First-Year Application
The Common Application is a consortium of more than 600 colleges and universities. Each year, over 3.5 million applications are submitted via the Common Application. If applying via the Common Application, students will be required to submit the Common Application, a personal essay, and a Reed writing supplement.
First-Year Application Requirements
COALITION APPLICATION AND COMMON APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS
| Coalition Application | Common Application |
| Coalition Application | Common Application |
| Item from locker and explanation of why that item was chosen | Reed Writing Supplement |
| SAT or ACT scores | SAT or ACT scores |
| School Report (completed by your counselor; this form is available through the Common Application) | School Report (completed by your counselor; this form is available through the Common Application) |
| Counselor recommendation | Counselor recommendation |
| Official high school transcripts | Official high school transcripts |
| Official college transcripts (for any college you have attended, whether or not you want credit for those courses at Reed) | Official college transcripts (for any college you have attended, whether or not you want credit for those courses at Reed) |
| Two Teacher Evaluations (from two different academic disciplines; must be different from the counselor recommendation, as well) | Two Teacher Evaluations (from two different academic disciplines; must be different from the counselor recommendation, as well) |
| Early Decision Agreement (ED I and ED II applicants only, must be signed by the applicant, parent/guardian, and high school counselor) | Early Decision Agreement (ED I and ED II applicants only, must be signed by the applicant, parent/guardian, and high school counselor) |
Transfer Applicants
You are considered a transfer applicant if you have graduated from high school* (or the equivalent) and, by the time you would enroll at Reed, will have done any of the following:
Completed one or more terms (a quarter, trimester, or semester) as a full-time student at an accredited institution of higher education
Earned a minimum of six Reed units of allowable transfer credit (six Reed units are equivalent to 24 semester hours or 36 quarter hours of credit)
Received financial aid at an accredited institution of higher learning
*High school students graduating from dual-enrollment programs are not considered transfer applicants and should apply as first-year students.
Transfer Application Requirements
Common Application
Reed College Writing Supplement
SAT or ACT scores
College Report from the most recent college attended (the form is available through the Common Application)
Official high school transcript
Official college transcripts from all colleges attended
Two letters of recommendation—one must be an academic letter of recommendation (teachers' assistants and graduate assistants may write letters); if you cannot supply a second academic recommendation, Reed will accept a letter from someone who has supervised or mentored you in a formal capacity—e.g., in employment or volunteer positions
International Applicants
You are considered an international applicant if you are not a US citizen nor a permanent resident* of the United States.
International applicants follow the same application procedures as domestic applicants, both first-year and transfer, with the following additions, exceptions, and qualifications:
Apply under the Early Decision I plan, Early Decision II plan, Regular Decision, or as a Transfer
Certification of Finances (required: this form will be used to create the Student Visa document if you are admitted to and choose to enroll at Reed College)
CSS PROFILE (required for international applicants who wish to apply for financial aid: international applicants admitted without financial aid** are not eligible to receive financial aid throughout their time at Reed)
TOEFL*** or IELTS (recommended: this is especially encouraged for international applicants who do not speak English at home; who attend a school where the language of instruction is not English; or who have an SAT critical reading score below 600)
If you have additional questions about applying as an international student contactSenior Assistant Dean of Admission Virginia Groves-Katz.
*If you are a permanent resident of the United States you must submit a photocopy of your Permanent Resident Card (I-551). Permanent residents who wish to apply for financial aid must follow the application process for domestic students.
** Each year, Reed is able to offer financial aid to approximately 25 international students who qualify. Financial aid may include grants, work opportunities, and loans.
***The average TOEFL score for international students entering Reed is approximately 650 paper-based and 110 internet-based.
