How to Apply to Mathematics at Reed College: No Major Chosen at Application, No SAT/ACT Used, a Junior Qualifying Exam and a Senior Thesis, for Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

Reed College is a liberal arts college in Portland, Oregon; mathematics is taught by the Mathematics & Statistics Department. Students apply to the College through the Office of Admission, not to a department. This guide, based on Reed’s website, is organised for US domestic applicants, international applicants and applicants from China, followed by transfer students. Computer science is not covered here, apart from a mention of the joint major with mathematics.

1. Degrees and areas of study

• What the department offers: besides the major in theoretical mathematics, the department lists a concentration in statistics and a standing interdisciplinary computer science-mathematics major; students have also designed ad hoc interdisciplinary majors such as mathematics-biology and mathematics-political science. There are also minors in mathematics and in statistics.
• Degree names: the pages read do not name the degree (B.A., B.S. and so on).
• Course requirements: the department’s requirements page sends students who entered from fall 2022 to the college catalog (catalog.reed.edu). That is a third-party hosted catalog and was not read, so see Reed’s website for the required course list.
• Junior Qualifying Exam: typically held on the first Saturday after spring break, with extra sittings at the end of summer or in January if needed. It is written and covers Math 111, 112, 113, 201 and 202 for mathematics majors, and Math 111, 112, 113, Stat 141 and Math 201 for mathematics majors with a statistics concentration: four of five problems in a two-hour morning session and three of four in a two-hour afternoon session. It is assessed together with the academic record and must show the student is ready for a mathematics thesis; borderline cases may receive a conditional pass, and students who do not pass get a second chance.
• Senior thesis: the College says every graduate completes a thesis in the senior year. The department says mathematics theses range from expository to research-based and end with an oral defense of about ninety minutes before a panel of two department members (including the adviser), a non-mathematics member of the division and a member from outside the division; the adviser decides the grade.
• Sample courses: the department’s course list includes Calculus, Introduction to Analysis, Discrete Structures, Linear Algebra, Vector Calculus and Probability, and upper-level courses such as Real Analysis, Abstract Algebra, Topology, Number Theory, Combinatorics, Cryptography and Mathematical Statistics.

2. How admission works: apply to the College, not to a major

• At application: the admission pages read (how to apply, first-year, international, transfer) do not ask applicants to choose a major and do not describe a separate admission line or quota for mathematics.
• Declaring the major: the pages read do not say when students declare, or give any grade threshold or cap; ask the Office of Admission or the Registrar. The first-year page mentions that first-year students are held to the Humanities 110 requirement.
• Moving into mathematics from another major: the department pages read do not give specific conditions.

3. Prerequisites and placement

• High school mathematics: the department says Math 111 (Calculus), Math 113 (Discrete Structures) and Stat 141 have no prerequisite other than three years of high school mathematics, so most incoming students can enrol. Math 112 has Math 111 as a prerequisite, but students can place into it.
• Calculus placement and credit: AP Calculus AB 5, or BC 4 or 5, earns one unit of credit and placement into Math 112. IB Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches HL or Applications and Interpretations HL, score 5 or above, earns one unit and placement into Math 112 (the admission page says two units for an IB HL mathematics score of 5 or above; the two pages differ, so check Reed’s website). Math A-level grade B or better can place into Math 112 after a placement conversation. College single-variable calculus covering differential and integral calculus can earn Math 111 credit on the transcript. Students with high school calculus are encouraged to have a placement conversation.
• AP credit rules: the admission page says AP credit requires a 4 or 5 (AB needs a 5, BC a 4 or 5); credit is not given for both calculus exams, nor for both the AP exam and Math 111; no credit for AP Statistics or AP Precalculus. AP credit counts toward the 30 units needed to graduate but cannot meet other requirements, and pre-matriculation credit is capped at 8 units in total.
• Beyond single-variable calculus: the department says such students should consult mathematics faculty. Math 112 is proof-based; Math 201 (Linear Algebra) and Math 202 (Vector Calculus) have Math 112 as a prerequisite, but students with significant preparation may be placed into Math 201, sometimes on condition of taking Math 112 before Math 202. The placement-conversation contact named is Angélica Osorno.
• Honors sequence: the pages read do not mention an honors mathematics sequence.
• Mathematics competitions: the pages read do not say how they are viewed in admission.

4. Timeline and materials (first-year)

• Rounds and deadlines: Early Decision I (binding) 1 November, decisions in December; Early Action (non-binding) 1 November, decisions in February, reply by 1 May; Early Decision II and Regular Decision both 15 January, with ED II decisions in March and RD decisions by 1 April. ED admits reply within two weeks. The page says students denied under EA, ED I or ED II may not reapply in Regular Decision in the same cycle. The table shows no year, so check that it applies to fall 2027 entry.
• How to apply: the Common Application or the Coalition for College application, one only; Reed says neither is favoured. Application fee: the pages read do not state an amount.
• Essays: the personal essay is required only on the Common Application. Reed also asks for a writing supplement of up to 500 words: for one week at the end of January Reed students teach classes on any topic they love (Paideia); what would you teach to contribute to the Reed community?
• Recommendations and transcripts: two teacher evaluations from two different academic disciplines (the website does not say one must be a mathematics teacher); a counselor recommendation and school report; official high school transcripts; transcripts for any college courses taken, whether or not credit is wanted.
• Testing: Reed neither requires nor uses SAT or ACT results in admission review; self-reported scores are accepted if available. AP, IB and other results may be submitted for credit after enrolment.
• Interview: optional, for seniors, second-semester juniors and transfer students; suggested deadlines are 15 November (ED I), 1 December (EA), 31 January (ED II) and 1 February (RD).

5. US domestic applicants

• Costs (2026–27): the cost page lists one tuition figure of $73,960 and fees of $310; on-campus housing $9,720 and meal plan A $9,180; books and supplies $1,050, personal expenses $900 and transportation $250–$2,000. It does not distinguish in-state from out-of-state tuition.
• Aid: Reed says it meets 100 percent of the demonstrated need of all admitted students, international or domestic, for all four years. Aid is based on need only, assessed with the CSS Profile and the FAFSA, and includes grants, loans and campus jobs. Reed offers no academic or athletic scholarships. More than 57 percent of students receive need-based aid, and the average need-based package for the incoming class of 2027 was $59,300.
• Early Decision Aid Review: ED applicants can receive an estimated aid package by 15 November and switch to another round if it does not meet their need.
• In-state priority or guaranteed admission: the pages read do not mention any.

6. International applicants

• English: international applicants submit TOEFL, IELTS, SAT or ACT, or documentation of attending an English-medium school; students from English-medium schools or programs need no test. For non-native speakers, results are “encouraged but not required”, there is no minimum score, and the page lists typical averages: TOEFL 5.0 or higher (110 on the previous scale), IELTS 7 or higher, Duolingo 145 or higher, SAT evidence-based reading and writing 600 or higher, ACT reading and English 28 or higher. Another page says the average TOEFL iBT score of entering international students is 110. Reed’s TOEFL code is 4654.
• Documents: official secondary school transcripts (can be emailed to admission@reed.edu, translated into English); exam results for students in examination systems such as IB or the British system; school report; counselor recommendation; two teacher recommendations from different disciplines, with translations if not in English.
• Interview: optional for international applicants, booked through InitialView or Vericant for a fee, with fee waivers available.
• Financial aid: international applicants who want aid must submit the CSS Profile. The page says international applicants admitted without aid are not eligible for aid during their time at Reed, and that Reed will not admit a student with demonstrated need without offering a package. International students may apply in any round.
• International scholarships: starting 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 ($15,000 Davis Award plus $15,000 Reed Match), $120,000 over four years.
• Visa: to receive visa documents students complete the International Student Certification of Finances with supporting documentation; degree-seeking students enter on an F-1 visa.

7. Applicants from China

• Gaokao: the admission pages read do not say whether the gaokao is considered or how. This is not published on the pages read; contact admission-international@reed.edu.
• Transcripts and exam materials: no China-specific requirements are published on the pages read; the general international requirements are in section 6.
• International curricula: students taking AP, IB or A-levels can see the mathematics credit rules in section 3. The page also says programs such as the Abitur and GCE A-levels may earn up to one full year of credit, evaluated by the end of the first semester.

8. Costs, scholarships and outcomes

• Costs: see section 5.
• Research opportunities: the department says mathematics majors can do summer research with faculty, attend conferences and present papers, and take part in Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) programs; many students have joined the Budapest Semester in Mathematics or Mathematics in Moscow. Department-specific scholarships are not described on the pages read.
• Outcomes: the department says it has a strong record of placing graduates in selective Ph.D. programs in pure and applied mathematics, computer science and engineering, statistics and biostatistics, and related fields such as physics and economics, and that graduates also pursue careers in the tech industry, finance, law, medicine and architecture. The page prints no specific employment figures.

9. Transfer students

• Who counts as a transfer applicant: a high school graduate who 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. Graduates of dual-enrollment high school programs apply as first-year students.
• Deadlines (the page labels them 2027): spring transfer, Early Decision and Regular Decision 1 November; fall transfer, Early Decision 1 March, priority deadline 1 March (later applications are considered on a space-available basis), regular deadline 1 May, then rolling. Apply through the Common App with the Reed writing supplement, a College Report from the most recent college, official high school and all college transcripts and two recommendations (one academic). International students may transfer.
• Credit and class standing: 30 units are needed to graduate, 15 of them at Reed. No credit for grades below C-, courses below Reed’s introductory level, vocational or technical courses, or general writing. 1–6 units is first-year standing, 7–12 second-year, 15 or more junior; the page says junior standing needs approval of the intended major department and, because of the junior qualifying exam, transferring in as a junior is “very difficult”.
• Mathematics transfer credit: the department says Reed mathematics is proof-based after Math 111; precalculus and college algebra do not transfer; Math 111 must cover both differential and integral calculus; Math 112 is the primary introduction to proofs and mathematical writing; Math 201 needs a proof-based linear algebra course covering determinants and eigenvalues; standard Calculus III/IV courses do not typically transfer for Math 202; Stat 141 requires the course to use R. Pre-approval from the department is recommended.

Application checklist

US domestic applicants:

• ED I and EA 1 November; ED II and RD 15 January; 500-word writing supplement; two teacher evaluations from different disciplines; SAT/ACT not used
• FAFSA and CSS Profile on the dates tied to your round

International applicants (including China):

• No minimum English score; typical averages are listed; English-medium schooling can waive the test; CSS Profile if you need aid
• How the gaokao is used is not published on the pages read

After entry:

• Place into Math 111 or 112 using AP/IB credit and a placement conversation; junior qualifying exam; senior thesis and oral defense

Transfer students:

• Spring 1 November; fall ED/priority 1 March, regular 1 May; ask the department to pre-approve mathematics credit

Sources: Reed College, Mathematics & Statistics: for prospective students; Mathematics & Statistics: requirements for the major; Mathematics & Statistics: placement and credit; Mathematics & Statistics: transfer credit; Mathematics & Statistics: courses; Mathematics & Statistics: thesis; How to apply; First-year applicants; International applicants; Transfer applicants; Costs and financial aid; Cost of attendance. The first-year deadline table shows no year, so check that it applies to fall 2027 entry; the cost page covers 2026–27. See Reed’s website for the latest.