Aerial view of campus with Williamsport, the Susquehanna River and Bald Eagle Mountain as a backdrop

Admission to Lycoming College

Lycoming College welcomes applications from prospective students without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender identity or expression, disability, age, sexual orientation, political affiliation, or any characteristic against which discrimination is prohibited by applicable law. The College will make reasonable and appropriate accommodations for enrolled students with disability-related documentation as appropriate in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (and its amendments) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. Visit us at https://www.lycoming.edu/academic-services-deans/accessibility-resources/.

Admission Decision Criteria

Admission to Lycoming College is competitive. Applicants are evaluated on the basis of their academic preparation, talents, and interests, as well as the College’s capacity to help them achieve their educational objectives and career goals.

Although candidates receive a holistic review, successful candidates for admission have typically completed a college preparatory program in high school, which includes four years of English, three years of math, two years of modern language, two years of natural or physical science, three years of social science, and two years of academic electives.

In addition, successful admission candidates generally place in the top two-fifths of their high school graduating class and score better than the national average on the SAT or ACT exams.

As part of our comprehensive review process, supplemental materials, as well as a personal interview, may be required prior to the determination of admissibility.

Admission Application Filing Period

Applicants for the fall semester may apply under three different admissions deadlines. Under Early Decision, completed applications must be received by November 15th; Early Action applicants must complete their applications by December 1st; and Regular Decision applicants are received on a rolling basis after December 16th. Spring semester applicants are also reviewed on a rolling basis but should apply no later than December 1st.

First-Year Applicants

First-year applicants must complete the following steps:

  1. Submit a completed application, preferably Common Application or Coalition Application.
  2. Provide official transcripts of all high school and post-secondary school studies (whether or not completed).
  3. Submit official results of the SAT/ACT exam or indicate test optional intent on your application. If you have already applied and would like to switch to test optional, complete the Optional Choice form..
  4. ).Submit a letter of recommendation, preferably written by a teacher of a core subject or school counselor.
  5. Submit a personal essay.

Transfer Applicants

Lycoming College considers applications from students who have attended other post-secondary educational institutions. These applicants must have earned a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.30 (on a 4-point scale) in transferable courses at the post-secondary institution(s) attended.

Credit will be granted only for courses which have a grade of “C-” or higher. Courses with a non-grade such as “P” or “S” will not transfer. Lycoming College will determine which courses are appropriate for transfer and is under no obligation to accept any course. Lycoming College does not have a statute of limitations, but it reserves the right to refuse to accept some courses for transfer in which the content is out of date. The Registrar will consult the academic department(s) involved. Final determination of transfer credit will be made by the Lycoming College Registrar based on official transcripts only. Transfer courses will be shown on the Lycoming transcript with the symbol “T.”

Applicants may transfer up to 80 credits, with a maximum of 64 credits at the Lycoming College 100 and 200 level. No more than 16 credits from approved online courses will be accepted as part of the above maximums. Students must complete the final 32 credits of the degree program at Lycoming College or at a Lycoming College affiliate institution as part of a study-abroad experience. At least 50% of the credits in the major area must be taken at Lycoming College.

Additional information regarding the transfer of college credit appears under Alternative Academic Credit Sources.

Transfer applicants must complete each of the following steps:

  1. Submit a completed Transfer Common Application or Transfer Coalition Application.
  2. Provide official transcripts and links to course descriptions or catalogs from each post-secondary school attended. Students who have accumulated less than 24 semester hours (or 36 quarter hours) must also submit high school transcripts and official results of the SAT or ACT.
  3. Submit the Transfer Student Admission Report. (www.lycoming.edu/admissions/pdfs/transfer-student-admission-report.pdf)
  4. Submit a personal statement.

International Applicants

Prospective students who are neither citizens nor permanent residents of the United States are welcome to apply for admission.

International applicants must complete each of the following steps:

  1. Submit the Common Application or a Coalition Application.
  2. Provide certified true copies of all secondary (and, when applicable, post-secondary) transcripts, mark sheets, diplomas, and certificates in the original languages, as well as in English (when the originals are not in English). Translations of non-English materials must be certified as true and correct.
  3. Submit a letter of recommendation.
  4. Provide proof of the ability to read, write, and speak English at the college level as evidenced
    by one of the following assessments: TOEFL IBT (minimum sore 70); TOEFL PBT (minimum score 525);
    IELTS (minimum overall band score 6.0); Pearson English Test - PTE Academic (minimum score 50), or Duolingo English Test – DET (minimum score 100), unless you live in an English-speaking country. You may also submit the SAT or ACT assessment in lieu of an English proficiency exam.
  5. International students who are currently studying in the United States must be “in-status” with the United States Department of Justice — Immigration and Naturalization Service. They must also be eligible to transfer to Lycoming College.

Confirmation of Intent to Enroll at Lycoming

Admitted applicants are asked to confirm their intent to enroll for the fall semester in December for Early Decision candidates, and no later than May 1st for Early Action or Regular Decision applications, or by December 1st for the following spring semester, by submitting the appropriate deposit. All enrolling students are required to submit the $300 Confirmation Deposit. Admitted international applicants are required to submit all applicable deposits prior to the issuance of the I-20 form. The Confirmation Deposit is refundable prior to the start of the first semester of attendance if the official withdrawal date is not later than May 1.

Placement and First Semester Course Scheduling

Confirmed students complete three key tasks that enable the College to prepare first semester course schedules designed to support individual student academic interests and success. Schedules are built following student completion of the New Student Advising Survey, the math placement assessment, and the language placement assessment. Students complete these three orientation tasks prior to attending a June Warrior Day orientation session.

New Student Advising Survey: 

This survey enables students to express academic interests within the College’s liberal arts and sciences curriculum framework.

Math Placement:

The online ALEKS Placement Assessment covers material from Basic Math through Precalculus, takes approximately 90 minutes to complete, and can be attempted up to four times at no additional charge between the time the student confirms through April 1st of the Spring semester of the first year. After each attempt, a targeted Prep and Learning Module is available to review material should students wish to improve their placement score.

Language Placement:

New students take an online language assessment and complete a language survey prior to attending Warrior Day. The faculty of the Department of Modern Language Studies use the results of the assessment and survey in combination with the high school transcript to determine an appropriate level course in French, German, or Spanish. The faculty of the Department of Religion determine the appropriate placement in Latin or Hebrew.

Student Orientation

All new students, including transfers, are required to participate in the orientation program before they enroll in classes at Lycoming College. The purpose of the orientation program is to acquaint new students and their families with the College to help ensure a successful transition.

The Lycoming Orientation Program consists of:

  • completion of all orientation tasks listed on the New Student Orientation SharePoint site;
  • participation in one of the June Warrior Day programs;
  • connection with peer Orientation Ambassador throughout the summer;
  • a one-on-one remote meeting with an academic advisor in June; and
  • 1st Weekend campus-based orientation for all new students, campus move-in for residential students, and New Student Convocation to formally welcome new and transferring students.
  • Warrior Welcome Week optional activities

Family attendance at Warrior Day and campus move-in are encouraged but not required. For students who matriculate in the Spring semester, an orientation program is held the weekend prior to the start of classes in January. During orientation, students learn strategies for a successful first year in their new academic home. Information on orientation is mailed to new students after they confirm their intention to enroll. Questions about the orientation process can be addressed to orientation@lycoming.edu.

Withdrawal of Admission Offers

Lycoming College reserves the right to withdraw offers of admission when:

  1. information requested as part of the admission application process is not provided by applicants;
  2. applicants misrepresent facts to the College during the application process;
  3. the conduct of applicants is not in keeping with the ethical or moral standards as set forth in the Lycoming College Catalog or the Lycoming College Student Handbook.

Readmission to the College

Students who leave the College for one or more semesters, including those who leave mid-term, must apply for readmission. To apply for readmission, one must:

  1. Complete the Application for Readmission form;
  2. Return the completed form to the Office of the Registrar; and
  3. If applicable, have official transcripts for all course work completed elsewhere sent to the Registrar.

The College reserves the right to deny readmission to former students. Reasons for denial of readmission requests include, but are not limited to: lack of residence hall space, unresolved financial obligations, academic deficiencies, unresolved disciplinary action, charges or convictions related to criminal activity.

Students will be informed in writing about the decision regarding readmission. To confirm readmission, students must send a non-refundable deposit of $300 to the Office of the Registrar. Students who intend to live in the residence halls must complete the appropriate forms in the Office of Residence Life.