Admission
Special Application Situations
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Early Decision
Home-schooled Students
Early Admission
Deferred Entrance
Reapplying to Reed
Application Instructions
Applying Early Decision
If Reed is your first choice college and you are certain that you will attend Reed if admitted, then you are invited to apply Early Decision. As an Early Decision applicant, you may submit regular applications to other schools. If admitted to Reed, you are obligated to withdraw all applications to other schools, and you may not initiate any new applications. In addition, you may not apply to more than one institution as an Early Decision candidate.
There is no Early Decision option for transfer students, nor for students who wish to enter Reed before completing a full four-year high school program or equivalent. Non-US citizens and non-permanent residents requesting financial aid applying Early Decision can only apply ED I.
The Common Application, the Reed application supplement, and the application fee ($50) should be submitted by November 15 (ED I) or December 20 (ED II). Your high school guidance counselor should submit the school report, as well as the official high school transcript. Teacher evaluations should be completed by teachers in two different academic subject areas. If you are applying for financial aid, submit the appropriate forms to the processors by the appropriate deadlines.
The Admission Committee will either admit, deny, or postpone Early Decision applications. Postponed applications will be reviewed again with the Regular Decision applications in the spring. In such cases, the Early Decision agreement is cancelled. If your ED application is denied, you may not submit another application for the current year.
Read our complete set of application instructions.
Home-schooled Students
Although home-schooled applicants may not be able to submit everything we request, they should send as much information as possible about their academic background and capabilities. Listed below are suggestions for how to customize your materials to fulfill our requirements.
In order to help us best assess the fit for Reed, the application must include the following:
- The Common Application Home School Supplement, or a detailed outline of the home-school curriculum, including subject areas studied, texts used, and time spent on each discipline.
- A comprehensive list of the books and texts read over the last four years, including novels, textbooks, and other resources.
- An analytical writing sample (in addition to the personal essay on the Common Application form and “Why Reed?” essay). This does not have to be a graded assignment, or one used for coursework, but should be of an academic nature.
- The School Report form. Parents are often instrumental in the home-schooling process; they should complete the School Report form, if appropriate.
- The results from either the SAT I or ACT exams.
- At least one letter of recommendation from a tutor, evaluator, or teacher who is not a family member. A second letter of reference may come from an employer, supervisor, or any non-family member who can address important personal qualities such as responsibility, creativity, discipline, and initiative.
In order to strengthen the application, we suggest:
- An interview, either on campus or an alumni admission representative in the student’s area. This interview can be scheduled at any time before the application deadline by calling the admission office. For details on Reed admission interviews, click here.
- We do require results from either the SAT I or the ACT. SAT subject tests are not required, but we strongly recommend that home-schooled students submit three of these tests, preferably in mathematics and two subjects of the student’s choosing.
NOTE: Applicants who have completed home schooling at the secondary level are eligible to apply for financial aid. Home-schooled students who do not have a high school diploma or a General Educational Development (GED) certificate, but have completed secondary school through home schooling (as defined by state law) should self-certify their high school completion status as “Homeschooled” on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
Early Admission
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The Admission Committee will consider applications from high school students who wish to enter Reed before completing high school. Students interested in Early Admission should have outstanding high school records and have exhausted the educational opportunities available to them at their high schools. An Early Admission candidate follows the standard freshman application process, with two exceptions: Early Admission candidates may not apply under the Early Decision options, and the application must be accompanied by a letter from a high school counselor or principal supporting the student's plan to enter college after the junior year. Early Admission candidates are required to take either the SAT I or the ACT. In addition, the student should be sure to address in the application why he or she is seeking Early Admission to Reed. Early Admission applicants who intend to apply for financial aid should note that federal regulations require that the student receive either a high school diploma or a GED in order to be eligible to receive federal financial aid funds.
Read our complete set of application instructions.
Deferred Entrance
Students accepted for admission may request that they be allowed to defer entrance for a maximum period of one year. Students requesting delayed entrance should write to the dean of admission, stating what they intend to do during the time before entrance, and submit an enrollment deposit along with the deferral request. The deposit will reserve a place in the desired entering class and will be applied toward the student's first semester tuition at Reed. A student granted deferred admission must agree not to enroll at another college or university as a full-time student, nor may the student apply to other colleges or universities during the deferral year. Students will be asked to update the admission office about their activities and to reconfirm their intent to enroll by February 1. If the deferral request is not granted, Reed will return the deposit and send information about reapplying. Students applying for financial aid should note that a deferral does not guarantee a financial aid award for the semester the student enrolls at Reed. The financial aid application process must be completed annually to determine eligibility for financial aid, and students who defer must compete with other admitted applicants for available financial aid.
Reapplying to Reed
Students who applied to Reed and who did not subsequently attend the college may reapply for a later semester. The college requires that students who are not initially admitted to Reed complete (or be working toward) a full year of solid academic coursework elsewhere before reapplying.
Instructions for reapplying are available from the Application web page (see the Application Instructions and Checklist for a list of required forms). A student applying for financial aid should note that reapplying does not guarantee a financial aid award for the semester the student enrolls at Reed. The financial aid application process must be completed annually to determine eligibility for financial aid, and reapplying students must compete with other admitted applicants for available financial aid.