 in your first semester, because the sequence is sequential and starting as a sophomore is harder.
• Moving between majors: apart from the declaration steps above, internal-transfer conditions for these majors are not written on the pages we read; they are not published there.

3. The premed path

• The Health Sciences Office serves current students and alumni and invites prospective students to call. It says the College offers no premed, predental or preveterinary curriculum, and that you may major in anything as long as you complete the courses medical schools require.
• Typical courses (the office’s list): Cellular and Molecular Biology; Organismal and Population Biology; General Chemistry; Organic Chemistry I and II; Biological Chemistry; English; Calculus I and Statistics; General Physics I and II; Introductory Psychology; Introductory Sociology. The guide’s general expectations are two years of chemistry with lab, one year each of mathematics, physics with lab, English, biology with lab and social sciences. Dental and veterinary schools vary more, so those students should plan with the advisor.
• Chemistry: students who plan to take chemistry must take an online Chemistry Readiness Exam in the summer before they start; students with AP Chemistry 5 or IB Higher Level Chemistry 6 or above are exempt and can go to the placement exam for the honors section (CHEM 010HN). The Chemistry department says it does not grant credit for AP or IB chemistry.
• AP / IB: the guide says Swarthmore’s AP/IB credit can usually satisfy the mathematics requirement but not the science requirements, because medical schools want college laboratories. If you place out of an introductory science course you either take an upper-level lab course in that field or give up the AP credit. For biology, the guide says AP credit needs a 5 on AP (or 6 or 7 on IB) plus one other Swarthmore biology course with a lab.
• First-semester grades: first-semester grades are recorded as Credit / No Credit; the guide says to take premed requirements for a grade, except in the first semester.
• Committee letter: the Health Sciences Advisory Committee (faculty, deans and the advisor) writes a committee letter for medical school applicants; the site says there is no GPA cut-off for the letter.
• Medical school statistics: the office page says graduates are at 57 medical schools in 23 states and that the College’s acceptance rate is “substantially higher” than the national rate. The numbers in the guide are from 2018 (100% for six graduating seniors and 88% for 32 alumni), so they are old.
• Early assurance: the site contradicts itself. The premed FAQ answers “No, not at this time,” while the guide lists programs open at the end of sophomore year, such as the Sidney Kimmel Medical College Scholars Program (3.5 cumulative and science GPA, no grade below B-, up to five Swarthmore students a year), the University of Rochester (3.6 minimum) and Albany Medical College (3.5 minimum). Confirm with the Health Sciences Office.
• Combined BS/MD: the pages we read do not describe any such program.
• International students: the guide states plainly that it is currently extremely difficult for students who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents to be accepted at a U.S. medical school, that most schools will not consider them, that international students cannot use federal aid, and that accepted students must often escrow tuition in advance; it adds that some Swarthmore international students have been accepted. It suggests making an appointment with the advisor.

4. High school preparation

• The admissions pages we read do not list required high school math, chemistry or physics for the life-science majors. This is not published there; ask admissions.
• No AP or IB school is needed: the international page says you do not need to attend a school that offers AP or IB. AP/IB credit is decided by individual departments with the registrar. The testing page says AP and IB scores are optional, except that a student graduating with an IB Diploma must submit official IB scores, and AP/IB/other examination scores cannot be suppressed once submitted.
• First two years: Biology begins with BIOL 001/002; the Mathematics and Statistics department requires all first-year students to receive a placement result before taking math or statistics, and those who want MATH 015 take the math-stat readiness exam.

5. Rounds, deadlines and materials

• Early Decision (binding): 15 November; decisions in mid-December.
• Early Decision II: 4 January; decisions in mid-February.
• Regular Decision: 4 January; decisions online by 1 April.
• Note: the pages print these dates without a year; check that they are for fall 2027 entry.
• Platforms: the Common Application, the Coalition on Scoir application or QuestBridge; there is no preference, only one may be submitted per year, and a student may apply at most three times in total (including transfer).
• Materials: $60 fee or fee waiver; school report; counselor recommendation; high school transcript; mid-year grades; two academic teacher recommendations; two short answers of up to 250 words each (identity and navigating differences; a recently fascinating topic). Early Decision applicants also send the signed agreement and first-quarter grades.
• Optional: test scores, interview, video response, arts supplement, and items such as a résumé or research abstract.
• Testing: optional for everyone; the SAT and ACT writing sections are not considered; the SAT is superscored but the ACT is not; you may suppress submitted scores.

6. U.S. applicants

• Cost: Swarthmore is private and its cost page lists one tuition with no in-state/out-of-state split; the pages we read do not mention in-state preference. For 2026-27: tuition and books $72,722 (including an $800 textbook credit), housing $11,676, food $10,890, student activities fee $482, total billed charges $95,770; course materials about $825 and personal expenses about $1,775; transportation and health insurance vary; total cost of attendance $98,370. The site says tuition is the same no matter your major and that labs are free of extra charge.
• Swarthmore Tuition Guarantee: from fall 2027 the College will cover at least tuition for students from households with income of $200,000 or less and typical assets; the site says it is for domestic students only and is checked each year through the aid application.
• Aid: admission is need-blind for domestic students, 100% of determined need is met, and aid is loan-free; the average aid decision in 2025-26 is given as $75,268.
• Research and clinical experience: Biology says students can do research with faculty during the year and summer and often present on campus and at regional and national meetings. Chemistry and Biochemistry says research can begin the summer after first year, with faculty-secured funding from sources such as the NIH and NSF, and students can compete for paid off-campus internships. The Health Sciences Office circulates summer research and clinical fellowship information, and the premed FAQ says many premed students volunteer in Philadelphia hospitals using the College’s free SEPTA passes. Numbers and eligibility are not published on the pages we read.

7. International applicants

• Size and review: international students are about 13 percent of the student body; regional deans read transcripts in the context of the country’s system, school curriculum and the opportunities a student has had.
• English and video: applicants attending school outside the U.S., regardless of citizenship, must submit one of: the Swarthmore Video Response, an English proficiency result (TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo English Test) or an InitialView or Vericant video. No minimum score is published.
• Transcripts and authenticity: transcripts must be original or high-quality copies certified with a school seal and signed by the head of school and/or counselor; recommendation letters should be on school letterhead; non-English documents need official translations attached. Students who have already graduated must submit leaving-exam scores (for example IB, A-levels, Gaokao, WASSCE), and official reports for national exams taken during high school.
• Financial aid: admission is need-aware for international citizens. You must indicate on the admission application that you will apply for aid; it cannot be requested later. Swarthmore meets 100% of determined need with no loans for admitted international students, and the average decision for international students admitted to the Class of 2030 was above $93,000. After admission you must submit materials (CSS Profile, parents’ income documents, the ISAFA form) within seven days, and admitted international students get a CSS Profile fee waiver. For the Class of 2030 and later the site says the parent contribution stays the same for four years, with changes for siblings entering or leaving college.
• Other: the International Student Center and the Dean of International Students help with visas and work authorization; off-campus work needs U.S. government authorization.
• Whether international students face limits in laboratory or clinical placements is not published on the pages we read.

8. Applicants from China

• Gaokao: the international page names the Gaokao as one example of the leaving-exam scores that graduates must submit. How it is evaluated, and any score expectation, is not published on the pages we read; contact admissions (admissions@swarthmore.edu).
• Transcripts: school-sealed, signed transcripts; official score reports for other national exams taken in high school; official translations of non-English documents.
• English/video: if you attend school in mainland China, choose one of the three options in section 7.
• There is no separate statement on expected math and science for the Chinese curriculum; follow section 4 and confirm with admissions.

9. Transfer

• Deadline: 1 April (no year printed; check it is for fall 2027), fall entry only, decisions typically mid-May. Common Application or Coalition on Scoir; $60 fee (none for current community college students).
• Eligibility: at least two semesters of college coursework by the end of the current academic year; not available to students with a bachelor’s degree; applications from students with six or more semesters are discouraged; international students who need financial aid are not eligible to transfer, and admitted international transfers must show financial independence. The site says competitive candidates have mostly As and Bs in a liberal arts curriculum.
• Materials: final high school transcript, a Transfer College Report, all college transcripts, two academic evaluations (at least one from a recent college instructor), and a mid-term report for those currently enrolled.
• Credit: the Registrar reviews credit individually and gives the result with the admission decision; there are no articulation agreements. Credit is typically awarded for liberal arts courses; the site says most pre-professional courses such as Nursing or Accounting will not transfer, and no more than four semesters (about 16 Swarthmore courses) transfer.
• The specific biology, chemistry or calculus prerequisites for transferring into these majors are not published on the pages we read.

Checklist

U.S. applicants:

• Apply to the College, not a major; ED 15 November, ED II and Regular Decision 4 January (check the year); testing optional
• Submit the Biology Sophomore Plan of Study in the second semester of sophomore year; if household income is $200,000 or less, note the Tuition Guarantee from fall 2027

International applicants (including China):

• Choose one of the video response, English test or InitialView/Vericant video; tick the aid box on the application if you need aid
• Graduates send Gaokao and other leaving-exam results; read the guide’s section on international students and U.S. medical schools; confirm how the Gaokao is used with admissions

Transfer students:

• Apply by 1 April; at least two semesters done; international students needing aid cannot transfer; nursing and other pre-professional courses do not transfer

Sources: Swarthmore College, Biology; Biology majors and minors; Biology academic program; Biology: sophomore plan of study; Biochemistry (special major); Chemistry and Biochemistry; Chemistry guide for first-year students; Neuroscience major; Health Sciences Office; Guide to Premedical Studies; Premedical FAQs; Apply to Swarthmore; Application materials and deadlines; Standardized testing policy; International students; Transfer applicants; 2026-27 costs; Tuition Guarantee; International student aid; Financial aid and cost. The deadlines on the pages carry no year, so check that they are for fall 2027 entry; costs are 2026-27. Check Swarthmore’s website for the latest.