How to Apply to Biology at Muhlenberg College: Small Classes From Molecules to Ecosystems, Typical Lab Sections of 16 and an Honors Program, No Application Fee, Test Optional Since 1996, for Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

Muhlenberg College is a liberal arts college in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and students apply to the College through the Office of Admissions. The biology program page lists faculty including department chair Marten Edwards, Giancarlo Cuadra, Erika Iyengar, Daniel Klem (ornithology and conservation biology), Elizabeth McCain, Richard Niesenbaum, Bruce Wightman and Assistant Professor of Biochemistry Josephine Loricco. This article follows the College’s website and is organized for US domestic applicants, international applicants and applicants from China, followed by transfer students. Biochemistry has its own program page, shared between biology and chemistry; medicine, dentistry and other pre-health tracks are outside this article. The College’s course catalog is on a separate system and the major and minor course lists on the biology page showed no course detail when read, so the degree type (B.A./B.S.), required courses, thesis or research requirement and declaration rules for the biology major are not stated on the pages read; check the course catalog and the biology page.

1. The biology program and how admission works

• Character of the program (biology page, paraphrased): biology combines depth and breadth, from molecular biology and genetics to evolution, ecology and conservation, taught through inquiry-driven coursework, field experiences and hands-on lab research, with opportunities for independent projects, study abroad and community engagement. Majors study life from molecules and cells to ecosystems and evolution, and the curriculum stresses both content and process: asking meaningful questions, gathering and interpreting data and evaluating scientific evidence.
• Preparation: the page says the major prepares students for graduate study in the life sciences, health professions, education, environmental fields and more, with flexibility to pursue advanced coursework.
• Honors: students with strong academic records may apply to the department’s honors program, which includes original research and a public presentation.
• Biochemistry and double majors: the Biochemistry program combines biology and chemistry coursework and has an honors thesis route. Alumni stories on the page show biology paired with music or studio art (a biology and music double major, and a biology major with a studio art minor); how double majors are arranged is not stated on the pages read.
• Tracks: the page does not list separate molecular biology, ecology or conservation majors; faculty research areas are in section 7. The student research page mentions a neuroscience major; the neuroscience program page was not read.
• Whether you choose a major at application, when you declare it and the conditions for changing in: not stated on the pages read; this is not published there, so ask Admissions or the biology department, and check the course catalog. The first-year application steps have no major-selection step, and the pages read describe no college-level application or separate admission line.

2. Prerequisites, AP/IB credit and honors

• High school courses (first-year guide): at least 16 Carnegie units of a college-preparatory program, including four of English, two of one foreign language, three of mathematics, two (preferably three) of science, two of history and major academic electives; exceptions are considered case by case for documented learning disability, homeschooling and similar situations. Any high-school biology, chemistry or mathematics required for the biology major is not stated on the pages read.
• Placement tests, AP/IB credit and how they map to required courses: not stated on the pages read; this is not published there, so check the course catalog or the Registrar. The transfer page says AP/IB credit is awarded from official score reports sent directly by the College Board or IB.
• Honors programs: the College has two selective honors programs: RJ Fellows (interdisciplinary courses, mentoring, research, service and hands-on experience) and Shankweiler Scholars (for students interested in medicine). Students are considered through the admissions process and may be invited; invited RJ Fellows receive a USD 5,000 annual scholarship. The biology department’s own honors program is above; the pages read say only that students with strong academic records may apply.
• Lab and research requirements: the biology page says typical laboratory sections have 16 students; students can expect to work closely with faculty, all of whom have student-involved projects running year-round; and it prints “100% of biology students who requested summer research funding received awards.” Whether a thesis or research is required is not stated on the pages read; check the course catalog.
• Biology competitions: the pages read do not say how competitions such as the Biology Olympiad are viewed in admission.

3. Rounds, materials and testing

• Rounds and deadlines (first-year guide; the page says “Apply Now For Fall 2027”):
  • Early Decision (binding): 16 November; decision by 1 December
  • Early Action (non-binding): 1 December; decision by January
  • Regular Decision: 1 February; rolling decisions from mid-January
  The dates in the table are both the application and FAFSA priority deadlines. Early Action and Regular Decision applicants can switch to Early Decision by email.
• How to apply and fee: through the Common Application, with no application fee.
• Materials: transcript (with grade reports sent as they become available through senior year) and two letters of recommendation (the domestic page says one from your college counselor and one from a core academic teacher). The international page asks for a school report with a recommendation from a counselor, advisor or principal plus a teacher recommendation from a core academic subject, which it says includes literature, mathematics and sciences; the website does not require a science teacher.
• Testing: test-optional since 1996; applicants who choose not to submit scores are considered equally for admission and merit scholarships with no extra requirements. Choose your preference in the Muhlenberg-specific questions on the Common App. Codes: SAT 2424, ACT 3640. If you self-report and enroll, you must send official scores. Note that scores are required for the University of Pennsylvania 3-4 Biodental Program and the SUNY College of Optometry 3-4 Combined Program (dental and optometry routes, which are outside this article).
• Competitions: the pages read do not say how competitions such as the Biology Olympiad are viewed in admission.

4. US domestic applicants

• Costs: the 2026-27 first-year/transfer average cost of attendance (one set of charges, no in-state/out-of-state split): tuition USD 66,930, student activity fee USD 324, technology fee USD 280, health and wellness fee USD 226, first-year orientation fee USD 228, first-year housing USD 8,558, meal plan USD 7,200, books and supplies USD 1,600, transportation USD 850 and personal expenses USD 1,500; the page prints a total of USD 87,696. Housing and meals vary with your choices, and some programs may carry special fees such as a USD 35 field work fee.
• Merit scholarships: everyone who submits a complete application is considered, from USD 38,000 to USD 50,000, based on academic performance, extracurricular commitments and character; test-optional applicants are considered equally. They are renewable for up to eight semesters for full-time students in good standing with a cumulative GPA of at least 2.5 at the end of the first year and 3.0 at the end of the second and third; the amount is set at admission and does not increase.
• Need-based aid: file the FAFSA (school code 003304); federal, state (the PHEAA Pennsylvania State Grant) and College need-based aid are determined from it, and enrolling students also complete the College’s own scholarship and aid application. The page also offers an Early Scholarship and Aid Review, an estimate before you apply.
• In-state residents: the pages read do not describe priority or guaranteed admission for Pennsylvania residents; the transfer aid page mentions Pennsylvania State Grants for eligible students.
• Biology-specific scholarships: the pages read list none for the biology department; this is not published there, so ask Admissions and the department.

5. International applicants

• Materials (international steps): the Common Application; a secondary school transcript (with the school’s original stamp or seal, sent as a PDF directly by a school official, not by the applicant, and translated into English); a school report with a recommendation from a counselor, advisor or principal; a core-subject teacher recommendation; English proficiency testing; the Certification of Finance form in the Application Status Portal (about 5–10 minutes, no banking documentation); and optional SAT/ACT.
• English: all international applicants must submit TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo, sent directly by the testing center. Minimums: Duolingo 115, IELTS 6.5, TOEFL 85. There is no ESL coursework. Exemption: English as native or first language, or a high school whose main language of instruction is English with more than three years attended (case by case), requested through a form in the Application Status Portal.
• Meeting the team: international applicants are strongly encouraged to chat one-on-one with an admissions counselor, by Zoom and WeChat online or in person in travel regions; an InitialView interview is also welcome, to be completed by 1 February.
• Deadlines: the international steps page gives no separate first-year deadline, so please confirm with the admissions office whether the rounds in section 3 apply. Transfer applicants have separate international deadlines (section 8).
• Scholarships and aid: the first-year international steps do not describe international scholarship amounts or a need-based aid process. The merit page says everyone who submits a complete application is considered; whether this applies the same way to international applicants is not stated in the pages read, so please ask the admissions office.

6. Applicants from China

• Gaokao: the pages read do not say whether the gaokao is considered or how; this is not published, so contact the admissions office (484-664-3200).
• Transcripts and school-leaving materials: the secondary school transcript must carry the school’s stamp or seal, be sent as a PDF directly by a school official and be translated into English; there is no China-specific guidance. Otherwise see section 5. The website specifically mentions WeChat appointments for online chats with admissions counselors.
• International curricula: AP and IB students apply for credit from official score reports (the transfer page says they must be sent directly by the College Board or IB); how they map to biology courses is not stated in the pages read.

7. Research, labs and outcomes

• Research: faculty projects listed on the biology page include how vaping affects the oral microbiome (Giancarlo Cuadra), the prevalence of ticks infected with the bacteria that cause Lyme disease and other pathogens in the Lehigh Valley (Marten Edwards), the behavioral ecology of freshwater arthropods and snails (Erika Iyengar), the threat sheet glass and plastic windows pose for birds (Dan Klem), the development of marine invertebrates (Elizabeth McCain), plant ecology (Rich Niesenbaum) and the molecular genetics of development in C. elegans (Bruce Wightman). A student story says a biology major spent a summer in a Columbia University lab as a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Cech Fellow.
• College research programs: the student research page says the College offers fully funded summer research, semester labs and independent projects, and a paid Research Assistantships program; to get involved, talk to faculty whose classes you enjoyed. This is an interdisciplinary page and does not state places or application rules for biology.
• Outcomes: the biology page prints no employment or graduate-study data for biology majors. It mentions two alumni cases, a biology and music double major who is now a vice president for student life at a university, and a graduate who took part in research at the College’s Acopian Center for Ornithology and works as an avian field technician; these are individual cases and do not represent the whole.

8. Transfer students

• Who it is for: Admissions works with transfer students aged 18 to 23 applying to be traditional, full-time residential students; part-time students and full-time adult students over 23 are served by the School of Continuing Studies.
• Deadlines (no year is printed, so check): spring priority 16 November, spring international 16 November, spring final 10 December; fall priority 15 April, fall international 15 May, fall final 1 July. Decisions are rolling; spring decisions are listed as “early October – January 4” and fall applicants hear within two weeks of a completed application. The international deadlines are recommended to allow time for visa processing.
• Materials: the Common App for transfer (free); a final high school transcript if you have completed fewer than 8 course units (24 credit hours), waived at 8 units or more; unofficial transcripts for review and official transcripts from every institution attended, sent directly by the college, when enrolling. International transfer applicants also need the Certificate of Finances form and English proficiency scores (DET 115, IELTS 6.5, TOEFL 85; exemption if English is the native language or the college’s main language of instruction with more than three years attended). Course descriptions, syllabi and AP/IB reports are recommended for the credit evaluation.
• Credit and admission: the College offers a Transfer Equivalency Database (not read); after admission it provides a course review. The average GPA of admitted transfer students is 3.0. The page also says graduates with an A.A. or A.S. from any regionally accredited community college can transfer directly into the residential or accelerated degree completion programs. The pages read do not give GPA or prerequisite-sequence requirements for transferring into biology or the maximum credit that can transfer.
• Scholarships: all transfer students are considered for merit scholarships; Phi Theta Kappa members receive a USD 5,000 a year scholarship, renewable for four semesters with a 3.0 GPA.

Checklist

US domestic applicants:

• ED 16 November, EA 1 December, Regular 1 February; Common App, no application fee; recommendations from a counselor and one core-subject teacher; test-optional
• At least 3 units of high-school mathematics and 2 of science; FAFSA (school code 003304); for biology prerequisites and declaration rules check the course catalog and the program page

International applicants (including China):

• TOEFL 85, IELTS 6.5, Duolingo 115, or an exemption; Certification of Finance; transcripts carrying the school stamp, translated into English
• Gaokao use is not published; contact the admissions office

After entry:

• Apply for AP/IB credit from official score reports; check the course catalog and the biology department for required courses and declaration

Transfer students:

• Spring 16 November (priority) / 10 December, fall 15 April (priority) / 15 May (international) / 1 July; average admitted GPA 3.0

Sources: Muhlenberg College, Biology program; Biochemistry program; Student research; Academics; First-year application instructions; Transfer application instructions; Tuition and fees; Financial aid for prospective students; Merit scholarships; Financial aid for transfer students. The first-year page says “Apply Now For Fall 2027”; the transfer dates show no year, so check that they apply to your entry term and see the College’s website for the latest.