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 with diverse identities and backgrounds including, but not limited to, race, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender identity or expression, disability, age, sexual orientation, and political affiliation. The College supports the Americans with Disabilities Act (and its amendments) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and will make reasonable and appropriate accommodations for enrolled students with disability-related documentation. Visit us at https://www.lycoming.edu.

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. Lycoming is a test-optional institution, but should you choose to submit official results of the SAT exam or ACT exam, they can also be considered 
  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 as degree seeking students.. 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.

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.
  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 matriculating for the Fall semester, including transfers, are required to participate in the summer orientation programming 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 Summer 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;
  • 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, New Student Convocation on the Thursday afternoon prior to the start of the fall semester
  • Warrior Welcome Week optional activities

Family attendance at Warrior Day and New Student Convocation are encouraged but not required. 

Orientation for Spring Matriculants

Students who matriculate in the Spring semester also complete all the orientation tasks listed on the New Student Orientation SharePoint site and attend, an orientation program that is held the weekend prior to the start of classes in January. During the January orientation session, 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.