How to Apply to Psychology at Claremont McKenna College: A Liberal Arts College Where You Choose Psychological Science After Entry, and Requirements and Timeline for Chinese, Canadian High School and Transfer Students

Claremont McKenna College (CMC) is a liberal arts college in Claremont, Southern California, and a member of the Claremont Colleges. Psychology is taught by the Department of Psychological Science, and the degree is a BA in Psychological Science. CMC does not admit by major; you choose a major after entry. Here is what you need to know for fall 2027 entry, based on CMC’s official information, for students at high schools in China, students at Canadian high schools (including BC and Vancouver), and transfer students.

1. Psychological Science

• Focus: real-world applications of psychology in business, law, education, health and medicine, with training in research design, applied data science and scientific communication. Many students combine it with economics, government or integrated sciences, or add sequences in leadership, data science, legal studies or neuroscience.
• STEM designation: CMC states that Psychological Science is an ICE-approved STEM major, which allows international students to extend their visas after graduation.
• Gateway course: Introduction to Psychology (PSYC030 CM), ideally within your first three semesters, though you can start with another lower-division course. Courses are also available across the Claremont consortium (Pomona, Scripps, Harvey Mudd, Pitzer).
• Statistics and methods: all students must complete Statistics and Research Methods with Research Practicum by the end of junior year, with Statistics a semester before Research Methods.
• AP: CMC gives no credit for AP Psychology, but a 5 lets you replace PSYC030 CM in the major with a more specialized lower-level course.
• Honors: a two-semester thesis, with a B+ or higher GPA at the start of senior year and B+ or higher in Statistics and Research Methods and Practicum combined.
• Dual major: two fewer courses than the full major; only full majors are eligible for honors.
• The full course requirements are in the course catalog, which returned a challenge page when this guide was written, so they were not checked; the department pages also do not state a declaration deadline.

2. Deadlines and decisions

• Early Decision I: 1 November; decisions by 15 December; reply in early January; aid forms by 8 November.
• Early Decision II: 10 January; decisions by 15 February; reply in late February; aid forms by 17 January.
• Regular Decision: 10 January; decisions by 1 April; reply by 1 May; aid forms by 17 January.
• Merit scholarships: every first-year applicant is considered with no separate application; submit everything by 1 December for priority consideration.
• Apply through the Common App or Coalition App; the fee is $70 (waivers available). One teacher recommendation and two supplemental essays are required.
• Interviews: not required but highly recommended and evaluative; offered May to mid-December, with ED I applicants interviewing by mid-November. InitialView is preferred for international students; Vericant is also accepted.
• International students are not eligible for the QuestBridge National College Match with CMC.

3. Testing and English

• Testing: fall 2027 remains test optional, with no disadvantage for not submitting; enrolled students submit scores afterwards for research only. CMC states it will return to test-required for fall 2028.
• English: international applicants whose first language is not English, or who have not attended an English-medium school for at least three years, must submit one of the following (recommended minimums):
  • TOEFL iBT 5.5 for tests after 21 January 2026, or 100 for earlier tests; TOEFL Essentials is not accepted;
  • IELTS 7.5;
  • Cambridge C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency 190;
  • Duolingo 130, sent officially through the DET portal.
• Chinese and Canadian curricula: CMC publishes no Gaokao policy and no Canada- or BC-specific grade requirements. The recommended high school program is four years of English, three or four of math through precalculus, three of a foreign language, one of history and two of science.

4. Costs and aid

• 2026-27 costs (US$): tuition 75,300, student activity fee 420, housing 12,490, food 10,780, for direct costs of 98,990; with about 3,000 for books and personal expenses, the total is about 101,990. First-years pay a one-time $500 orientation fee, and students without insurance are enrolled in the student plan (3,312).
• International need-based aid: CMC is need aware for all international applicants; if admitted, it meets demonstrated need with grants, scholarships, limited loans and work.
• How to apply: indicate aid on your application and submit the CMC Financial Aid Application for International Students in your portal; CMC does not accept the CSS Profile or IFSAA from international applicants, and your admission application will not be reviewed without the form. Your family contribution is fixed for four years, with no appeals.
• If you do not apply or are not awarded aid at admission, you cannot receive aid in later years.

5. Transfer students

• Deadlines: spring entry 15 October, decisions by 3 December; fall entry 15 February, decisions by 4 May, reply by 1 June.
• Who is a transfer: anyone who has enrolled at a U.S. or international college after high school, regardless of credits.
• Grades: no minimum GPA, but CMC says you should have at least a 3.3 to be seriously considered, and most successful applicants have 3.5 or higher. Grades below C do not earn transfer credit. Transfer is test optional.
• No aid for international transfers: CMC offers no need-based aid and no merit scholarships to international transfer applicants, and advises international students who need aid not to apply as transfers.

Checklist

Students at high schools in China:

• Apply by 1 November (ED I) or 10 January (ED II, RD); finish by 1 December for priority merit review
• English test required; aim for TOEFL 5.5, IELTS 7.5 or Duolingo 130; do an InitialView interview
• Decide whether to submit SAT or ACT (fall 2027 is the last optional year)
• If you need aid, submit CMC’s international aid form; admission is need-aware

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

• Same deadlines; three years at an English-medium school generally waives the English test
• No Canada-specific grade requirements are published

Transfer students:

• Deadlines 15 October (spring) and 15 February (fall); a 3.3 GPA is needed to be competitive
• International transfers receive no aid or scholarships

Sources: Claremont McKenna College, First-year application instructions and deadlines; International first-year applicants; Transfer application instructions; International transfer application instructions; 2026-27 costs and payments; Psychological Science; Psychological Science FAQs. Information is for fall 2027 entry (costs are 2026-27 figures). Check CMC for the latest details.