How to Apply to Physics at Kenyon College: A Physics Major With Four Gateway Exams and a Public Talk, Plus 3-2 Engineering Programs With Three Partner Schools, for Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

Kenyon College is a liberal arts college in Ohio. Undergraduate physics is offered by the Department of Physics (in the Natural Sciences Division). Students apply to the College and declare a major after entry. Here is what you need to know, based on the department’s pages, the course catalog and the admissions and financial aid websites, organised for US domestic applicants, international applicants and applicants from China, followed by transfer students. Mathematics, chemistry, computer science and other fields are not covered here, apart from a line on the points where they meet physics (the scientific computing program and the 3-2 engineering programs).

1. Degrees and areas

• One physics major: the pages read describe a single physics major; they do not list separate astrophysics or applied physics majors, and they do not state the degree name (BA or BS). The department also offers two minors, physics and astronomy; a physics major cannot also minor in astronomy, because the catalog says College policy prohibits a minor in the same department as the major. With the mathematics department it is a major contributor to the interdisciplinary scientific computing program.
• Introductory sequence: the catalog says students interested in exploring physics as a possible major or minor should begin with PHYS 140 and 141 and PHYS 145 and 146 in the first year; with PHYS 240 and 241 these form a calculus-based introduction to physics. PHYS 140 requires concurrent enrollment in or credit for Calculus I, and PHYS 145 the same for Calculus II, each with a co-requisite laboratory; PHYS 141 is a weekly seminar open only to first-year students that introduces a subdiscipline pursued by faculty (recent topics: nanoscience, cold atom physics, gravitation, astrophysics and particle physics).
• Minimum requirements for the major (as the catalog lists them): PHYS 140, 141, 145, 146, 240, 241, 245 and 270 (Introduction to Computational Physics); four courses of experimental physics: PHYS 380 (Electronics I), PHYS 385 (Advanced Experimental Physics 1) and two chosen from PHYS 381, 382, 386 and 387; two courses of theoretical physics from PHYS 340 (Classical Mechanics), 345 (Astrophysics and Particles), 350 (Electricity and Magnetism), 355 (Optics), 360 (Quantum Mechanics), 365 (Quantum Mechanics II), 370 (Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics) and 375 (Condensed Matter Physics), with at least one of PHYS 340, 350 and 360; an additional 0.5 unit/4 semester hours of experimental or theoretical physics numbered above 320; and MATH 111, 112, 212 and 213 or equivalent (in rare cases other courses may satisfy this with department approval). In extraordinary circumstances, and with the chair’s permission, PHYS 130, 131 and 135, 136 may be substituted for 140, 141 and 145, 146.
• Laboratory and computing: the catalog says PHYS 131, 136, 141, 146, 241 and the courses numbered 380–387 are laboratory courses involving substantial experimental work; PHYS 270 uses the C language for computational physics. Physics courses numbered above 220 have PHYS 140 and 145 and MATH 111 and 112 as prerequisites unless noted otherwise.
• Senior Capstone: the department’s page says seniors must pass four gateway exams (taken on Moodle in proctored sessions, with repeat attempts; the areas are Newtonian mechanics, quantum and nuclear physics, electricity and magnetism, and experimental and computational physics) and give a public talk (25 minutes, on a physics topic not already covered in a course, followed by a faculty interview of about 20 minutes). The first two exams must be completed before the end of the fall semester and the other two before the end of the tenth week of spring; a student who misses a deadline is deemed to have failed the first attempt and gets a last-chance opportunity. The page cautions that the low failure rate does not mean passage is guaranteed and that failing can delay graduation.
• Honors: honors work is directed research in experimental, theoretical or computational physics through the one-unit, year-long PHYS 497-498. Students need the strong support of a proposed research mentor and must meet the College’s minimum cumulative GPA for honors (the page gives no number; the department can petition for an exception). Requirements: a 50-minute honors proposal talk in the first five weeks of the fall semester (it also serves as the capstone talk), all four gateway exams by the end of fall, the research project, a written thesis by mid-April and an oral examination by an outside specialist. The level of honors (honors, high honors or highest honors) is set by the external examiner. The page advises starting in the spring of the junior year to find a mentor, and says candidates typically work in the mentor’s research program the summer before senior year.
• Advice for graduate study: the catalog says a student preparing for graduate study in physics should do more than the minimum, consider all four fall core courses (classical mechanics, thermodynamics and statistical mechanics, electrodynamics, quantum mechanics), take at least one math course numbered MATH 220 or above, and may be advised to take chemistry; such a student should expect to average more than 16 semester hours a term. A student preparing for graduate or second-bachelor’s work in engineering needs a year of chemistry with lab and one semester of differential equations.
• Introductory courses for non-majors: the department also offers courses for non-science majors (PHYS 100–109, such as astronomy, geology and “Rocket Science”), which do not lead into intermediate physics. Those planning to major follow the 140/145/240 sequence; the compressed one-year survey PHYS 130/135 (often used by pre-medical students) is open to sophomores and above, not to first-year students.
• 3-2 engineering programs: see section 8.

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

• At application: the admissions pages read do not ask applicants to choose a major or say that physics has a separate admission line or cap; whether applications are reviewed by major is not stated, so please ask the Office of Admissions.
• Declaring the major: the department page and the catalog’s physics requirements page do not state when to declare, a grade requirement or a cap on places; this is not published in the pages read (the College’s general academic policy page was not read), so please ask the department chair or the Registrar. The department’s advice is for first-year students exploring physics to start with PHYS 140/141 and 145/146 and calculus.
• Internal transfer into the major: the pages read state no separate conditions.

3. Prerequisites and course-planning advice

• High school coursework: the “Selection Process” page recommends a curriculum that includes the five academic core subjects (English, mathematics, history or social science, laboratory science and foreign language), with honors, AP or IB courses where available; most applicants complete at least 20 academic core courses. It does not name a specific physics or math course (such as calculus).
• Where to start after entry: the department’s advice page says first- or second-year students who may major in physics, mathematics or chemistry are recommended to take PHYS 140 (Classical Physics), 145 (Modern Physics) and 240 (Fields and Spacetime) with their co-requisite labs, a complete survey of physics in three semesters. PHYS 140 has a co-requisite of MATH 111 (or equivalent), PHYS 145 of MATH 112 and PHYS 240 of MATH 213 (Calculus 3). PHYS 141 is open only to first-years and is “strongly recommended” for first-year students considering a physics major.
• Well-prepared first-years: the catalog says first-year students with unusually strong physics preparation may begin with PHYS 240 (plus PHYS 141 as the lab) in the first semester, followed by PHYS 145 and 146; such preparation includes a high score on the AP C-level physics exam, experience with quantitative laboratory measurement, significant use of calculus in high school physics and placement into Calculus III. Placement into PHYS 240 is decided in consultation with the instructor and the department chair.
• AP Physics: the department’s page says students with a 4 or 5 on AP Mechanics-C may be eligible to enroll in PHYS 240 instead of 140 in the fall, depending on laboratory experience and calculus placement, then take PHYS 145 and 146 in the spring, with PHYS 141 as the co-requisite lab; interested students should contact the chair. The Registrar’s AP table (headed “Class of 2029, 2030”, which may not be the table for fall 2027 entrants, so check the current one) lists: Physics 1, 4 or 5 – placement PHYS 140, PHYS/2 credit (the table’s notation); Physics 2, 4 or 5 – placement PHYS 140, PHYS/2 credit; Physics C-E&M, 4 or 5 – “see department for placement”, PHYS/2 credit; Physics C-Mechanics, 4 or 5 – equivalent PHYS 140, placement PHYS 145, PHYS/2 credit. The website is not fully consistent on Mechanics-C: the department’s advice page speaks of PHYS 240, while the Registrar’s table places such students in PHYS 145; confirm with the Registrar and the chair.
• IB Physics: the Registrar’s IB table says Physics HL, scores of 5, 6 or 7 – equivalent PHYS 140, placement PHYS 145 (effective fall 2020). The table does not state how much credit is given; placement for Standard Level physics and for A-Level physics is not stated in the pages read, so see the course catalog.
• AP Calculus (same “Class of 2029, 2030” table): Calculus AB 4 or 5 – MATH 112 credit, placement into MATH 212 or 213, MATH/4 credit; Calculus BC – the table shows MATH 112 and MATH 212, a Sequences and Series placement exam, and MATH 213, with MATH/4 credit (the layout does not make clear which result goes with a score of 4 or 5; see the original table); the AB subscore on Calculus BC has its own row. A footnote says MATH 212 and 213 are independent of each other, offered every semester and may be taken in either order or together. These are the MATH 111, 112, 212 and 213 the physics major requires.
• What the credit does: the Registrar’s page says AP or IB credit counts toward the 128 semester hours required for the degree but cannot satisfy the diversification requirement or substitute for a semester of residence, and that the College will not accept credit or scores received more than one year after the coursework or testing (except for transfer students).
• Honors sequences and competitions: the pages read do not list a separate honors introductory physics sequence; “honors” means the senior honors program (section 1). How physics competitions (such as the USAPhO) are viewed in admission is not stated in the admissions pages read.

4. Deadlines and application materials

• Rounds and deadlines: Early Decision 1 (binding) is due 15 November, with decisions in mid-December; Early Decision 2 (binding) and Regular Decision are both due 15 January, with decisions in mid-February and mid-March respectively. The Office of Admissions says that, though it varies by year, about 40 to 45 percent of each first-year class enrolls through Early Decision, and ED applicants are considered on the same terms as others, including merit scholarships and financial aid. The pages show no year, so check that they apply to fall 2027 entry.
• How to apply: the Common App or the Coalition App. The application fee is not stated in the pages read (not published there); see the admissions office or the College’s page on the application platform.
• Required materials: Secondary School Report with transcript, a counselor recommendation, a teacher evaluation (the College prefers it from an instructor who taught you in a year-long, traditional college-preparatory course in your junior year; the website does not say it must be a science or physics teacher) and a mid-year report. Optional: a portfolio through the applicant portal, an interview (recommended, not required) and up to two additional recommendations.
• Testing: test optional. If submitted, official or self-reported SAT or ACT scores are accepted and both are superscored; official score reports are needed only if admitted and enrolling. SAT Subject, AP and IB results are not required but will be considered if submitted. The testing page calls this a temporary policy, so check the policy for fall 2027 entry.
• Home-schooled applicants: the same requirements as others, with one letter of recommendation written by someone not related to the student.

5. US domestic applicants

• Tuition and costs (2026-27): the cost page lists tuition of $72,880, housing $9,080 (double room), meals $10,780 and a student activities fee of $350, totalling $93,090. All students live on campus on the universal meal plan, so room and board are in the comprehensive fee. The same page also lists an estimated 2025-26 cost of attendance of $96,940 (direct cost $89,600, books/personal $1,900, transportation/miscellaneous $1,950) and a 2024-25 table (mandatory charges $87,160). The page mixes academic years, so check the figures that apply to fall 2027 entry. The College is private; the pages read make no in-state and out-of-state tuition distinction.
• Aid: the College commits to meeting 100% of demonstrated need for qualifying students for all four years, through grants, loans and campus work. It says 85% of students receive some form of aid, and the average net price in 2025-26 was about $45K (the aid page says “$45K”, the cost page $44,823). Applicants for need-based aid submit the CSS Profile (code 1370): 15 November for ED1 and 15 January for ED2 and Regular Decision; the FAFSA is due 15 January. For 2026-27 the College asks for parents’ 2024 federal tax return and W-2s, submitted through the College Board IDOC service.
• Merit scholarships: all first-year applicants are automatically considered, with no extra application. The scholarships page gives a range of $20,000 to $35,000 a year and the aid overview page gives $15,000 to $35,000 a year (the website says both); they are renewable for four years with satisfactory academic progress. Named awards include the Kenyon Excellence Award, Kenyon Honors Scholarship, President’s Scholarship and Distinguished Academic Scholarship. There are also talent scholarships in writing, music and studio art ($25,000 a year, separate application) and a National Merit scholarship of $1,000 a year.
• STEM and KEEP scholarship programs: the STEM program is for STEM-interested, socioeconomically disadvantaged students (including first-generation students), and KEEP is for students from underrepresented backgrounds; both need a separate application, include a five-week summer experience (two credit-bearing courses, a $1,000 stipend, with housing, meals and tuition covered), and remove the loan and work-study portions of the aid package for four years. The STEM scholarship also includes a $500 annual book and supply allowance and a one-time $1,000 allowance toward a laptop and scientific software.
• Home state and neighboring states: for students living in or attending school in Ohio there is the Ohio Promise Scholarship ($100,000 total, $25,000 a year over four years; if a student qualifies for others, the highest-value one is awarded) and a competitive Ohio Full-Tuition Scholarship (a separate application). Students living in or attending school in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Pennsylvania or West Virginia automatically qualify for the Stateside Promise Scholarship ($100,000 total, $25,000 a year). Guaranteed admission for in-state residents is not stated in the pages read.
• A physics-specific scholarship: the department pages and the scholarships page read do not describe a scholarship specific to physics; this is not published there, so please ask the department and the financial aid office.

6. International applicants

• English requirements: international students whose primary language of instruction in secondary school is not English must submit an English proficiency exam. The accepted tests and the scores “encouraged” are: Duolingo English Test 130, IELTS Academic 7.0, IELTS Indicator 7.0, TOEFL 100, and TOEFL iBT Special Home Edition 100. The page words these as scores of “at least” that value being encouraged; no hard minimum is stated.
• Waiver: applicants whose primary language of instruction in secondary school is English do not need to submit one.
• Interview: not mandatory; the College partners with InitialView and Vericant, which post the interviews online for the admissions team without evaluating candidates.
• Other documents and credential evaluation: the materials common to all applicants are in section 4; transcript translation and credential evaluation rules are not stated in the pages read, so please write to globaladmissions@kenyon.edu.
• Proof of funds: not stated in the pages read; ask the international admissions office.
• Aid: international students applying for need-based aid complete either the CSS Profile or Kenyon’s Online International Financial Aid Application (available in the Kenyon Admission Portal after applying). Students living in the United States or Canada must use the CSS Profile and cannot use the international form. The aid page says the family contribution for admitted international students stays constant in future years, and that an international student admitted without aid is not eligible for aid during the four years. Whether applying for aid affects admission is not stated in the pages read.
• International scholarships: merit scholarships consider all applicants automatically; the scholarships page does not describe an international-specific scholarship.

7. Applicants from China

• Gaokao: the pages read do not mention whether the Gaokao is considered or how; this is not published there. The admissions office’s “representatives by region” page says only that international applicants can write to globaladmissions@kenyon.edu; it lists no China-specific contact.
• Transcripts and school-leaving materials: no China-specific requirements are published in the pages read; the general international requirements are in sections 4 and 6.
• Testing and English: testing is optional; English scores are in section 6.
• International curricula: students taking AP or IB physics can use the table in section 3 (note its year heading); A-Level is on the Registrar’s list of recognised programmes, and the physics arrangements are left to the course catalog.

8. Costs, scholarships, research and outcomes

• Costs: see section 5.
• Undergraduate research: the student research page describes summer research programs in which scholars typically receive a $5,000 stipend and campus housing. Summer Science Scholars supports more than 30 student-faculty pairs, with up to 10 weeks of natural science research; Cascade Science Scholars is for first- and second-year natural science students with no previous research experience, with six to ten scholars funded by the College; and the Ohio 5/OSU Research Scholars program co-sponsors 20 paid 10-week summer research internships at Ohio State in biochemistry, chemistry, mathematics, physics and statistics. The department’s home page says 110 students a year pursue College-funded research projects across the humanities, natural sciences and social sciences. Honors research is in section 1.
• Observatory and clubs: the department’s requirements page says students help staff the College’s observatory, which features a CCD-equipped, computer-controlled, fourteen-inch Celestron telescope; the department page also mentions the Society of Physics Students colloquium.
• 3-2 and 4-2 engineering programs: the physics department’s engineering page says Kenyon has formal 3-2 relationships with Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York, Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland and Washington University in Saint Louis: students study three years at Kenyon and two at the affiliated school, and receive a Bachelor of Arts from Kenyon and a Bachelor of Science from the affiliated school. Admission to the affiliated school is guaranteed as long as certain minimum requirements are met at Kenyon; they vary slightly between schools but are one year of physics with labs, one year of chemistry with labs, three semesters of calculus and a semester of differential equations, demonstrated proficiency in computer programming and English composition, and a 3.2 GPA. Students must also meet the requirements of a Kenyon major, including a senior capstone. The page says meeting all the requirements needs careful scheduling and should be considered early. A 4-2 variant lets students graduate from Kenyon and then take two years to earn an engineering bachelor’s degree at an affiliated school, and the page adds that each year a number of Kenyon physics majors are admitted directly to graduate programs in engineering. The contact is Professor of Physics Aaron Reinhard (reinhard1@kenyon.edu).
• Outcomes: the catalog says a physics degree is excellent preparation for graduate school in physics and engineering and for careers in the health sciences, law and teaching. The department’s “After Kenyon” page says physics majors are found in a range of careers and shows alumni stories; it prints no employment or graduate school data.

9. Transfer students

• Overall: the College accepts a limited number of transfer students each year, depending on class year and availability of living accommodations. The admissions page says successful transfer applicants in most cases present grades of B or better in their current courses.
• Materials: the Transfer Common Application; official transcripts from all high schools and colleges attended (including this year’s courses); a College Report completed by a registrar or appropriate dean; an Academic Evaluation from a professor; a mid-term report; test requirements as in the testing policy.
• Deadlines (fall entry): option 1, 15 March (decision by 10 April); option 2, 15 April (by 10 May); option 3, 15 May (by 27 May). The pages show no year, so check. The aid page also lists 15 March for the transfer option 1 CSS Profile and FAFSA and points to the other options’ deadlines. The “representatives by region” page names a contact for transfer applicants.
• Physics-specific transfer requirements: the pages read do not state a physics-specific transfer GPA or calculus/physics sequence requirement; the physics requirements page says only that physics courses numbered above 220 have PHYS 140 and 145 and MATH 111 and 112 as prerequisites. How outside physics courses are credited is not published in the pages read (the College’s transfer credit policy page was not read), so please ask the department chair and the Registrar.

Checklist

US domestic applicants:

• ED1 15 November; ED2 and Regular 15 January; Common App or Coalition App; teacher evaluation, counselor recommendation, mid-year report; testing optional; confirm the application fee with the College
• CSS Profile (code 1370): 15 November for ED1, 15 January otherwise; FAFSA 15 January; merit scholarship consideration is automatic; the STEM scholarship needs a separate application

International applicants (including China):

• Duolingo 130, IELTS 7.0 or TOEFL 100 (or the waiver for English-medium secondary schooling); CSS Profile or the College’s online international aid application
• How the Gaokao is used is not published; write to globaladmissions@kenyon.edu

After entry:

• Start with PHYS 140/145 or 240 according to placement and AP/IB physics, alongside the matching calculus; first-years considering the major take PHYS 141; seniors pass four gateway exams and give a public talk; plan early if you want a 3-2 engineering program

Transfer students:

• Fall entry: 15 March, 15 April or 15 May; confirm how outside physics courses will be credited with the department chair and the Registrar

Sources: Kenyon College, Physics; Physics: program and requirements; Physics: advice for first-year students; Physics: senior capstone; Physics: honors; Physics: engineering (3-2) programs; Physics: after Kenyon; Course catalog: physics requirements; Student research; Admissions: apply; Admissions: deadlines and requirements; Admissions: Early Decision; Admissions: selection process; Admissions: testing policy; Admissions: transfer applicants; Admissions: representatives by region; Financial aid and scholarships; Tuition and costs; Applying for financial aid; Scholarships and grants; Registrar: AP and IB; AP scores table (classes of 2029 and 2030). 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.