How to Apply to Mathematics at Mount Holyoke College: A Women’s Liberal Arts College Where You Do Not Apply to a Major and Declare by the Second Semester of Sophomore Year, with a B.A. Only, for Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

Mount Holyoke College is a gender-diverse women’s liberal arts college in South Hadley, Massachusetts. Undergraduate mathematics is offered by the Department of Mathematics and Statistics; students apply to the College through the Office of Admission and declare a major after entry. Here is what you need to know, based on the College’s website, organised for US domestic applicants, international applicants and applicants from China, followed by transfer students. Computer science is not covered here, and statistics, which has its own program page, is not covered either.

1. Degrees and areas

• Degree: the degrees page says the College confers one undergraduate degree, the Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated A.B. or B.A., the same degree). The mathematics program page also lists only the Bachelor of Arts, with a major and a minor. The pages read do not mention a B.S. in mathematics or separate pure or applied mathematics degrees; the department does urge students to explore applied mathematics and statistics before the junior year.
• Major requirements (at least 36 credits): MATH-203 Calculus III; MATH-211 Linear Algebra; MATH-232 Discrete Mathematics (or MATH-206 Introduction to Proofs Through Analysis); MATH-301 Real Analysis; MATH-312 Abstract Algebra (the 'Groups' or the 'Rings' version); 4 further credits of mathematics or statistics at the 300 level; and 12 further credits of mathematics or statistics at the 200 level or above. With prior approval, a 300-level course with substantial mathematical or statistical content in another discipline may count for at most 4 of those credits.
• Minor (at least 16 credits): one 200-level and one 300-level mathematics course, plus two more mathematics or statistics courses at the 200 level or above.
• Related routes: dual-degree engineering programs with the California Institute of Technology, the University of Massachusetts and Dartmouth’s Thayer School of Engineering (a Mount Holyoke B.A. plus an engineering B.S.); a mathematics and economics special major, which the program page says to arrange through the Special Major chapter and which is applied for through the Dean of Studies; the Biomathematical Sciences program; and teacher licensure.
• Research and graduate school: the program page says students preparing for graduate study often do an undergraduate research program the summer after the junior year and an honors thesis in the senior year, and that more than the minimum number of courses is advisable. The admissions page says every eligible student with a qualifying summer internship or research position receives USD 4,000 (domestic) or USD 4,600 (international) through the Lynk program.

2. How admission to the major works: apply to the College, declare in sophomore year

• At application: you apply to the College as a whole. The pages read do not ask for an intended major and do not describe a separate admission line for mathematics; the program page says “We welcome all students into the Mathematics major”.
• Declaring: the degrees page says each student must declare a major in the sophomore year, no later than the end of the eighth week of classes of the second semester. Grade requirements or limits on places for the mathematics major are not given on the pages read.
• Changing into mathematics: conditions for moving into the mathematics major from within the College are not published on the pages read; the department’s phone number is 413-538-2162.
• Graduation overall: 128 credits, at least 68 outside the major department, plus a First-Year Seminar, a language requirement, a multicultural perspectives course, distribution across three divisions and 4 units of physical education.

3. Prerequisites and placement

• High-school mathematics: the pages read set no specific high-school course requirement. The department asks incoming students to take its Mathematics Assessment (linear functions, function graphs, composition, logarithms, exponentials, factoring); anyone planning to take Precalculus or Calculus I must complete the online self-assessment. More than three wrong answers suggests taking MATH-100 first (a year-long MATH-100 then MATH-101 sequence); MATH-100 requires instructor permission.
• Where to start: MATH-101 if you have not studied calculus; most students who took calculus in high school begin with MATH-102 and should take the Calculus Assessment; those with a good knowledge of integration applications and transcendental functions are encouraged to start with MATH-203 Calculus III. The program page also lists linear algebra, discrete mathematics, the Laboratory in Mathematical Experimentation and the 'Explorations' courses as ways to begin.
• AP Calculus: an AB score of 3 or less means starting at MATH-101; AB 4 or 5, or BC 3, indicates readiness for MATH-102; BC 4 or 5 indicates readiness for MATH-203. The score is a guide. The College’s credit policy gives 4 credits per AP exam graded 4 or 5 (advanced-placement credit is capped at 32 credits), but says advanced-placement credit cannot be applied to fulfill college requirements, and no credit is given if you take the corresponding Mount Holyoke course.
• IB and A-Level: the policy page gives credit for IB higher-level exams graded 6 or 7 only, and up to 32 credits for four or more A-Level exams in liberal arts subjects at grade C or better. The international FAQ adds that students with the full IB Diploma of 36 or more points including three higher-level grades of 6 or 7 may apply for sophomore standing, and that A-Level students with C or better may apply for 8 credits per exam, granted after enrollment on presentation of official results to the Registrar. The pages read do not map IB or A-Level results to specific mathematics courses; contact the department’s placement committee (mathplace-g@mtholyoke.edu).
• Honors: the pages read do not describe an honors mathematics sequence; the program page mentions only an honors thesis in the senior year.
• Mathematics competitions: the pages read do not say how competitions are viewed in admission.

4. Deadlines and application materials

• Rounds and deadlines: Early Decision I (binding) 15 November, notification in late December; Early Decision II 5 January, notification in late January; Regular Decision 15 January, notification in mid-March (one page) or late March (another). Financial-aid deadlines match the application round. Regular Decision admits have until 1 May to decide. The pages show no year, so check that they apply to fall 2027 entry.
• Application platform and fee: the Common Application or the Coalition Application on Scoir, one only, treated equally. The international admission page states “It’s free to apply to Mount Holyoke College.”
• Materials: the Secondary School Report with an official transcript; a counselor recommendation; two teacher recommendations, at least one from a core academic subject (English, foreign language, history/social studies, mathematics or science; the pages do not require a mathematics teacher); an optional Mount Holyoke writing supplement, optional test scores and an optional art supplement; and a midyear report by 15 February for Regular Decision (the application is not complete without it). Early Decision applicants sign an Early Decision Agreement.
• Interviews: evaluative interviews are not part of the review; you can sign up for a non-evaluative MHChat with a current student. The international FAQ says interviews are optional with dates of 26 November, 5 January and 25 January; the two pages differ slightly, so confirm with the Office of Admission.
• Testing: test-optional (SAT/ACT). All entering first-year students who have taken standardized tests are asked to send official scores for the College’s research: Early Decision students in January (ED I) or February (ED II), Regular Decision enrolling students in May, and anyone who did not submit during the application by 1 August at the latest. Self-reported scores should not be superscored. Home-schooled applicants who studied only through self-study or an online curriculum must submit the SAT or ACT.

5. US domestic applicants

• Costs (2026-27): tuition USD 71,178, housing USD 10,836, food USD 10,760 and student activity fee USD 272, a total of USD 93,046; the page also estimates books and supplies at USD 1,000, travel USD 0–1,500 and personal expenses USD 1,000. The pages do not distinguish in-state from out-of-state. All students must have health insurance; US citizens and permanent residents may waive the College plan if their own meets Massachusetts requirements. The standard for fall 2027 entry is not published on the pages read; see the College’s website when it appears.
• Need-based aid: submit the CSS Profile and the FAFSA (US citizens and eligible non-citizens), with parental tax returns or income verification, by the deadline for your round. The College says it meets the demonstrated need of admitted students. Under the Mount Holyoke Commitment, students from US families with household incomes of USD 150,000 or less do not pay tuition; families above that should still apply. The page reports that 82% of aid applicants receive grant aid and the average first-year package is USD 53,200.
• Scholarships: every first-year applicant is automatically considered, with no extra form: 21st Century Scholars (about 25 a year), the Chin Scholars full-tuition award (two a year), the Posse Scholarship, and the Leadership Award for US citizens.
• In-state preference or guaranteed admission: not described on the pages read.

6. International applicants

• Who counts: anyone who is not a US citizen or permanent resident and does not hold US refugee or DACA status. First-year applications are reviewed according to the country where you are educated.
• English proficiency: non-native speakers submit TOEFL, IELTS, Cambridge Academic English, Duolingo or PTE Academic. Apart from Cambridge qualifications (C1 Advanced / C2 Proficiency, 185 minimum), there is no minimum score; the page lists averages: TOEFL iBT 100, or 5.5 for exams taken on or after 21 January 2026; IELTS over 7.0; Duolingo over 130; PTE over 68. The international admission page gives an average TOEFL of 105 for admitted students. TOEFL code 3529. Scores can be self-reported by uploading a PDF; official scores are needed before enrolling; with several results the Committee usually emphasises the test date with the highest composite; MyBest Scores is not accepted. Scores must arrive by the round deadline (the English-requirements page) or, per the international FAQ table, 26 November for ED I. The two pages differ; confirm with the Office of Admission.
• Waivers: considered for students who have attended high school in the US since 9th grade, or since 9th grade in a school outside the US where English is the primary language of instruction (bilingual schools do not qualify); other circumstances can be explained. The College does not waive the requirement based on SAT or ACT scores. A waiver form is submitted through the applicant portal; replies take 7–10 business days and approval is not guaranteed.
• Materials: in addition to the items in section 4, non-US citizens not seeking need-based aid submit the International Financial Declaration (IFD); those seeking aid submit the CSS Profile and parental tax returns or income verification. Documents not in English need professional translations; transcripts, test and English results are expected as official documents; students in national curricula or programs such as IGCSE with external assessments must submit those results.
• Agents: the College says an agent is unnecessary, may deny an application if part of it was completed by someone other than the applicant, requires the applicant’s own contact information on the Common or Coalition Application, and does not communicate with agents.
• Aid and scholarships: international students can receive need-based aid (a combination of grants, loans and campus work). You must apply for it with your admission application; once admitted it is too late to start, and need-based aid is awarded for four years. The page reports that 45% of incoming international students receive need-based aid (average USD 58,686) or merit scholarships (average USD 17,500). The Global Perspectives Award is for non-US citizens; all applicants are automatically considered. International students are over 20% of the student body.

7. Applicants from China

• Gaokao: the admissions pages read do not mention the Chinese gaokao or how it would be used; this is not published, so ask the Office of Admission (admission@mtholyoke.edu).
• Transcripts and school-leaving materials: no China-specific requirements are published on the pages read. General rules: non-English transcripts and recommendations need professional translations, and students in national curricula submit external exam results (the page’s example is IGCSE, not a Chinese exam); ask the Office of Admission how this applies to Chinese high-school records.
• English results: see section 6.
• International curricula: AP, IB and A-Level students can use the credit rules in section 3.

8. Costs, scholarships and outcomes

• Costs: see section 5. The tuition page also notes the College health insurance is required for all international students and cannot be waived, and lists a student visa item under non-billed costs.
• Departmental awards: the pages read list no scholarships specific to the mathematics department; ask the Department of Mathematics and Statistics about undergraduate research programs.
• Outcomes: the program page says: “Each year graduates of our program enter graduate programs in the mathematical sciences or in allied fields (engineering, business, economics, physics, operations research).” It adds that some go to medical school, law school and other professional schools, and others to schools, banks and financial institutions, software companies, insurance companies and research laboratories. The admissions page says 92% of 2025 graduates for whom outcomes data could be obtained (70% of the class) were employed and/or in graduate school within six months; that figure is college-wide, not for mathematics.

9. Transfer students

• Eligibility: graduated from high school and earned between 16 and 64 transferable college credits; about 50 transfer students enrol each year. Applicants over 25, veterans and those with a dependent other than a spouse apply as Frances Perkins Scholars.
• Deadlines: spring entrance 1 November (notification early December); fall entrance 15 March (notification mid-April). The page shows no year; check that it applies to fall 2027.
• Materials: the Common Application for Transfers with a personal essay and a “Why are you considering Mount Holyoke College?” essay; official high-school and all college transcripts (unofficial transcripts are not accepted); two recommendations, at least one from an academic instructor; a midyear report for those currently in college; English proficiency results for non-native speakers; and the IFD for non-US citizens. Financial-aid documents are submitted with the application. The pages read set no GPA or calculus-sequence requirement for entering the mathematics major.
• Transfer credit: no more than 64 credits in total for external work, of which at most 32 for advanced-placement-type work; credit is generally given for liberal arts courses with C- or better; math courses below Calculus I (such as pre-calculus or algebra) earn no credit; computer science courses generally need written permission from the Mount Holyoke computer science department; semester credits transfer one for one and quarter credits convert at 0.66; transferred grades do not enter the Mount Holyoke GPA. To count a course toward the major you also need approval from the department. Transfer students must complete at least four semesters and 64 credits at Mount Holyoke (including Five College interchange credits).

Checklist

US domestic applicants:

• ED I 15 November; ED II 5 January; Regular Decision 15 January; free to apply; two teacher recommendations (one core academic); test-optional
• Need-based aid: CSS Profile and FAFSA by the deadline for your round

International applicants (including China):

• TOEFL (average 100, or 5.5 on the new scale), IELTS (average above 7.0), Duolingo (above 130) and others, no minimum score, or request a waiver; IFD or CSS Profile
• Gaokao use is not published; ask the Office of Admission

After entry:

• Take the Mathematics Assessment, place into MATH-100/101/102/203 using the assessment and AP scores; declare the major by the eighth week of the second semester of sophomore year

Transfer students:

• 1 November (spring) or 15 March (fall); 16–64 transferable credits; pre-calculus does not transfer

Sources: Mount Holyoke College, Mathematics program page; Department of Mathematics and Statistics; Degrees and graduation requirements; Application process; Application deadlines; Standardized testing policies; International admission; English proficiency requirements; International admission FAQ; Transfer admission; Transfer and advanced placement credit policy; Tuition and fees; Financial aid; Merit scholarships. The dates on the admissions pages show no year, so check that they apply to fall 2027 entry and see the College’s website for the latest.