How to Apply to Mathematics at Smith College: A Women’s Liberal Arts College Where You Apply to the College, Not a Major, with Theoretical and Applied Tracks, for Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

Smith College is a women’s liberal arts college in Northampton, Massachusetts. Undergraduate mathematics is offered by the Department of Mathematical Sciences; 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 and data science, which has its own page, is not covered either.

1. Degrees and areas

• Degree: the pages read say only that the department offers a major and a minor in mathematics; they do not name the degree (B.A. or B.S.). Ask the department or the Registrar.
• Two tracks in the mathematics major: Theoretical Mathematics and Applied Mathematics. They share the same foundation requirements but differ in core, depth and total credits.
  • Shared foundation: MTH 111, 112, 153, 211 and 212 (Calculus I and II, Discrete Mathematics, Linear Algebra, Multivariable Calculus).
  • Theoretical track (36 credits): one algebra course (MTH 233 or 238), one analysis course (MTH 280 or 281), one advanced course (MTH 310–390), and electives to reach 36 credits at or above MTH 153.
  • Applied track (40 credits): MTH 205/CSC 205 and MTH 264; one analysis course (MTH 280 or 281); one 300-level applied course (MTH 353ac, 354, 361, 364pd or 364ds; a petition for a different course is possible); computational literacy (CSC 110 or CSC 120, with a petition possible); electives to reach 36 credits at or above MTH 153, plus 4 credits for computational literacy. Students in the Theoretical track are strongly encouraged to take the computational literacy course too.
• Courses outside the department: with department approval, up to 8 credits may come from outside the department; a 4-credit outside course generally counts for 2 credits toward the major. Courses counted toward the major or minor must be taken for a letter grade unless a petition is approved.
• Minor (20 credits): MTH 211; two courses (at least 8 credits) from MTH 153, MTH 205/CSC 205 or courses above MTH 211; and two courses (at least 8 credits) above MTH 212.
• Mathematical Statistics (MST) major: the department page also lists a ten-course major in mathematical statistics, designed for graduate study in statistics and biostatistics. It overlaps with the mathematics (MTH) and statistical and data sciences (SDS) majors; a student cannot double major in MST and either of them, and students thinking of MTH and SDS together are advised to choose MST. It is not covered here.
• Honors: mathematics majors may apply for the department’s honors program (directed reading, investigation and a thesis, worth 8 to 12 credits). Normally an overall GPA of 3.0 through the junior year and 3.3 in the major are expected; applications are accepted in the second semester of the junior year (strongly recommended) or by the second week of the first semester of the senior year.
• Beyond the bachelor’s: the department lists a postbaccalaureate program, a Master of Arts in Teaching in mathematics, and says qualified graduates can apply to the University of Massachusetts Amherst for a fifth-year master’s degree in statistics.

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

• At application: you apply to the College as a whole; the application checklist does not ask for an intended major, and the pages read do not describe a separate admission line for mathematics.
• Declaring: the department page says that to declare a mathematics major or minor, the first step is to fill out the adviser request form (another place calls it the “adviser preference form”). The latest time to declare, any grade requirement and any limit on places are not given on the pages read; ask the department or the Registrar.
• Changing into mathematics: separate conditions for moving into the major from within the College are not published on the pages read.

3. Prerequisites and placement

• High-school mathematics: the admissions overview strongly recommends the highest-level courses available, including, where possible, three years of mathematics. The department’s guide to where to start:
  • three years of high-school mathematics (typically a year of geometry and two of algebra): the placement guide says ready for MTH 102 Elementary Functions, which prepares for Calculus I;
  • three or four years (the last may be called precalculus, trigonometry, functions or analysis) but no calculus: the course information says normally MTH 111 Calculus I, while the placement guide says four years with little or no calculus can take MTH 111. The two pages differ on three years (MTH 102 versus MTH 111), so ask the department;
  • a year of high-school calculus: ready for MTH 153 Discrete Mathematics or MTH 112 Calculus II;
  • a year of AB calculus, A-Levels or IB mathematics SL: normally MTH 153 and/or MTH 112 in the first year, depending on the amount and strength of prior calculus;
  • a year of BC calculus or IB mathematics HL: may omit MTH 112;
  • well-prepared students may start with Linear Algebra (MTH 211) or Calculus III (MTH 212);
  • two years of high-school mathematics with no calculus or precalculus: MTH 102. MTH 100 and 101 build quantitative skills; major credits count only courses at or above MTH 153.
• AP and credit: the department page says a student who receives credit for MTH 111 may not have AP calculus credits applied toward the degree; a student with 8 AP calculus credits (a 4 or 5 on the BC exam) may apply only 4 if also credited for MTH 112; AP Statistics 4 or 5 may earn 4 credits, which cannot count toward degree requirements if the student also receives credit for SDS 210, PSY 201 or ECO 220; and AP credits meet degree requirements only under circumstances specified by the College. The admissions FAQ adds that at most one semester (16 credits) from any combination of AP, IB and college credit earned in high school may be applied to the degree, and only to make up a shortage of credits caused by failure, with academic-board approval to make up a shortage caused by dropping a course for health reasons, or to undertake an accelerated program. Credits are recorded for scores of 4 or 5 on most AP exams, with the amount set by each department, and up to a semester of credit may be awarded for the IB program once official results reach the Registrar.
• Honors sequence: the pages read do not describe an honors calculus sequence; the honors option described is the thesis program for majors (section 1).
• 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, decisions mailed in mid-December; Early Decision II 5 January, decisions in late January; Regular Decision 15 January, decisions in late March. The Regular Decision midyear report is due 15 February (send it as soon as possible if you cannot). The pages show no year; check that they apply to fall 2027 entry.
• Application platform and fee: the Common Application or the Coalition Application on Scoir, with no preference; there is no application fee.
• Materials: the Secondary School Report with an official transcript; a counselor recommendation; two teacher evaluations (the pages do not require a mathematics teacher); the midyear report; the Early Decision Agreement if applicable; optional test scores and an optional art supplement (music, visual art or dance, through SlideRoom).
• Interviews: optional, conducted by alumna volunteers; request one through the applicant status portal after submitting.
• Testing: test-optional (SAT/ACT) since 2009, for all applicants; the College says that not submitting scores puts you at no disadvantage.
• Who can apply: applicants who self-identify as women; cis, trans and nonbinary women are eligible.

5. US domestic applicants

• Costs (2026-27): tuition USD 70,460, food and housing USD 24,520, student activities fee USD 308, health insurance USD 4,030 (domestic students may waive); unbilled costs: books, course materials and supplies USD 800, transportation (domestic average) USD 640, personal expenses USD 1,910. The pages do not distinguish in-state from out-of-state. The standard for fall 2027 entry is not published on the pages read.
• The Next 150 Pledge: the aid page says that beginning fall 2026, tuition is free for undergraduates whose families make up to USD 150,000 a year (with typical assets). The College also says it meets 100% of the demonstrated need of admitted students who apply for aid by the published deadlines, and that its packages contain no loans (institutional grants replace them).
• Applying for need-based aid: apply with your admission application: CSS Profile (code 3762), FAFSA (code 002209), parent tax returns and other documents, due with each round: ED I 15 November, ED II 6 January, Regular Decision 25 January (the aid pages refer to 2027–28). US citizens who miss the deadlines must complete 64 credits at Smith before they can apply for institutional aid, so they are eligible only for federal, state and outside aid in the first two years. New high-need students (expected family contribution under USD 7,000) are eligible for a one-time startup grant.
• Scholarships: the College offers a limited number of merit-based awards; all applicants for admission are automatically considered, with no special form.
• In-state preference or guaranteed admission: not described on the pages read.

6. International applicants

• English proficiency: international citizens whose primary language is not English, or who have not attended a school where English is the primary language of instruction, submit TOEFL, IELTS, PTE or Duolingo. Exemptions: English is your first language; English was the primary language of instruction for your whole secondary school career; you attended a US school and were taught in English for at least two years; or you are enrolled in or have completed the IB Diploma Programme or an A-Level curriculum taught in English. No minimum score is given on the pages read; ask the Office of Admission (admission@smith.edu). The requirement is based on citizenship, not where you attend school. The transfer page adds that TOEFL MyBest scores are accepted, with all single-date scores also reviewed; the first-year pages do not say this.
• Materials: as in section 4; for aid, the CSS Profile (code 3762) and translated, signed parent tax returns (if not required to file in your country, an International Parent Non-Filer form with a translated employer income statement).
• Aid: Smith awards need-based aid to non-US citizens, first-year and transfer; the pool is highly competitive and support varies widely with family circumstances. Apply before admission, by the ED I (15 November), ED II (6 January) or Regular Decision (25 January) deadline; international students who do not apply before admission are not eligible for institutional aid at any time. A non-US citizen’s expected family contribution stays the same each year, the Smith grant is adjusted so the total family contribution stays stable, and cost increases not covered are the family’s responsibility. International students receiving need-based aid receive a health grant covering the College health insurance. Packages carry no loans.
• Scholarships: as in section 5, all applicants are automatically considered for the limited merit awards.
• Financing options: the page lists the monthly payment plan, private student loans (generally requiring a qualified US co-signer) and the Private College 529 Plan.

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.
• Transcripts and school-leaving materials: no China-specific requirements are published on the pages read; the general checklist is in section 4.
• English results: see section 6; no minimum score is published.
• International curricula: IB and A-Level students can use the credit and English-exemption rules in sections 3 and 6.

8. Costs, scholarships and outcomes

• Costs: see section 5.
• Departmental awards and research: the pages read list no scholarships specific to the mathematics department. The department offers MTH 301rs, in which small groups work on original research projects, open to all students wanting research experience; the honors page mentions a summer research grant from Smith for work before the senior year. The department page also mentions the Center for Women in Mathematics, under which the postbaccalaureate program is listed, and a section on a women-in-mathematics conference.
• Outcomes: the career page says that within six months after graduation, 95% of the class of 2025 were employed, studying in graduate or professional school, or in full-time service programs; the top ten graduate schools for the class of 2025 include Columbia University, the University of Massachusetts Amherst and Johns Hopkins University. These are college-wide figures, not for mathematics; the department page prints no program-level outcomes.

9. Transfer students

• Eligibility: completed at least one semester at an accredited institution (four-year, community or junior college); the College will not consider applicants seeking a second bachelor’s degree or with more than 64 transferable credits. International transfers must be enrolled in a college in North America (exceptions case by case); first-year students at international institutions can apply as first-years. Women aged 24 or older, veterans and those with a dependent other than a spouse apply as Ada Comstock Scholars. More than 50 transfer students enter each year.
• Deadline: the Transfer Common Application and supporting materials by 1 April (the page shows no year; check that it applies to fall 2027 entry; the pages read do not say whether spring entry is available).
• Materials: the Transfer Common Application (no fee); official transcripts from all colleges; high school transcript or GED; the Transfer Mid-Term Report for those currently enrolled; the College Report from a college official; two academic recommendations from college instructors who have taught you; course descriptions for all college courses; international applicants also need English results or an exemption.
• Credit transfer: an evaluation is provided if you are accepted; the full criteria are on the Registrar’s website, which was not read for this article. The pages read set no GPA or calculus/linear-algebra requirement for transferring into the mathematics major. US transfer students who miss the aid deadlines must complete 32 credits at Smith before applying for institutional aid. Transfer students cannot defer entry.

Checklist

US domestic applicants:

• ED I 15 November; ED II 5 January; Regular Decision 15 January; no application fee; two teacher evaluations; test-optional
• Aid: CSS Profile, FAFSA and other documents, 15 November, 6 January, 25 January

International applicants (including China):

• TOEFL, IELTS, PTE or Duolingo, or an exemption; no minimum score published; CSS Profile and translated parent tax returns before admission
• Gaokao use is not published; ask the Office of Admission

After entry:

• Choose MTH 102/111/112/153/211 by high-school preparation; fill out the adviser request form to declare, choosing the Theoretical or Applied track

Transfer students:

• 1 April; at least one semester and no more than 64 transferable credits; two college instructor recommendations

Sources: Smith College, Mathematical Sciences; Apply to Smith; First-year applicants; Standardized testing policy; Transfer applicants; Tuition and financial aid; Financial aid for first-years; Financial aid for international students; Career outcomes. Most dates on the application pages show no year (the aid pages refer to 2027–28), so check that they apply to fall 2027 entry and see the College’s website for the latest.