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Colleges / Lake Forest College

Lake Forest College

Lake Forest, IL 4-Year Private
Acceptance Rate60%

Lake Forest College Admissions

It is moderately difficult to get into Lake Forest College. Lake Forest College admitted 60% of all applicants in 2022. Out of 4,665 applications received in 2023, 2,786 students were offered admission.

If you want to apply to Lake Forest College, the deadline for Fall 2024 admissions is 2/15 and there is no application fee, which means it is free to apply.

Students who submit their applications to Lake Forest College for fall semester should hear back from Lake Forest College by November 1.

Lake Forest College Admissions Stats at a Glance

Here is an overiew of some of Lake Forest College's admissions stats.

Lake Forest College 2023 Admissions Statistics
Mean Unweighted GPA 3.8
Admitted Students in Top 10% of Graduating Class 43%
Mean SAT Score 1256
Admissions Test Policy Test Optional
Applicants Who Submit SATs 19%
Applicants Who Submit ACTs 10%
Waitlist Yes

Lake Forest College Application Deadlines

These are the application deadlines for Lake Forest College.

Application Type Offered Application Deadline Notification Deadline
Early Decision I Yes November 1 December 15
Early Decision II Yes January 15 February 1
Early Action Yes November 1 December 15
Regular Decision Yes 2 15 November 1

Applying Early to Lake Forest College?


Lake Forest 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.

πŸ—“οΈ Early Decision I applications are due by November 1 EDI applicants should receive a decision by December 15.

πŸ—“οΈ Early Decision II applications are due January 15. ED II Applicants will recieve their decision before February 1.

πŸ—“οΈ The Early Action deadline is November 1. Lake Forest College will release EA admissions decisions no later than December 15.

The early decision acceptance rate at Lake Forest College is 38%, compared to an overall acceptance rate of 60%.

Lake Forest College accepts around 71% of early action applicants and 60% all applicants for all deadlines. Last year, Lake Forest College admitted 20 of the 52 students who applied early decision. Last year, Lake Forest College admitted 1,716 of the 2,413 who applied early action.

Some students apply early to college in hopes that it will boost their chances of acceptance. 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 is a way to show that you are very interested in a school.

➑️ Find a list of some competetive colleges that admit significantly more applicants during early decision or early action than during regular admission.


More on Lake Forest College Admissions


How Challenging Is It To Get Admitted to Lake Forest College?

Lake Forest College is a moderately difficult school to get into. Lake Forest College evaluates applicants carefully based on multiple criteria to decide who to admit, and who to deny or waitlist.

In 2022, Lake Forest College accepted 60% of students, about 2,786 of the 4,665 students who applied.

Schools that are moderately difficult to get into, like Lake Forest College, accept fewer than 85% of all applicants. At least 75% of all admitted students have GPAs in the top 50% of their high school class and scored over 1010 on the SAT or over 18 on the ACT.

Transferring to Lake Forest College

For more information on transferring to Lake Forest College, contact the school directly.

For Students Waitlisted to Lake Forest College

Lake Forest College has not reported data for waitlisted and admitted students.

What Does Lake Forest College Look For in an Applicant?

Colleges consider a range of factors when determining who to admit for their next incoming class. Each college has a different way of determining 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 Lake Forest College

What does Lake Forest College consider 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
Character/Personal Qualities Very Important
Application Essay Very Important
Extracurricular Activities Very Important
Interview Very Important
Talent/Ability Very Important
Rigor of Secondary School Record Very Important
Academic GPA Important
Alumni/ae Relations Considered
Class Rank Considered
Geographical Residence Considered
Recommendation(s) Considered
Standardized Test Scores Considered
Volunteer Work Considered
Work Experience Considered
Level of Applicant's Interest Considered
First Generation Considered

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

Lake Forest College Application Requirements

To apply to Lake Forest College, all applicants must submit the following items. Check with Lake Forest 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 – – – –
Written Essay or Personal Statement √ – – –
Letter(s) of Recommendation √ – – –
Transcript of High School Record √ – – –

GPA and Testing


What GPA Do I Need To Get Into Lake Forest College?

Students admitted to Lake Forest College have an average unweighted GPA of 3.8.

Out of all students that were admitted, 22% submitted a class rank. At Lake Forest College 43% of students ranked in the top 10% of their graduating class in high school, 69% were in the top 25% and 94% were in the top 50%.

GPAs of Admitted Students

At Lake Forest College, student GPAs fall in the following ranges.

GPA Percent of Students
4.0 GPA 34.38%
3.75 and 3.99 15.96%
3.50 and 3.74 23.82%
3.25 and 3.49 13.48%
3.00 and 3.24 10.34%
2.50 and 2.9 2.02%
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 Lake Forest 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

Lake Forest College has a test optional admissions policy. Test optional schools allow students to choose if they want to submit ACT or SAT scores with their applications or not.

In 2022, 19% of Lake Forest College's first-year students submitted their SAT scores with their application. 10% of admitted applicants sent ACT scores.

What is a Good SAT Score for Lake Forest College?

To be competitive with other Lake Forest College applicants, you should strive to earn between 1163 and 1348 (or higher!) on the SAT. At Lake Forest College 25% of admitted students scored higher than 1348 and 25% of scored lower than 1163, but the majority of students scored somewhere in between these two numbers.The mean composite SAT score for a Lake Forest College student is 1256.

On the SAT Math Section, 25% of Lake Forest College students scored 670 or higher and 75% of students scored 590 or higher. On the SAT Critical Reading section (formerly called the Verbal section), 25% of Lake Forest College students scored 670 or higher, and 75% scored a 590 or higher.

To be most competitive at Lake Forest College, you should strive to earn between 26 and 31 on the ACT.

An ACT score of 31 means you fall in the 75th percentile for Lake Forest 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 26 on the ACT is the 25th percentile for Lake Forest College students. Only one out of every four students scored below 26.

More Information on Transferring to Lake Forest College

For transfer students wishing to start in the fall, the deadline to apply is August 1.

Transfer students can enroll in Lake Forest College during the following terms:

β€’ Fall Term

β€’ Winter Term

β€’ Spring Term

β€’ Winter Term

β€’ Summer Term


Lake Forest College Admissions FAQs


Can I defer my acceptance to Lake Forest College?

βœ… Yes, admitted students can defer their admission to Lake Forest College.

Does Lake Forest College accept transfer credits?

βœ… Lake Forest College accepts eligible transfer credits from accredited institutions.

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

βœ… Lake Forest College accepts International Baccalaureate credits (IB) credits.

Do I have to submit test scores to Lake Forest College?

❌ No, Lake Forest College is test optional, so it's up to you if you want to submit test scores or not. If your scores are higher than the school's average, you probably want to include them. If you scored lower than a school's average, you may want not want to include them in your application.

What is Lake Forest College's acceptance rate?

βœ… Lake Forest College's acceptance rate is 60%.

What is the early decision acceptance rate at Lake Forest College?

βœ… Lake Forest College's early decision acceptance rate was 38% in 2021.

What is the early action acceptance rate at Lake Forest College?

βœ… The early action acceptance rate at Lake Forest College was 71% in 2021.

Want To Learn More About Lake Forest College?

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

Overview

Student Life

Academics

Tuition & Aid

Visit the College Confidential forums to join the conversation about Lake Forest College

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

Lake Forest College Admissions Requirements

Admission Difficulty

Somewhat Selective

60%

How hard is it to get into Lake Forest College? Lake Forest College is a somewhat selective institution. The Lake Forest College acceptance rate is 60%. This means that the institution accepts 59 out of every 100 applicants.

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Lake Forest College Application Deadline

First-Year Applications are Due

Feb 15

Transfer Applications are Due

Aug 1

The deadline for Fall first-year applications to Lake Forest College is Feb 15.

The deadline for Fall transfer applications to Lake Forest College is Aug 1.

Check the school website for more information about deadlines for specific programs or special admissions programs

Lake Forest College SAT Scores

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Composite SAT Range

1163 - 1348

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Math SAT Range

563 - 670

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Reading SAT Range

590 - 670

Estimated Chance of Acceptance by SAT Score

SAT Score

Estimated Chance

1348 and Above

Good

1163 to 1348

Avg

1163 and Less

Low

SAT Scores Needed to Get Accepted

The median SAT score for Lake Forest College students is 1256. Applicants with SAT scores of 1348 and above have a good chance of being admitted to Lake Forest College, while applicants with SAT scores between 1163 to 1348 have an average chance of admittance, and prospective students with an SAT score below 1163 have a low chance of being offered a spot at Lake Forest College.

Lake Forest College GPA

Avg. High School GPA (non-weighted)

3.77

GPA Needed to Get Accepted

At Lake Forest College, the average unweighted high-school GPA for admitted students is 3.77. This is the average, which means that some applicants submit GPAs lower than this and some applicants submit GPAs above this level. If your GPA falls below the average, strong test scores or other qualifications may help you make you a more competitive applicant.

Data Source: IPEDs and Peterson's Databases Β© 2022 Peterson's LLC All rights reserved

Quick Facts

Total Enrollment

1,753

Campus Setting

Suburban

Acceptance Rate

60%

Tuition and Fees

In State

$54,202

Out-of-State

$54,202

Fall Freshmen
Application Deadline

Feb 15
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