How to Apply to Davidson College for a Biology Degree: Admission to the College, Major Chosen After Arrival, BIO 115 and 116 as the Required Entry Courses, Thesis Program With Honors, Test-Optional; Admission and Prerequisites for Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Students

Davidson College is an undergraduate college in Davidson, North Carolina, running on semesters. Its biology major is offered by the Biology Department. This guide follows the department website and the admissions office, and covers U.S. domestic, international and Chinese applicants, then transfer students. The contents of the department’s “Degree Requirements” tab are not shown in the pages read, and the catalog is not covered, so the official requirements table (how many courses, which are required) should be checked on the college website; the biology pages show no update date. Medicine, nursing, public health and similar degrees are outside this guide.

1. Biology degree and tracks

• The biology major: the department says it is committed to preparing students for graduate school, professional school and careers; majors have faculty advisers in the department to help select courses; courses span the biological disciplines, 100-level courses are the entry courses to the major, and 200- and 300-level courses give access to a broad range of biological knowledge and technical skills. The department page links a Biology Major Handbook (a Google Doc), whose contents are not given on the pages read.
• Degree name: the pages read do not say whether the degree is a B.A. or a B.S.; not published.
• Structure (from the department’s published course schedule): the introductory courses BIO 115 (Molecules, Genes, & Cells, with lab) and BIO 116 (Evolution, Physiology, Ecology, with lab) are the required entry to the major and may be taken in any order. Advanced laboratory courses fall in two groups: Group A, advanced cellular/molecular lab (for example Genetics BIO 201, Biochemistry BIO 303, Immunology BIO 307, Microbiology BIO 202, Cell Biology BIO 208) and Group B, advanced organismal/ecological lab or field courses (for example conservation biology, Ecology BIO 321, Animal Behavior BIO 223, Evolutionary Biology BIO 221); there are also courses without a lab (seminars, group investigations). The number of courses required for the degree is not given on the pages read.
• For non-majors: BIO 105 Biology for Life.
• Related programs: the department page lists environmental studies, genomics, premedicine and allied health professions, chemistry, neuroscience and public health; not covered here.

2. Admission: you apply to the College; declaring biology is not published

• At application: the first-year page read does not say whether you name a major or whether biology has its own admission standard; not published, so ask admissions.
• Choosing the major: the pages read do not give the timing or conditions for formally declaring biology; not published. The department says majors have faculty advisers to help them select courses.
• Internal transfer: not published.

3. Prerequisites and course planning

• High school courses: admissions requires at least 16 high school units, including four of English, three of mathematics and two of science, and strongly recommends continuing science into the third and fourth years and mathematics through calculus (section 4). Neither the department nor admissions says that high school biology or chemistry is required; not published.
• Introductory courses: the department’s course-planning page labels BIO 115 and BIO 116 “required entry to major (may be taken in any order)”, listed in every semester shown; it also lists BIO 105 for non-majors (in fall 2026 that slot shows the writing course WRI 101).
• AP / IB biology credit: the biology and admissions pages read do not say which course AP or IB biology replaces; not published, so check the Registrar’s credit information.
• Chemistry and math prerequisites: the pages read do not say which chemistry or math courses the biology major requires; not published, so check the degree requirements table.
• Course schedule: the department notes that the schedule shows courses it expects to offer, which are not guaranteed and may change.
• Competitions: the admissions and biology pages read do not say how biology olympiads or similar competitions are viewed in admission.

4. Timeline and materials (first-year applicants)

• Deadlines: the admissions timeline lists dates under “2026” and “2027” and does not state which entry year they belong to; read in sequence they correspond to fall 2027 entry (this is an inference, so check). The application opens 1 August; Early Decision I is due 15 November with notification by 12 December; Early Decision II is due 4 January with notification by 30 January; Regular Decision is due 11 January with notification on 1 April and a 1 May deposit date. Financial aid decisions are released with admission decisions for applicants who meet the deadlines. ED is binding: you say Davidson is your first choice, will enroll if admitted and will withdraw other applications immediately; students denied under ED may not reapply for Regular Decision in the same year.
• How to apply: domestic applicants may use the Common App, Coalition or QuestBridge; international applicants use the Common App or Coalition.
• Academic prerequisites: complete secondary school graduation requirements, with at least 16 high school units (the average admitted student has 20), including four of English, three of mathematics, the second level of a language other than English, two of science and two of history or social studies. The page strongly recommends continuing science into the third and fourth years and mathematics through calculus. Neither the department nor admissions says what high school courses the major needs; not published.
• Materials: official high school transcript; a personal statement (250–650 words); two supplemental questions (250–300 words each: what interests you about Davidson, and a topic that excites you); counselor recommendation (Secondary School Report and Mid-Year Report); two recommendations from two different high school academic instructors, at least one in a core subject (English, math, science, history/social science or a second language); a peer recommendation; and extracurricular involvement. The pages do not say a science teacher is required; not published.
• Testing: optional: Davidson has been test-optional since 2020 and about 50% of admitted students submit scores; the SAT and ACT are superscored and the writing sections are not considered. Middle 50% of those who submit: SAT ERW 700–750, Math 690–760, ACT composite 31–34. Scores can be self-reported; enrolling students must submit official scores (at enrollment, not application). Codes: SAT 5150, ACT 3086.
• Interviews and interest: no interviews are offered; Davidson tracks demonstrated interest but says engagement is not required.
• Application fee: the first-year page read does not state the fee for U.S. citizens; not published there. The fee is waived for non-U.S. citizens.

5. U.S. domestic applicants

• Costs (2026-27, first-year, US dollars): tuition $73,090; required fees $650; orientation fee $250; housing $9,220; food $9,560; total billed costs $92,770; non-billed costs: books $825, transportation $200–600, miscellaneous $1,400; the page’s estimated total cost of attendance (without the college’s health insurance) is $95,195–95,595; health insurance $2,800. The page does not distinguish in-state from out-of-state tuition (a private college). Costs for 2027-28 are not published.
• Aid: the cost page says Davidson is one of only two dozen U.S. schools that admit students independent of their family’s ability to pay, meet 100 percent of calculated need, and do so without loans in the aid package. The full aid application needs the CSS Profile and FAFSA and signed student and parent federal tax returns through the College Board’s IDOC service; Early Decision I students may submit the FAFSA after enrolling.
• Scholarships: the international aid page and FAQ say there are no general merit scholarships, only a small number of scholarships; the site groups them as partnership-based, nomination, competition and application scholarships, with details on the university website.
• In-state preference: not published on the pages read.

6. International applicants

• How to apply: the same process as first-year domestic applicants, plus the English proficiency requirement, an optional application video and the financial verification form; the application fee is waived for non-U.S. citizens (automatically after you select your citizenship). More than 3,500 students from over 80 countries apply each year, and 12% of the community comes from more than 50 countries.
• English proficiency: students whose first language is not English submit TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo English Test results; the SAT and ACT do not satisfy it. Waived for students from a country where English is an official language, taking English A in the IB diploma, or who spent four years of high school in the United States. The page says students who score in the following ranges or higher are best prepared: DET 130, IELTS 7, TOEFL iBT 5.0 (1–6 scale) / 100 (0–120 scale). The DET must be shared from the Duolingo dashboard; IELTS and TOEFL must come from the testing agency or the high school counselor, and scores submitted or self-reported by students are not accepted.
• Interview video: the page strongly recommends InitialView or Vericant materials (no fee waivers); the FAQ calls them an optional supplement.
• Aid: need-based, limited to first-year students who have not enrolled at another college, and not available to international transfer students; available to ED and RD applicants who apply for aid at the time of application by the same deadline, and not accepted after admission. Davidson is need-aware for non-U.S. citizens but meets 100% of calculated need for those admitted. All international students, even those not seeking aid, complete the Financial Verification Form; if the family contribution will be under $5,000 per year an alternative expanded form replaces the CSS Profile, and above that the CSS Profile ($25, no waiver) is required. The Alvarez Scholars Program considers all international students who apply for aid, with no additional application.
• Visa and proof of funds: beyond the financial verification form, the pages read give no details; not published.

7. Applicants from China

• Gaokao: the pages read do not mention the Gaokao or say how it is used; not published there, so contact admissions.
• Transcripts and Huikao materials: the pages say transcripts are read in the context of the applicant’s school; how Huikao materials are submitted is not published.
• English scores: see section 6. Testing: SAT and ACT are optional and cannot replace an English score.

8. Costs, scholarships, research and honors

• Costs: see section 5. The department pages list research and travel funds (for example the Putnam fund and grant travel awards), which are not entrance scholarships; entrance scholarships are not published.
• Research: the department says students can design semester-long independent research courses, conduct thesis projects, collaborate with faculty and join paid summer research internships at Davidson and elsewhere. Independent research is BIO 371–374, applied for each semester through the application posted on Handshake. The page notes that undergraduate research is frequently required for admission to many graduate and professional schools and that most elite graduate programs expect research experience.
• Thesis program and honors: thesis requirements: a written thesis proposal; a short (about 10 minute) public thesis preview; a written thesis; a public defense seminar; completion of the major requirements including at least two semesters of independent research (BIO 371/372/373/374/379), or at least one semester plus a summer on the proposed research (BIO 379); attendance at department seminars as specified; and submission of an electronic copy. Honors: complete the thesis requirements, take one additional biology course beyond those fulfilling major requirements and graduate with a GPA of at least 3.2. High Honors: Honors plus a graduation GPA of at least 3.6 and nomination by the mentor and a vote by the biology faculty.
• Outcomes: the department says it prepares students for graduate school, professional school and careers, and that many recent graduates have continued at top graduate programs; no figures are published on the pages read.

9. Transfer students

• Eligibility: you must have successfully completed at least one full year of acceptable college coursework upon enrolling and plan to be enrolled at Davidson at least two academic years (16 courses). Students who have enrolled in a degree-seeking program and earned credits cannot apply as first-year students and must apply as transfers.
• Deadlines (years as printed): spring semester 1 November 2026, notification by early December; fall semester 1 April 2027, notification by early June.
• Materials: Common App or Coalition application; personal statement and two supplemental questions; final high school transcript; a transcript from each college attended; a Statement of Good Standing; two recommendations from college faculty; a peer recommendation is optional; SAT/ACT optional.
• Aid: need-based aid is available for domestic transfer students; financial aid and scholarships are not available for international transfer students, who may enroll mid-year or in the fall; non-native English speakers are strongly encouraged to take the TOEFL.
• Credit: the detailed transfer-credit rules are not on the pages read.
• Transferring into biology: the biology pages read set out no special GPA, prerequisite or credit-conversion rule for transfer students; not published.

Checklist

US domestic applicants:

• Apply by 15 November (ED I), 4 January (ED II) or 11 January (RD) through the Common App, Coalition or QuestBridge; personal statement plus two supplemental questions; two high school academic teacher recommendations plus a peer recommendation; testing optional
• After enrolling, take BIO 115 and BIO 116 (any order); check the official degree requirements table

International applicants (including China):

• TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo (sent by the testing agency or counselor, not self-reported); the Financial Verification Form; request aid at application, since requests after admission are not accepted; ask admissions how the Gaokao is used

Transfer students:

• 1 November (spring) or 1 April (fall); two college faculty recommendations and a Statement of Good Standing; no aid for international transfers

Sources: Davidson College, Biology department; Biology: the major; Biology: course schedule planning; Biology: honors program; Biology: research; First-year applicants; International applicants; Transfer applicants; Early Decision; Testing policy; Admission and aid timeline; Cost of attendance; Aid for international students; International admission and aid FAQs; Academic departments. The biology department pages show no update date (the course-planning page runs to fall 2026); the admissions timeline lists dates for 2026 and 2027, so check that they apply to fall 2027 entry; costs are for 2026-27. See Davidson’s website for the latest.