Admissions Policies

Kalamazoo College seeks talented students from diverse backgrounds who are looking for the academic and personal challenges that are offered in a Kalamazoo College education. In determining admission, consideration is given to many different expressions of a student’s qualities and abilities: scholastic achievements, performance on standardized tests, extracurricular activities, and other experiences. Admission is very selective and is offered to those applicants whose academic and personal qualities promise success.

First Year Students

Kalamazoo College operates under a traditional admission calendar and offers three different admission programs for First-Year Students. For deadline and notification dates, please contact the Office of Admission. Admission is to the fall term only.

Early Decision
This program is designed only for those whose clear first-choice college is Kalamazoo. Students who are admitted under this program will be offered an estimate of financial assistance at the same time they learn of admission. This is a binding program, so the students admitted to Kalamazoo College under this program must pay a commitment deposit no later than January 15 or forfeit their offer of admission for the fall.

Early Action
This program offers the opportunity to learn of admission status early, but enables students to pay commitment deposits at any time up to May 1. Offers of financial aid will be mailed to these applicants starting in mid-March.

Regular Decision
This program is designed for students who do not wish to be part of the early programs. Notification of admission decisions will be mailed at least 4 weeks in advance of the May 1 deadline for commitment deposits.

Application Components

Applicants should note that all components of the application packet must be postmarked by the application deadlines in order to be considered on time. Only those files that are completed will be reviewed for decisions.

1. Application Form. Students must use the online Common Application. Kalamazoo College requires a supplement to the Common Application that may be obtained from the College website or the Common Application website.
2. High School Transcript. An official high school transcript should be furnished by the secondary school at the time the student applies for admission. A final transcript will be required at the end of the senior year.
3. Secondary School Report. The secondary school report form must be submitted by the applicant to the secondary school counselor, who should send the completed form and a letter of recommendation to Kalamazoo College. In addition, a midyear report is required.
4. Essay. The essay helps us to become acquainted with a student in ways different from courses, grades, test scores, and other objective data. It enables students to demonstrate their ability to organize thoughts and express themselves.
5. Teacher Evaluation. The teacher evaluation form should be given to a teacher who has taught the applicant in an academic subject within the last two years. The completed form and a letter of recommendation should be returned by the teacher to Kalamazoo College.
6. Application Fee. Applications must be submitted with a nonrefundable $40 fee, payable online with a credit card when using the Kalamazoo College online application or the online Common Application. The application fee may also be paid by check or money order payable to Kalamazoo College and mailed directly to the Office of Admission.
7. Standardized Tests. Scores from either the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) of the College Board or the ACT are required of all applicants. It is recommended that all applicants take one or both of these tests in their junior year, but no later than December of the senior year. The writing section of the chosen test is required.
8. Financial Aid. Candidates applying for financial aid should note this in the appropriate space on the admission application form. Applicants for financial aid based on need must submit the Kalamazoo College Supplemental Financial Aid Form (K-Supp) plus the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Campus Tour and Visit

Prospective students and their families are invited to visit the campus. Appointments may be made through the Office of Admission during regular business hours (8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern Time) Monday through Friday. From October to May, the office is open Saturday mornings by appointment. To arrange a visit, call the Office of Admission toll-free at (800) 253-3602 or locally at (269) 337-7166; visit our website at www.kzoo.edu/admissions; or send an e-mail, including your full name, address, and telephone number, to admission@kzoo.edu.

Transfer Students

Kalamazoo College welcomes transfer students each fall. Kalamazoo College subscribes, in general, to the Michigan Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admission Officers (MACRAO) agreement concerning general education requirements at participating colleges. Some restrictions, however, do apply. Please see the section below on Transfer Credit. Because of the varied cocurricular opportunities at Kalamazoo, it is essential that students interested in transferring do so as early as possible to take advantage of the many options available. Transfer student applications must be completed by no later than May 1.

International Students

International students should write to or e-mail the Office of Admission regarding admission. To be eligible for admission, international students must be competent in the use of the English language. The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the Michigan English Language Assessment Battery (MELAB) is required. Online application is required. International students may choose to apply as Early Decision, Early Action, or Regular Decision candidates.

Dual Enrollment for High School Students

Kalamazoo College has a dual enrollment program for those high school students who, with the approval of their principal, wish to enroll for college credit while still in high school. Students are asked to call the Office of Admission for a dual enrollment application, course information, and information about costs. Enrollment in courses is predicated on availability and prerequisites. High school students may not enroll in first-year seminars.

Transfer Credit

New Transfer Students
Determination of transfer credit will be made at the time of enrollment. All credit is awarded by the Registrar in consultation with departmental faculty. Transfer students must meet all Kalamazoo College degree requirements, including the Residency Requirement.

Transfer Credit Policies
All transfer credits must be earned from a regionally accredited institution with a grade of C or above (C- is not acceptable). Credit transferred in from other institutions is not used in the calculation of the Kalamazoo College cumulative grade point average (GPA).

Transfer units may be used to satisfy the language and physical education requirements. Transfer students who have, prior to admission, already taken a first-year seminar or English composition course similar in content to the first-year seminar at Kalamazoo College may apply that course toward the first-year seminar requirement. Transfer units may not be used to satisfy the sophomore or senior Shared Passage Seminar or cultures requirements. Transfer units may be used toward majors, minors, and concentrations at the discretion of the faculty in the associated department or program.

All work to be considered for transfer credit must be submitted on an official transcript sent directly from the transfer institution to Kalamazoo College or in a sealed envelope with the registrar’s signature across the seal. The College reserves the right to deny transfer, Advanced Placement, or International Baccalaureate credit not reported within the first year of enrollment.

Advanced Placement (AP)/International Baccalaureate (IB)/A-Level Credit

Upon enrollment at Kalamazoo College, students will be granted one unit of credit toward graduation for each subject area in which they earn a score of 4 or 5 on the College Board Advancement Placement Examination or a score of 5 or higher on the Higher Level examinations of the International Baccalaureate. Credit may also be  granted by the Registrar at the time of enrollment for General Certification of Education, Advanced Level (A-Level) examinations with grades of C or better. Placement or credit toward a major, minor, or concentration may also be granted at the discretion of the department or program; a table of examples for various subject areas may be found online under Academics and Admission. No placement or transfer credits may be used to satisfy sophomore or senior Shared Passage Seminar or cultures requirements.

Dual Enrollment Credit

Dual enrollment credit is credit taken at a regionally accredited institution of higher education while a student is still in high school. While this credit may have been used to satisfy high school diploma requirements, it must have been taken at an  accredited institution of higher education. All general transfer credit policies apply to dual enrollment credit.

Credits earned prior to your first-year enrollment with Kalamazoo College will not count towards your accumulated credits until after your first term. Students interested in using dual enrollment credit to graduate early should contact the Registrar's Office.