St. Olaf College

If you are applying to St Olaf College, the deadline for Fall 2023 admissions is January 15 and there is no application fee, which means it is free to apply.

Students who submit their applications to St Olaf College for fall semester should hear back from St Olaf College by March 15.

St Olaf College Admissions Stats at a Glance

Here is an overiew of some of St Olaf College's admissions stats.

St Olaf College 2022	Admissions Statistics
Mean Unweighted GPA	3.7
Admitted Students in Top 10% of Graduating Class	38%
Mean SAT Score	1360
Admissions Test Policy	Test Optional
Applicants Who Submit SATs	16%
Applicants Who Submit ACTs	39%
Waitlist	Yes

St. Olaf College Application Deadlines

These are the application deadlines for St. Olaf College.

Application Type	Offered	Application Deadline	Notification Deadline
Early Decision I	Yes	November 1	December 10
Early Decision II	Yes	January 15	February 10
Early Action	Yes	November 1	December 22
Regular Decision	Yes	January 1	March 15

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Applying Early to St Olaf College?

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St Olaf 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 I applications are due by November 1 EDI applicants should receive a decision by December 10.

🗓️ Early Decision II applications are due January 15. ED II Applicants will recieve their decision before February 10.

🗓️ The Early Action deadline is November 1. St Olaf College will release EA admissions decisions no later than December 22.

The early decision acceptance rate at St Olaf College is 48%, compared to an overall acceptance rate of 47%.

St Olaf College accepts around 78% of early action applicants and 47% all applicants for all deadlines. In 2022, St Olaf College admitted 168 of the 347 students who applied early decision. In 2021, St Olaf College admitted 1,583 of the 2,36 who applied early action.

Some students apply to college early to increase 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 acceptance, since it shows that you are very interested in a school.

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

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More on St. Olaf College Admissions

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Transferring to St. Olaf College

Transfer student admissions is very difficult.

For Students Waitlisted to St Olaf College

In 2022, St Olaf College waitlisted 927 students and 415 accepted a place on the waitlist. Of those, 125 eventually were offered a spot.

What Does St Olaf College Look For in an Applicant?

Colleges consider a range of factors when deciding who to admit for their next incoming class. Each college determines which factors are they consider most important when choose which applicants to admit, and which to deny. 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 put the most emphasis on the admissions factors where you're strong.

Admissions Factors at St Olaf College

Curious about the factors that are considered by St Olaf College 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
Academic GPA	Very Important
Application Essay	Very Important
Rigor of Secondary School Record	Very Important
Character/Personal Qualities	Important
Class Rank	Important
Extracurricular Activities	Important
Interview	Important
Recommendation(s)	Important
Talent/Ability	Important
Alumni/ae Relations	Considered
Geographical Residence	Considered
Work Experience	Considered
Level of Applicant's Interest	Considered
First Generation	Considered
Racial/Ethnic Status	Considered
Religious Affiliation/Commitment	Considered
State Residency	Considered
Standardized Test Scores	Considered
Volunteer Work	Considered

Make sure to check with St Olaf College for more information on admission factors.

St Olaf College 2022-2023 Application Requirements

To apply to St Olaf College, all applicants must submit the following items. Check in with St Olaf College's admissions department to confirm all application materials and requirements.

Area	Required	Recommended	Required for Some	Details (If Any)
Interview		√
Transcript(S) of College Record
Standardized Test Scores
Statement of Good Standing From Prior Institution(S)
Letter(s) of Recommendation	2
Written Essay or Personal Statement	√
Transcript of High School Record	√

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GPA and Testing

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What GPA Do I Need To Get Into St Olaf College?

Students admitted to St Olaf College have an average unweighted GPA of 3.7.

Out of all students that were admitted, 33.6% submitted a class rank. At St Olaf College 38% of students ranked in the top 10% of their graduating class in high school, 68% were in the top 25% and 93% were in the top 50%.

GPAs of Admitted Students

At St. Olaf College, student GPAs fall in the following ranges.

GPA	Percent of Students
4.0 GPA	13.8%
3.75 and 3.99	37.4%
3.50 and 3.74	22.7%
3.25 and 3.49	15.9%
3.00 and 3.24	7%
2.50 and 2.9	3.1%
2.00 and 2.49	0.1%

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 St Olaf College 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

St Olaf College considers standardized tests scores during the admissions process.

St Olaf College 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, 16% of St Olaf College's first-year students submitted their SAT scores with their application. 39% of admitted applicants sent ACT scores.

What is a Good SAT Score for St Olaf College?

To be competitive with other St Olaf College applicants, you should aim to earn between 1240 and 1420 (or higher!) on the SAT. At St Olaf College 25% of admitted students scored higher than 1420 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 St Olaf College student is 1360.

On the SAT Math Section, 25% of St Olaf College students scored 710 or higher and 75% of students scored 620 or higher. On the SAT Critical Reading section (formerly called the Verbal section), 25% of St Olaf College students scored 720 or higher, and 75% scored a 620 or higher.

What is a Good ACT Score for St Olaf College?

To be most competitive at St Olaf College, you should strive to earn between 28 and 33 on the ACT.

An ACT score of 33 means you fall in the 75th percentile for St Olaf College's admitted students. One out of every four students scored above a 33, and three out of four students scored lower than 33 on the ACT.

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

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

More Information on Transferring to St. Olaf College

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

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

Transfer students can enroll in St Olaf College during the following terms:

• Fall Term

• Spring Term

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St Olaf College Admissions FAQs

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Can I defer my acceptance to St Olaf College?

✅ Yes, admitted students can defer their admission to St Olaf College.

Does St Olaf College accept transfer credits?

✅ St Olaf College accepts eligible transfer credits from accredited institutions.

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

✅ St Olaf College accepts International Baccalaureate credits (IB) credits and Advanced Placement (AP) credits.

Do I have to submit test scores to St Olaf College?

❌ No, St Olaf College is test optional, so you can decide whether or not to include your standardized test scores. If your scores are higher than the school's average, you may want to send them. If your scores are average or below average, you may want not want to include them in your application.

What is St Olaf College's acceptance rate?

✅ St Olaf College has an acceptance rate of 47%.

What is the early decision acceptance rate at St Olaf College?

✅ St Olaf College's early decision acceptance rate was 48% in 2021.

What is the early action acceptance rate at St Olaf College?

✅ The early action acceptance rate at St Olaf College was 78% in 2021.

Want To Learn More About St Olaf College?

Click below to find out more about the admissions requirements and deadlines, student life, academics, majors and more.

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