Carleton College

Consult with Carleton College's admissions department for any important information, including application fees.

Students who submit their applications to Carleton College for the fall semester should hear back from Carleton College by March 31.

Carleton College Admissions Stats at a Glance

The following is an overiew of some of Carleton College's admissions stats.

Carleton College 2022	Admissions Statistics
Admitted Students in Top 10% of Graduating Class	69%
Mean SAT Score	1480
Admissions Test Policy	Test Optional
Applicants Who Submit SATs	35%
Applicants Who Submit ACTs	34%
Waitlist	Yes

Carleton College Application Deadlines

These are the application deadlines for Carleton College.

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	January 31	March 31

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Considering Applying Early to Carleton College?

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Carleton College 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 Carleton College is 22%, compared to an overall acceptance rate of 18%. In 2022, Carleton College admitted 235 of the 1061 students who applied early decision.

Some students apply early to boost 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 your chance of acceptance, since it is a way to show that you are very interested in a school.

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

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More on Carleton College Admissions

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Transferring to Carleton College

Transfer student admissions is extremely difficult.

For Students Waitlisted to Carleton College

Carleton College has not reported data for waitlisted and admitted students.

What Does Carleton College Look For in an Applicant?

Colleges consider a range of factors when deciding who to admit for their next incoming class. Each college has a different way of determining which factors are are most important when choose which applicants to admit, and which to deny. When assembling your list of schools to apply to, you may want to consider your strengths and any possible weaknesses in your application, and apply to colleges that prioritize the admissions factors where you shine.

Admissions Factors at Carleton College

Curious about the factors that are considered by Carleton 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
Character/Personal Qualities	Very Important
Class Rank	Very Important
Extracurricular Activities	Very Important
Application Essay	Very Important
Recommendation(s)	Very Important
Rigor of Secondary School Record	Very Important
Talent/Ability	Very Important
Alumni/ae Relations	Considered
Geographical Residence	Considered
Work Experience	Considered
First Generation	Considered
Interview	Considered
Racial/Ethnic Status	Considered
Standardized Test Scores	Considered
Volunteer Work	Considered

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

Carleton College 2022-2023 Application Requirements

To apply to Carleton College, all applicants must submit the following items. Check in with Carleton 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	√
Other Requirements	√			Common Application Supplement
Transcript of High School Record	√

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GPA and Testing

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What GPA Do I Need To Get Into Carleton College?

Carleton College 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, 33% submitted a class rank. At Carleton College 69% of students ranked in the top 10% of their graduating class in high school, 93% were in the top 25% and 100% were in the top 50%.

GPAs of Admitted Students

At Carleton College, 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 Carleton College directly.

About GPAs

Your high school grade point average (GPA) is a number that reflects 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

Carleton College considers ACT or SAT scores as part of the admissions process.

Carleton 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 2022, 35% of Carleton College's first-year students submitted their SAT scores with their application. 34% of admitted applicants sent ACT scores.

What is a Good SAT Score for Carleton College?

To be competitive with other Carleton College applicants, you should aim to earn between 1440 and 1530 (or higher!) on the SAT. At Carleton College 25% of admitted students scored higher than 1530 and 25% of scored lower than 1440, but the majority of students scored somewhere in between these two numbers.The mean composite SAT score for a Carleton College student is 1480.

On the SAT Math Section, 25% of Carleton College students scored 790 or higher and 75% of students scored 690 or higher. On the SAT Critical Reading section (formerly called the Verbal section), 25% of Carleton College students scored 760 or higher, and 75% scored a 690 or higher.

What is a Good ACT Score for Carleton College?

To be most competitive at Carleton College, you should strive to earn between 31 and 35 on the ACT.

An ACT score of 35 means you fall in the 75th percentile for Carleton College's admitted students. One out of every four students scored above a 35, and three out of four students scored lower than 35 on the ACT.

A 31 on the ACT is the 25th percentile for Carleton College students. Only one out of every four students scored below 31.

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 Carleton College

For transfer students, it is extremely difficult to get admitted to Carleton College.

For transfer students wishing to start in the fall, the deadline to apply is March 31. Applicants should hear back by May 15.

Transfer students can enroll in Carleton College during the following terms:

• Fall Term

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Carleton College Admissions FAQs

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Can I defer my acceptance to Carleton College?

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

Does Carleton College accept transfer credits?

✅ Carleton College accepts eligible transfer credits from accredited institutions.

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

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

Do I have to submit test scores to Carleton College?

❌ No, Carleton College is test optional, so it's up to you if you want to submit test scores or not. 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 Carleton College's acceptance rate?

✅ Carleton College's acceptance rate is 18%.

What is the early decision acceptance rate at Carleton College?

✅ Carleton College's early decision acceptance rate was 22% in 2021.

Want To Learn More About Carleton College?

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

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