How to Apply to Mathematics at Grinnell College: An Iowa Liberal Arts College With an Individually Advised Curriculum, a 32-Credit Math Major, and Admission and Prerequisites for U.S., International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Students

Grinnell College is a liberal arts college in Grinnell, Iowa. Mathematics is taught by the College's mathematics and statistics faculty, and you apply to the College itself; the application pages we read do not ask you to choose a major. The College is known for its individually advised curriculum: the website says the First-Year Tutorial is the only required course, and students design the rest with their advisers. Below is what the Grinnell website says for fall 2027 entry, for U.S. students, international students (including those from China) and transfer students. Computer science is not covered in this article.

1. Programs and how admission works

• What the program covers: the mathematics page describes "an intensive curriculum focused on pure mathematics, applied mathematics, and statistics", and lists careers such as finance, actuarial science, operations research, software engineering, statistical consulting, teaching and law, as well as graduate study. The majors list shows Mathematics and Statistics as separate pages; the statistics major is not covered here. The pages we read do not give the degree name (B.A. or B.S.), any formally named tracks such as pure or applied, or STEM designation; not published there, so ask admissions.
• Choosing a major on the application: none. The application pages offer no major option, and the transfer page says transfers need not study the same subject as before.
• Declaring the major: the declaration timing, any grade or GPA threshold, any quota, and the process for moving into mathematics are not stated on the pages we read. The full major requirements sit on the "Major and Requirements" page, which loads from the College's course catalog (catalog.grinnell.edu); we did not access the catalog, so check it directly.
• Advising: the website says each student is assigned a faculty adviser and a career adviser, and designs the curriculum with their guidance.

2. Prerequisites and course sequence

• High school mathematics: the admissions page says competitive candidates generally have 4-5 academic subjects each term in grades 10-12, four years of English, four years of natural science (two of them lab science), three years of a foreign language, two years of social science (three recommended) and four years of mathematics (including calculus for students interested in STEM). These are general expectations, not hard cutoffs.
• Major credits (mathematics "Course Sequence" page): 32 credits (not including MAT-115, MAPs or independent studies); at least 16 credits at the 300-400 level; and a 300-level sequence, the listed sequences being 313-314, 316-317, 321-322 or 335-336. The third item on that page is worded incompletely (it begins "and a 300-level sequence"), so confirm on the Major and Requirements page.
• Core course chain (the flow chart's text description): Calculus I (or the year-long equivalent of MAT-123 Functions and Differential Calculus and MAT-124 Functions and Integral Calculus), then Calculus II, then MAT-215 Linear Algebra, then MAT-218 (or MAT-222) Bridges to Advanced Mathematics; the two required foundations courses for the major are MAT-316 Foundations of Analysis and MAT-321 Foundations of Algebra. Follow-up courses include MAT-317 Advanced Topics in Analysis, MAT-322 Advanced Topics in Algebra and MAT-444 Senior Seminar (with 316 and 321 as prerequisites).
• Applied and statistics courses: applied mathematics includes MAT-220 Differential Equations, MAT-306 Math Modeling (offered in even-year springs), MAT-313 Numerical Analysis and MAT-314 Advanced Topics in Applied Math; statistics includes MAT-115 Introduction to Statistics (a stand-alone course, not a prerequisite for later statistics courses), MAT-209 Applied Statistics (Calculus I is a prerequisite), MAT-230 Intro to Data Science, MAT-335/336 Probability and Statistics I and II, MAT-309 Design of Experiments, MAT-310 Statistical Modeling and MAT-340 Bayesian Statistics.
• AP/IB: the admissions page says Grinnell does not require AP scores and applicants may self-report them; AP and IB credit policy is in the course catalog, which we did not access, so which AP/IB subjects replace math courses is not published in what we read. A math placement test is not described on the pages we read either; not published there.
• Research and honors: the math page mentions the Mentored Advanced Project (MAP), opportunities to take part in mathematics competitions, research and conferences, and weekly student seminars (Mathematics and Statistics Student Seminars, Thursdays, open to the whole community). An honors thesis route for math is not described on the pages we read; not published there. The department has two prizes for current students, the Pamela Ferguson Endowed Prize in Mathematics (up to two a year for majors entering their senior year) and the Linn Smith Prize for Excellence in Mathematics; neither is an admission scholarship. The page also lists summer research (NSF REUs and others) and the Budapest Semester in Mathematics (more than 40 Grinnell students since 1985, as the page says).
• Outcomes (the College's graduate-outcomes page, first destinations of the last four graduating classes): employment 50%, graduate school 38%, post-graduate service 2%, fellowships 1%, other 8%; the math page adds that 96% of employed graduates hold positions related to their career goals. The text version of the chart lists numbers and labels in sequence; check the chart on the website.

3. Rounds, deadlines and materials

• Where to apply: the Common Application or QuestBridge. There is no application fee and no required supplement. An optional two-minute Preliminary Application is available seasonally.
• Deadlines (the page shows the 2026-27 cycle): Early Decision I 15 November (decision mid-to-late December; deposit by 5 January); Early Decision II 5 January (decision early February; deposit by 20 February); Regular Decision 15 January (decision late March or early April; deposit by 1 May). Early Decision requires an agreement signed by you, a parent and a counselor.
• Required: the application (with essay and activities list); two teacher evaluations; a counselor recommendation; the Common App Secondary School Report; and an official high school transcript with the school's original stamp, signature or seal. The international page says to choose teachers from an academic subject (English, math, social studies, science or language). Grinnell does not require one of them to be a math teacher, and any preference for math applicants is not published.
• Optional: a short-answer supplement (200-450 words; optional but recommended); art or music work and other materials such as writing samples; interviews (recommended, not required; the international page says interviews are not weighed heavily, and InitialView, Vericant and Duolingo interviews are accepted).
• Testing: SAT/ACT optional, but applicants must tell Grinnell by the round deadline whether they will submit scores and cannot change it afterwards; Grinnell superscores, ACT science is not required, and enrolling students who self-reported must send official scores before arriving.
• Math competitions: the admissions pages we read do not say how competitions such as AMC, USAMO or IMO are viewed; not published. They say the review considers the high school transcript (grades and course rigor), essay, recommendations and activities, whether or not a test score is sent.

4. U.S. students

• Admission and aid: Grinnell says it is need-blind for domestic applicants and meets 100% of demonstrated need without loans. It reports 93.8% of students receive grant or scholarship aid, 68% receive need-based aid (average eligibility $73,462), and $92.5 million in grants and scholarships this year.
• Merit scholarships: all first-year domestic applicants are considered, up to $30,000, with no separate application; applications submitted by 1 December get priority.
• Need-based aid deadlines match the admission deadlines: ED I 15 November, ED II 5 January, RD 15 January. The aid page's table lists the FAFSA, CSS Profile, parent federal tax documents and Grinnell's online financial aid application; check which apply to you. Students filing only the FAFSA are considered for federal and state aid such as the Iowa Tuition Grant and the Pell Grant.
• The cost page lists a single tuition figure with no in-state/out-of-state split; any priority or guaranteed admission for Iowa residents is not published there.

5. International students

• Who counts: citizenship or permanent residency, not where you live. U.S. citizens, permanent residents and those with approved asylee or refugee status apply as domestic; everyone else, including applicants whose permanent residency is still pending, applies as international.
• Admission and aid: the website says Grinnell is need-aware for international students: demonstrated need is considered along with academic and extracurricular factors. It commits to meet 100% of institutionally determined need of admitted international students who complete a financial aid application by the deadline. International applicants may also be considered for merit scholarships up to $28,000, which are extremely competitive, with no separate application and no priority deadline. If you do not apply for aid for your first year, you cannot request it in later years.
• Aid forms: required with the admission application, by the same deadline (the application is not complete without them): the 2027-28 CSS Profile, or Grinnell's International Student Application for Financial Assistance (only through the applicant portal; no email attachments). Grinnell does not offer CSS Profile fee waivers. If you are not applying for aid, say so on the Common App. Do not send unrequested documents such as a Certification of Finances.
• English tests: required if your native language is not English and/or your primary language of high school instruction was not English: an official TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo score. For fall 2027 entry the international page accepts the Duolingo English Test; IELTS (including E-Delivery); the TOEFL iBT in all three formats (test center, Home Edition, Paper Edition) and TOEFL Essentials, with MyBest scores accepted. The requirements page gives reference points: the TOEFL iBT score for admitted international students is "typically 5 or higher (100 or higher on previous scale)", last year's middle 50% for Duolingo was 125-140, and it prefers IELTS of 7.0 or higher. These are references, not stated minimums.
• External exams and transcripts: an official transcript (mark sheet, report card or similar showing subjects and marks each year) sent by your counselor or an EducationUSA officer; official external exam results as required by your system, with examples O-Level, A-Level, SSSCE, WAEC, NECO, HSEB, SLC, KCSE, IGCSE, SPM, IB, ICSE, HSC, AISSCE and CXC, "not a comprehensive list", with others notified case by case. O-Level/A-Level students must continue through A-Level (or equivalent) to be eligible.
• Interviews: not required, and no special preference for international applicants who have one; submit the Common App and aid application first.

6. Applicants from China

• The pages we read have no section for applicants from China and do not mention the Gaokao or the Huikao, so whether the Gaokao is considered is not published. The international page points to the international admission office (intladmission@grinnell.edu) and local EducationUSA advisers.
• The external-exam list above does not include the Gaokao and is explicitly "not comprehensive", so whether Gaokao or Huikao results must be submitted is not published; ask the international admission office. Transcripts must come from your counselor or an appropriate school administrator, with the school's original stamp and signature.
• English: if your native language is not English and your high school instruction was not in English, submit TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo (see section 5).

7. Costs

• 2026-27 (US$, on campus, basic room): tuition 73,582 (required books and course materials are included), activity fee 572, housing 8,316 (apartment-style 9,148), food 9,468, miscellaneous personal expenses 1,100, transportation 300 and up; the page's total cost of attendance is 93,338+ (94,170+ for an apartment). Transportation is estimated from your home address: 300 to 850 for the mainland U.S., 1,300 for Alaska, Hawaii, U.S. territories or outside the U.S. Figures for 2027-28 are not yet on the page we read.

8. Transfer students

• Who is a transfer: since high school graduation you have studied at a U.S.-accredited college and will have 12 or more transferable credits by the time you enroll; or you have studied at a non-U.S.-accredited university for more than two semesters by then. The page also says it invites applications from students who have completed at least one year of college coursework.
• Deadlines (the page shows 2026-27): fall transfer 1 March (decision early May, deposit by 1 June); spring transfer 1 November (decision late November, deposit by 10 December).
• Materials: the Common App (including the Registrar's Report); the final official high school transcript or GED certificate; official transcripts from each college attended; two written academic evaluations from current or former professors (if you left high school less than a year ago, one from a high school teacher is allowed). The transfer page we read does not state an application fee.
• Credit and major: all college-level coursework is assessed; you receive an estimate of transferring credits at admission and a final official evaluation before arrival. You need not study the same subject as at your previous school; you design your program with your adviser. How many transferred courses can count toward the math major, and any calculus or linear algebra entry requirement, are not stated on the pages we read; contact the department.
• Aid: domestic transfer applicants are not eligible for merit aid but may apply for need-based aid, and Grinnell says it meets 100% of demonstrated need for admitted domestic transfers without loans; for international transfers, need-based aid or scholarships are "incredibly rare". Need-based aid deadlines for transfers: 1 March (fall) and 1 November (spring).

Checklist

U.S. students:

• Apply by 15 November (ED I), 5 January (ED II) or 15 January (RD); no application fee; two teacher evaluations; tell Grinnell by the deadline whether you will send test scores
• In the first year take the First-Year Tutorial and plan your math sequence with your adviser; applications by 1 December get priority for merit scholarships

International students (including China):

• Same deadlines; official transcript, external exam results where your system requires them; TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo if English is not your native or instructional language
• Aid forms (CSS Profile or Grinnell's own international aid application) go in with the admission application; ask the international admission office how the Gaokao should be submitted

Transfer students:

• Fall transfer closes 1 March, spring transfer 1 November; two professor evaluations
• Credit is estimated at admission and finalized before arrival; need-based aid for international transfers is incredibly rare

Sources: Grinnell College, Mathematics; Mathematics course sequence and major requirements; Opportunities in mathematics and statistics; Graduate outcomes: mathematics; First-year applicants; Requirements and deadlines; International applicants; Transfer applicants; Apply for aid; Cost of attendance; Financial aid overview. Information is for fall 2027 entry (the pages show the 2026-27 application cycle; costs are 2026-27 figures). Check Grinnell for the latest details.