Occidental College

It is very difficult to get into Occidental College. The acceptance rate at Occidental College is 39%. Last year, 6,305 students applied to Occidental College and 2,484 were admitted.

If you want to apply to Occidental College, the regular decision application deadline is January 10 and the application fee is $70.

Students who submit their applications to Occidental College for fall semester should receive an admissions decision no later than March 25.

Occidental College Admissions Stats at a Glance

Here's an overiew of some of Occidental College's admissions stats.

Occidental College 2023	Admissions Statistics
Mean Unweighted GPA	3.7
Admitted Students in Top 10% of Graduating Class	54%
Admissions Test Policy	Test Optional
Applicants Who Submit SATs	26%
Applicants Who Submit ACTs	15%
Waitlist	Yes

Occidental College Application Deadlines

These are the application deadlines for Occidental College.

Application Type	Offered	Application Deadline	Notification Deadline
Early Decision I	Yes	November 15	December 15
Early Decision II	Yes	January 10	February 15
Early Action	No	–	–
Regular Decision	Yes	1 10	March 25

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Want to Apply Early to Occidental College?

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Occidental 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 10. ED II Applicants will recieve their decision before February 15.

The early decision acceptance rate at Occidental College is 59%, compared to an overall acceptance rate of 39%. Last year, Occidental College admitted 241 of the 407 students who applied early decision.

Some students apply early to college to increase 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 demonstrates your interest in a school.

➡️ Explore 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 Occidental College Admissions

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How To Get Into Occidental College

Getting into Occidental College is very difficult. Occidental College evaluates applicants carefully based on multiple criteria to decide who to admit, and who to deny or waitlist.

In 2022, Occidental College accepted 39% of students, approximately 2,484 of the 6,305 students who applied.

Schools that are very difficult to get into, like Occidental College, 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 Occidental College

Transfer student admissions is very difficult.

For Students Waitlisted to Occidental College

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

What's Most Important for Getting Into Occidental College?

Colleges consider a range of factors when deciding 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 put the most emphasis on the areas where you stand out.

Admissions Factors at Occidental College

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

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

Occidental College Application Requirements

To apply to Occidental College, all applicants must submit the following items. Check in with Occidental 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	–	–	–	–
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 Occidental College?

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

Out of all students that were admitted, 22% submitted a class rank. At Occidental College 54% of students ranked in the top 10% of their graduating class in high school, 83% were in the top 25% and 100% were in the top 50%.

GPAs of Admitted Students

At Occidental College, student GPAs fall in the following ranges.

GPA	Percent of Students
4.0 GPA	8%
3.75 and 3.99	42%
3.50 and 3.74	29%
3.25 and 3.49	15%
3.00 and 3.24	4%
2.50 and 2.9	1%
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 Occidental 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

Occidental 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, 26% of Occidental College's first-year students submitted their SAT scores with their application. 15% of admitted applicants sent ACT scores.

What is a Good SAT Score for Occidental College?

To be competitive with other Occidental College applicants, you should strive to score between 1380 and 1490 (or higher!) on the SAT. At Occidental College 25% of admitted students scored higher than 1490 and 25% of scored lower than 1380, but the majority of students scored somewhere in between these two numbers.

On the SAT Math Section, 25% of Occidental College students scored 760 or higher and 75% of students scored 690 or higher. On the SAT Critical Reading section (formerly called the Verbal section), 25% of Occidental College students scored 750 or higher, and 75% scored a 690 or higher.

To be most competitive at Occidental College, you should strive to earn between 31 and 34 on the ACT.

An ACT score of 34 means you fall in the 75th percentile for Occidental College's admitted students. One out of every four students scored above a 34, and three out of four students scored lower than 34 on the ACT.

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

More Information on Transferring to Occidental College

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

For transfer students wishing to start in the fall, the deadline to apply is March 1. Applicants should hear back by May 31.

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

• Fall Term

• Winter Term

• Spring Term

• Winter Term

• Summer Term

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Occidental College Admissions FAQs

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Can I defer my acceptance to Occidental College?

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

Does Occidental College accept transfer credits?

✅ Occidental College accepts eligible transfer credits from accredited institutions.

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

✅ Occidental College accepts International Baccalaureate credits (IB) credits.

Do I have to submit test scores to Occidental College?

❌ No, Occidental 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 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 Occidental College's acceptance rate?

✅ Occidental College's acceptance rate is 39%.

What is the early decision acceptance rate at Occidental College?

✅ Occidental College's early decision acceptance rate was 59% in 2021.

Want To Learn More About Occidental College?

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