How to Apply to Biology at Lafayette College: A.B. (12 Courses) and B.S. (17 Courses) Majors, Phage-Research CURE Introductory Courses, Test-Optional, for Domestic, International (Including China) and Transfer Applicants

Lafayette College (Easton, Pennsylvania) is a private liberal arts college; biology is taught by the Department of Biology. Students apply to the College and declare a major after entry. The guide below follows the College’s website and is organised for US domestic applicants, international applicants and applicants from China, with a section for transfer students at the end. Chemistry, mathematics, physics, engineering and other majors are not covered here; the biochemistry major sits in the chemistry department; medicine, dentistry, veterinary and physical therapy appear on the website only as graduate destinations rather than majors, so they are outside this article (see the website).

1. Degrees and programmes

• A.B. and B.S. biology majors, plus a minor: the biology home page says students can choose a major (written “B.S. or B.A.”) or a minor; the degree requirements page says A.B. and B.S. The two are worded differently, so check the College catalog.
• A.B. biology (the page says 12 courses): BIOL 111, 112, 113 and 490; CHEM 107 or 103 and CHEM 108; MATH 125 (or 141, 161 or 165); five biology electives numbered 205 or higher, including at least one at the 300 level. No more than one research course (BIOL 401–404, 495, 496) counts toward the major; Introduction to Computer Programming (CS 110), Survey of Biochemistry (CHEM 351) and Paleobiology (GEOL 320) may each substitute for a biology elective.
• B.S. biology (the page says 17 courses): BIOL 111, 112, 113 and 490; CHEM 107 or 103, 108 and 221; MATH 161 or 165; seven biology electives numbered 205 or higher, including at least two at the 300 level or above; and two science or engineering electives from the page’s list (including CHEM 222/231/341/351/352, MATH 162/263/282, PHYS 111/112/133/151/152, CS, ECE, ES and GEOL 320). The research-course and substitution rules are the same.
• Biology minor (six courses): BIOL 111, 112, 113, two courses above BIOL 205 and one 300-level course. The page also says a biology major’s major GPA is calculated using only BIOL courses.
• Course highlights: department courses include developmental biology, human anatomy, neuroanatomy, phytopathology, microbiology, ecology, evolutionary biology, immunology, human physiology, molecular genetics, neurobiology, biostatistics, conservation biology, bioinformatics and cell biology, and at the 300 level aging and age-related diseases, anatomy of vision, physiology of extreme animals, cancer biology, advanced aquatic ecology, evolutionary genetics, restoration ecology, infectious disease and immunity, genomics and biomedical informatics.
• Research (department research page): research begins in the introductory courses. BIOL 111 uses a course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE) module and BIOL 112 is built around SEA-PHAGES, in which students isolate and characterise bacteriophages from soil; many 200-level and higher courses also include CURE modules. Later options are research courses (BIOL 401–404) and the honors thesis (BIOL 495, 496), or summer research as an EXCEL, Nalven or Newton Scholar. Students taking a research course should expect a full 180 hours across the semester. The honors thesis and independent research pages were not read; check the website.
• Related programmes: neuroscience has its own department website (not read); the biochemistry major is in the chemistry department.

2. How admission works: apply to the College, declare a major later

• At application: you apply to the College through the Common Application; the first-year materials list has no biology-specific requirement, and the pages read do not say whether admission is by major or whether biology has a cap on places; this is not published in the pages read, so ask admissions.
• Declaring a major: the College’s departments and programs page says there are over 50 areas of study and that students typically declare a major by the end of sophomore year; the A.B. requirements make it possible to pursue two majors or create a major across two departments. A grade threshold for biology and conditions for moving in from another major are not given in the pages read.
• A.B. or B.S.: the department lists the two sets of requirements separately but the pages read do not say whether the degree is chosen at application or after entry; ask admissions or the department.

3. Prerequisites and credit

• High school courses: the admissions and department pages read do not state minimum high school biology, chemistry or mathematics requirements; ask admissions.
• First year: the major starts with the BIOL 111, 112, 113 sequence and needs general chemistry (CHEM 103 or 107, and 108) and calculus or an approved mathematics course (A.B.: MATH 125, 141, 161 or 165; B.S.: MATH 161 or 165). The B.S. also needs Organic Chemistry I (CHEM 221).
• AP / IB credit (registrar’s 2026–27 table): AP Biology earns 1 credit for BIOL 111 only with a 5; IB Higher Level Biology 5, 6 or 7 earns 1 credit for BIOL 111 (no credit for IB Standard Level). AP Chemistry 4/5 and IB HL Chemistry 5–7 earn credit for CHEM 107. Mathematics: AP Calculus AB 4/5 for MATH 161; Calculus BC 3 for MATH 161 and 4/5 for MATH 161 plus 162; IB Mathematics HL 5–7 for MATH 161; AP Statistics 4/5 for MATH 186. The registrar says official scores can be received only after admission, that faculty set the equivalents each spring, that none of this can be petitioned or overridden, and that a student who wants to take a course for which exam credit was awarded must ask in writing to rescind the credit. Whether AP/IB credit can replace specific major courses such as BIOL 112 or 113 is not stated in the pages read; confirm with the department.
• Labs and graduation requirements: the major includes BIOL 490; at most one research course counts toward the major; all students meet the College-wide Common Course of Study, whose details were not read.
• Competitions: the website does not say how biology olympiads are viewed in admission.

4. Timeline and materials (first-year applicants)

• Rounds and deadlines: Early Decision I (ED I, binding) 15 November, decisions in mid-December, deposit 5 January; Regular Decision (RD) 15 January, decisions in late March, deposit 1 May; Early Decision II (ED II) 15 January, decisions in mid-February, deposit 1 March; a submitted RD application can be converted to ED II by 1 February. Applicants seeking need-based aid submit the FAFSA, CSS Profile and IDOC by the matching deadline; these are not needed for merit scholarship consideration alone. The pages show no year, so check that the dates apply to fall 2027 entry.
• How to apply and fee: apply through the Common Application; the application fee is $65, with a fee-waiver option in the Common Application for hardship.
• Materials: a recommendation from a guidance counsellor and at least one teacher (the College prefers a teacher of an academic subject from junior or senior year, and does not say it must be a science teacher); an official transcript and school report sent directly by the school; mid-year or first-trimester grades (ED applicants send first marking period grades); and an optional supplement essay, “Why Lafayette?” (20–200 words). The College focuses on the top six activities listed.
• What the College looks at (its wording): grades relative to others in the class and the quality of courses taken, an admissions interview, personal character (motivation, social awareness, leadership potential and so on), activities, employment and family or community responsibilities. Interviews are encouraged (the international page says they are not required but encouraged, and can be virtual).
• Testing: test-optional for applicants planning to enrol in fall 2027 and fall 2028. If submitted, self-reported and official scores are accepted and the College superscores the SAT and ACT; those who self-report must send official scores on enrolment.
• Biology competitions: the website does not say how subject competitions are viewed in admission.

5. US domestic applicants

• Costs (2026–27): the college costs page lists tuition of $70,486, a one-time matriculation fee of $750 (first semester of the first year), a student activity fee of $360, housing of $12,968 (room rate 1) and food of $7,928 (20 meals a week), for a printed total of $92,492. Non-billed estimates: books and supplies $1,000, transportation $250 (varies with state of residence) and miscellaneous $940. It is a private college and the page does not distinguish in-state from out-of-state.
• Merit scholarships: all applicants (ED and RD) are considered for the Marquis and Cur Non scholarships, with no extra application. The Marquis Fellowship is full tuition and the Marquis Scholarship half tuition, both requiring a 3.00 GPA; Cur Non Scholarships range from $17,500 to $31,500; they run for up to eight semesters and are announced with the admission decision. The page says offers typically go to students at the top of their class in the most demanding curriculum with test scores above the admitted-student mean, and advises applicants whose enrolment depends on a merit award to apply Regular Decision rather than ED.
• Need-based aid: submit the FAFSA, CSS Profile and IDOC, and reapply each year. The international page says the College guarantees to meet the full demonstrated financial need of all admitted students, domestic and international, but that this does not mean every expense is covered; summer and interim costs are typically the family’s responsibility.
• Other: the website also lists athletic scholarships (10 sports), Posse scholarships and Tuition Exchange; priority or guaranteed admission for Pennsylvania residents is not mentioned in the pages read.

6. International applicants

• Materials: Common Application and the $65 fee; counsellor and at least one teacher recommendation; an official transcript and school report sent directly by the school; mid-year or first-trimester grades; evidence of English proficiency (below); SAT/ACT optional. The College says it is “need aware” in admission decisions.
• English requirement: TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo is required. The College “typically looks for” a minimum of TOEFL 100 (5 on the new TOEFL), IELTS 7 or Duolingo 130. Applicants whose first language is English or who have had academic instruction in English for the past three years complete a waiver form (request it from admissions@lafayette.edu).
• Aid: international applicants seeking need-based aid submit the CSS Profile (the FAQ offers an alternative if the fee is a hardship); those seeking merit scholarships only need not submit it. Aid applicants see their financing plan on the portal when decisions are released. International applicants are also considered for merit scholarships (section 5).
• Credit: the page says national examinations such as GCE A-level, the French Baccalaureate and the German Abitur are considered for credit case by case, on certified copies of official results, and a syllabus may be requested; for IB see the registrar (below).
• Interview and deposit: interviews are not required but encouraged, including virtual interviews; accepting an offer needs the enrolment form and a $750 non-refundable deposit.

7. Applicants from China

• Gaokao: the website does not publish whether or how the Gaokao is considered; contact admissions (admissions@lafayette.edu).
• Transcripts and school-leaving materials: no China-specific requirements are published; the general requirements are in section 6 (official transcript and school report sent directly by the school).
• English: see section 6 for the TOEFL, IELTS and Duolingo levels; the website allows a waiver only for a first language of English or three years of English-medium instruction, and gives no list of waived countries.
• Preparing for biology: the website gives no note on how Chinese high school biology, chemistry or mathematics courses correspond to Lafayette’s; ask admissions and the biology department.

8. Costs, scholarships and outcomes

• Costs and scholarships: see sections 5 and 6. The pages read list no scholarship specific to biology.
• Outcomes (the College’s wording): the biology home page says graduates go on to health and medicine (medicine, dentistry, veterinary science, physical therapy and other healthcare professions), research and innovation (university labs, or the biotechnology, pharmaceutical and agricultural industries), conservation and the environment (ecology, conservation science, environmental policy) and communication and education (teaching, science writing and journalism), and that the skills also suit patent law and public policy; it mentions graduates doing a Ph.D. in plant pathology at the University of Florida and in microbial biology at Rutgers University. The page prints no placement rate.

9. Transfer students

• Who counts: students who have graduated from high school (grade 12 in the US) and matriculated in a degree-seeking programme elsewhere are considered only as transfer students. There is no minimum number of courses or credits to be eligible.
• Deadlines: fall entry 1 May (review begins in March) and spring entry 1 November (review begins in October), both on a rolling basis. The pages show no year, so check.
• Materials: the Common Application and the $65 fee; an official high school transcript or GED; official transcripts from every college attended; the Common App College Report from the current college; the Common App Mid-Term Report (which the student may fill in); a personal statement on reasons for transferring and objectives; SAT/ACT optional; a professor recommendation optional; course descriptions and syllabi are submitted to the registrar on enrolment. International applicants submit TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo unless waived.
• Rules: transfer students enrol full time, must spend at least two years at Lafayette to graduate, and at least half the courses applied toward the major must be taken at Lafayette; only the A.B. or B.S. is awarded.
• Credit transfer: the College says credit evaluation is guaranteed only after acceptance and the enrolment deposit; every transfer student completes an evaluation and submits course descriptions and syllabi for each course; the registrar with faculty makes the final decision. Guidelines: Lafayette must offer an equivalent course, class time must be equal, prerequisites must have been met, and only a grade of C or better transfers; it is possible that no credits transfer. AP and IB credit earned by admitted transfer students can also be used. Special requirements for biology transfer students are not given in the pages read; confirm with the department.

Checklist

US domestic applicants:

• ED I 15 November; RD and ED II 15 January; $65 fee; Common Application, counsellor and teacher recommendations, transcript and school report, mid-year grades; testing optional; $750 deposit
• FAFSA, CSS Profile and IDOC for aid; start BIOL 111–112 and general chemistry in the first year

International applicants (including China):

• TOEFL (typically 100), IELTS (7) or Duolingo (130), or a waiver; CSS Profile for need-based aid
• Whether the Gaokao is considered is not published

After entry:

• Typically declare by the end of sophomore year; A.B. (12 courses) or B.S. (17 courses); BIOL 490; at most one research course counts toward the major

Transfer students:

• Fall 1 May, spring 1 November; at least two years at Lafayette; course descriptions and syllabi needed; only C or better transfers

Sources: Lafayette College, Biology: home; Biology: degree requirements; Biology: undergraduate research; Academics: departments and programs; Registrar: AP and IB credit; Admissions: apply; Admissions: first-year applicants; Admissions: what we look for; Admissions: international students; Admissions: first-year international aid; Admissions: college costs; Admissions: scholarships; Admissions: transfer students. Where the admissions pages show no year, check that the dates apply to fall 2027 entry and see the College’s website for the latest.