How to Apply to Mathematics at the University of Rochester: No General Education Requirements and Declaring the Major After Entry, with BA, BS, Honors and Applied Mathematics Degrees, for Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

At the University of Rochester (URochester), undergraduate mathematics is offered by the Department of Mathematics; students apply to the University through the Office of Admissions and declare a major after entry. Here is what you need to know, based on the department’s and the Office of Admissions’ websites, organised for US domestic applicants, international applicants and applicants from China, followed by transfer students. Computer science is not covered here; this site has a separate article on it, and data science and other majors are not covered either.

1. Degrees and areas

• Five degrees: the department lists a BA in mathematics, an honors BA, a BS, an honors BS and a BS in applied mathematics; there is also a joint BA in mathematics and statistics, which needs approval from advisors in both departments.
• BA (the most flexible): suited to double majors or students designing their own programme. It requires any two-year calculus sequence; MTH 235 and either MTH 236 or MTH 240; one of MTH 201, 255, 263, 265, 282 or 285; three additional advanced math courses; two additional courses with advanced math content; and the upper level writing requirement.
• BS: any two-year calculus sequence; MTH 235, 236, 240, 265 and 282; four additional advanced math courses; two additional courses with advanced math content; and the upper level writing requirement.
• BS in applied mathematics: any two-year calculus sequence; MTH 201, 235, 265 and 280; MTH 240 or 282; CSC 171/172, or PHY 121/122 plus CSC 161; two additional advanced math courses; two additional courses with advanced math content; and the upper level writing requirement.
• Honors BS (the most intensive): the 170 calculus sequence (or MTH 161, 162, 164, 165 and 235); MTH 236H, 240H, 265H and 282H; two graduate math courses and two other advanced math courses; two courses with advanced math content; an independent research project; and the upper level writing requirement. The honors BA is similar without MTH 282H and the two extra courses. How students enter the honors programmes is not stated in the pages read; see the department’s honors requirement pages.
• Minor and other options: a math minor (calculus, linear algebra and two electives), math clusters, certificates in operations research, actuarial studies, and mathematical modeling in political science and economics, and a 4+1 programme with the Warner School of Education (a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in five years). The mathematics and philosophy departments also make it easier to add a philosophy minor.

2. How admission to the major works: apply to the University, declare after entry

• At application: the Office of Admissions says the Rochester Curriculum has no general education requirements and no traditional core. Students complete the primary writing requirement, the requirements of their major, and a cluster (three related courses) in each of the two other areas of learning (engineering majors need only one cluster); many students enter undecided or multi-decided. Whether the application asks for a mathematics major, and whether applicants are reviewed by major, is not stated in the pages read; please ask the Office of Admissions.
• Declaring the major: the department says to use the Office of the Registrar’s online form. If you have already met a faculty advisor, write their name on the form and email them; otherwise the submission is rejected and you are asked to meet an advisor first, after which you can resubmit. Any faculty member can be a major advisor, and the math advisors hold weekly walk-in hours. The latest time to declare is not stated in the pages read.
• Prerequisite for acceptance into the major: the BA and BS requirement pages say the foundation courses, the 160 calculus sequence (MATH 161, 162, 164, 165) or its equivalent, must be completed before acceptance into the major. Equivalents include MATH 171, 172 and 174 for 161, 162 and 164; MATH 173 for 165; MATH 141–143 for 161–162; and AP courses may also be used. A grade requirement or cap on places is not stated in the pages read.

3. Prerequisites and placement

• High school math: the University-level high school course requirements are not stated in the pages read. The department says that students who have not taken precalculus, or took it several years ago, should start in MATH 140 (precalculus, offered in fall only).
• Calculus sequences: there are three. The 140 sequence (MATH 141–143) covers much the same material as the 160 sequence at a slower pace, taking an extra semester; the 160 sequence (MATH 161–165) is the standard one; the 170 sequence (MATH 171–174) is the honors sequence, which puts more emphasis on theory and proof, carries 5 credit hours per semester and covers calculus, ordinary differential equations and linear algebra. Completing it earns 20 credit hours (24 with AP credit) and covers the foundation requirements for a math major or minor plus MATH 235. The department particularly recommends MATH 171 for students interested in mathematics, physics or theoretical engineering.
• Placement: the department says incoming students are not strictly placed but choose within guidelines; those in MATH 141 and 161 take a Basic Skills Exam in the second week, and final placement in MATH 140, 141 or 161 depends on it, with registration changes possible starting in the fourth week. Non-binding guidance: SAT math 680+ or ACT 29+ suggests MATH 161 or 171; SAT 600+ or ACT 24+ suggests MATH 141; SAT 590 or ACT 23 or lower suggests MATH 140. Placement uses SAT/ACT scores, AP calculus scores and high school records.
• AP credit: AB 3 – MATH 161, no credit; AB 4–5 – MATH 162 or 171, one semester of credit; BC 3 – MATH 162 or 171, one semester of credit; BC 4–5 – MATH 164, 165 or 171, or in exceptional cases MATH 173, with two semesters of credit if placed in 164, 165 or 173 and one semester if MATH 171 is completed. Another department page says students entering the 170 sequence with AB 4 or higher or BC 3 or higher get 4 credits but still enrol in MATH 171.
• IB and A-Level: a 4 or better in IB higher-level mathematics places into MTH 162 with credit for MTH 161; no credit is given for IB standard-level mathematics; Cambridge A-Level credit needs course approval from the department through its online form, with a copy of the A-Level transcript.
• Math competitions: how they are viewed in admission is not stated in the pages read.

4. Deadlines and application materials

• Rounds and deadlines: Early Decision I (binding) is due 1 November, with notification in mid-December; Early Decision II and Regular Decision are both due 5 January, with notification in early February and on 1 April respectively. There is also a non-binding priority scholarship deadline of 1 December, with notification in late February and a reply date of 1 May. The pages show no year, so check that they apply to fall 2027 entry. ED applicants must submit the FAFSA (school code 002894) and CSS Profile (school code 2928) by 1 December to be considered for need-based aid.
• How to apply: the Common Application or the Coalition application; the application fee is $50, with a fee waiver request available.
• Essays: besides the personal statement, the Rochester supplement for the 2026-27 cycle asks how you will combine the University’s academic flexibility and co-curricular opportunities to create an experience that reflects your interests and ambitions (250 words).
• Recommendations and transcripts: one teacher recommendation is required (up to three; any academic area, so the pages do not require a math teacher), plus the counselor recommendation and school report, a mid-year report, a final transcript after admission, and a transcript covering grades 9 to 11. An interview is “highly recommended” but optional, and applicants may add a family/peer recommendation and media links.
• Testing: the University is test optional and applicants who do not submit scores are not disadvantaged. Applicants choose test-optional or test-flexible (SAT/ACT, or two or more SAT Subject, AP, IB, A-Level or other national secondary exam results). Scores may be self-reported, official scores are required after enrolling, and SAT/ACT results are superscored.

5. US domestic applicants

• Tuition (2026-27): the cost page says undergraduate tuition is a flat rate for all full-time students, with no in-state or out-of-state difference: tuition $71,750 and mandatory fees $1,622; for residential students, housing $12,822, food $8,506, transportation $300 and personal expenses $1,022, totalling $96,022 (off-campus $87,080; living with parents $81,364). Textbooks and some course materials are included in tuition (the UR Essentials programme). The same page lists tuition of $69,030 for 2025-26. The rates for fall 2027 entry are not stated in the pages read.
• Aid: the Office of Admissions says the University meets 100% of the demonstrated financial need of all admitted students; U.S. citizens and eligible non-citizens submit the FAFSA and CSS Profile. All applicants are automatically considered for merit scholarships with no extra application, and the priority scholarship deadline is 1 December.
• In-state priority or guaranteed admission: not stated in the pages read.

6. International applicants

• English requirements: applicants whose native language is not English and who attend secondary or higher education in a non-native English-speaking country must submit one of: Duolingo English Test 130, IELTS 7.5, or TOEFL iBT 100 (former scoring) or 5 (new scoring, live from 21 January 2026); these are listed as recommended scores (TOEFL school code 2928). Scores must come officially from the testing agency; sub-scores from different sittings are not combined and TOEFL MyBest scores are not accepted. Scores outside the range are still encouraged, and some applicants may be admitted through the two-semester English for Academic Purposes Program (EAPP), which cannot be applied to directly.
• Waivers: native speakers of English, or students with at least three years of high school where English was the main language of instruction; transfer applicants with a year or more of U.S. college coursework including a writing-intensive course.
• Materials: secondary school transcript, one teacher recommendation, counselor recommendation, mid-year report, final transcript, English exam results or a waiver request, and the International Financial Support Form (IFSF) (for applicants who do not need aid) or the CSS Profile (for those who do). The application is incomplete without an IFSF.
• Funding and aid: international applicants must show they can meet the cost (private funds or sponsorship) or apply for need-based aid. The website says two things: one page says the University is committed to meeting the full demonstrated need of all admitted students regardless of citizenship; another says financial need is a contributing factor for international applicants, that admission is highly selective for those with financial need, that only a small number of international applicants qualify for need-based aid, and that applicants who cannot secure the needed funding cannot be admitted. All applicants are considered for merit scholarships. Limited CSS Profile fee waivers are available; requests are due 15 January (first-year), 15 April (transfer) and 15 November (spring).

7. Applicants from China

• Gaokao: the testing policy page lists, for China, the “Chinese National Higher Education Entrance Examination (Gao Kao)” among the exams that fulfil the test-flexible option, and says a verification report of scores can be requested through CHESICC. Whether Gaokao results are required and how they are weighed is not explained further; this is not published in the pages read, so please contact the admissions office.
• Transcripts and school-leaving materials: no China-specific requirements are published in the pages read; the general international requirements are in section 6. The website also mentions a WeChat account for updates.
• International curricula: students taking AP, IB or A-Level can use the credit rules in section 3; predicted IB scores must come in a signed and dated letter from the school’s IB coordinator.

8. Costs, scholarships and outcomes

• Costs: see section 5.
• Department scholarships: the department pages read do not mention math-specific scholarships or an undergraduate research programme.
• Outcomes: the department’s careers page says math majors can choose from careers including teaching, research, software engineering, statistics, operations research and finance, and that law, medical and other professional schools look favourably on math majors. It prints no employment data and links to professional societies and the University’s career center.

9. Transfer students

• Who counts as a transfer: applicants who enrolled in eight or more college credits (typically one semester) after high school.
• Deadlines: fall entry 15 March (priority consideration) and spring entry 15 October; supplemental materials by 15 June and 1 December; rolling decisions. The pages show no year, so check. Apply through the Common Application. Materials include all college transcripts, the final high school transcript (which may be waived after a year of full-time college work) and one academic recommendation. Applicants seeking aid submit the CSS Profile; Rochester is need-aware for transfer applicants. International transfer applicants also need English results or a waiver, an IFSF or CSS Profile, and a course-by-course credential evaluation (WES or ECE) for college work outside the US.
• Math prerequisites: the BA and BS pages ask for the calculus sequence (MATH 161–165 or equivalents) before acceptance into the major. The department encourages transfer students interested in math to come to advising hours as soon as possible for help with course approval and choosing courses.
• Credit transfer: the department’s rules say a transferable math course must be at least five weeks long and match an existing course; winter-session and self-paced courses are not accepted; at least 50% of the grade must be based on human-proctored exams; a math major may transfer at most one core course and at most four 200-level courses; MATH 235 cannot be transferred for the minor and is rarely transferred for the major; exceptions need the Director of Undergraduate Studies. Current students taking courses elsewhere must get approval first through the department’s online form. A formal credit evaluation is provided with an offer of admission.
• Community college pathway: a Competitive Transfer Pathway with Monroe Community College lists mathematics among its programmes; students transfer with junior standing and submit an intent-to-enrol form by 15 March (fall) or 15 October (spring).

Checklist

US domestic applicants:

• ED I 1 November; ED II and Regular 5 January; priority scholarship 1 December; $50 fee; one teacher recommendation and the 250-word supplement; testing optional
• FAFSA and CSS Profile (by 1 December for ED applicants)

International applicants (including China):

• IELTS 7.5, TOEFL 100 or 5 on the new scale, Duolingo 130 (or a waiver); IFSF or CSS Profile
• The Gaokao can be listed as a test-flexible exam; score verification goes through CHESICC

After entry:

• Choose MATH 140, 141, 161 or 171 using the placement guidance, with AP/IB credit as in the tables; finish the calculus sequence, then declare through the Registrar’s form after meeting a math faculty advisor

Transfer students:

• Fall 15 March, spring 15 October; complete the calculus sequence; get outside math courses approved by the department

Sources: University of Rochester, Mathematics: undergraduate program; Mathematics: degrees; Mathematics: BA requirements; Mathematics: BS requirements; Mathematics: advising and declaring; Mathematics: placement and advanced credit; Mathematics: calculus sequences; Mathematics: transfer credit; Mathematics: careers; Mathematics: 4+1 program; Admissions: dates and deadlines; Admissions: first-year students; Admissions: how to apply; Admissions: international students; Admissions: testing policies; Admissions: transfer students; Admissions: the Rochester Curriculum; Undergraduate tuition and expenses. The dates on the admissions pages show no year, so check that they apply to fall 2027 entry and see the University’s website for the latest.