First year students may apply Early Decision I, Early Decision II, or Regular Decision. A strong high school performance in a full range of challenging courses is essential. When making our admissions decisions, we draw upon a holistic review process that allows us to get a sense of not only the applicant’s academic qualifications, but also of what the applicant is like as a person, and what they will contribute to the Oberlin community. We seek an incoming class that represents a variety of talents, viewpoints, and achievements.

An applicant is considered to be a transfer student if they have been enrolled in a degree-seeking program (regardless of how many credits have been earned), or if they have earned more than 30 semester hours of credit without being enrolled in a degree-seeking program. Transfer students may apply for either spring or fall semester. We accept transfer applications from students in their first, second, and third years of college, although students in their first year of study at another college may only apply for fall admission.