How to Apply to Dickinson College for a Biology Major: Nine Biology Courses, a Chemistry Foundation and a Required Research Experience in a Liberal Arts College, for US, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

Dickinson College is a liberal arts college in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. The biology major is taught by the Department of Biology; you apply to the College with the Common App or Coalition App, not to a separate school. Below, the information from the College’s website is organised for US applicants, international applicants and applicants from China, followed by transfer students. Chemistry, physics, mathematics and other majors are outside this article. The biology page also points to related programs in neuroscience, biochemistry & molecular biology and environmental science; this article sets out the biochemistry & molecular biology requirements as well, and for neuroscience and environmental science you should see the website.

1. Degrees, tracks and how you are admitted

• Programs: the list of academic programs and the department page show a biology major and minor; the department page says faculty research covers ecology, molecular genetics, cell biology, plant biology, animal physiology, microbiology, neuroscience, bioinformatics and evolution. The degree title (B.A. or B.S.) is not stated on the pages cited here; see the College’s Academic Bulletin or ask the department.
• Biology major: the curriculum page requires nine biology courses: BIOL 131 and 132, plus seven more: one 200-level course (with or without lab); two advanced courses on molecules, genes and cells and two on organisms, populations and ecosystems (four in all, at least one in each group with a lab); and two further lab courses at the 200 level or above, or up to two pre-approved courses from other departments (for example ENST conservation biology or ornithology, or GEOS paleontology). Conditions: only two 200-level courses may count; at least four of the seven must be 200-level or above laboratory courses taken in residence at Dickinson in Carlisle (not counting the research experience); only one 550 or 560 course may count.
• Interdisciplinary STEM Exploration Core: biology majors must also take at least two courses outside the biology department from chemistry (CHEM 241, 242, 243), physics (PHYS 131/132 or 141/142), computer science, data and math (for example COMP 130, 132, DATA/COMP/MATH 180, MATH 121, 170, 171), GIS, and geosciences. In addition, biology majors must complete general chemistry: CHEM 131 and 132, or accelerated CHEM 141. Two semesters of mathematical sciences (calculus and/or statistics) and two of physics are “strongly recommended”, not required, for students planning graduate study or health professions.
• Required research experience: every biology major must include a research experience, taking an active part in design, execution and data analysis, and present the results at an on-campus symposium or a regional or national conference. It can be met through independent research (BIOL 550), student-faculty collaborative research (BIOL 560), on- or off-campus summer research (students are encouraged to complete the REXP transcript notation), the BIOL 412 seminar, or an experience the faculty advisor deems equivalent.
• Minor: six courses: BIOL 131 and 132; four upper-level courses (at most one at the 200 level, two with labs, at least one in each of the molecules/cells and organisms/ecosystems groups); and CHEM 131 and 132 (or 141).
• Biochemistry & Molecular Biology (BCMB): a major sponsored jointly by chemistry and biology. The curriculum page requires: biology 131, 132, 216 and one of 416, 417, 418, 419, 425 or 433; chemistry 131, 132, 241, 242 (or 141, 241, 242) and an elective (490); BIOL 343 and CHEM 342, plus BIOL 313 or 326 or CHEM 243 or 244; MATH 170 and a second math course (not MATH 151); and PHYS 131 or 141 and 132 or 142. It advises starting chemistry in the first semester (depending on chemistry and math placement) and completing four science or math courses in the first year; if the math placement does not allow chemistry at once, take MATH 151 first.
• Choosing a major, timing, GPA, places: the admissions pages read (application information, checklist, FAQ, international page) do not ask applicants to choose a major and do not describe a separate admission bar or quota for biology. When you declare the biology major and with what grades is not stated on the department pages; ask the department (717-254-8314) or admissions (admissions@dickinson.edu). Conditions for transferring into biology from another major within the College are not published.
• Size and character: the department page says the department has 14 faculty; the advising guide says it graduates 30–40 majors a year, taught by 11 full-time tenured and tenure-track faculty (the two faculty counts differ, so check the website). The department page says all majors take part in research at some point and nearly half of biology students study off campus for a semester or more.

2. Preparation, course advice and undergraduate research

• High school courses: the application information page sets a minimum of at least 16 units of secondary school, including four units of English, three of natural science (at least two with labs), two of social science and three of college-preparatory mathematics, with two units of one world language preferred; most applicants exceed the minimum. It sets no separate high-school biology or chemistry requirement for the biology major.
• First-year plan: the “suggested curricular flow” on the curriculum page and advising guide: first year, CHEM 131 and 132 (or 141) and BIOL 131 or 132 (or both); sophomore year, the other BIOL 130-level course, no more than two 200-level biology courses, possibly a first 300-level course, and one or both STEM core courses; junior year, “study abroad” with three 300-level biology courses; senior year, the research experience and two or more 300/400-level courses. BIOL 131 (organisms, populations and ecosystems) and 132 (molecules, genes and cells) are complementary and may be taken in either order; each meets three hours of class and three of lab a week.
• Chemistry placement exam: because the major requires general chemistry, note that the chemistry advising guide says students planning to take general chemistry must take the Chemistry and Math placement exams before starting coursework at Dickinson; there is no later sitting and students who do not cannot request chemistry courses. The guide names biology among the majors that require chemistry and says the exam is required even with AP or IB Chemistry. The result decides between CHEM 131 (fall, then 132) and accelerated CHEM 141 (a first-year option); a math placement score of 15 or higher allows 131 directly, while lower scores may require taking or first completing MATH 151 (thresholds in the chemistry advising guide).
• AP and IB: the AP table says Biology 4 or 5 earns general credit (counting toward the lab-science requirement), with placement “None”, meaning you start at the 100 level; the table notes this applies to students entering from fall 2018. The IB table says Higher Level subjects with 5 or better earn general credit, with specific-major placement and credit at the departments’ discretion, and lists IB Biology HL 5 or better for general credit. AP Calculus AB 4 or 5 earns MATH 170 credit with placement into MATH 171 or 211. Tables for A-Levels and other qualifications are not published on the pages cited here; check the Registrar’s website.
• Honors: the curriculum page says the faculty award Honors based on the complete biology program: all required courses, grades, and a two-semester (or summer plus semester) research project; a minimum GPA of 3.0 in all courses counting toward the major, including CHEM 131, 132 (or 141), 241 and 242 (or equivalents) and transfer courses with biology credit, calculated from the first seven semesters. Further honors rules on the department’s separate honors page are not published on the pages cited here; check the website.
• Study away: the curriculum page lists the School for Field Studies (one semester at one of five centers in British Columbia, Mexico, Australia, Kenya, or the Turks and Caicos Islands, typically two biology credits), the Semester in Environmental Science at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole and the Duke University Marine Laboratory, a semester or year in the School of Biological Sciences at the University of East Anglia, and a semester at the University of Otago in New Zealand.
• Research and facilities: the advising guide says students can work side by side with faculty in field and lab; facilities include research-grade equipment (tissue culture, fluorescence microscopes, a quantitative real-time PCR machine and more), the Stafford Greenhouse, the 3,400-acre Florence Jones Reineman Wildlife Sanctuary about eight miles from campus, and the College Farm about six miles away. The department also has student-faculty research and Students As Scholars pages, whose specific projects are not published on the pages cited here; check the website.
• Competitions: see section 3; the website does not say how biology olympiads or similar competitions are viewed in admission.

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

• Deadlines (the deadlines page prints no year, so check that they apply to fall 2027): Early Decision I (binding) 15 November, decision mid-December; Early Action (non-binding) 15 November, decision mid-January, deposit 1 May; Early Decision II (binding) 15 January, decision late February; Regular Decision 15 January, decision late March, reply date 1 May. Regular Decision applicants may switch to ED II by submitting the ED agreement by 28 January. The same dates are the admission and financial-aid deadlines (CSS Profile and FAFSA). The page also says there will be no spring 2027 first-year cycle.
• How to apply: the Common App or the Coalition App (Scoir), treated equally; a complete application with the essay. The application fee is not published on the pages cited here; check the Common App or ask admissions.
• Materials: an official secondary transcript listing all courses and grades (grades 9–12); senior-year grades (first quarter, trimester or mid-year) before decisions are released; a counselor recommendation and school report; teacher recommendations (the checklist says one from a core-course teacher is required and two are recommended; the FAQ says one academic teacher is required and two recommended; neither says it must come from a science teacher); ED applicants add the Early Decision Agreement signed by the applicant, a parent and a counselor.
• Interview: not required but valued; in person or virtual, typically between spring of junior year and the deadline of the chosen round.
• Testing: test-optional since 1994 (submission was briefly suspended during the pandemic); nothing replaces a missing score; scores are not reviewed for merit scholarships; the ACT science section is not required. The page prints the middle 50% for admitted students: SAT 1310–1460, ACT composite 30–33. Codes: SAT 2186, ACT 3550. AP and IB scores are not used to award credit during admission but may be considered in the review.
• biology competitions and supplements: the website does not say how biology competitions are viewed in admission. The checklist says Schoolhouse certifications (the site covers calculus, physics and other STEM subjects) may be uploaded as an optional supplement.

4. US applicants

• Costs (2026-27, cost-of-attendance page): on campus: tuition $71,100, required fees $550, housing $9,600, food $9,050 (Any 21 Meal Plan), books and supplies $1,324, personal $1,718, transportation $300, direct loan fees $64; the page gives a total cost of attendance of $93,706. Students living with a parent or family member: $85,560. The page notes an extra travel allowance for families outside the mid-Atlantic region. Students without US health insurance are billed for student health insurance, estimated at about $2,000 for 2026-27 in two installments. The College is private; the page does not set separate in-state and out-of-state tuition.
• Need-based aid: the College says it meets 100% of demonstrated need for all four years through need-based grants, student employment and loans; apply with the CSS Profile and FAFSA by the admission deadline. The page says that in 2025-26, 62% of students received need-based grants, the average need-based grant was $54,208 (79.7% of tuition), and the average need-based package for undergraduate grant recipients was $59,475.
• Dickinson Promise: the page says, starting with “the class of 2030” (its wording), incoming students from families earning $125,000 or less pay no tuition and those earning $75,000 or less attend loan free; eligibility is set from FAFSA and CSS Profile; it is for domestic families and has no separate application. The page does not convert “class of 2030” into an entry year; see the Dickinson Promise page.
• Merit scholarships: $15,000 to $45,000 a year regardless of need, generally no separate application (the Reynolds Leadership Scholar Program and the Dickinson-Cumberland County Scholarship need their own); awarded for eight semesters, kept with full-time enrollment and a 2.0 GPA. Others are regional or talent-based, such as the Reynolds program for Maryland residents ($50,000 a year), Curley, Sandia, Sheehy and the Music Scholars Award. No biology-specific scholarship appears on the pages cited here.
• State residents: the pages do not describe guaranteed or priority admission for Pennsylvania residents; the Dickinson-Cumberland County Scholarship is a full-tuition award for Cumberland County residents and the Curley scholarship is for residents or students in Lycoming, Lehigh or Northampton counties.

5. International applicants

• Who: US citizens, permanent residents and holders of a visa status with access to US federal aid apply under the domestic guidelines; everyone else applies as an international applicant.
• Materials: Common App or Coalition App; a school report; official transcripts or marks sheets for the last three years with English translations where needed, plus official or predicted results of national or international examinations (for example IB, A-Level, GCSE); current-year grades; a counselor recommendation and one teacher recommendation in English or translated; ED applicants add the signed ED agreement.
• English: applicants whose first language is not English: TOEFL iBT recommended score 90 or 4.5 (per the TOEFL changes from January 2026), IELTS recommended 7.0, Duolingo English Test with interview recommended 120; or at least three years at a high school where English is the principal language of instruction (all coursework other than a modern language in standard English, not ESL). There is no ESL program.
• Financial documents: every international applicant, whether or not seeking aid, submits the Certification of Finances online after applying and setting up the applicant portal.
• Interview: not required. The international page says 11 December 2026 is the last day to schedule an interview for fall 2027 admission; an InitialView or Vericant interview may be submitted instead.
• Aid: merit scholarships and need-based aid are available to international students; no separate scholarship application. Need-based aid goes up to the full cost of tuition, the amount is limited and families are expected to contribute. The website states that Dickinson is need-aware in admitting international students. To apply for aid, indicate it on the Common App and submit the CSS Profile by the application deadline; applicants unable to complete it may use the International Student Financial Aid Application (ISFAA). Aid does not cover the mandatory health insurance needed for a student visa (the international aid page says $2,500, whereas the cost page estimates about $2,000 for 2026-27, so the two figures differ), one-time fees of $125, or travel above $1,000 a year (the last item is in the international FAQ); students must fund these themselves.
• Contact: studyusa@dickinson.edu.

6. Applicants from China

• Gaokao: the international application page, the international FAQ and the checklist do not say whether or how Gaokao results are used, and there is no China page; this is not published. Ask international admissions (studyusa@dickinson.edu).
• Transcripts and school-leaving records: only the general international requirement (section 5) is published: three years of full transcripts, English translations where needed, and national examination results or predictions. Any China-specific format is not stated.
• Interview platforms: international applicants may submit an InitialView or Vericant interview.
• English and funds: see section 5.

7. Outcomes and department programs

• Where graduates go (lists as printed, not statistics): employers include Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Penn Medicine, the Peace Corps, the Schmahmann Lab of Neuroscience at Mass General and Yellowstone National Park; graduate schools listed include the Broad Institute, Columbia University, Duke University, Johns Hopkins University, the University of Southern California, the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Glasgow and the University of Michigan; internship sites include Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, the American Museum of Natural History and Friday Harbor Labs. The international admissions page adds that 96% of Dickinsonians are employed or in graduate school within six months of graduation (its wording). The department page says the research experience prepares students for graduate and medical school admission and various biology careers.
• Sustainability and the farm: the advising guide says biology faculty use the College’s certified organic farm and the wildlife sanctuary as natural laboratories.
• Related programs: the neuroscience and environmental science requirements are not published on the pages cited here; see the website’s program pages.

8. Transfer students

• Who: the international FAQ says anyone who has graduated from high school and taken any coursework at a post-secondary institution must apply as a transfer; applicants who already hold a bachelor’s degree are not eligible for merit scholarships or aid and must show they can fund the whole cost.
• Deadlines (no year printed; check): fall term 1 April (called the preferred deadline; later applications are considered space-available until the class is full); spring term 1 November; community college partnership fall 1 March and spring 1 October. The transfer FAQ says there is no rolling admission and applications are reviewed together after the deadline.
• Materials: the Common App transfer application with Dickinson’s member questions and writing supplement, a Transfer College Report for each institution, a midterm report, an academic evaluation (college instructor preferred), official transcripts from every institution, and the official secondary transcript or GED. Testing is optional; an interview is encouraged but not required.
• Grades and admit numbers: the FAQ says the College looks for a minimum GPA of 3.0 though most admitted students have very strong records, and that over the past three years it admitted on average 30–40 transfers a year from about 160–180 applicants.
• Credit: the formal credit evaluation happens after you are accepted and have paid the deposit, when the registrar has the final transcript; before applying, admissions staff can give an unofficial evaluation. The chemistry advising guide explains that chemistry courses with labs need an in-person lab to transfer. Biology transfer-credit rules and any GPA or prerequisite-sequence requirement for entering the biology major are not stated on the pages read, so ask transfer admissions (transfer@dickinson.edu) or the biology department. Because the major requires general chemistry, transfer students should also meet a chemistry faculty advisor early: the guide says to bring course descriptions and syllabi, and that Dickinson chemistry courses with labs require an in-person lab to be considered for transfer credit.
• Aid: transfers may apply for need-based aid (FAFSA and CSS Profile by the admission deadline) and limited merit scholarships; transfers are not eligible for Tuition Exchange.
• International transfers: English proficiency (two years at an English-medium college, or TOEFL iBT, IELTS or Duolingo), the Certification of Finances, and the CSS Profile if seeking aid; transcripts from institutions outside the US must have a World Education Services (WES) course-by-course evaluation after acceptance and deposit.

Checklist

US applicants:

• Common App or Coalition App; ED I and EA 15 November; ED II and RD 15 January (check the year); transcript, counselor recommendation, at least one core-course teacher recommendation; testing optional; interview optional
• CSS Profile and FAFSA by the admission deadline; merit scholarships generally need no separate application

International applicants (including China):

• English: TOEFL iBT recommended 90, IELTS 7.0, Duolingo 120, or three years at an English-medium high school; Certification of Finances; CSS Profile if you need aid; interview cut-off for fall 2027 is 11 December 2026
• The College is need-aware for international admission; Gaokao use is not published

Before and after arrival:

• Take the chemistry and math placement exams before arriving; first year CHEM 131/132 (or 141) and BIOL 131 or 132; at least two STEM core courses; complete and present the research experience; junior-year study away is part of the suggested plan

Transfer students:

• Fall 1 April (preferred), spring 1 November; minimum GPA 3.0; credit evaluation after admission and deposit; chemistry courses with labs need an in-person lab to transfer

Sources: Dickinson College, Biology; Biology curriculum; Biology advising; Biochemistry & Molecular Biology; BCMB curriculum; Chemistry advising; Academic programs; AP credit; IB credit; Application information; Deadlines; Checklist; Application FAQ; Test-optional; International application; International FAQ; International aid; Transfer; Transfer application; Transfer deadlines; Transfer FAQ; Cost of attendance; Scholarships and grants. The international application page names fall 2027 explicitly for its interview cut-off; the other application pages print no year, so check that they apply to fall 2027 entry and see the College’s website for the latest.