How to Apply to Life Sciences and Pre-Health Study at Reed College: A Liberal Arts College Where Biology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Neuroscience Majors Take a Junior Qualifying Exam and Write a Thesis, No Pre-Med Major, and the Path for Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

Reed College is a liberal arts college in Portland, Oregon. Its life-science-related majors are offered through the Biology, Chemistry and Psychology departments. Reed says plainly that it has no pre-med or pre-vet major or track: students choose the field that excites them and include the courses medical or veterinary schools typically require. What sets Reed apart is that the biology-related majors involve a junior qualifying exam (Junior Qual), and the Chemistry page says the senior thesis is required of all Reed students. This guide summarises Reed’s published information for fall 2027 entry for U.S. applicants, international applicants and applicants from China, followed by transfer students. Reed’s course catalog is hosted by a third-party catalog service that we did not visit, so detailed major requirements are limited to what the departments’ own pages say; please check the catalog for the rest.

1. Relevant undergraduate majors

• Biology: the standard major from the Biology Department; the FAQ also mentions petitioning for an alternate Biology major.
• Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (BMB): listed by the Biology Department as a major; the Chemistry Department page says Reed offers Bachelor of Arts degrees in chemistry, biochemistry and molecular biology, and chemistry-environmental studies.
• Environmental Studies-Biology: listed by the Biology Department as a major.
• Neuroscience: described as an interdisciplinary major for students who wish to focus on the intersection of biology and psychology; the Psychology page also mentions a psychology or neuroscience major.
• Other: the Biology page says special ad hoc programs linking two disciplines can be arranged with faculty approval, commonly Mathematics/Biology and Psychology/Biology; Reed also takes part in a 3+2 Forestry and Environmental Management program with Duke (three years at Reed, two at Duke, giving a Reed bachelor’s and a Duke master’s). Chemistry is a separate major.
• The pages we read list no nursing, public health, kinesiology or nutrition major, and do not say whether the biology majors are STEM-designated. The Biology page does not say whether degrees are B.A. or B.S.; the Chemistry page mentions only B.A.

2. Admission and entering a major

• Applying: the application pages we read do not ask you to choose a major or list quotas by major. Students must submit a Declaration of Major form to the Registrar by the end of the second year, or they cannot register for the next term; the major can be changed later by filing an amended form.
• Division requirements: the Biology FAQ says the Division of Mathematics and Natural Sciences imposes no divisional requirements.
• Introductory courses: on the Biology courses page, BIOL 101 and BIOL 102 (Topics in Biology I and II) together make a full year of introductory biology with lab, taken in either order. The Chemistry page says courses begin with Chem 101 (Molecular Structure and Properties), and most include substantial laboratory work.
• Course order: the Biology FAQ says 200-level courses are meant to come before 300-level, but there is no tracking; 400-level seminars (such as 431) are for juniors and seniors and often build on 300-level courses.
• Junior Qual: it must be passed before beginning a thesis. The Biology Qual is taken over a long weekend on Moodle: a quantitative section (choose 4 of about 10 questions) and an essay on one of about 10 papers (4–5 pages); notes, books and library resources are allowed but not collaboration. Results are Pass, Conditional Pass or Not Passing; a conditional pass is the most common and allows about two weeks for rewrites, and a failed qual can be retaken the next semester. BMB students take both the Biology and Chemistry quals; Environmental Studies-Biology students take the Biology and Environmental Studies quals; Neuroscience students take a separate neuroscience exam.
• Thesis: the Chemistry page says the senior thesis is required of all Reed students. In Biology a thesis need not be experimental and can be done off campus with careful planning.
• Detailed course lists, GPA requirements and caps: these are in the third-party catalog we did not read; the department pages we read state no GPA threshold or cap.

3. The pre-med path

• The Biology FAQ says there is no pre-med or pre-vet track: you may major in anything and take the prerequisites specified by professional schools; the Biology major includes most of them, with the addition of physics. The FAQ points to the catalog entry “Premedical and Preveterinary Preparation”, which we did not read.
• Advising: the Center for Life Beyond Reed offers pre-health advising to all students and alumni and has a pre-health advisor, plus four pre-health faculty advisers for 2026–27 (from Chemistry, French and Humanities, Psychology and Biology).
• Letters: Reed says it does not provide a committee letter; letters of evaluation from individual faculty members are submitted with the AMCAS application.
• The page also lists a GPA calculator, information on MD/PhD programs, a planner, internship and volunteer opportunities (such as the OHSU volunteer program) and a pre-health mailing list, and mentions the MCAT and the AAMC PREview exam.
• Medical-school acceptance statistics, combined bachelor’s/medical programs, and separate pre-health guidance for international students: not stated on the pages we read; contact the Center (beyondreed@reed.edu).

4. High-school preparation

• The admission pages we read do not list required high-school math, biology, chemistry or physics. Not published.
• AP credit: scores of 4 or 5 are required, generally one unit per exam, which counts only toward the 30 units needed to graduate and cannot meet any other Reed requirement; no more than 8 units of pre-matriculation credit in total (AP, IB, exams or college courses). Biology: 4 or 5 earns one unit but no advanced placement, because the department wants all biology students in the first-year team-taught course. Chemistry: majors must take Chem 101 and 102 regardless of AP or IB; AP chemistry 4 or 5 earns one unit, which is rescinded once both courses are completed. Calculus: one unit for AB 5 or BC 4–5. Physics C 4 or 5 earns one unit for either or both; physics 1, 2 and B earn none.
• IB: credit only for Higher Level exams, rarely for Standard Level, and most departments require a 5 or higher. The biology and chemistry IB specifics are not covered here.
• A Reed unit equals four semester hours; 30 units are needed to graduate.

5. Rounds, deadlines and materials

• Early Decision I (binding): 1 November; decisions in December; suggested interview deadline 15 November.
• Early Action (non-binding): 1 November; decisions in February; reply by 1 May; suggested interview deadline 1 December.
• Early Decision II (binding): 15 January; decisions in March; suggested interview deadline 31 January.
• Regular Decision: 15 January; decisions 1 April; reply by 1 May; suggested interview deadline 1 February. Reed says students denied under EA, ED I or ED II may not reapply through Regular Decision in the same cycle.
• Platform: Common App or Coalition App, neither favored. Application fee: not stated on the pages we read; confirm with admission.
• Materials: the Reed writing supplement (up to 500 words: what would you teach during Paideia week); the Common App personal essay (Common App only); high-school transcript; school report and counselor recommendation; two teacher evaluations from two different academic disciplines; transcripts from any colleges attended. ED applicants also sign an Early Decision Agreement. Interviews are optional; international students interview by invitation only.
• Testing: Reed will neither require nor use SAT or ACT results; self-reported scores are not used in evaluation.
• Early Decision Aid Review: ED applicants can get an estimated aid package by 15 November and switch rounds if it does not meet their need.

6. U.S. applicants

• Cost: Reed’s cost page lists one tuition with no in-state rate. 2026–27: tuition $73,960, fees $310, housing $9,720, meal plan A $9,180; books and supplies $1,050, personal expenses $900, transportation $250–$2,000 (based on two trips to your state of residence; for international students, one round-trip airline ticket home). No extra fee for biology or chemistry majors appears on the pages we read.
• Aid: Reed says it meets 100% of demonstrated need for four years; aid is awarded only on need, and Reed offers no academic or athletic scholarships. More than 57 percent of students receive need-based aid, and the average package for the incoming class of 2027 was $59,300. U.S. students apply with the FAFSA and CSS Profile. No in-state preference appears on the pages we read.
• Research: Biology’s summer research funds include the Betty C. Liu, Helen Stafford, Milton L. Fischer, Sandy River Gorge and Arch and Fran Diack awards, managed through one application (the page gives a 4 March 2026 deadline; check for 2027), plus the Beckman Scholars Program, Post-Baccalaureate Research fellowships and college-wide science research fellowships. The Biology FAQ mentions that summer fellowships pay modestly. Number of places is not published.

7. International applicants

• Who: anyone who is neither a U.S. citizen nor a permanent resident; apply through Coalition (Scoir) or the Common App, in any round.
• English: TOEFL, IELTS, SAT, ACT or evidence of English-medium schooling; no test is required if you attended an English-medium school or program. There is no minimum score; averages Reed sees are SAT reading/writing 600+, ACT reading and English 28+, TOEFL 5.0+ (110+ on the old scale), IELTS 7+ and Duolingo 145+. TOEFL code 4654.
• Interview: optional, through InitialView or Vericant for a fee (waivers possible); the interview can be shared with several colleges.
• Documents: school report; counselor recommendation (may come from a guidance counselor, homeroom teacher or principal); two teacher recommendations from two different disciplines, with accurate translations if not in English; full secondary transcripts sent by the school and translated into English; exam results (for example IB or British system) when available.
• Finances: international applicants who want aid must submit the CSS Profile; international applicants admitted without aid cannot receive aid later. Reed meets full demonstrated need for all admitted students and “will not admit a student who demonstrates need without offering a financial aid package”; packages combine grants, work and loans.
• Scholarship programs: beginning with the fall 2026 entering class, Reed intends to offer full-tuition scholarships to two students from each continent (Continental Scholarship Program); admitted UWC students automatically receive $30,000 a year through the Davis–Reed match.
• Visa: to receive the documents for a student visa, you must complete an International Student Certification of Finances form with supporting documents.
• Any limits on international students in labs or clinical shadowing: not stated on the pages we read.

8. Applicants from China

• Gaokao: Reed’s pages do not explain how the Gaokao is used. Not published; contact the international admission office (admission-international@reed.edu).
• Transcripts and translation: secondary transcripts must come from the school and be translated into English; they can be emailed to admission@reed.edu. Recommendations not in English need a translation. Requirements for Chinese school-leaving exam documents are not stated on the pages we read.
• Interview: through InitialView or Vericant, for a fee that may be waived.
• Reed gives no separate math and science expectations for the Chinese curriculum; the rest follows section 7.

9. Transfer

• Who counts: anyone who has graduated high school and has enrolled at an accredited college (even without completing the term), earned at least six Reed units of allowable transfer credit, or received financial aid at a college. Dual-enrollment graduates apply as first-years.
• Deadlines (page labels them 2027): Spring transfer 1 November (ED decisions 13 November; RD in December). Fall transfer: ED 1 March; priority 1 March (later applications on a space-available basis); regular 1 May; rolling after 1 May. Common App only, with the Reed writing supplement, a college report, high-school and all college transcripts, and two recommendations (at least one academic).
• Credit: at least 15 of the 30 graduation units must be earned at Reed. No credit for courses below Reed’s introductory level, vocational or technical courses, general writing courses, or grades below C-. Class standing is estimated from transferred units; junior standing needs approval of the intended major department, and Reed says it is “very difficult to transfer in as a junior” because of the junior qualifying exam.
• Biology: outside courses are assessed with the department’s Biology Transfer Credit Form; the department discourages taking required 300-level courses off campus.
• Specific chemistry, biology or calculus requirements for transferring into these majors: not stated on the pages we read. International students can transfer, and English test results are recommended.

Checklist

U.S. applicants:

• ED I or EA by 1 November, ED II or RD by 15 January; SAT/ACT neither required nor used; write the 500-word Reed supplement
• Declare a major by the end of sophomore year; for medical school, pick the major you like and take the prerequisites; Reed provides no committee letter

International applicants (including China):

• English reference: TOEFL 5.0+, IELTS 7+, Duolingo 145+, or English-medium schooling; optional InitialView or Vericant interview
• Submit the CSS Profile if you need aid; confirm how the Gaokao is used and the application fee with admission

Transfer students:

• Spring 1 November, fall priority 1 March; at least 15 units must be earned at Reed; junior entry is difficult

Sources: Reed College, Biology Department; Biology academic program; Biology FAQ; Biology junior qual; Biology courses; Biology summer research; After Reed; Neuroscience; Chemistry Department; Center for Life Beyond Reed: medical school; How to apply; First-year applicants; International applicants; Transfer applicants; Costs and financial aid; Cost of attendance. Most deadline pages do not print a year (the transfer page labels its columns “Spring/Fall Transfer 2027”). Check Reed for the latest details and confirm the entry year (fall 2027).