How to Apply to Biology at Middlebury College: A 12-Course Major with Joint Majors, No AP/IB Exemption from the Introductory Courses, an Honors Thesis, Optional Test Scores, and Admission and Prerequisites for Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Students

Middlebury College is a liberal arts college in Middlebury, Vermont, focused on undergraduate education. Biology is taught by the Department of Biology. Below is what the college’s admissions pages and the biology department site say, organized for US domestic applicants, international applicants, applicants from China and transfer students. Chemistry, physics and medical programs are outside this guide; see the college website. Programs shared across departments (neuroscience, molecular biology and biochemistry, environmental studies, global health) get a line below.

1. Degrees, options and how admission works

• Biology major: the department says its requirements encourage both breadth across the subdisciplines of biology and depth in areas of interest, in 12 courses: BIOL 0140 Ecology and Evolution, BIOL 0145 Cell Biology and Genetics and BIOL 0211 Experimental Design and Statistical Analysis (suggested as early as possible); two organismal courses from Comparative Vertebrate Biology (0202), Biology of Plants (0203), Entomology (0204), Ornithology (0205), Mammalogy (0308) and Microbiology (0310); one full-credit college chemistry course with laboratory; and six biology electives at the 0200–0701 level, at least two with a laboratory section, with no more than one semester of independent research (BIOL 0500, 0700 or 0701) counting as an elective and, per college policy, no more than two winter term courses counting toward the major.
• Minor: five courses: BIOL 0140, 0145, one organismal course and two biology electives.
• Joint majors and related programs: a joint major with Environmental Studies (conservation biology focus) and a joint major with Earth and Climate Sciences; department faculty also contribute to the programs in Neuroscience, Molecular Biology and Biochemistry (MBBC), Environmental Studies and Global Health, which have their own majors whose requirements are on those programs’ pages (not read); students interested in teaching can major or minor in Education Studies.
• Degree name: the department pages read say “biology major” and do not name the degree; the degree name is not published on the pages read, so check the college website.
• Preparing for graduate or professional school: the department notes that many life-science graduate and professional programs require a year of introductory chemistry, a year of organic chemistry, a year of physics and a year of calculus, and urges students to talk to advisors early about additional natural science courses.
• Off-campus study: biology credit for an off-campus course is given only after the department chair reviews the course material on return; except for transfer students, BIOL 0140 and 0145 must be taken at Middlebury; at most three off-campus courses count toward the major; no biology credit is given for independent study done during off-campus programs; off-campus courses must be beyond the introductory level, and must include a lab or prerequisites if the Middlebury course has them.
• Placement years: the department pages describe no placement-year program.
• How you are admitted: you apply to the college. The admissions pages read do not say whether biology has its own admission standard or capacity limit, or when a major is declared; not published. Ask the department or admissions.

2. Prerequisites and AP/IB

• High school preparation: the admissions and department pages read do not list minimum years of high school subjects or require high school biology, chemistry or math; not published. Ask admissions.
• AP, IB and placement: the department says it offers no introductory course equivalent to an AP or IB biology course, so pre-college test scores do not exempt a student from any published requirement for the major, minor or joint majors, nor satisfy the college’s distribution requirement. The department stopped offering placement exams in fall 2018, and except for transfer students who have taken equivalent courses it is not possible to bypass BIOL 0140 or 0145. The two introductory courses can be taken in either order. The chemistry requirement also cannot be met with AP chemistry scores or a bypass exam: you must take a full-credit college chemistry course with lab, ideally in the first two years.
• Introductory course seats: BIOL 0140 and 0145 run every semester; waitlists open only after a class fills (do not email professors), and second-semester juniors and seniors need prior approval. The introductory courses have an attendance policy: absences totaling 25% lead to a 25% deduction from the final lecture or lab grade.
• Math and statistics: the major requires BIOL 0211 Experimental Design and Statistical Analysis; calculus is not a major requirement but graduate programs often ask for it (section 1).

3. Deadlines and materials (first-year)

• Application deadlines (the admissions calendar; it prints no year, while the financial aid page states the 2027–2028 academic year): Early Decision I (binding) 2 November, financial aid materials 15 November, decision mid-December; Early Decision II 4 January, aid materials 4 January, decision mid-February; Regular Decision 4 January, aid materials 1 February, decision late March. Note that the admission options page gives the Regular Decision deadline as 5 January, which differs from the calendar’s 4 January; check the latest posting.
• How to apply: the Common Application, the Coalition Application or the QuestBridge Application. Use the prompts on the application; no supplemental essay is required.
• Recommendations: at least two teacher recommendations (a science teacher is not specifically required), plus the school report, the counselor recommendation and the transcript sent directly by the counselor. Senior grades are required: first-term grades for ED I as soon as possible, midyear grades by 15 January for ED II and by 15 February for RD; no decision is made without senior grades.
• Testing: optional (test optional); scores may be self-reported, and ACT applicants need not include the science section. The apply page gives a class profile for the Class of 2030 and 2030.5: SAT middle 50% 1460–1530 and ACT middle 50% 33–34.
• Interview: not required; an optional alumni interview can be requested after applying, or a 90-second Glimpse video or audio statement can be used instead.
• February start (Febs): about 100 students a year begin in February; they come from the same applicant pool, applying as a Feb does not change evaluation, and you can state September only, February only or either.
• Application fee: the admissions pages read do not state one; not published here, so confirm on the admissions site.
• Choosing a major: the admissions pages read do not say how or when a major is declared; not published. Ask admissions or the department. The department pages describe the major requirements and advising in sections 1 and 2.

4. US domestic applicants

• Costs (2026–27): tuition USD 72,924, on-campus housing and meal plan USD 20,920, student activity fee USD 542; the college’s estimated total cost of attendance, with books, transportation and personal expenses at USD 1,000 each, is USD 97,386. The college lists a single tuition rate, with no Vermont/out-of-state split. Full-time students must have health insurance and can buy the college plan.
• Winter term (J-term): students must enroll in at least two of four winter terms and earn at least two course credits toward the 36 needed to graduate; no fee is charged for winter term and no aid is provided for it.
• Financial aid: the college says aid is based entirely on need, that it meets all admitted students’ demonstrated need, and that tuition is free for families with incomes up to USD 175,000; about half of students receive aid and the average grant is about USD 66,000 (the college’s figures). US citizens and eligible non-citizens file the CSS Profile (school code 3526) and the FAFSA (school code 003691) plus parents’ 2025 tax returns and W-2s; deadlines are in section 3 and on the aid page: ED I 15 November, ED II 4 January, RD 1 February.
• Testing and in-state preference: testing is optional (section 3). The pages read describe no preference or guarantee for Vermont residents; not published.

5. International applicants

• Materials: the same application materials as domestic applicants, with secondary school administrators asked to forward all appropriate transcripts, test results and recommendations; the page notes some requested information may not apply to every education system.
• English proficiency: not required if your native language is English or your high school classes were taught entirely in English for the last three or four years (depending on the length of high school in your country). Otherwise the college requires verifiable TOEFL iBT, Duolingo English Test, IELTS or Cambridge English results; the recommended minimums are TOEFL iBT 5.5 (105 on the test taken before 21 January 2026), Duolingo 130, IELTS 7.0 and Cambridge English C1 Advanced.
• Testing and interview: tests are optional; an interview is not required, and the college recommends InitialView or Vericant for an interview that can be included in the application (both charge a fee).
• Financial aid: the college is need aware in admitting international students: if you want aid you must apply for it with your application, by the posted deadlines. Submit the CSS Profile (the ISFAA and paper CSS Profile are not accepted) and, through IDOC, parents’ 2025 non-US tax forms or an employer statement of total gross income, in English and signed by the employer.
• Costs: the cost page lists no separate international tuition, so section 4 applies; a proof-of-funds amount is not stated on the pages read.

6. Applicants from China

• Gaokao and transcripts: the admissions pages read do not say whether or how the Gaokao is used, or what Chinese transcripts or Huikao records are required; not published. Contact admissions (admissions@middlebury.edu).
• English and interview: as in section 5; applicants whose high school classes were not taught entirely in English submit TOEFL, Duolingo, IELTS or Cambridge English results.
• Other China-specific guidance: none on the pages read.

7. Research, honors and outcomes

• How to do research: the department says most faculty have research programs with undergraduate assistants. Options are research for credit (BIOL 0500, 0700 or 0701, about 10 hours a week like any one-credit course, possibly continuing over several semesters and optionally ending in a thesis); paid academic-year assistantships (about 2–10 hours a week); paid summer assistantships (8–10 weeks, about 40 hours a week); and volunteer lab work. The page lists more than a dozen faculty labs, from forest and tick ecology, environmental health, plant ecophysiology and aquatic ecology to microbial genetics, insect olfactory neurobiology, evolutionary cell biology and coral genetics.
• Departmental honors: an average of 3.5 or higher in departmental courses (other than BIOL 0500, 0700 and 0701), completion of BIOL 0701 and an A- or above on the thesis earn honors; high honors go to students whose theses are of exceptionally high quality, on the thesis committee’s recommendation and with department approval. A thesis project lasts at least two terms (one of BIOL 0500 or 0700 and one of BIOL 0701) and ends in a written thesis, a public presentation and an oral defense before a committee of at least three faculty, two of them biology faculty. Thesis research normally starts in the first term of senior year (or the preceding summer); students wanting field research should talk to faculty by winter term of junior year, others by spring term of junior year.
• Student resources: Sciences and Technical Support Services, the Quantitative (Q) Center and the Biology Student Advisory Council (BIO-SAC).
• Outcomes: the biology pages read publish no graduate employment or graduate-school data.
• Department scholarships: the pages read describe none specific to biology; not published.

8. Transfer students

• Eligibility and deadlines: anyone who has been or is currently enrolled in a full-time degree-seeking program must apply as a transfer student. Fall transfer: 1 March (aid materials the same day), decision mid-May; spring transfer: 2 November, decision mid-December. The page adds that in some circumstances the college may be unable to accommodate spring transfers and will notify applicants in early December, offering consideration for the following fall.
• Materials: the Common Application for transfers; official transcripts from every high school and every college attended; midterm reports (request progress grades from current professors through the Common App form, or upload a statement if you are not currently enrolled); a college report from each college (completed by the dean or registrar); at least one academic recommendation from someone who has taught you in a college course; a document of official course descriptions from each institution; and English proficiency results if applicable. Tests are optional.
• biology major: the transfer page gives no GPA threshold for moving into the biology major and no prerequisite requirement; not published. Ask the department. The department page says transfer students who have taken equivalent introductory courses may bypass BIOL 0140 and 0145, and other off-campus courses are reviewed by the department chair (section 1).
• Credit: transfer students should expect to complete at least two full academic years at Middlebury (a minimum of 18 units). The college does not evaluate or estimate transfer credit before admission; the dean of curriculum and the registrar provide an estimate before the enrollment deposit deadline, and the final evaluation follows the final transcript.
• Financial aid: aid for transfer students is need-based and offered as resources permit. File the FAFSA and CSS Profile by 1 November for spring admission and by 1 March for fall admission (the aid page lists spring transfer as 2 November); international transfer students file the CSS Profile.

Checklist

US domestic applicants:

• Apply by 2 November (ED I) or 4 January (ED II or RD) through the Common App, Coalition or QuestBridge; two teacher recommendations; tests optional; CSS Profile and FAFSA by the aid dates; after admission plan BIOL 0140, 0145 and a college chemistry course with lab

International applicants:

• Same deadlines; English proof unless your schooling was entirely in English; apply for aid with the application; CSS Profile with non-US tax forms or an employer income statement

Applicants from China:

• How the Gaokao is used is not published, so ask admissions; English proof follows the international requirements; AP/IB biology cannot replace the introductory courses

Transfer students:

• Apply by 1 March (fall) or 2 November (spring); expect at least two full years (18 units) at Middlebury; transfer students who took equivalent introductory courses may bypass BIOL 0140 and 0145

Sources: Middlebury College, Science and mathematics; Department of Biology; Biology: requirements; Biology: student and faculty research; Biology: student resources; Admissions: instructions and deadlines; Admissions: admission options; Admissions: apply; Admissions: financial aid; Tuition and fees; Financial aid application (first-year and transfer). The admissions deadline table prints no year, while the financial aid page states the 2027–2028 academic year; department pages that print no year should be checked against the latest posting. The course catalog and the registrar’s credit policies were not read, so confirm the current full biology major requirements on the college website.