How to Apply to Biology at DePauw University: B.A. in Biology (10.5 Courses) or B.A. in Cellular and Molecular Biology, No Application Fee, Test-Optional, with a Promise to Meet 100% of Calculated Need for First-Year Students, for U.S., International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

At DePauw University (Greencastle, Indiana), biology is taught in the Department of Biology in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and the degree is a B.A. Below is what DePauw publishes for fall 2027 entry, in sections for U.S. applicants, international applicants and applicants from China, then transfer students. Anything the site does not say is marked "not published". Medicine, pharmacy, nursing, public health and other professional degrees are outside this guide; see the relevant pages on the DePauw site. Biochemistry sits in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and is not covered here. DePauw counts in "courses" (course credits): one course is one credit unit, and some courses count 0.25 or 0.5.

1. Degrees

• Biology (B.A.): 10.5 courses; the Biology minor is 6 courses. The site describes an introduction to scientific methodology with broad exposure to the diversity of life, with study areas such as genetics, microbiology and immunology; opportunities include a 10-week summer research internship on campus, a winter-term trip to the Galapagos Islands and a semester abroad at a research university.
• Cellular and Molecular Biology (B.A.): in the same department, 11.5 courses, aimed at biomedical research or medical, dental and veterinary school.
• The related-majors list also shows Environmental Biology; its requirements are not published on the pages we read. A B.S. in biology, accreditation or an internship-year option: not mentioned on the pages we read.

2. Admission route, prerequisites and course plan

• Biology B.A. requirements: core BIO 101 (Molecules, Genes and Cells, with lab), BIO 102 (Evolution, Organisms and Ecology, with lab) and BIO 450 (senior requirement, C- or better). Seven upper-level biology courses, with at least one from each cluster: Cellular/Molecular Biology (BIO 241, 250, 314, 315, 325, 361, 381), Organismal Biology (BIO 230, 234, 235, 285, 334, 335) and Ecology/Evolution (BIO 342, 343, 344, 345, 346, 348); the remaining four may come from any approved major course. CHEM 120 and one allied course (one of CHEM 240, CHEM 260, CSC 121, GEOS 110 or PHYS 120) are also required. Three courses at the 300 and 400 level (not counting BIO 450). The page states the total as "9.5 BIO + CHEM 120 + 1.0 allied course credit".
• Recommended: at least two chemistry courses, a year of physics and a semester of calculus or statistics; computer science is also desirable. No more than two courses from off-campus programs can count toward the major.
• Writing in the major: take a department-designated writing-intensive course (such as BIO 250 Microbiology, 315 Molecular Biology, 325 Bioinformatics, 335 Animal Physiology, 345 Conservation Biology, 346 Plant-Animal Interactions, 361 Immunology or 415 Molecular Genetics and Genomics), or submit a portfolio of three graded pieces of writing to the senior seminar instructor before the end of senior year.
• Cellular and Molecular Biology B.A.: core BIO 101, BIO 102, CHEM 120, BIO 241 or BIO 250, and BIO 315; four more biology courses including three from Group 1 (at least two) and Group 2, plus one biology elective; three courses from computer science and mathematics (CSC 121, 122, 232, 233; MATH 123, 141, 151, 152, 251, 341), which may be all computer science, all math or a mix; at least three 300-level-or-higher biology courses (not counting BIO 450); and BIO 450 (C- or better) or half-credit BIO 490 research in a cellular and molecular area. BIO 375, 325 and 381 are recommended electives, and interdisciplinary projects with math or computer science are encouraged.
• Prerequisites: the course page says BIO 101 and 102 include laboratory work; it lists no prerequisites for those two courses, so check with the department. High-school biology, chemistry or mathematics requirements: not stated on the pages we read.
• AP / IB credit: the international checklist refers to an advanced credit policy, but the pages we read give no conversion table; not published here, so check the Registrar's pages on the DePauw site.
• Choosing a major: whether applicants choose a major at application and when biology is declared: not stated on the pages we read.

Research and outcomes

• Research: the international applicants page says 36% of DePauw students conduct faculty-student research and 84% complete at least one internship; the Asher Office of Undergraduate Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity supports research, and fellows programmes such as Science Research Fellows are open to all majors. The biology page lists internships at Harvard Medical School, IU Indianapolis, Washington University in St. Louis and Eli Lilly.
• Outcomes: the biology page lists graduate schools DePauw students have attended, including Johns Hopkins, Mayo Clinic, IU Indianapolis, Washington University in St. Louis, Indiana University School of Medicine, Vanderbilt, MIT, Notre Dame, Cincinnati and Chicago. No placement rates are published on the pages we read.

3. Rounds and application materials

• How to apply: the DePauw Application, the Common App or the Coalition App (all available 1 August). No application fee, and testing is optional.
• Rounds (apply by / materials due / notified by / deposit due): Early Decision I (binding) 1 Nov / 8 Nov / 15 Dec / 15 Jan; Early Action I 1 Nov / 8 Nov / 15 Dec / 1 May; Early Decision II 15 Dec / 22 Dec / 15 Jan / 15 Feb; Early Action II 15 Dec / 22 Dec / 15 Jan / 1 May; Regular Decision 1 Feb / 8 Feb / 1 Mar / 1 May. The pages print no year, so confirm the dates apply to fall 2027 entry.
• Materials: school transcripts, a school report from the counselor and one letter of recommendation (from a teacher, school counselor or community group leader). Whether biology applicants need a science-teacher recommendation: not stated.
• Testing: ACT/SAT are optional for first-year and transfer applicants enrolled in a public, private or charter school; self-reported scores, student score reports, official scores and scores on the transcript are all accepted; test-optional applicants are still considered for merit scholarships.
• Whether applicants choose a major at application, when biology is declared, and any conditions or quotas: not stated on the pages we read; ask admission. biology is in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences; the pages we read do not mention a separate admission cut-off for the College.

4. U.S. applicants

• Cost: the tuition page lists one tuition figure with no in-state/out-of-state split. 2026-27 direct costs: tuition $62,710, housing and meals $16,240, mandatory fees $1,170, which the page totals as $80,120. Estimated indirect costs: books and supplies $800, transportation $1,000, personal $1,700, average loan fees $70. 2027-28 costs: not listed on the pages we read. The page adds that housing and meals follow DePauw's four-year residency requirement.
• The DePauw Promise: DePauw says it meets 100% of calculated financial need for every first-year student: the apply page says beginning with the class entering in fall 2026, and the tuition FAQ refers to the 2027 incoming class. Family income up to $50,000 (on a U.S. domestic aid basis): full direct costs covered; up to $100,000: full tuition; up to $200,000: at least 50% of tuition; significant assets or foreign income can change the calculation. Need is determined by the FAFSA and, for some students, the CSS Profile; FAFSA priority date 1 February.
• Merit scholarships: every applicant is automatically considered, with awards from $20,000 per year to full tuition; the site says students on average qualify for $30,000 to $45,000 in DePauw scholarships. Competitive full-tuition awards (Rector, Jordan, Green, Sanger, Prindle) are also automatic; the Rector is described as going to roughly the top five percent of the applicant pool. The pages give two figures for aid recipients: more than 90% (tuition page) and more than 95% (scholarships page). No in-state preference is mentioned on the pages we read.

5. International applicants

• Share: nearly 20% of each incoming class is international.
• Transcripts: sent directly by a school official (through the Common App or by email); documents submitted by applicants are not accepted even if sealed and stamped; grades for the last four years (at least three if still in school); all documents in the original language plus certified English translations verified by the school or a local EducationUSA office; where applicable, the counselor also submits national, regional or state board exam results (such as CBSE/ISC, WAEC, IGCSE/GCSE). Admitted students send proof of graduation and the final transcript before enrolling.
• English (if English is not your first language): TOEFL iBT minimum 4.0 overall and per section (new 1-6 scale), IELTS 6.5, Duolingo 110, or PTE Academic 57; TOEFL iBT Home Edition, IELTS Online and PTE at-home are accepted, and TOEFL superscores are accepted. Applicants from the listed English-speaking countries/regions get an automatic waiver; students with an entire secondary education in an English-medium school may request one.
• Finances: every international applicant must submit the DePauw Student Certification of Finances and supporting documents (such as recent bank statements or employer letters verifying parent income). For 2026-27 the estimated amount needed to qualify for an I-20 is $80,120, minus any awards.
• Aid: international students are eligible for merit scholarships from $20,000 per year to full tuition. Need-based aid requires the Certification of Finances, with deadlines equal to the admission deadlines and packages awarded with admission. The site contradicts itself: the checklist and the international aid page say CSS Profile and ISFAA are no longer accepted, while an FAQ on the scholarships page says international students seeking need-based aid must complete the CSS Profile. Ask International Admission.
• Interview: optional; Vericant and InitialView interviews are accepted.

6. Applicants from China

• Gaokao: the pages we read have no China-specific section and do not say how the Gaokao is used. Not published; contact International Admission (intladmission@depauw.edu).
• Transcripts and translation: under the international checklist, non-English transcripts need the original plus a certified English translation verified by the school or EducationUSA, submitted directly by a school official. How Chinese school-leaving or proficiency exam results are submitted: not published.
• Other: English scores, financial certification and scholarships are as in section 5.

7. Transfer

• Deadlines (apply by / notified by / deposit due): spring semester 1 Dec / 15 Dec / 1 Jan; fall semester 1 Jul / 15 Jul / 1 Aug.
• Materials: the DePauw Application or Common App, the Common App College Official's Report, official transcripts from all colleges attended, the official final high-school transcript, and one letter from a professor or adviser (optional for domestic, required for international applicants). Tests are optional for domestic transfer applicants; international transfer applicants whose first language is not English need English scores and the Certification of Finances.
• GPA: the page says successful transfer applicants typically have at least a 3.0 GPA in college-level coursework.
• Credit: Transferology shows how courses transfer; after admission the Registrar's Office evaluates transfer credit and helps with scheduling. Any cap on transfer credit and whether biology courses transfer: not stated on the pages we read.
• Specific prerequisite courses or grades for transferring into biology: not stated on the transfer page we read.

Checklist

U.S. applicants:

• DePauw Application, Common App or Coalition App; no fee; testing optional; Early Decision/Action I 1 November, II 15 December, Regular 1 February; FAFSA priority date 1 February
• The department recommends at least two chemistry courses, a year of physics and a semester of calculus or statistics

International applicants (including China):

• Transcripts sent by the school with the original and a certified English translation; English scores (TOEFL 4.0 on the new scale, IELTS 6.5, Duolingo 110, PTE 57); Certification of Finances and supporting documents
• Ask International Admission how the Gaokao is used and whether need-based aid requires the CSS Profile

Transfer students:

• Spring 1 December, fall 1 July; successful applicants typically have at least a 3.0 GPA; use Transferology to check credit

Sources: DePauw University, Biology; Biology requirements; Biology courses; Cellular and Molecular Biology; Cellular and Molecular Biology requirements; College of Liberal Arts and Sciences; Apply; International applicants; International application checklist; Scholarships and aid for international students; Transfer applicants; Scholarships & aid; The DePauw Promise; Tuition & fees. Dates and costs are as listed on those pages; confirm that undated dates apply to fall 2027 entry. Check DePauw for the latest.