How to Apply to Psychology at Swarthmore College: No Admission by Major, Declaring Psychology in the Sophomore Year, and Requirements and Timeline for Chinese, Canadian High School and Transfer Students

Swarthmore College is a liberal arts college near Philadelphia. Psychology is taught by the Psychology Department, which offers course and honors majors and minors, plus special majors in neuroscience and in psychology and education. As at most liberal arts colleges, you are not admitted by major. Here is what you need to know for fall 2027 entry, based on Swarthmore’s official information, for students at high schools in China, students at Canadian high schools (including BC and Vancouver), and transfer students.

1. When you declare psychology

• Sophomore year: students declare a major through the Sophomore Plan; the department provides worksheets for the course major, honors major and other options.
• Acceptance to the course major: two psychology courses successfully completed and good standing at the College.
• Prerequisite: PSYC 001 Introduction to Psychology normally comes first. AP Psychology 5 or IB Psychology 6 or 7 can meet the prerequisite, though the department does not encourage this.

2. Psychology major requirements

• Course major: at least 8 psychology credits plus 1 statistics credit.
  • PSYC 001 Introduction to Psychology (or equivalent);
  • PSYC 025 Research Design and Analysis, with statistics (STAT 011 or equivalent) as a prerequisite or co-requisite, normally before senior year;
  • at least four core courses (numbered in the 30s), such as behavioral neuroscience, cognitive, social, clinical or developmental psychology;
  • seminars are encouraged and normally require a B+ or higher in the related core course.
• Culminating research experience: one of a senior research practicum, a two-semester senior thesis (normally a B+ average in psychology and overall, applied for by mid-April of junior year), a spring clinical field placement, or a senior research project.
• Honors: normally a B+ average in psychology and overall. Honors majors prepare two core-course-and-seminar pairs and a two-semester thesis for external examiners, with written and oral exams.
• Grading: apart from Introduction to Psychology, courses toward the major should be taken for a grade; Research Design and Analysis, seminars, theses and practica cannot be taken credit/no credit.

3. Deadlines

• Fall Early Decision: 15 November; testing ideally done by early November; decisions in mid-December.
• Winter Early Decision: 4 January; decisions in mid-February.
• Regular Decision: 4 January; decisions by 1 April.
• Platforms and fee: Common App, Coalition on Scoir or QuestBridge, with no preference; $60 fee or waiver. A student can apply at most three times, first-year and transfer combined.
• Materials: two short-answer essays (up to 250 words each), school report and counselor recommendation, transcript, midyear grades and two academic teacher recommendations. Applicants who have graduated must send leaving exam results if available (for example IB, A-Levels or the Gaokao), and official results of national exams taken in high school.

4. Testing and English

• Test optional: applicants who do not take or share tests are not penalised.
• Applicants at schools outside the U.S., regardless of citizenship, must submit one of:
  • the free Swarthmore Video Response, recorded in the applicant portal;
  • an English proficiency result from TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo, using the highest single sitting only;
  • an InitialView or Vericant video interview.
  Swarthmore encourages an English test if most of your education was in a non-English curriculum. No minimum score is published.
• Chinese and Canadian curricula: regional deans review transcripts in the context of each country’s system. Swarthmore publishes no Gaokao score requirement and nothing specific to Canadian or BC curricula.

5. Costs and aid

• 2026-27 (US$): tuition and books 72,722 (including an $800 textbook credit), housing 11,676, food 10,890, activities fee 482, billed total 95,770; with supplies of 825 and personal expenses of 1,775, the cost of attendance is 98,370.
• 2027-28 estimate: tuition 75,994, housing 12,143, food 11,326, activities fee 498, about 99,961 billed (an estimate only).
• Aid for international students: admission is need-aware for international citizens. Admitted students who applied for aid have 100% of determined need met, up to full tuition, fees, housing and food, without loans. Swarthmore says the average aid for admitted international students in the Class of 2030 was over $93,000.
• Say so when you apply: if you may need support at any point in four years, you must indicate it on your application and submit aid documents within seven days of admission.

6. Transfer students

• Deadline: 1 April, with decisions usually in mid-May; fall entry only.
• Eligibility: the equivalent of two or more semesters of college by the end of the current year; bachelor’s degree holders are not eligible, and applicants with six or more semesters are discouraged. Competitive candidates usually have mostly A’s and B’s in a liberal arts curriculum.
• No aid for international transfers: international students who need financial aid are not eligible to transfer, and admitted international transfers must document complete financial independence.
• Credit: the Registrar reviews each admitted student and sends a credit review with the decision, usually accepting liberal arts courses that fit Swarthmore’s curriculum, up to four semesters (about 16 courses). How psychology courses count toward the major is decided with the psychology advisor or chair.

Checklist

Students at high schools in China:

• Apply by 15 November (Fall ED) or 4 January (Winter ED, RD)
• Submit a video response, an English test or an InitialView/Vericant video; an English test is encouraged for non-English curricula
• If you have graduated, send Gaokao or other leaving exam results
• If you need aid, say so on the application and submit documents within seven days of admission

Students at Canadian high schools (including BC and Vancouver):

• As students at schools outside the U.S., submit a video response, English test or video interview
• No Canada-specific grade requirements are published

Transfer students:

• Deadline 1 April, fall only; at least two semesters of college
• International transfers must be able to pay in full

Sources: Swarthmore College, Application materials and deadlines; International students; Apply as a transfer student; Tuition and fees; Psychology academic program; Psychology majors and minors; Psychology honors program; Sophomore plan information; Psychology transfer students. Information is for fall 2027 entry. Check Swarthmore for the latest details.