Bennington College

If you are considering submitting an application to Bennington College, the regular decision application deadline is January 15 and there is no application fee, which means it is free to apply.

Application fees can add up, but some schools do have free applications and students with financial need may qualify for for fee waiver for their application.

Students who submit their applications for Fall should hear back from Bennington College by March 21.

Bennington College Admissions Stats at a Glance

Bennington College 2021	Admissions Statistics
Mean Unweighted GPA	3.5
Admitted Students in Top 10% of Graduating Class	39%
Mean SAT Score	1300
Admissions Test Policy	Optional
Applicants Who Submit SATs	32%
Applicants Who Submit ACTs	15%
Waitlist	Yes

Considering Applying Early to Bennington College?

Bennington College offers early decision and also offers early action. Early decision is binding, meaning you must attend if you are admitted, while early action allows you to apply early without committing. Early Decision 2 applications are due 1/15.

Mark your calendar!

The Early Action deadline is December 1, which is coming up fast! Bennington College will release EA admissions decisions no later than January 31.

The early decision acceptance rate at Bennington College is 41%, compared to an overall acceptance rate of 60%. Bennington College accepts about 72% of early action applicants and 60% all applicants for all deadlines. In 2021, Bennington College admitted 29 of the 71 students who applied early decison. Last year, Bennington College admitted 342 of the 473 who applied early action.

Some students apply to college early because they believe it will help their chances. Early deadlines may increase the chance of being admitted, since applying early shows your are very interested in a school, and your application is being considered before all the regular decision applicants apply.

See a list of some selective colleges that admit significantly more applicants during early decision or early action than during regular admission.

Is Bennington College Hard To Get Into?

Getting into Bennington College is very difficult. Bennington College evaluates applicants carefully based on multiple criteria to decide who to admit, and who to deny or waitlist.

In 2021, Bennington College accepted 60% of students, around 829 of the 1,382 students who applied.

Schools that are very difficult to get into, like Bennington College, accept fewer than 60% of all applicants. At least 50% of all admitted students have GPAs in the top 10% of their high school class and scored over 1230 on the SAT and over 26 on the ACT.

Transfer student admissions is very difficult.

In 2021, Bennington College waitlisted 60 students. Of those, 41 eventually were offered a spot.

What Does Bennington College Look For in an Applicant?

Colleges consider a range of factors when choosing who to admit for their next incoming class. Each college decides which factors are are most important in the admissions process. When creating your list of schools to apply to, you may want to consider your strengths and any possible weaknesses in your application, and choose schools that prioritize the admissions factors where you're strong.

Admissions Factors at Bennington College

Admissions Factor	Level
Academic GPA	Very Important
Alumni/ae Relations	Not Considered
Character/Personal Qualities	Very Important
Geographical Residence	Not Considered
Class Rank	Considered
Work Experience	Considered
Extracurricular Activities	Considered
Level of Applicant's Interest	Not Considered
Application Essay	Very Important
First Generation	Considered
Interview	Very Important
Racial/Ethnic Status	Considered
Recommendation(s)	Very Important
Religious Affiliation/Commitment	Not Considered
Rigor of Secondary School Record	Very Important
State Residency	Not Considered
Talent/Ability	Very Important
Standardized Test Scores	Considered
Volunteer Work	Considered

Bennington College 2021-2022 Application Requirements

To apply, all applicants to Bennington College must submit the following items. Double check with Bennington College's admissions department to confirm all application materials and requirements.

Area	Required	Recommended	Required for Some	Details (If Any)
Written Essay or Personal Statement	√
Interview		√
Other Requirements	√			graded analytic paper
Letter(s) of Recommendation	2
Transcript of High School Record	√

What GPA Do I Need To Get Into Bennington College?

Students admitted to Bennington College have an average unweighted GPA of 3.5.

Out of all students that were admitted, 29% submitted a class rank. At Bennington College 39% of students ranked in the top 10% of their graduating class in high school, 61% were in the top 25% and 85% were in the top 50%.

Unweighted GPAs range from 4.0 to under 1.0.

At Bennington College, student GPAs fall in the following ranges
4.0 GPA	29%
3.75 and 3.99	28.57%
3.50 and 3.74	22.32%
3.25 and 3.49	16.07%
3.00 and 3.24	17.86%
2.50 and 2.9	8.93%
2.00 and 2.49	0.9%

Bennington College does consider ACT or SAT scores as part of the admissions process.

Bennington College is test optional. Test optional schools allow students to choose if they want to submit ACT or SAT scores with their applications or not.

In 2021, 32% of Bennington College's first-year students submitted their SAT scores with their application. 15% of admitted applicants sent ACT scores.

What's a Good SAT Score for Bennington College?

To be competitive with other Bennington College applicants, you should strive to earn between 1240 and 1360 (or higher!) on the SAT. At Bennington College 25% of admitted students scored higher than 1360 and 25% of scored lower than 1240, but the majority of students scored somewhere in between these two numbers.The mean composite SAT score for a Bennington College student is 1300.

On the SAT Math Section, 25% of Bennington College students scored 670 or higher and 75% of students scored 660 or higher. On the SAT Critical Reading section (formerly called the Verbal section), 25% of Bennington College students scored 730 or higher, and 75% scored a 660 or higher.

Want to increase your SAT Score?

Preparing for the SAT can help raise your score, but it doesn't have to take up a lot of time.

Learn how to increase your SAT score 200 points or more in just 10 minutes a day.

What's a Good ACT Score for Bennington College?

To be most competitive at Bennington College, you should strive to earn between 25 and 31 on the ACT.

An ACT score of 31 means you fall in the 75th percentile for Bennington College's admitted students. One out of every four students scored above a 31, and three out of four students scored lower than 31 on the ACT.

A 25 on the ACT is the 25th percentile for Bennington College students. Only one out of every four students scored below 25.

Want To Bring Up Your ACT Score? Access ACT practice tests and study tips and see upcoming ACT test dates.

Transferring to Bennington College

For transfer students, it is very difficult to get admitted to Bennington College.

For transfer students wishing to start in the Fall, the deadline to apply is March 15. Applicants should hear back by May 1.

Transfer students can enroll in Bennington College during the following terms: - Fall Term - Spring Term

Bennington College Admissions FAQs

Can I defer my acceptance to Bennington College?

Yes, admitted students can defer their admission to Bennington College.

Does Bennington College accept transfer credits?

Bennington College accepts eligible transfer credits from accredited institutions.

Does Bennington College accept Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) credits?

Bennington College accepts International Baccalaureate credits (IB) credits and Advanced Placement (AP) credits.

Do I have to submit test scores to Bennington College?

No, Bennington College is test optional, so you can decide whether to send your test scores. If you have higher than average scores, you probably want to include them. If you scored lower than a school's average,, you it might make sense to leave them out of your application..

What is Bennington College's acceptance rate?

Bennington College's acceptance rate is 60%.

What is the early decision acceptance rate at Bennington College?

Bennington College's early decision acceptance rate was 41% in 2021.

What is the early action acceptance rate at Bennington College?

The early action acceptance rate at Bennington College was 72% in 2021.

Want To Learn More About Bennington College?

To learn more about Bennington College, choose from the options below:

Overview

Student Life

Academics

Tuition & Aid

Visit the College Confidential forums to join the conversation about Bennington College

Explore other colleges in Vermont or use the college admissions predictor to calculate your chances of getting into some of the top colleges and universities in the U.S.