How to Apply to Biology at Knox College: A Three-Term Calendar and Small Classes, BA or BS, a 700-Acre Field Station at Green Oaks, for Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

Knox College (Galesburg, Illinois) is a small liberal arts college on a three-term calendar. Undergraduate biology is offered by the Department of Biology, and you apply to the College as a whole. Here is what you need to know, based on the College’s website, organised for US domestic applicants, international applicants and applicants from China, followed by transfer students. Biochemistry, environmental science, chemistry and pre-health preparation are not covered here beyond a passing mention where they overlap with biology.

1. Degrees and directions in biology

• Degrees and minor: the biology page lists a major and a minor, and says you can graduate with a B.A. or a B.S., “the choice is up to you”. It also says the curriculum is structured so that you have time to pursue a second major (even outside the sciences), study abroad or play sports.
• The BA (10 credits): introductory courses BIOL 110, 120, 130 and 210; General Chemistry CHEM 102A; one course from each of three content areas, Ecology, Evolution and Behavior (BIOL 311A, 312, 314, 315, 316, 317, 318 or 319), Organismal Biology (BIOL 320, 321, 322, 324, 325, 328, 329 or NEUR 241) and Cell and Molecular Biology (BIOL 331, 332, 333, 335, 336, 338, or BCHM 265, 334, 335, 340, 345); one additional 300-level biology course from those areas; and senior research: BIOL 380 plus one of BIOL 381, 382 or 384 (the BA list on the requirements page omits 383, while the BS list shows 381-384), and BIOL 400. Courses outside the areas may be approved by the department chair.
• The BS (14 credits): the same introductory courses, CHEM 102A and one course from each area, but with two additional 300-level biology courses; one additional approved natural science or mathematics course outside biology (the requirements page lists pre-approved choices from BCHM, CHEM, CS, ENVS, MATH, NEUR, PHYS and PSYC, plus STAT 200); two further courses from the content areas and approved natural science and mathematics courses; and the same senior research (BIOL 380 plus one of 381-384, and BIOL 400).
• Minor (6 credits): two introductory courses from BIOL 110, 120 and 130; BIOL 210 or another methods or statistics course (STAT 200, PHYS 241, ANSO 301, PS 230); two additional 300-level biology courses, one of which may be independent research; and CHEM 100 or 100A.
• Combining with other majors: the requirements page says double majors in Biology and Environmental Science may overlap by three courses; students double majoring in Biochemistry and Biology may count no more than 3 courses toward both majors, and a major-minor combination of the two may share no more than 2. Neuroscience (NEUR) and Biochemistry (BCHM) courses also appear in the catalogue lists; those majors themselves are not covered here.
• Facilities and field station: the biology page lists research centres for microscopy, cell and tissue culture, and cell and molecular biology, a confocal microscope and a scanning electron microscope, and access to an aquarium, an aviary and Green Oaks, 700 acres of forest, grassland and aquatic habitat. Green Oaks also hosts the 10-week immersive Green Oaks Term.

2. Admission route: apply to the College, choose a major after entry

• When applying: the pages read do not say whether you must name biology on the application or whether it is reviewed by major, and there is no separate admission line for biology. The Apply page says you will never be just a class rank, GPA or test score. This is not published in those pages; please confirm with the Office of Admissions (admissions@knox.edu).
• Declaring the major: the pages read do not say when to declare biology or what grade or capacity conditions apply; ask the Registrar or the department.
• Moving in from another major: no separate condition is published in the pages read.
• Which school: the pages read do not say which school biology belongs to and publish no school-level admission line; Knox is a liberal arts college and you apply to the College as a whole.

3. Prerequisites and credit

• High school coursework: the Apply page says successful applicants will have completed at least 4 years of English, 3-4 of mathematics, 3-4 of science, 3-4 of social studies and 2-4 of a foreign language, and encourages honors, AP and IB courses where available. The biology pages read state no specific high school biology, chemistry or mathematics prerequisite and describe no placement test; this is not published there, so check the catalogue or ask the department.
• Introductory courses (courses page): BIOL 110 Evolution, Ecology and Biodiversity, BIOL 120 Cell Biology and Physiology and BIOL 130 Molecular Biology and Genetics, followed by BIOL 210 Introduction to Research (experimental design, data analysis, literature searches and scientific writing). BIOL 110S, 120S and 130S are supplemental courses reserved for students enrolled in the corresponding main course. The biology page says that in the earliest introductory courses you get to know every member of the faculty, who teach as a team, and that labs are smaller.
• Chemistry and mathematics: majors take CHEM 102A; the requirements page does not state CHEM 100A as its prerequisite, but the chemistry course descriptions present 102A as a continuation of 100A, so confirm with the department. The minor requires CHEM 100 or 100A. The BS needs one natural science or mathematics course, and calculus (MATH 145 or 146) is one of the pre-approved options, not a requirement.
• AP, IB and college courses: the Apply and test-scores pages say such credit is not required for admission but may be submitted for advanced course standing and/or credit on enrolment, with the rules in the course catalogue. The credit given for AP or IB biology towards BIOL 110/120/130 is not published in the pages read; check the College’s website.
• Research requirement: both degrees require senior research: BIOL 380 (Senior Research Seminar) in which students find a mentor, then an original laboratory- or library-based project (BIOL 381-384) ending in a written and an oral presentation, and BIOL 400. The courses page says students undertaking an Honors project are exempt from the 380 sequence, and students completing K-12 education credentials may take BIOL 384 with a project on secondary biology education.
• Honors: the experiences page says outstanding students may undertake College Honors in the senior year, an advanced research project presented and defended to a faculty committee that includes an outside examiner; the pages read do not give the conditions for entering it.
• Competitions: the website does not say how biology competitions are viewed in admission.

4. Rounds, materials and testing

• Rounds (Apply page; no year shown, so check that the dates apply to fall 2027 entry): Early Action 1 apply by 1 November, decision by 15 December; Early Action 2 apply by 1 December, decision by 15 January; Regular Decision apply by 15 January, decision by 15 March; after 15 January applications are considered on a rolling basis as space allows; the enrolment reply date is 1 May for every round.
• How to apply and fee: the Knox College Application, the Common Application or the Coalition Application; the Apply page says that however you apply there is no application fee.
• First-year materials: the School Report and transcript from your counsellor; one teacher evaluation from an academic subject (English, mathematics, social studies, science or language; the page does not require a science teacher); a Mid Year Report with fall grades. Optional: test scores, arts portfolios and an interview with an admission counsellor (strongly recommended).
• Testing: ACT or SAT scores are optional for most applicants; home-schooled students and students from schools that do not give grades must submit them. Knox superscores. SAT code 1372, ACT code 1052.
• What the review looks at: course difficulty and type (with a preference for honors, AP and IB), consistently high grades, the quality of extracurriculars, and demonstrated interest as one factor among many. There is no minimum GPA; the middle 50% of admitted students have a high school GPA of 3.5-3.7, and the middle 50% of those who submit scores range 22-32 on the ACT and 1195-1368 on the SAT.

5. US domestic applicants: costs and aid

• Costs (2026-27): the cost page lists tuition of $61,998, room and board of $11,862 and fees of $897, a total of $74,757 for full-time undergraduates; the estimated cost of attendance, including books ($1,200), transportation, personal expenses and other items, is $78,217 for on-campus students, $74,668 off campus and $65,773 for commuters. The page shows one tuition rate, with no in-state and out-of-state difference. The rates for 2027-28 are not published in the pages read; check when released. Bills are sent three times a year.
• Academic scholarships: admitted first-year students are automatically considered with no separate application. The website gives several figures: the Scholarships page says $46,000-$52,000 a year; the Apply page says up to $50,000 a year; the cost page says up to $52K a year; and the Prairie Promise page says families earning more than $100,000 can receive academic and talent scholarships of up to $58,000 a year. Talent scholarships (creative writing, dance, music, theatre, visual arts; up to $4,000 a year) are awarded on auditions or portfolios; students from Colorado can apply for the $3,000-a-year Colorado Alumni Scholarship (based on the application and an interview with the Colorado Knox Club).
• Need-based aid: US citizens file the FAFSA (opens 1 October; 1 December is the priority date, 1 March the preferred date for offers before 1 May; offers begin on 1 February). The College says 100% of students receive aid. In the junior or senior year, students receive a $2,000 Power of Experience Grant for internships, international study, service, creative work or research.
• Illinois residents: Prairie Promise: for admitted first-year or transfer students from families with income of $100,000 or less who are Illinois residents (or members of a Native nation with historical ties to Illinois), 100% of tuition is covered by gift aid; no separate application, and you are considered automatically by submitting the FAFSA and being admitted. Federal and state grants count toward it.
• Home-state priority or guaranteed admission: not mentioned in the pages read.

6. International applicants

• Who applies as an international student: applicants who are not US citizens or permanent residents and will need a visa. The website says more than 27% of students come from outside the United States, representing 56 countries. Apply with the Common Application, the Coalition Application or the Knox College Application; there is no application fee.
• English: the international applicants page says Knox has no ESL programme and lists as the only accepted tests, any one of: IELTS 6.5 overall; TOEFL iBT 80 overall (4.5 for tests taken after January 2026); Duolingo 115; scores are valid for two years. The test-scores page also lists the Global Test of English Communication (GTEC) at 1200. The two pages differ, so confirm with admissions.
• Exemptions: two consecutive years of full-time high school or university study in the US or a country where English is the only official language (from official transcripts); four years of secondary school at an American-accredited institution abroad with English as the medium; AP English Language and Composition 4 or higher; IB English Language and Literature 5 or higher; A/AS Level English C or above (predicted scores not accepted). The medium of instruction at a previous school does not by itself waive the requirement.
• Materials: an official secondary school transcript (self-reported transcripts are not accepted; the counsellor requests it through the Common Application or emails admission@knox.edu); one teacher evaluation from an academic subject; English proof; GCE, IGCSE or other national or external exam results; transcripts from any college attended; and financial documents: Knox is need-aware, so all applicants complete the Knox Affidavit of Support and submit a bank statement, issued within the last three months, from every party helping to sponsor the education. Some applicants may be asked for an international admissions interview; interviews are strongly recommended and virtual interviews from InitialView and Xtraview are accepted.
• International costs (2026-27): the international costs page estimates tuition $61,998, standard fees $897, books and supplies $1,200, on-campus living $11,862, transportation $500, extra housing during breaks $280, additional food $200, an international pre-orientation fee $200, an optional intensive English programme $1,800 and international insurance $750, a total the page prints as $79,687; additional fees to consider (English test, DS-160 $300, SEVIS $350, deposit $300, airfare $500-$2,000) are printed as $1,939-$3,585. The College suggests planning for annual increases of 4% to 6% and currency fluctuations. Financial aid is not reevaluated each year, so you apply only once.
• International scholarships: the transfer page says international students also get a $4,000 Campus Employment Award if eligible and if they work on campus. The pages read do not separately describe how first-year international applicants are considered for academic scholarships; check the international applicants page or ask admissions.

7. Applicants from China

• Gaokao: the pages read do not say whether the Gaokao is considered; this is not published there, so contact the admissions office (admission@knox.edu).
• Transcripts and school-leaving materials: no China-specific requirements are published in the pages read; the general international requirements are in section 6 (official transcripts, no self-reported transcripts, national or external exam results, affidavit of support and bank statements).
• English: applicants from China can use any of the options in section 6.
• Course preparation: the website gives no note on how Chinese high school courses correspond to Knox’s; ask admissions and the department.

8. Costs, scholarships and outcomes

• Costs: see sections 5 and 6.
• Department awards: the Scholarships page lists no scholarship specific to biology (its one subject-specific award is the Rothwell Stephens Scholarship in Mathematics). The experiences page says the department recognises students each spring with awards including the Alvah Peterson Award (for junior or senior biology majors with outstanding performance in courses or research), the David “Burney” Dunn Award for Students’ Field Research (resources for field work in biology, ecology and environmental science), the Inn-Siang Ooi Prize (field biology, conservation) and the P.J. Deoras Student Research Fund (annual research awards for junior or senior students interested in environmental studies); the page prints no amounts.
• Research and off-campus study: the experiences page mentions Richter programme, McNair and Ford Fellowship research funding; off-campus options including ACM Costa Rica, ACM Tanzania, the Green Oaks Term, and the Argonne and Oak Ridge Science Semesters, and recent biology students’ programmes in Denmark, Australia, Scotland and New Zealand; internship examples include hospitals, an aquarium and a zoo.
• Outcomes: the biology page lists individual alumni only (for example a physical therapist, a clinical data specialist, a veterinary medicine student and a doctoral candidate in ecology and evolution). The page prints no College-specific employment or graduate-school rate. It says a biology degree is great preparation for medical school and can also lead to careers in areas such as environmental policy, food systems and new therapies, without giving statistics.

9. Transfer students

• Who counts: applicants who have graduated from high school and have completed at least a semester of coursework at a two-year or four-year college.
• How to apply and materials: the Common Application, the Coalition Application or the Knox College Application, with no application fee; transcripts from each college attended, sent directly; an optional college instructor evaluation (English, mathematics, social studies, science or language); a secondary school transcript for those with fewer than 15 college credits; an interview is strongly recommended. International transfer applicants also need bank statements (and, as international applicants, English proof and the Affidavit of Support). The pages read give dates only for the transfer scholarship: apply by 1 April for fall entry or 1 November for winter entry.
• Credit transfer: the transfer page says Knox courses are typically one credit each because of the 3-3 calendar; credits generally transfer at 0.3 credits per semester hour and 0.2 per quarter hour; 36 credits are needed to graduate; the maximum from a community college is 18 credits, and from other institutions no more than 19 credits overall; the Registrar reviews each record individually (see the transfer credit policy). The pages read do not give biology-specific transfer requirements (GPA, prerequisite sequence).
• Transfer scholarships: academic transfer scholarships of $46,000-$50,000 a year (the transfer scholarships page says up to $50,000), based on academic achievement in liberal arts courses; Phi Theta Kappa members receive an additional $5,000 a year; transfer students can also apply for talent scholarships and receive federal work study. Illinois transfer students qualify for the Prairie Promise: the transfer page describes it as meeting 100% of demonstrated need for qualified Illinois families, while the Prairie Promise page says 100% of tuition is covered by gift aid. The wording differs, so confirm with admissions.

Checklist

US domestic applicants:

• EA1 1 November; EA2 1 December; Regular 15 January; no application fee; one academic-subject teacher recommendation; testing optional; reply date 1 May
• FAFSA (1 December priority); after entry the biology major needs BIOL 110, 120, 130, 210 and CHEM 102A

International applicants (including China):

• TOEFL 80 (4.5 on the new scale), IELTS 6.5, Duolingo 115 (or an exemption); official transcript; one recommendation
• Affidavit of Support with bank statements from the last three months; whether the Gaokao is considered is not published

After entry:

• BA 10 credits, BS 14 credits; senior research (BIOL 380 plus one of 381-384, and BIOL 400)

Transfer students:

• At least one semester of college work; 36 credits to graduate; at most 18 credits from a community college; transfer scholarship dates 1 April (fall) and 1 November (winter)

Sources: Knox College, , Biology; Biology: requirements; Biology: courses; Biology: experiences and opportunities; Apply and dates; First-year applicants; International applicants; Transfer applicants; Test scores and English; Cost and financial aid; Costs for international students; Prairie Promise; Scholarships; Transfer scholarships. The dates on the Apply page show no year, so check that they apply to fall 2027 entry; see the College’s website for the latest.