How to Apply to Life Sciences and Pre-Health Study at the College of the Holy Cross: Majors in Biology and Neuroscience, a Biochemistry Concentration, No Nursing Degree and No Pre-Health Major, You Apply to the College Without Choosing a Major, and the Path for Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

The College of the Holy Cross is a Jesuit liberal arts college in Worcester, Massachusetts. Its life-science degrees are mainly the Biology major and the Neuroscience major (neuroscience also has a minor), with Biochemistry offered jointly by Biology and Chemistry as a “concentration”. The college says plainly that it has no “pre-health” major: students planning medicine and other health careers can major in anything and are supported by the Health Professions Advising office. This guide summarises Holy Cross’s published information for fall 2027 entry for U.S. applicants, international applicants and applicants from China, followed by transfer students. Most dates on Holy Cross’s pages carry no year; check that they refer to the cycle for fall 2027 entry.

1. Relevant undergraduate programs

• Biology major: offered by the Department of Biology in three areas: cellular and molecular biology, organismal biology, and ecology and evolution. The department lists equipment including confocal and scanning electron microscopes, real-time thermocyclers and a flow cytometer.
• Neuroscience major and minor: offered by the Neuroscience Department, with more than twenty faculty affiliates from biology, chemistry, mathematics and computer science, philosophy, physics and psychology.
• Biochemistry concentration: offered jointly by Biology and Chemistry; the catalog says concentrators must be enrolled as biology or chemistry majors, so it is not a stand-alone major.
• Chemistry major: offered by Chemistry and includes biochemistry courses; not covered further here.
• Others: the pages I read show no undergraduate nursing, public health, nutrition or kinesiology major, and the Health Professions page says Holy Cross does not offer a pathway to become a registered nurse without earning a further degree elsewhere. Engineering majors such as biomedical engineering do not appear on the pages I read; not published there.
• Whether these programs are STEM-designated: not stated on the program pages. The international student page mentions support for the STEM-OPT extension but not which majors qualify; ask the Office of International Students.
• Combined bachelor’s/graduate or bachelor’s/medical programs: not stated on the pages I read.

2. Admission: apply to the college, choose a major later

• Applying: the admissions pages I read ask for general materials and do not ask you to pick a major; there is no separate application for a restricted major.
• When you declare Biology or Neuroscience: not stated on the Biology or admissions pages I read. The Neuroscience catalog says students planning to declare must meet the Neuroscience Program Director before approval to discuss goals, confirm they understand the requirements and assess the feasibility of their plan.
• Entry conditions for Biology: no GPA threshold or cap is stated on the pages I read.
• Biology major: three introductory courses (BIOL 161 Cell and Molecular Biology, BIOL 162 Organismal Biology, BIOL 163 Biological Diversity and Ecology, in any order); five upper-division courses with at least one from each of the three areas, and the program page says at least three of them include labs; two chemistry courses, CHEM 181 plus CHEM 221 or CHEM 231, all with labs; Calculus 1 (MATH 135 or equivalent in the catalog); one statistics course (BIOL 275 or STAT 220; the catalog also lists ECON 149 and ECON 249); and two cognate courses from an approved STEM list, which an extra upper-division biology course can replace. At least eight biology courses in all, at least six of them at Holy Cross. One semester of research for credit can count as an upper-division lab course.
• Neuroscience major (14 courses): six foundational STEM courses (BIOL 161, CHEM 181 or CSCI 131, Calculus 1, PHYS 115, PHYS 116, STAT 220); one intermediate core course; one historical or philosophical perspective course; two electives; four neuroscience courses including one advanced; at least two laboratory or project-based courses at the 200 level or above; outside NEUR courses, at most four courses from any one department.
• Neuroscience minor (6 courses): one foundational STEM course (chemistry, computer science or physics), one neural-mechanism course, one cellular/molecular course, two systems/behavioral courses and one advanced neuroscience course; the program page adds that most students also take an introductory biology course.
• Biochemistry concentration: open only to biology or chemistry majors; competitive admission in the second semester of the second year; BIOL 161, CHEM 181, 221, 222 and 231, a two-semester biochemistry sequence with labs, and one upper-division biochemistry-oriented biology course; biology majors also need PHYS 115 and one 300-level chemistry course; a two-semester research thesis in the fourth year.
• Switching in: you are not admitted to a major, so there is no internal-transfer step; the conditions for entering a major are not stated beyond the above.

3. Pre-med: what the Health Professions Advising office says

• The office says Holy Cross has no “pre-health” major and any undergraduate may join its support at any time. It has nine full-time faculty members, four alumni clinical advisors and an administrative assistant.
• Support: individual advising; planning of coursework and credentials; internships, volunteering, research and shadowing; and evaluation by the Health Professions Advising Committee, which writes a composite recommendation letter for medical, dental, veterinary, optometry and podiatry applicants. To be evaluated, request a committee advisor in early October and submit materials by mid-February, two academic years before intended matriculation. Applying without the committee is allowed, and the office still advises and forwards letters.
• Typical medical school requirements (as listed by the office): four semesters of chemistry (CHEM 181, Organic Chemistry I and II, CHEM 231); two of biology (BIOL 161, 162); one of biochemistry; two of physics with labs; one of calculus; one of statistics; two of English; one of psychology; one of sociology. It warns that schools differ and you should check each. Dental school requirements are similar.
• Seat-limited courses: BIOL 211/212 Anatomy and Physiology and BIOL 210 Microbiology for Allied Health require permission of the Health Professions office; the pages say they are for students heading to physician assistant, nursing, physical therapy or other allied health programs. The office says students seeking entry to medical school (and, for anatomy and physiology, biology majors) should instead take BIOL 213 Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy and BIOL 390 Physiology, and BIOL 223 Microbiology in place of BIOL 210.
• AP credit: the Chemistry page says medical and allied health programs generally do not accept AP credit for basic sciences, and students pursuing them should consider taking CHEM 181.
• Other courses of interest: Medical Anthropology, Introduction to Global Health, History of Medicine, Medical Ethics, Life-Span Development.
• Linkages: an accelerated Doctor of Pharmacy and a physician assistant program linkage with the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (MCPHS) in Worcester. The Dougal Murray Health Professions Scholarship supports juniors and seniors planning medical or dental school with $20,000 in tuition aid and $5,000 for research or clinical experiences, aimed at low- and middle-income students.
• Nursing: the page says Holy Cross offers no pathway to become an RN without further training elsewhere; many graduates apply to graduate “direct entry” nursing programs, whose prerequisites vary and may require courses taken away from Holy Cross, for example one course a semester at a Central Massachusetts consortium school (HECCMA) within Holy Cross tuition, with approval from the Registrar, class dean and health professions advisor.
• Whether the office has separate guidance for international students, and any limits on applying to U.S. medical schools: not stated on the pages I read; contact healthprofessions@holycross.edu.

4. High school preparation

• The admissions pages I read do not list required high school courses (math, chemistry, physics) for the life sciences; not published there, so ask admissions.
• AP and the major: for Biology majors, AP Biology scores earn no credit toward the minimum number of major courses and no advanced standing; the Chemistry page says the same for AP Chemistry; non-majors with AP Biology or Chemistry 4 or 5 receive natural science common credit.
• IB and A-Level credit: not stated on the pages I read.
• Sequence after enrolling: the Neuroscience catalog lists BIOL 161, CHEM 181 (or CSCI 131), Calculus 1, PHYS 115 and 116 and STAT 220 as foundations; the Biology chemistry sequence runs from CHEM 181 to CHEM 221 or 231. The Health Professions page notes that physics at Holy Cross requires Calculus 1. No math placement detail is given.

5. Rounds, deadlines and materials

• Early Decision I (binding): 15 November; notification 15 December.
• Early Decision II (binding): 15 January; notification 15 February.
• Regular Decision: 15 January; notification in mid-March. Holy Cross says it offers no non-binding Early Action.
• Platforms: Common Application or Coalition Application with Scoir (choose one). Application fee $65, with waivers (the college lists several, including the Common App and Coalition criteria and attending a Catholic or Jesuit high school).
• Materials: high school transcript, a counselor recommendation, at least one teacher recommendation (more allowed), and the Early Decision agreement for ED applicants.
• Interview: “strongly recommended”, by appointment. ED I applicants interview by 15 November; ED II and Regular Decision applicants by 5 December. Off-campus alumni interviews are not available for ED applicants.
• Testing: SAT/ACT is entirely optional, with no disadvantage for not submitting; Holy Cross superscores both.
• Essays and supplement prompts: not listed on the pages I read; see Holy Cross’s section of the application.

6. U.S. applicants

• Cost: Holy Cross is private, and its fees page lists one rate with no in-state tuition. 2026-27: tuition $70,220, standard housing $11,500, resident food plan $9,090, health service fee $470, activity fee $460; total with housing and food $91,740, without $71,150; health insurance $2,921 extra; lab fees and music lesson fees are billed as incurred. No set extra fee for biology or neuroscience appears, but lab fees are billed as incurred.
• Aid: Holy Cross says it meets 100% of demonstrated need at the time of admission for all accepted students, and that families earning $100,000 or less (with reasonable assets) receive a full-tuition grant. Institutional funding is mainly need-based, with a limited number of merit awards such as the Magis and Faber scholarships. Residents of Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Vermont are expected to apply for state grants.
• Testing and in-state preference: testing is optional; any preference for Massachusetts residents is not stated on the pages I read.
• Research and placements: Biology says students can do semi-independent research under a faculty member, often for credit; students present at an annual spring Academic Conference, some publish as co-authors, and the college fully funds faculty who take students to national society meetings. The Weiss Summer Research Program is open to neuroscience students. Numbers of summer placements and clinical placements are not published on the pages I read.

7. International applicants

• Who counts: applicants without U.S. citizenship or permanent residency. The application is completed in English; originals or notarized copies of secondary records and recommendations are submitted, with certified English translations if necessary.
• Required: the Certification of Finances form (all amounts in U.S. dollars, listing funding for all four years) and a bank letter or financial affidavit in English.
• English: if you did not attend an English-speaking high school and are not a native speaker, submit TOEFL (including Home Edition), IELTS (including Indicator) or Duolingo. The page says the most competitive applicants score 100+ on TOEFL, 7+ on IELTS or 120 on Duolingo.
• Aid: the international FAQ says limited funding is currently available for international students and refers questions to the Financial Aid Office (financialaid@holycross.edu). The pages I read do not say whether international students get the same full-need aid as domestic students, nor when an aid request must be made; not published there.
• Interview: not required but strongly encouraged; a limited number of virtual interviews are offered through an International Interview Request form after you apply; the Duolingo test can be used in place of an interview.
• Visa: an F-1 visa is needed; Forms I-20 are sent in early summer after admission; the Office of International Students helps with I-20s, SEVIS, work authorization and the STEM-OPT extension.
• Any limits on international students in lab or clinical-related placements: not stated on the pages I read.

8. Applicants from China

• The one sentence about China on the international page is that “our most successful applicants from China submit interviews via the online platforms InitialView or Vericant.”
• The pages I read do not say whether Gaokao scores are considered, how to submit national exam materials or how to handle credential evaluation; not published there, so contact admissions (admissions@holycross.edu, 508-793-2443).
• The international rules above apply: English scores, the Certification of Finances with a bank letter, and certified English translations.
• Holy Cross gives no separate math and science expectations for the Chinese curriculum; follow section 4 and confirm with admissions.

9. Transfer

• Who: first-, second- and third-year transfer students are welcome. Apply through the Common App Transfer Application; no application fee.
• Deadlines: fall entry 1 April, spring entry 1 November; supporting materials are due a month later (1 May for fall, 1 December for spring); decisions are rolling. An interview is highly recommended: fall transfer interview deadline 1 May, spring 1 December.
• Materials: final official high school transcript; official transcripts of all college work (a mid-term progress report for current courses); two academic evaluations from professors (high school or personal recommendations accepted if you cannot); course descriptions for all college courses; the College Official’s Report; testing optional.
• Aid: transfer students are eligible for need-based aid and merit scholarships; the aid deadlines match the application deadlines (1 April for fall, 1 December for spring).
• Credit: a credit evaluation is done during review, and accepted transfer students receive it within 24 hours of the decision letter. A minimum GPA, a cap on transferable credit and the minimum course grade are not stated on the pages I read.
• Course requirements for transferring into Biology or Neuroscience: not published; ask the departments.

Checklist

U.S. applicants:

• ED I 15 November; ED II or Regular Decision 15 January; $65 fee (waivers available); testing optional; interview strongly recommended
• After enrolling: BIOL 161–163, CHEM 181, Calculus 1; if aiming at medical school, follow the Health Professions office’s course advice

International applicants (including China):

• Typical English levels: TOEFL 100, IELTS 7, Duolingo 120; Certification of Finances and bank letter; InitialView or Vericant interviews are mentioned for applicants from China
• Funding for international students is limited; confirm with the Financial Aid Office, and confirm how the Gaokao is used with admissions

Transfer students:

• 1 April (fall) or 1 November (spring); no application fee; course descriptions and two professor evaluations

Sources: College of the Holy Cross, Biology program page; Neuroscience program page; Chemistry program page; Health Professions Advising; Catalog: Biology; Catalog: Biology major; Catalog: Biochemistry concentration; Catalog: Neuroscience 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); check Holy Cross’s website for the latest.