Denison University

It is very difficult to get into Denison University. Denison University admitted 26% of all applicants in 2022. Out of 10,233 applications received in 2023, 2,689 students were offered admission.

Check in with Denison University's admissions department for any important information, including application fees.

Students who apply to Denison University for fall semester should receive an admissions decision no later than April 1.

Denison University Admissions Stats at a Glance

The following is an overiew of some of Denison University's admissions stats.

Denison University 2023	Admissions Statistics
Admitted Students in Top 10% of Graduating Class	71%
Mean SAT Score	1304
Admissions Test Policy	Test Optional
Applicants Who Submit SATs	28%
Applicants Who Submit ACTs	23%
Waitlist	Yes

Denison University Application Deadlines

These are the application deadlines for Denison University.

Application Type	Offered	Application Deadline	Notification Deadline
Early Decision I	Yes	November 15	December 15
Early Decision II	Yes	January 15	February 15
Early Action	No	–	–
Regular Decision	Yes	1 15	April 1

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Want to Apply Early to Denison University?

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Denison University offers early decision but not early action. Early decision is binding, which means you must attend if you are admitted, while early action allows you to apply early without committing.

🗓️ Early Decision I applications are due by November 15 EDI applicants should receive a decision by December 15.

🗓️ Early Decision II applications are due January 15. ED II Applicants will recieve their decision before February 15.

The early decision acceptance rate at Denison University is 43%, compared to an overall acceptance rate of 26%. In 2022, Denison University admitted 304 of the 710 students who applied early decision.

Some students apply early because they hope it will help their chances of being offering admission. When you apply early, your application is considered before all the regular decision applicants apply. Applying early may increase the chance of admission, since it demonstrates that you are very interested in a school.

➡️ Find a list of some top colleges that accept significantly more applicants during early decision or early action than during regular admission.

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More on Denison University Admissions

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Is Denison University Hard To Get Into?

Getting into Big Red is very difficult.

In 2022, Big Red accepted 26% of all applicants, approximately 2,689 from the 10,233 applicants.

Schools that are very difficult to get into, like Big Red, 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.

Transferring to Denison University

It is moderately difficult to be admitted as a transfer student.

For Students Waitlisted to Denison University

In 2022, Denison University waitlisted 1,568 students and 285 accepted a place on the waitlist. Of those, 16 eventually got in.

What Does Denison University Look For in an Applicant?

Colleges consider a range of factors when determining who to admit for their next incoming class. Each college determines which factors are given the most weight in the admissions process. When assembling 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 stand out.

Admissions Factors at Denison University

Curious about the factors that are considered by Denison University during the admissions process? Take a look at the list below to see which factors are most important during the admissions process.

Admissions Factor	Level
Application Essay	Very Important
Recommendation(s)	Very Important
Academic GPA	Very Important
Rigor of Secondary School Record	Very Important
Extracurricular Activities	Important
Interview	Important
Talent/Ability	Important
Alumni/ae Relations	Considered
Character/Personal Qualities	Considered
Class Rank	Considered
Geographical Residence	Considered
Racial/Ethnic Status	Considered
Standardized Test Scores	Considered
State Residency	Considered
Volunteer Work	Considered
Work Experience	Considered
Level of Applicant's Interest	Considered
First Generation	Considered

Make sure to check with Denison University for more information on admission factors.

Denison University 2022-2023 Application Requirements

To apply to Denison University, all applicants must submit the following items. Check in with Denison University'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	–	–	–	–
Letter(s) of Recommendation	–	–	–	–
Transcript(S) of College Record	–	–	–	–
Transcript of High School Record	–	–	–	–
Standardized Test Scores	–	–	–	–
Statement of Good Standing From Prior Institution(S)	–	–	–	–

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GPA and Testing

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What GPA Do I Need To Get Into Denison University?

Denison University has not provided an information about GPAs of accepted students. Any questions regarding applicant expectations should be addressed directly with the school.

Out of all students that were admitted, 35% submitted a class rank. At Denison University 71% of students ranked in the top 10% of their graduating class in high school, 88% were in the top 25% and 100% were in the top 50%.

GPAs of Admitted Students

At Denison University, student GPAs fall in the following ranges.

GPA	Percent of Students
4.0 GPA	–
3.75 and 3.99	–
3.50 and 3.74	–
3.25 and 3.49	–
3.00 and 3.24	–
2.50 and 2.9	–
2.00 and 2.49	–

This chart depicts the percentage of all enrolled, degree-seeking, first-time, first year (freshmen) students who had high school grade point average within the given ranges.

Note: Some schools choose not release this information. If you have any questions regarding missing numbers, be sure to reach out to Denison University directly.

About GPAs

Your high school grade point average (GPA) is a number that highlights your high school academic performance. A weighted GPA or an unweighted GPA are the two possible GPA scores considered by colleges.

An unweighted GPA is an average of your scores from each class on a four-point scale. Unweighted GPAs range from 4.0 to under 1.0. A weighted GPA considers your average grade and the difficulty of your classes. A weighted GPA boosts your average by adding extra points for honors or Advanced Placement courses.

Standardized Test Scores

Denison University is a test optional school. Test optional schools allow students to choose if they want to submit ACT or SAT scores with their applications or not.

In 2022, 28% of Denison University's first-year students submitted their SAT scores with their application. 23% of admitted applicants sent ACT scores.

What is a Good SAT Score for Denison University?

To be competitive with other Denison University applicants, you should strive to score between 1250 and 1410 (or higher!) on the SAT. At Denison University 25% of admitted students scored higher than 1410 and 25% of scored lower than 1250, but the majority of students scored somewhere in between these two numbers.The mean composite SAT score for a Denison University student is 1304.

On the SAT Math Section, 25% of Denison University students scored 740 or higher and 75% of students scored 610 or higher. On the SAT Critical Reading section (formerly called the Verbal section), 25% of Denison University students scored 690 or higher, and 75% scored a 610 or higher.

To be most competitive at Denison University, you should strive to earn between 28 and 32 on the ACT.

An ACT score of 32 means you fall in the 75th percentile for Denison University's admitted students. One out of every four students scored above a 32, and three out of four students scored lower than 32 on the ACT.

A 28 on the ACT is the 25th percentile for Denison University students. Only one out of every four students scored below 28.

More Information on Transferring to Denison University

For transfer students, it is moderately difficult to get admitted to Denison University.

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

Transfer students can enroll in Denison University during the following terms:

• Fall Term

• Spring Term

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Denison University Admissions FAQs

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Can I defer my acceptance to Denison University?

✅ Yes, admitted students can defer their admission to Denison University.

Does Denison University accept transfer credits?

✅ Denison University accepts eligible transfer credits from accredited institutions.

Does Denison University accept Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) credits?

❌ Denison University does not accept International Baccalaureate credits.

Do I have to submit test scores to Denison University?

❌ No, Denison University is test optional, so you can choose whether to send your ACT or SAT scores. If you have higher than average scores, you may want to send them. If you scored lower than a school's average, you it might make sense to leave them out of your application.

What is Denison University's acceptance rate?

✅ Denison University has an acceptance rate of 26%.

What is the early decision acceptance rate at Denison University?

✅ Denison University's early decision acceptance rate was 43% in 2021.

Want To Learn More About Denison University?

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