Admissions Policies

Bryn Mawr offers two Early Decision plans for students who are 100% committed to joining our community.

Have you already started to envision your life at Bryn Mawr? Do you daydream about decorating your dorm room and selecting your first semester classes? If you just know that Bryn Mawr is the place for you, our Early Decision application plan may be for you.

We offer two Early Decision plans with the following deadlines:

• Early Decision I: November 15
• Early Decision II: January 1

Early Decision is a great option for students who are ready to make a personal and financial commitment to Bryn Mawr. These application plans are binding and students admitted under Early Decision are required to enroll at Bryn Mawr.

While this is great for students who have a solid understanding of our community and their family’s financial aid eligibility, it is not the best option for everyone. If you are still unsure where you belong in the fall or if you want the ability to compare multiple financial aid packages, you should consider applying Regular Decision.

Bryn Mawr recognizes that standardized testing may not be the best indicator of student success in college, so we give students the option to submit their testing scores as part of their application. Bryn Mawr accepts both SAT and ACT standardized test scores. Bryn Mawr is interested in your best achievement, so we consider the highest section scores submitted, irrespective of the test date.

Test-Optional Policy

Bryn Mawr College’s Office of Admissions conducts a holistic review of our applicants and recognize that standardized test scores may not fully reflect academic preparedness or potential. Therefore, students may take advantage of the College’s test-optional policy by not providing SAT or ACT scores with their application for admission.

If you have opted to take the ACT or SAT, we request that you submit the test scores by June 1 if you are admitted and enroll. Test scores are not reviewed by the Office of Admissions and will not affect the strength of your application but will be used solely for academic advising and placement.

In exceptional circumstances, standardized tests may not be offered in a particular country or region. Please contact the Admissions Office directly to discuss alternatives.

Please note: this test-optional policy does not apply to English Proficiency Tests. See our "English Language Proficiency Policy" for more information.

Self-Reporting Scores

The Admissions Office prefers official scores be sent from testing agencies such as the College Board (Bryn Mawr code: 2049) or the ACT (Bryn Mawr code: 3526). If a student is not able to submit official scores, the Office of Admissions will accept self-reported exam scores (except TOEFL, IELTS and IB) for all applicants.

All admitted students will be required to submit an official copy of their exam scores if they enroll. Early Decision students must submit scores by March 1. Regular Decision students must submit scores by June 1.

International students are required to submit TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo scores. The minimum score required for consideration is 100 on the TOEFL, 7 on the IELTS and 130 on Duolingo. Other test results cannot replace these English proficiency tests without special permission from the Office of Admissions.

Exceptions

Students whose first language is English or who have attended an English language medium school during all four years of secondary school (the equivalent of grades 9-12 in the American system) may have this requirement waived. For our purposes, we define an English language medium school as one where ALL classes are taught in English, except for second languages. Bilingual programs, dual curriculum, and international homeschooling are not considered to be English medium language schools.

To request to be exempt from the English language, you must first submit your Common Application to Bryn Mawr. Then you will receive information on how to access your portal where you will find instructions on how to apply for a waiver.

Additional Notes

We encourage all international applicants to submit a demonstration of their English proficiency regardless of their eligibility for a waiver. Students who have been approved for a waiver may submit English proficiency exam results or complete an interview to do so. We will accept any of our approved fee-based exam options including Duolingo, TOEFL, or IELTS, or a fee-based InitialView interview. Bryn Mawr also offers virtual interviews with Admissions Representatives, but space is extremely limited for these options.

While interviews are not required*, we strongly encourage you to interview if you can. Interviews help us learn more about you beyond your transcript and your essays. It’s also a great time to ask questions about Bryn Mawr from a member of the community.

Interviews must be completed by the deadline under which you are applying and we strongly encourage Regular Decision students to schedule an interview by December 15.

*We reserve the right to require an interview for students who are homeschooled, graduating early, or attending cyber school.

There are a few ways you can interview with us, but you can only interview once. All interviews are treated equally in the review process.

• On-Campus Interview
  • Schedule an on-campus interview starting in June before your senior year. 
• Virtual Interview
  • Interview with us from the comfort of your own home—or wherever!
• Alumnae/i Virtual Interview Days
  • Alumnae/i Interview Days are offered once a month September-January.
• In Your Area
  • Some Admissions Officers offer interviews while they are traveling. See if an AO is coming to your town and offering interviews by using our In Your Area tool. 
• Transfer and Nontraditional Applicant Interview
  • Transfer and nontraditional applicants should email admissions@brynmawr.edu to schedule an interview.

Important Note for Applicants in China

Because of the volume of requests, Bryn Mawr cannot accommodate alumnae/i or virtual interviews in China. As an alternative, you may arrange an interview with InitialView. We realize there is a cost for this service. While interviews are strongly encouraged, they are not required.

Bryn Mawr’s undergraduate mission is to educate and empower intellectually engaged, reflective, and ethical women leaders. In taking an inclusive approach to fulfilling this mission — one that reflects the College’s identity as an institution that values diversity as essential to its excellence — Bryn Mawr recognizes that gender is fluid and that traditional notions of gender identity and expression can be limiting. Bryn Mawr acknowledges gender complexity as an opportunity for learning, and for asking how to be the best women’s college possible. We also recognize that students may express new gender identities while at Bryn Mawr and beyond. Bryn Mawr is committed to all of our current and future students, whom we will continue to welcome, support, and proudly claim as our alumnae/i. Our women-centered focus is not intended to exclude any members of this special community, although it is a fundamental part of our undergraduate mission.

In light of our mission and these understandings of gender, Bryn Mawr College considers as eligible to apply to the undergraduate college all individuals who have identified and continue to identify as women (including cisgender and trans women), intersex individuals who do not identify as male, individuals assigned female at birth who have not taken medical or legal steps to identify as male, and individuals assigned female at birth who do not identify within the gender binary.  

The College intends to be flexible and inclusive in implementing these understandings. Bryn Mawr uses a holistic approach to reviewing applications that appreciates the strengths of each applicant. Should questions arise, students are encouraged to contact the Office of Admissions; we may also follow up to request additional information from applicants.

We know that students have lots of options when it comes to completing their secondary education. Students who have pursued a secondary education outside a traditionally accredited curriculum, including homeschool and cyber school, are welcome to apply to Bryn Mawr with the addition of the following application materials.

We reserve the right to require an interview for students who are homeschooled, graduating early, or attending cyber school.

Homeschool

• Transcript or evaluation of coursework
• Curriculum description
  • Include syllabi for any self-designed courses.
• Graded research paper with evaluator’s comments
• Home School essay
  • We require an explanation of the decision to homeschool from either the student or parent/guardian

Student graduating before completing their senior year of high school should complete a senior English course before matriculation.

Entering first-year students may transfer up to four approved units of credit from college work done during high school—this may include courses taken at community colleges, dual enrollment programs, or two-year colleges. Students should submit an official transcript for review of this work during the application process and may complete the transfer credit request form after admission.

View the Registrar's full Transfer Credit Policy for more information.

Deferred enrollment, or a gap year, is a great opportunity to explore the world, pursue a passion, or work.

Admitted students may request to defer their enrollment for one year. If you want to take a gap year, you must complete the following:

1. Pay your $500 enrollment deposit.
2. Complete a Gap Year Request form, including a detailed plan for your gap year, in your portal. The deadline to request deferred enrollment is June 15.
   1. If your request is not approved, you can either enroll with the current admitted class or forfeit the offer of admission to the College. If you forfeit admission, you are able to re-apply the following admissions cycle.
   2. If your request is approved, you will need to submit an additional non-refundable $500 deposit to secure a place in next year's incoming class.
3. In the fall of your gap year, the Office of Admissions will request an update and confirm your enrollment. 

If you applied for financial aid at the time of their original admission, you must re-apply for financial aid by January 15. Students who do not meet this deadline are not guaranteed financial aid.

While a student may earn up to 4 units of credit in a college setting during their deferred year, they may not use that time to enroll in a degree-granting program or to enroll full-time in a non-degree granting program, as this negates their offer of admission to Bryn Mawr. If you plan on taking courses during your deferred time, you'll need to consult with the Registrar's Office after your deferral plan is approved by the Office of Admissions to ensure your intended coursework aligns with our policy.