How to Apply to Lafayette College for a Mathematics Major: BS Mathematics, AB Mathematics (Applied, Statistics and Theoretical Tracks) and a Joint AB in Mathematics and Economics Share Four Core Courses, with Notes for US, International (Including China) and Transfer Applicants

Lafayette College is an undergraduate college in Easton, Pennsylvania. The mathematics major is taught by the Department of Mathematical Sciences; you apply to the College through the Office of Admissions with the Common App. This guide follows the admissions and department websites and is organised for US applicants, international applicants, applicants from China and transfer students. Computer science is not covered here; cross-over majors such as Mathematics and Economics get one line only.

1. Degrees and how you are admitted

• Degrees and tracks: the department’s programs page lists the Bachelor of Science in Mathematics; the Bachelor of Arts (AB) in Mathematics with Applied, Statistics and Theoretical tracks; and the AB in Mathematics and Economics (jointly administered with the Economics department). It also lists a mathematics minor, a concentration in Statistics and support for an interdisciplinary Data Science minor. The College awards only the A.B. or B.S. degree.
• Shared core: the advising FAQ says all math majors share four core courses, MATH 161, 162, 263 and 272 (Calculus I–III and linear algebra), so you do not need to choose a specific major or track until you have finished them; it suggests taking MATH 272 early.
• Do you pick a major when applying? The admissions pages we read do not say whether you must choose a major or whether mathematics has its own admission threshold; this is not published. Ask admissions (admissions@lafayette.edu, 610-330-5100).
• When you formally declare, GPA requirements, capped places: not stated on the department or admissions pages. Major credit requirements are in the College’s course catalog, which we did not read; ask the department or your advisor.
• Sample paths: the department’s “Paths Through Majors” page gives suggested course plans for the BS and each AB track (for example, BS year one: MATH 161, then MATH 162 and 272) and says they are suggestions, not requirements.

2. Preparation and placement

• High school math: the course page lists high school trigonometry as the prerequisite for MATH 161 (Calculus I) and high school precalculus for MATH 141 (differential calculus aimed at economics and some sciences). The admissions pages do not list separate high school course requirements for mathematics; not published.
• Where to start: the FAQ says majors that need calculus at the level of MATH 161 or above (sciences, engineering, the mathematical sciences) start in MATH 161; MATH 141 is not an easier Calculus I and does not substitute for MATH 161.
• Tests before arrival: new students complete a math survey and up to three online Advising Tests over the summer (A precalculus, B MATH 161, C MATH 162). The department says these are for advising only: they do not place you, grant credit or limit registration. Questions about where to start can go to the Mathematics Placement Committee (math-placement.group@lafayette.edu).
• Credit exams: to register above MATH 161 without credit you need credit for the prerequisite or a pass on a Credit Exam given at Orientation. Passing the MATH 161 exam lets you register for MATH 162 and you receive credit for both once you pass 162; the 162 and 263 exams work the same way.
• AP credit (current departmental policy): Calculus AB 4 or 5 gives MATH 161; Calculus BC 4 or 5 gives MATH 161 and 162; Calculus BC 3 gives MATH 161; Statistics 4 or 5 gives MATH 186. You may waive the credit and take the course. IB and A-level credit follow the Registrar’s pages, which we did not read.
• Honors: the department offers honors theses, which are not a graduation requirement. An honors math course sequence is not described on the pages read; not published.
• Competitions: the admissions pages do not say how competitions are viewed. The department itself runs the Barge Competition (for sophomores, modelled on the Putnam), a problem-solving group and a cryptography contest.

3. Rounds, deadlines and materials (fall 2027 entry)

• Deadlines (the pages print no year, so check they apply to fall 2027 entry): Early Decision I 15 November (decisions mid-December); Early Decision II and Regular Decision 15 January; Regular Decision applicants may convert to Early Decision II until 1 February (decisions mid-February); Regular Decision decisions in late March. Deposits: 5 January for ED I, 1 March for ED II and 1 May for Regular Decision; the deposit is $750 and nonrefundable. Early Decision is binding; a denial in Early Decision rules out ED II and Regular Decision; a deferral moves you to Regular Decision.
• Materials: Common App, $65 fee (waivers for hardship), a counselor recommendation and at least one teacher recommendation (the College prefers an academic teacher from your last two years; it does not say the teacher must teach mathematics), official transcript and school report, and mid-year or first-trimester grades (first marking period grades for early decision).
• Essays and activities: the Common App essay and an optional supplement, “Why Lafayette?” (20–200 words). The review focuses on the top six activities listed in the Common App.
• Testing: SAT/ACT are optional for fall 2027 and fall 2028 entry; scores may be self-reported, and official scores are required on enrolment if you self-report.
• Interviews: the admissions criteria page lists “interactions through an admissions interview” among the factors and the scholarship page encourages scheduling one; the international page says interviews are not required but encouraged.

4. US applicants

• Costs (2026-27): tuition $70,486; matriculation fee $750 (one time, first-year students); student activity fee $360; housing (room rate 1) $12,968; food (20 meals a week) $7,928; total $92,492. Non-billed estimates: books about $1,000, transportation $250, miscellaneous $940. The cost page lists one tuition figure and does not separate in-state from out-of-state.
• Aid: the website says the College meets 100% of demonstrated need for applicants who meet the deadlines. Applicants submit the CSS Profile and FAFSA, and tax returns through the College Board IDOC. The aid page says Lafayette is one of 73 institutions that make this guarantee; the international page says one of 70, so the two figures differ.
• Merit scholarships: the Marquis Fellowship is full tuition and the Marquis Scholarship is half tuition (both need a 3.00 GPA); Cur Non Scholarships range from $17,500 to $31,500. All early decision and regular decision applicants are considered with no extra application. The College advises that if enrolling depends on a merit award you should apply Regular Decision rather than Early Decision, and encourages scholarship seekers to apply a few weeks before 15 January. Awards are in the acceptance letter.
• In-state priority or guaranteed admission: not stated in the pages read; not published.
• Testing: see section 3.

5. International applicants

• Materials: the same as section 3: Common App, $65 fee, counselor and at least one teacher recommendation, official transcript and school report sent directly by the school, and mid-year or first-trimester grades.
• English: required for international students; the College “typically looks for” TOEFL 100 (new TOEFL 5), IELTS 7 or Duolingo 130. Applicants whose first language is English, or who had three years of English-medium instruction, can request a waiver form by email to admissions.
• National examinations: A-level, French Baccalaureate, German Abitur and similar are considered individually for credit, with certified copies of official results and possibly a syllabus. For IB, ask the Office of the Registrar.
• Aid: the international page says Lafayette guarantees to meet the demonstrated need of all admitted students, domestic and international, calculated from the CSS Profile, and also says the College is need aware in admission decisions. Meeting need does not mean every expense, such as summer costs, is covered. If the CSS Profile fee is a hardship, the page points to an alternative in its FAQ for international applicants.
• Proof of funds and credential evaluation: the international page read does not describe a proof-of-funds document; not published, so ask admissions.

6. Applicants from China

• Gaokao: the admissions pages do not say whether or how Gaokao results are used and have no China page; this is not published. Ask admissions (admissions@lafayette.edu).
• Transcripts and school-leaving records: only the general international requirements (section 5) are published; any China-specific format is not stated.
• English and aid: see section 5.

7. Costs, department programs and outcomes

• Costs: see section 4.
• Department scholarships: the department pages read do not mention a math-specific scholarship. Research opportunities they list: honors thesis; independent study; the EXCEL Scholars program (original research with a faculty mentor); Data Associates, a paid statistical consulting group (usually four students a year); and a summer Research Experience for Undergraduates (the most recent site was summer 2024, funded by NSF).
• Graduate school advice: the advising FAQ suggests courses for a master’s in statistics or data science, a PhD in statistics or applied mathematics and a PhD in theoretical mathematics (for example probability and mathematical statistics, regression, real analysis and vector spaces).
• Outcomes: the department pages print no outcome data. The international page prints a College-wide figure: “95% of the Class of 2024 were employed, continuing their education, and/or doing meaningful life work within six months of graduation”.

8. Transfer students

• Deadlines: 1 May for fall entry and 1 November for spring entry (no year printed; check). Apply with the Common App; the fee is $65.
• Rules: students who have finished high school and enrolled in a degree-seeking program elsewhere apply as transfers; there is no minimum number of courses or credits. Transfers must be full-time, spend at least two years at Lafayette to graduate, and take at least half of the major’s courses at Lafayette. Materials include high school and college transcripts, the Common App college report, a mid-term report, a personal statement on why you are transferring, an optional professor recommendation and optional SAT/ACT.
• Credit: Lafayette must offer an equivalent course, contact time must match, prerequisites must be met and only grades of C or better transfer. Course descriptions and syllabi are needed for each course (submitted after admission; the Registrar and faculty decide). Everyone gets a credit evaluation; it is possible that no credit transfers, in which case you enter with first-year standing and need eight full-time semesters to graduate on time.
• Math-specific: the pages read do not set calculus or linear algebra sequence requirements for transfer into the math major; not published.
• International transfers: same English levels as section 5; need-based aid for non-US citizens is extremely limited, a CSS Profile is required and there are no CSS waivers; transcripts from colleges outside the US need a course-by-course WES evaluation (no WES fee waivers).

Checklist

US applicants:

• Common App; ED I 15 November, ED II and Regular 15 January (check the year); $65; counselor plus at least one teacher recommendation; testing optional
• FAFSA, CSS Profile, IDOC; merit scholarships need no extra application, but submit a few weeks early

International applicants (including China):

• TOEFL 100 (new 5) / IELTS 7 / Duolingo 130, or the waiver form; CSS Profile; Gaokao use is not published, so ask admissions

After entry:

• Do the summer math survey and advising tests; start in MATH 161 or 162 by AP credit or Credit Exam; finish MATH 161, 162, 263 and 272 before choosing a track

Transfer students:

• Fall 1 May, spring 1 November; descriptions and syllabi; C or better to transfer; at least two years at Lafayette

Sources: Lafayette College, Mathematics: programs; Mathematics: advising FAQs; Mathematics: paths through majors; Mathematics: courses; Mathematics: student opportunities; Admissions: first-year applicants; Admissions: what we look for; Admissions: early decision; Admissions: deadlines and forms; Admissions: international students; Admissions: transfer applicants; Admissions: college costs; Admissions: scholarships; Admissions: financial aid. 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.