First-Year Freshmen

We are so excited to support your application journey! Please be prepared to submit the following to complete your Principia College application:

FALL 2024 ADMISSION: DOMESTIC* APPLICANTS

*defined as a US Citizen or Permanent Resident. Applicants with DACA status should apply as a domestic student.

Principia College offers two application paths for all domestic first year applicants. There's no fee to apply and you'll hear back quickly from our admissions team about next steps.

Application Path:	Application Deadline:	Decision Released By:	Decision Response Date:
Early Action (non-binding)	Applications for Early Action consideration accepted through December 1	Early Action applicants will be notified of admission decision by February 16	June 7
Regular Decision	Applications for Regular Decision consideration preferred by March 1; Principia College will continue accepting applications and awarding scholarships while space remains available for Fall 2024	By April 5 for those with completed applications by March 1, or within 30 days after the application is submitted and all supporting documents have been received	June 7

WHAT TO EXPECT

Principia College practices a holistic admission approach that considers the whole person. We use test scores in order to consider prospects in a consistent manner, and for awarding of our generous academic scholarships. We recognize that examinations do not reflect a student’s full self which is why we provide additional opportunities for our team to interact with each individual regularly throughout the admissions process.

All applicants are expected to complete an Admissions Interview as part of our holistic approach. In this interview, a member of our admissions team will get to know you as a prospective student and will discuss important information about our campus community and history.

Decisions will be released by the appropriate date based on the decision path you selected when submitting your application.

HIGH SCHOOL TRANSCRIPT

You can contact your high school guidance counselor to request an official copy of your transcript be sent to Principia College. Principia requests all transcript submissions through Parchment as our preferred collection source. If an electronic submission is not possible, official transcripts may be mailed directly from your high school to the Principia College Admissions Office at 1 Maybeck Place, Elsah, IL 62028.

For evaluation purposes, an unofficial copy submitted to the Admissions Office is sufficient until the official copy is received. All high school transcripts are evaluated to determine GPA scores which are used for admission and scholarship decisions. For admission consideration, this GPA is based on core academic subjects and is weighted for AP, IB, and honors classes.

SAT/ACT SCORES

Our holistic approach ensures that each student is seen as their unlimited self, not simply as a test score. Our Admissions Committee offers an alternative approach for students who do not have test scores available for consideration. However, you must submit SAT/ACT scores as part of the application process to be eligible for academic scholarship consideration.

Applicants taking the SAT or ACT will need to submit an official copy of their scores directly to Principia College. Test scores enable us to consider prospects in a consistent manner, but we recognize that examinations do not reflect students' entire abilities.

Principia College recommends that students take the SAT or ACT exam in their junior year and again in their senior year. Under certain circumstances, we can use an unofficial copy of test scores while an official copy is being sent directly from the testing service.