How to Apply to Mathematics at Rhodes College: No Major Needed at Application and Declaring by the Spring of Sophomore Year, with a Department of Mathematics and Statistics Supporting Mathematics, Math-Econ and Biomathematics Majors, for Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

Rhodes College is a private liberal arts college in Memphis, Tennessee. Undergraduate mathematics is offered by the Department of Mathematics and Statistics, and students apply to the College through the Office of Admission. Here is what you need to know, based on Rhodes’ website, organised for US domestic applicants, international applicants and applicants from China, followed by transfer students. Computer science is not covered here.

1. Degrees and areas

• Majors the department supports: the catalogue says the department supports majors in Mathematics, Biomathematics, Mathematics & Economics and Data Analytics, and minors in Mathematics, Data Analytics and Statistics. Whether the mathematics major leads to a BA or a BS is not stated in the pages read; see the catalogue or ask Admission.
• Mathematics major (51 credits): required MATH 122, 123, 201, 223 and 261 (MATH 123 is a 2-credit course that can be taken with MATH 122); 28 further credits of electives from COMP 141 and mathematics courses numbered above 200, including at least four courses numbered above 300 (excluding 460, 495 and 496) and at least one course from each of three breadth categories (statistics, modeling, proof); and a capstone seminar sequence of one credit of MATH 386 plus four credits of MATH 485 and/or 486. Students with qualifying research (MATH 451/452 or research fellowships) may petition to substitute one credit.
• Mathematics and Economics (15 courses, 58 credits): Economics 100, 201, 202, 290, 407 and 420 plus one economics elective; Mathematics 122, 123, 201, 223, 251 and 261; Mathematics 311 or 321; and a senior project in Economics 486 or Mathematics 485 and 486 with readers from both departments. Students aiming for graduate work in economics, operations research, statistics or mathematical finance are advised to add Mathematics 312 and 431 and Computer Science 141 and 142. An honors route is available.
• Biomathematics (62 credits): calculus, differential equations, statistics, two biological modeling courses, the introductory biology sequence and electives. The department page says students in these interdisciplinary majors take several math and computer science courses and can do interdisciplinary research with faculty.
• Department activities: the department page lists student-run math clubs, summer research fellowships with faculty, study abroad, math and math modeling competitions and internships with local companies.

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

• At application: the admission FAQs say students are not required to declare a major until the spring semester of the sophomore year, though early planning helps if you want a double major. The pages read do not say whether the application asks for mathematics or whether the department has a separate admission line or cap.
• Declaring: any grade requirement for declaring the mathematics major is not stated in the pages read. Students plan their courses with advisors; check the catalogue or ask the department.

3. Prerequisites and course choice

• High school math: the pages read do not state a minimum high school mathematics requirement (such as precalculus); please ask Admission.
• Choosing a calculus course: the department says Rhodes offers three kinds of calculus: Applied Calculus (MATH 115), Business Calculus (MATH 116) and the traditional sequence (MATH 112 + 122 + 223). The applied and business courses are not appropriate for students planning upper-level mathematics or a major or minor in a quantitative discipline, who should take the traditional sequence. Students who have taken differential calculus (even in high school, even without AP credit) should enrol in MATH 122; others start with MATH 112. MATH 115 and 116 are not sufficient prerequisites for MATH 122 or upper-level math courses.
• AP and IB: Admission says credit is normally granted for a 4 or 5 on AP exams (a 3 may allow advanced coursework if the department recommends it); IB Higher Level 5, 6 or 7 normally earns credit and a 4 may allow advanced coursework subject to department review; Cambridge A and AS Levels need a C or higher and Pre-U principal subjects M3 or higher. A maximum of 32 credits may be earned through these exams. Which math course each score maps to is in a PDF table that was not read; see the website.
• Honors sequences: the mathematics major page does not describe an honors math sequence; the mathematics and economics major offers an honors route.
• Math competitions: how they are viewed in admission is not stated in the pages read. The department page mentions math and modeling competitions, and its student chapter page mentions the Putnam exam.

4. Deadlines and application materials (first-year)

• Plans and deadlines: Early Decision I (binding) is due 1 November; Early Decision II is due 15 January; Early Action (non-binding) is due 15 November with notification by 15 January; Regular Decision is due 15 January with notification by 15 March. ED admits make a $500 deposit within two weeks, and the College gives admitted ED students a $3,000 Early Decision Grant renewable for four years. ED applicants seeking need-based aid are reviewed from 1 October (ED I) and 15 November (ED II). The pages show no year, so check that they apply to fall 2027 entry.
• How to apply: the Common Application, which opens 1 August. The application fee is not stated in the pages read; check Rhodes’ page on the Common Application.
• Materials: official high school transcript; the Secondary School Report and counselor recommendation; one teacher recommendation (up to three; any class, though core academic subjects tend to be the most informative, so a math teacher is not required); a mid-year report for Regular Decision; an optional 90-second video. An interview is not required, and there are no alumni interviews.
• Testing: the SAT or ACT is optional; applications are first read “test blind”; submitted scores are superscored and the writing score is not evaluated. SAT code 1730, ACT code 4008. No scholarship requires a test score.
• Essay: the checklist says the personal essay is part of the review; the supplemental essay prompts were not in the pages read, so check the Common Application.

5. US domestic applicants

• Cost (2026-27): the tuition page lists tuition $60,240, mandatory fees $820 and housing and the unlimited all-access meal plan $15,196, a total of $76,256; it suggests allowing about $1,200 for books, $1,300 for transportation and $1,500 for personal expenses, and proof of comprehensive health insurance is required. No in-state or out-of-state difference is shown. The rates for fall 2027 entry are not stated in the pages read.
• Merit scholarships: every applicant is automatically considered, with no separate application; they are renewable for up to four years and not stackable (you receive the highest one). The website lists Oak Alley (full tuition), Cambridge ($45,000 per year), Presidential ($40,000), Founders and Ralph C. Hon ($38,000 each), Diehl ($36,000), Rhodes Award ($20,000–$34,000) and Tennessee Advantage ($33,000 per year). Separate applications are needed for the Day, Art and Music, Bonner, Taylor Physics and Jewish Community awards. The scholarship priority deadline is 1 December; applications received by then are reviewed for the top awards under any plan.
• Need-based aid: submit the FAFSA (code 003519); the CSS Profile is also accepted. The website says more than 80% of students receive financial assistance.
• In-state: the website lists a Tennessee Advantage Scholarship ($33,000 per year); its eligibility rules were not in the pages read, so see the website. In-state priority or guaranteed admission is not stated in the pages read.

6. International applicants

• Materials: Common Application; high school transcript translated into English; SAT/ACT optional (international applicants who do not submit scores may be asked for a virtual interview); one teacher recommendation; School Report; and the Non-US Citizen Financial Information Form, which opens in the Rhodes portal after you submit the Common Application and is also used to request need-based aid. The website says admission is highly selective, even more so for international students seeking need-based aid, and that the process is need-aware.
• English requirement: TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo is required if English is not your native language, and may be waived if secondary instruction was in English. The website gives two sets of figures. The international checklist says the most competitive applicants are recommended to score at least 5.0 on the TOEFL (95 on the pre-January 2026 scale), 7.0 on the IELTS or 130 on Duolingo; the test-optional FAQs say 95 on the TOEFL, 7.0 on the IELTS or 120 on Duolingo. Both are given here; confirm with Admission.
• Interview: an InitialView or Vericant recorded interview is strongly recommended for non-native English speakers but not required; the website acknowledges there is a cost.
• Funds and aid: international applicants complete the financial form and submit a bank statement supporting available funding. The CSS Profile and FAFSA are not required for international students, and there are no CSS Profile fee waivers. The website says Rhodes meets the demonstrated need of admitted international students on student visas, mostly with grants, and that they may also be considered for on-campus work. International merit scholarships range from $20,000 per year to full tuition, and the page says over $2.4 million in merit and need-based aid went to admitted international students last year. 2026-27 international estimate: tuition $60,240, fees $820, housing and meals $15,196 and international health insurance $1,600, a total of $77,856 (excluding transportation, textbooks, SEVIS fees, break housing and personal expenses).
• Visa: Rhodes typically begins I-20 paperwork in early May; a visa appointment depends on the U.S. Department of State.

7. Applicants from China

• Gaokao: whether it is considered and how is not published on the pages read; please contact International Admission.
• Transcripts and school-leaving materials: no China-specific requirements are published in the pages read; general requirements are in section 6. The international checklist lists a regional admission officer for Asia.
• International curricula: the international aid page includes an example applicant from an international department of a Beijing school taking AP courses (names and details changed), used only to illustrate an aid scenario, not an admission standard; AP credit rules are in section 3.

8. Costs, scholarships and outcomes

• Costs: see sections 5 and 6.
• Department scholarships: the pages read do not mention math-specific scholarships. The department page mentions summer research fellowships with faculty, and the catalogue allows research fellowships or the St. Jude Summer Plus program to count toward the capstone requirement.
• Outcomes (the website’s own words): the admission FAQs say 96 percent of Rhodes graduates are employed or in graduate school within a year; the application page says 99% are employed, in graduate school or volunteering full-time within one year. The figures differ and are college-wide, not for mathematics. The department page says its graduates leave equally well prepared for industry and graduate school, and prints no mathematics-specific employment data.

9. Transfer students

• Who counts as a transfer: applicants who have taken more than two courses in a single term at another accredited college.
• Deadlines: fall entry 1 April (notified by 1 May) and spring entry 1 November (notified by 1 December), with a 1–2 week grace period for gathering documents after the deadline. The pages show no year, so check.
• Materials: the Transfer Common Application (a shorter reapply form for previous applicants); secondary and all college transcripts; syllabi for courses you want to transfer; the College Official’s Report; a college instructor evaluation (optional for previous applicants); a mid-term report if currently enrolled; SAT/ACT optional; FAFSA (code 003519) for need-based aid and the CSS Profile (code 1730) for institutional aid. Transfers are reviewed for the same merit scholarships as first-year students except Bonner, Day, Taylor, Art and Music and Jewish Community.
• Credit transfer: up to 64 credits or 50 percent of the credits required for the degree; transfer plus AP/IB credit together may not exceed 50 percent, and at least half must be earned at Rhodes; grades of C- or higher; courses must be from the campus of a regionally accredited institution; online courses up to 8 credits; at most 8 credits in any one summer. Admitted students receive a letter on which courses will be accepted.
• Math requirements: any GPA or calculus-sequence requirement specific to mathematics for transfer students is not stated in the pages read; please contact the transfer admission counselor and the department.

Checklist

US domestic applicants:

• ED I 1 November; EA 15 November; ED II and Regular 15 January; scholarship priority 1 December; transcript, School Report, one teacher recommendation; SAT/ACT optional
• FAFSA (code 003519); CSS Profile also accepted

International applicants (including China):

• English-translated transcript; TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo (two sets of recommended scores in section 6); Non-US Citizen Financial Information Form and a bank statement; optional InitialView or Vericant interview

After entry:

• For mathematics, take the traditional sequence (MATH 112, or 122 if you have had differential calculus, then 122 and 223) and declare by the spring of the sophomore year

Transfer students:

• Fall 1 April, spring 1 November; submit syllabi early to learn which courses transfer

Sources: Rhodes College, Department of Mathematics and Statistics; Choosing a calculus course; Catalogue: mathematics major; Catalogue: mathematics and economics; Catalogue: biomathematics; Application plans and deadlines; First-year checklist; Test-optional FAQs; AP, IB, Cambridge credit; International checklist; International financial aid; Tuition and fees; Institutional aid; Transfer applicants; Transfer credit policy; Admission FAQs. The admissions pages show no year on their dates, so check that they apply to fall 2027 entry and see the College’s website for the latest.