How to Apply to Life Sciences and Medicine at Colgate University: Biology, Molecular Biology, Neuroscience and Biochemistry Majors with Research Built In, a Health Science Advising Committee, No Undergraduate Nursing, and What U.S., International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants Need

Colgate University is a liberal arts university; its transfer page describes combining a rigorous liberal arts education with research university resources. On its catalog pages, the life-science and health-related majors are Biology, Molecular Biology, Environmental Biology, Neuroscience and Biochemistry, with a minor in Global Public and Environmental Health. There is no undergraduate “pre-med major” in the United States, and Colgate’s health sciences page says only that students work with the Health Science Advising Committee from the first year. This guide follows Colgate’s own pages for fall 2027 entry and speaks to U.S. applicants, international applicants and applicants from China, then transfer students.

1. Which majors are related

• Department of Biology: the site says it offers four majors, Biology, Molecular Biology, Environmental Biology and Natural Sciences (marine science – freshwater science concentration), and minors in Biology and Mathematical Systems Biology. The catalog page calls the biology major “the traditional undergraduate preparation” for careers in the biological or health-related sciences.
  • Biology major: BIOL 181 (Evolution, Ecology, and Diversity) and BIOL 182 (Molecules, Cells, and Genes) with labs, both with a grade of C- or better; General Chemistry CHEM 101 and 102 with labs (CHEM 111 may replace them if eligible); one “Process of Biology” course with lab (one of BIOL 201–206); five electives (one at any level, four at 300 or above, at least two with a lab); and a one-credit research experience, normally a research tutorial numbered BIOL 470–490, with the Bethesda Biomedical Research group or NUS UROPS courses also accepted. The catalog also says graduate and professional schools frequently recommend or require calculus, statistics, computer science, chemistry (typically through organic) and a year of physics as cognates.
  • Molecular Biology major: BIOL 181 and 182; one “Process of Biology” course (BIOL 201, 202, 204 or 205); three molecular biology electives; a research experience; chemistry: CHEM 101 and 102 (or 111), organic chemistry CHEM 263 and 264, and CHEM 353; one math or computer science course (BIOL 302 or BIOL 320 can satisfy the math requirement); physics: PHYS 111 and 112, or PHYS 232 and 233, with labs.
• Neuroscience: a program whose faculty come from Psychological & Brain Sciences and Biology; the site says it is one of the first two such undergraduate programs in the United States. Required: NEUR 170, CHEM 101/102 (or 111), BIOL 182, NEUR 201, statistics (PSYC 309 or BIOL 320) and the NEUR 498 senior thesis; one core elective; three general electives (at least one from each of two clusters, cellular and molecular, and systems). The site says every senior neuroscience major conducts original research with a faculty member, leading to a thesis and a departmental presentation.
• Biochemistry: offered by the Department of Chemistry, which also offers a chemistry major certified by the American Chemical Society. Required: BIOL 182, BIOL 361, CHEM 101/102 (or 111), organic chemistry 263/264 with labs, CHEM 336, 353, 385, and CHEM 481 and 482 (advanced chemistry research); one chemistry elective; one integrated laboratory course; at least one credit of half-semester courses; one calculus or linear algebra course; a mechanics course and an electricity and magnetism course (physics sequence); and a weekly seminar series.
• Global Public and Environmental Health: the site says it offers a minor with a core introductory course and specialized courses chosen with an adviser, and a minimum GPA of 2.00 across the relevant courses.
• Nursing, biomedical engineering, public health degrees: the pages we read show no such undergraduate degrees. The health sciences page lists nursing among the fields students can shadow, but no nursing degree.
• BA or BS, and STEM status: not stated on the pages we read.

2. How admission works and entering a major

• Apply to the university; declare the major after arrival: the application checklist has no field for a major, and the advising page says every new student is first assigned an academic adviser and gets a discipline-specific adviser after declaring a major. When you must declare is not stated on the pages we read.
• Neuroscience: students must complete NEUR 170 to be eligible to enter the major, ideally by the end of the second year. A GPA of at least 2.00 is required in courses counting toward the major, and a grade of D- or higher counts toward a requirement.
• Biology and Molecular Biology: the pages we read give no GPA or cap for entry; BIOL 181 and 182 must each be C- or better; other conditions are not stated, so ask the chair.
• Biochemistry: a GPA of at least 2.00 is required in the chemistry and biology courses used for the major.
• Moving in from another major: not described separately; not stated.
• Honors: biology and molecular biology honors need a 3.30 overall GPA in Colgate courses counted toward the major, an oral presentation, a review paper and a research paper, with at least one semester or summer of research for honors and two for high honors. Neuroscience honors need a 3.30 overall and 3.50 major GPA, two semesters of research (NEUR 498 and 499) and an oral exam; high honors need 3.50 and 3.70. Biochemistry honors need an overall 3.00 and a combined 3.00 in chemistry, biology, mathematics and physics courses, plus a thesis and defense.

3. The pre-med route

• Health Science Advising Committee: students interested in medical, dental or veterinary school work with a committee of faculty from many disciplines from the first year; it provides information on professional school requirements, counsels on courses and work experience, and writes recommendation letters for students and alumni. Juniors, seniors and alumni who plan to request a committee letter must start a file in the Health Sciences Office.
• Must you major in science? Not stated on the pages we read. The biology page calls biology the traditional major for health-related careers, and the chemistry page says its chemistry and biochemistry majors suit careers in life, health or earth sciences, with many graduates going to pharmacology, medicine, dentistry or veterinary medicine.
• Prerequisite list: the health sciences and advising pages we read do not list medical school prerequisites; not stated. The biology page says only that professional schools often recommend or require calculus, statistics, computer science, chemistry (typically through organic) and a year of physics.
• Early assurance: the site lists early assurance programs with medical schools at the University of Rochester and Albany College of Medicine, and an early assurance physical therapy agreement with New York Medical College. Conditions, numbers and eligibility of international students are not stated.
• Experience: a shadowing program every semester with more than 25 area providers (family practice, radiology, ophthalmology, emergency medicine, orthopedics, dentistry, nursing, PA, PT, veterinary and more); training as a volunteer EMT; the John A. Golden ’66 Endowed Fellowship for summer internships or research for students who want a career in human medicine; the Wolk Conference on Medical Education; and a semester at the Bethesda Biomedical Research study group (below).
• Not on the pages we read: medical school acceptance rates or counts; combined BS/MD programs; limits on international students applying to U.S. medical schools. Ask the Health Science Advising office (chair Julie Chanatry). This guide does not cover applying to medical school itself.

4. Prerequisites and the first two years

• The admissions pages we read do not list required high school mathematics, biology, chemistry or physics; not stated, so ask admission.
• Chemistry placement and credit: students may replace the two-semester CHEM 101/102 sequence with the one-semester CHEM 111 (Chemical Principles) with any of: AP Chemistry 4, IB Higher Level chemistry 6 or 7, SAT II chemistry 650, or an A-Level grade of A or B; CHEM 111 students are encouraged to take CHEM 212 in the spring of the first year. AP Chemistry 4 or 5 or an A-Level A or B also earns CHEM 100 credit. Math placement is not described on the pages we read; the biochemistry page says MATH 161 is the recommended starting point for students with minimal secondary school calculus.
• AP and IB biology: an AP Biology score of 4 or 5 earns credit for BIOL 101, counted as a 100-level elective, and such students are encouraged to start with BIOL 181 or 182. Transfer credit for IB, A-Levels and similar exams showing competence equal to a specific course can be requested from the chair; it cannot be used for the university areas of inquiry but may count toward the major.
• Typical first two years: the biochemistry page suggests general chemistry and the needed math in the first year, organic chemistry 263/264 plus a year of physics or BIOL 182 in the second, then CHEM 353, 385 and 336 in the third and research in the fourth. A suggested sequence for biology and molecular biology is not on the pages we read.

5. Rounds and materials (fall 2027 entry)

• Platforms: Common App, the Coalition Application on Scoir, or QuestBridge.
• Early Decision I (binding): due 1 November, financial aid due 1 November, notification mid-December.
• Early Decision II (binding): due 15 January, financial aid due 15 January, notification mid-February.
• Regular Decision: due 15 January, financial aid due 15 January, notification late March.
• Materials: the application with a personal statement; a $60 fee (waived for non-U.S. citizens, except U.S. dual citizens and permanent residents; fee waivers for eligible aid applicants); two recommendations from core academic teachers who taught you in grade 10, 11 or 12; a counselor recommendation; the official transcript (non-English transcripts need the official original and an official English translation); mid-year grades by 15 February (ED I applicants are not affected if these are not yet available); and the signed Early Decision agreement for ED.
• Testing: SAT/ACT optional with no disadvantage for not submitting; superscored; self-reported scores accepted; admitted applicants who chose to submit must send official scores; codes SAT 2086, ACT 2702.
• Optional materials: an arts portfolio on SlideRoom, a digital presence link, a Glimpse video (domestic students), an InitialView video (international students) and a VIVA research presentation (due 1 November for ED I, 15 January otherwise).

6. U.S. applicants

• Costs (2026-27), first-years and sophomores living on campus: tuition $76,828, housing $9,348, food $10,008, student activity fee $462, billed charges $96,646; estimated non-billed costs of $3,578 ($1,600 books and supplies, $800+ transportation, $1,128 personal, $50 loan fees) give a total cost of attendance of $100,224. Juniors and seniors on campus have billed charges of $97,430 (housing $10,132). There is a one-time $50 transcript fee and a student health insurance premium of about $1,805, which can be waived with proof of coverage. The cost page lists no surcharge for any major and no in-state versus out-of-state difference.
• Financial aid: the international page says Colgate meets 100% of demonstrated need for every admitted student; details for U.S. applicants (FAFSA, CSS Profile and so on) are not on the pages we read, so see Colgate’s financial aid pages.
• In-state preference: not stated.
• Research: see section 9.

7. International applicants

• Scale: the international page says international students are 9% of the student body, from 87 countries; another line on the same page says “over 80 countries”. Colgate defines international students as non-U.S. citizens; U.S. dual citizens, permanent residents and U.S. citizens living abroad are excluded.
• Application fee: the site says applications are fee-free for international students.
• English proof: non-native speakers who have not studied at a secondary school where English is the primary language of instruction submit TOEFL iBT, IELTS or Duolingo. The minimums on the page are TOEFL iBT 4.5, IELTS 7 and Duolingo 130; scores must come from the testing agency, and Colgate does not waive the English requirement on the basis of SAT results.
• Interview: strong applicants whose native language is not English are encouraged to submit an InitialView or Vericant interview before 15 January (1 November for ED I).
• Transcripts and exams: current seniors send mid-year grades, or predicted final grades from a school official if the school gives none; graduates send the final transcript; everyone sends a final transcript after finishing secondary school. Transcripts must come directly from the school and student-submitted ones are not accepted. Results of national or international exams must be sent by the testing agency or emailed by a school official. Credential evaluation and proof of funds are not described on the pages we read.
• Money: the site says Colgate meets 100% of demonstrated need for every international student, but it also says it is need aware for all applicants, while “our most competitive applicants are admitted regardless of whether they have applied for financial aid”. Aid applicants submit the CSS Profile: 1 November for ED I and 22 January for ED II and RD (the first-year page gives 15 January for aid materials, so the two pages differ; confirm with admission). Paper or PDF copies are not accepted, and a CSS fee waiver code can be requested in the applicant portal.
• Medical school and clinical placements: the pages we read do not describe limits on international students entering U.S. medical schools, shadowing or EMT training; not stated, so ask the Health Science Advising office.

8. Applicants from China

• Gaokao: the pages we read do not mention China or the Gaokao or explain how scores are used; not stated, so email admission (admission@colgate.edu).
• Transcripts and Huikao: transcripts must come from your school with an official English translation if not in English; national exam results are sent by the testing agency or a school official. Whether Huikao materials are needed is not stated on the pages we read.
• English: see above; no China-specific guidance on the pages we read.

9. Costs, research and placements

• Costs are in section 6.
• Research: the biology page says faculty often work with students on laboratory or field projects in cellular and molecular biology, organismal and evolutionary biology, terrestrial and aquatic ecology, plant and animal physiology and animal behavior. The neuroscience page describes opportunities during the semester and full-time summer research with stipends. The chemistry page describes a summer research program, recommends that chemistry and biochemistry majors do at least one full-time research experience, with stipends and reduced-rate campus housing.
• Bethesda Biomedical Research study group: for juniors and seniors in the biomedical sciences, a semester of about 30 hours a week of research at the National Institutes of Health or the Uniformed Services University in Bethesda, Maryland, with a Colgate faculty member on site; it can satisfy the research requirement for biology, molecular biology and biochemistry. Other relevant programs: Australia (University of Wollongong), the National University of Singapore exchange, and Ireland (University of Galway).
• Whether international students can join these programs is not stated on the pages we read.

10. Transfer

• Deadlines: fall entry 15 March (decisions late April), spring entry 1 November (decisions early December).
• Materials: the transfer Common App or Coalition on Scoir transfer application with the essay; a $60 fee or waiver; official high school transcripts; official transcripts from every college; a college official’s report; a mid-year report; one academic evaluation from a college professor; testing optional; TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo for non-native speakers.
• GPA: the site says only that academic achievement is important; no minimum GPA is given.
• Entering these majors: the transfer page does not list a chemistry, biology or calculus sequence needed for biology, neuroscience or biochemistry; not stated. The biology department says at most two biology courses from other institutions can count toward the major (upperclass transfers may petition for a third), they cannot count toward the lab requirement, and you should send the chair the course description and syllabus first. The chemistry department evaluates each course individually and wants syllabi, lab notebooks and similar material.
• Credit: credit is generally given for courses in a strong liberal arts curriculum with a grade of C or better, not C- or lower or pass/fail; at most 16 course credits transfer; 6–13 credits give sophomore standing and 14–16 junior standing; departments decide which courses count toward a major; pre-professional courses such as business or criminology do not transfer (the site’s example: Introduction to Kinesiology is not accepted, Human Physiology is an accepted alternative). Admitted students receive a preliminary credit evaluation with the acceptance letter and a formal evaluation by faculty.
• Aid: transfer students can apply for need-based aid and must submit all aid materials by the admission application deadline.

Checklist

U.S. applicants:

• Common App, Coalition or QuestBridge; ED I 1 November, ED II and RD 15 January; testing optional; declare a major after arrival (neuroscience needs NEUR 170 first)
• Pre-med: contact the Health Science Advising office early and start a file; the pages we read list no medical school prerequisite table, so ask the office for it

International applicants (including China):

• English proof (SAT does not waive it); no application fee; the college is need aware, so submit the CSS Profile by the deadline if you need aid
• The pages we read do not say how the Gaokao is used or whether the Huikao is needed; ask admission

Transfer students:

• Fall 15 March, spring 1 November; at most 16 course credits transfer; at most two biology courses count toward the major

Sources: Colgate University, Department of Biology; Biology academic program (2026-27 catalog); Biology major; Molecular Biology major; Neuroscience Program; Neuroscience major; Department of Chemistry; Chemistry academic program; Biochemistry major; Global Public and Environmental Health; Health Sciences; Health Science Advising; Advising; First-year applicants; International applicants; Transfer applicants; Transfer and pre-matriculation credit; 2026-27 tuition and fees. The deadlines are printed without a year, so confirm they are for fall 2027 entry. Costs are 2026-27 figures. Check Colgate for the latest details.