In the wake of the global pandemic, Lafayette College has adjusted its admissions practices to bring a new lens of understanding to those applying for Fall 2023 entry.
Fall 2023 First Year Applicants
The impact of the coronavirus pandemic on high school students and their academic experience, as well as their college search, is unprecedented. The Lafayette community is keenly aware of the pandemic-related challenges presented to the prospective student population and is eager to mitigate the impact of those challenges. The Lafayette Enrollment Team seeks to continue maximizing the embedded virtual opportunities that emerged during in the past year, and create an even more humane and nimble approach to supporting its prospective student population that is still reeling from an unexpected and often curtailed educational and extracurricular experience. Accordingly, the following changes to recruitment & applicant evaluation practices for the 2022-23 academic years have been approved.
- The admissions committee will apply a discerning, but less critical, lens to Spring 2020 academic achievement, and we recognize that there may be pass/fail grades for some courses taken during the Spring 2020 term at schools.
- The submission of standardized test results will be optional for prospects applying for admission to Lafayette in the 2022-23 academic year.
- Any student who decides to change the status of testing as part of the submitted application, please email admissions@lafayette.edu by the application deadline to indicate the change. Early Decision I applicants must email by November 15. Regular Decisions and Early Decisions II applicants must email by January 15.
- AP and IB test results from the 2019-20 academic year will be reviewed with an awareness that the Spring 2020 semester included curtailed time for instruction, exam preparation and included a new and altered testing platform. Read more about the credit being awarded for AP and IB tests.
- The admissions committee will acknowledge disruptions to co- & extra-curricular involvements, honor and appreciate associated frustrations, and take a positive outlook on evolved forms of co- & extra-curricular involvement and social connection during the pandemic-impacted months.
- Virtual visits and online engagement with Lafayette will be noted when possible and the review of demonstrated interest as part of an applicant file will continue to be a secondary consideration for the admissions committee. A demonstrated understanding of Lafayette, which students can reveal through the “Why Lafayette” application essay prompt, during an interview, and through contact with the student’s admissions representative, will remain more central to applicant evaluations.
Spring and Fall 2023 Transfer Applicants
- The admissions committee will apply a discerning, but less critical lens to Spring 2020 academic achievement, and we recognize that there may be pass/fail grades for some courses taken during the Spring 2020 term at colleges.
- The admissions committee will acknowledge disruptions to co- & extra-curricular involvements, honor/appreciate associated frustrations, and take a positive outlook on evolved forms of co- & extra-curricular involvement and social connection during the pandemic-impacted months.
Submitting Test Scores
Should you choose to submit testing as part of your Common Application, please note the following:
- We accept both self-reported and official scores from SAT/ACT.
- We superscore your testing. We take the best results of multiple SAT scores or the best scores of multiple ACT scores and choose the highest in each section to calculate final testing score.
- Upon enrollment, official test scores are required if you submitted self-reported scores as part of your application.