There is no separate application for international students. International students follow essentially the same procedures as all students applying to Hamilton. We accept the Common Application both in hard copy and via the internet through www.commonapp.org. Applicants must also complete the Hamilton supplement. Please note that all official documents must be translated, preferably by an official agency if the originals are not in English.
Learn about the most recent class admitted to Hamilton.
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Yes. If Hamilton is your first choice, you should apply under one of our Early Decision Plans. The admission deadlines for Early Decision are November 15 (Early Decision Plan I) or January 1 (Early Decision Plan II). Students may also convert their application to Early Decision Plan II anytime before January 25. Please note that Early Decision at Hamilton is a binding agreement. If accepted under one of our Early Decision Plans, a student must withdraw all other applications and make a commitment to enroll at Hamilton College. Failure to do so may jeopardize your admission to Hamilton as well as other colleges.
Interested international students may apply to transfer to Hamilton College, but please note that we have very limited financial aid for international students. Therefore, international students with financial need may be at a competitive disadvantage. Prospective transfer students are advised to apply after successfully completing one full semester at a college or university. The maximum number of times a student can be considered for admission to Hamilton College, including first-year or transfer admission, is three.
If you need a fee waiver, you must have an appropriate administrative officer from your school send a letter. The letter should state that you are requesting a fee waiver and that the person signing the waiver confirms that you are unable to pay the application fee.
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Hamilton is SAT optional, but not testing optional. So, you still need to submit some form of standardized tests. If you do not submit either the SAT or the ACT, you may submit a combination of scores that can include AP exams, SAT Reasoning Test, SAT Subject Tests, IB final exam results or the TOEFL or IELTS. Please refer to our list of acceptable subject exams that may be used.
All official test scores must be sent directly to our office. For a list of testing centers in your country or for more information regarding standardized tests you may wish to contact the following organizations:
All international students must submit a TOEFL, IELTS, or ELPT. While Hamilton does not have a minimum score requirement for these English proficiency tests, we recommend a minimum score of 600 on the paper-based TOEFL, 250 on the computer -based TOEFL, 100 on the internet-based TOEFL exam, or an overall band score of 7.0 for the IELTS.
Hamilton will waive the English Proficiency requirement for students whose primary language is English, whose instruction is primarily in English, or for students who score above 700 on the critical reading section of the SAT Reasoning Test.
Standardized testing is one of many important components in our application review process. Please review our standardized testing requirements to see if you can still fulfill the requirement without submitting the SAT.
In cases where a student has absolutely no way of getting to a test site or of fulfilling the standardized testing requirement, you may submit a letter with your application requesting a waiver. If approved, you may need to provide our office with additional materials (e.g. writing samples and/ or a letter of recommendation from a school administrator) for review with the rest of your application.
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Hamilton does offer interviews off-campus with alumni in select international locations. These interviews provide you with an opportunity to learn more about Hamilton and Hamilton the opportunity to learn more about you, but are not required. Most international students are accepted to Hamilton without an interview.
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Each case is different. Although Hamilton seeks to enroll well-rounded students, we realize that in many countries extracurricular activities are not a priority. If you have been an active member of a club or organization, participated in community service projects, held a job, played sports, etc., please make sure to mention these in your application. If you are interested in pursuing athletics or the visual and performing arts at Hamilton, we welcome supplementary materials that follow our guidelines.
If you need to communicate with the admission officer who is responsible for your area (e.g. Canada, India, etc.), please visit the Admission Office staff page.
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