How to Apply to Psychology at Middlebury College: A Liberal Arts College Where You Choose Psychology After Entry, With Optional February Entry, and Requirements and Timeline for Chinese, Canadian High School and Transfer Students

Middlebury College, a liberal arts college in Vermont, teaches psychology through its Department of Psychology. Middlebury does not admit by major; you choose a major after entry. Here is what you need to know for 2027 entry, based on Middlebury’s official information, for students at high schools in China, students at Canadian high schools (including BC and Vancouver), and transfer students.

1. The psychology major

• Structure: at least 10 courses in five categories:
  • foundation: Introduction to Psychology (PSYC 0105) and the statistics and research methods sequence (PSYC 0201, 0202), which most students finish by the end of sophomore year and no later than the end of junior year;
  • core: one course in each of three of five areas (clinical, cognitive, developmental, physiological, social/personality), ideally by the end of junior year;
  • labs: at least one more course with a lab section beyond statistics and research methods;
  • advanced seminar: one 0400-level seminar in junior or senior year;
  • electives: three more psychology courses, which can include winter term and independent research.
• Research: sophomores and juniors can take directed or advanced research with faculty; seniors can do senior research or a senior thesis.
• Honors thesis: submit a Thesis Intent Form by early to mid-March of junior year; the thesis spans three terms (fall, winter and spring of senior year), and honors candidacy requires a psychology GPA of at least 3.5.
• AP and IB: students entering from fall 2025 cannot waive Introduction to Psychology with AP or IB scores, and no pre-college score waives Psychological Statistics.
• Minor: the psychology minor is no longer offered from fall 2025.
• Transfer courses: no more than two psychology courses taken elsewhere while enrolled may count toward the major without a petition.
• The department page does not state when you must declare the major; follow the college’s academic rules after entry.

2. Deadlines and decisions

• Early Decision I: 2 November, aid materials by 15 November, decisions in mid-December.
• Early Decision II: 4 January, aid materials the same day, decisions in mid-February.
• Regular Decision: 4 January, aid materials by 1 February, decisions in late March.
• Entry term: you can indicate September only, February only, or either. Middlebury says choosing February does not affect evaluation; ED preferences are honored, and a small number of RD applicants may be offered the other term.
• Apply through the Common App, Coalition App or QuestBridge; there is no supplemental essay, and at least two teacher recommendations are requested. No decisions are made without senior grades.
• You may request an optional alumni interview (by 8 November for ED I, 9 January for ED II, 16 January for RD), which is not guaranteed, or record a 90-second Glimpse video.

3. Testing and English

• Test optional, with self-reported scores accepted; ACT science is not required.
• English: not needed if English is your native language or your last three or four years of high school were taught entirely in English. Everyone else must submit verifiable TOEFL iBT, Duolingo, IELTS or Cambridge results. Recommended minimums:
  • TOEFL iBT 5.5 (105 for tests taken before 21 January 2026);
  • Duolingo 130;
  • IELTS 7.0;
  • Cambridge C1 Advanced.
• Interviews: not required for international students; Middlebury recommends an InitialView or Vericant interview (fee-based) submitted with your application.
• About 15% of students hold international passports or grew up outside the U.S. Middlebury publishes no Gaokao policy and no Canada- or BC-specific grade requirements.

4. Costs and aid

• 2026-27 costs (US$): tuition 72,924, housing and meals 20,920, student activity fee 542, plus about 1,000 each for books, transportation and personal expenses, for a total of about 97,386. Full-time students must have health insurance.
• International aid: Middlebury is need aware in admitting international students. If you need aid, you must apply when you apply for admission, by the published deadlines.

5. Transfer students

• Deadlines: fall entry 1 March, decisions in mid-May; spring entry 2 November, decisions in mid-December. If there are no spring vacancies, you will be told in early December and offered fall consideration.
• Who must transfer: anyone who has been or is enrolled full-time in a degree program.
• Materials: official high school and college transcripts, midterm reports, college reports, at least one recommendation from a college instructor, course descriptions, and an English test if English is not your first language or your secondary school did not teach in English. Transfer is test optional.
• Credit: transfers complete at least two full academic years at Middlebury (at least 18 units). There are no credit evaluations before admission; an estimate comes before the deposit deadline, and final evaluation follows your final transcript.
• Aid: entirely need-based and offered to transfers as resources permit; international transfers file the CSS Profile by 1 March for fall or 1 November for spring.

Checklist

Students at high schools in China:

• Apply by 2 November (ED I) or 4 January (ED II, RD); choose September or February entry
• English test required: aim for TOEFL 5.5, IELTS 7.0 or Duolingo 130; consider an InitialView or Vericant interview
• Decide whether to submit SAT or ACT
• If you need aid, apply with your application; admission is need-aware

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

• Same deadlines; English-medium high school means no English test
• No Canada-specific grade requirements are published

Transfer students:

• Deadlines 1 March (fall) and 2 November (spring)
• At least two years at Middlebury; at most two outside psychology courses count toward the major

Sources: Middlebury College, Application instructions and deadlines (including international and transfer requirements); Apply; Department of Psychology; Psychology major requirements; 2026-27 tuition and fees. Information is for 2027 entry (costs are 2026-27 figures). Check Middlebury for the latest details.