Admissions 101 for Visiting Students
We encourage students from other colleges and universities to apply for study at Oberlin’s College of Arts and Sciences. Visiting students are normally accepted for the spring semester only; in some cases, however, visiting students are accepted for an entire academic year. This page provides a snapshot of what you can expect applying to Oberlin College as a visiting student.
It can be a challenge to keep up with the many forms and documents required for admission and financial aid. Here we’ve tried to answer the questions you may already have about Oberlin College.
When to Apply
Application Deadlines
| Steps |
Spring Semester |
Fall Semester |
| Application Deadline |
Nov. 15 |
March 15 |
| Notification |
No later than one month after application deadline |
On your application form, please indicate whether you want to be considered for one or two semesters. We will notify you of your admission status no later than one month after the application deadline. Please call us at 800-622-6243 if you are having any difficulty completing your application.
What's Required
Applicants for visiting student status complete the same application form as do transfer students.
We cannot begin reviewing your application until we have received all of the required parts:
- Common Application Form
- Personal essay explaining why you want to spend a semester or year at Oberlin
- List of desired academic courses
- Dean’s Report (completed by academic dean of previous college or university)
- High School Report (completed by guidance counselor or principal)
- Letter of Recommendation (from academic dean, advisor, or other administrator)
- Faculty Recommendations (from two academic professors)
- High School Transcript
- Results of either the SAT or ACT with writing score (SAT II subject tests are optional)
What We Look For
As an applicant for visiting student status, you probably want to access courses or professors not available at the college or university where you are now enrolled. Therefore, it’s important that your personal essay state specific academic, personal, or artistic goals you wish to achieve through a semester or two at Oberlin. We also will look at your college record for evidence of good standing, both personal and academic.
When to Visit
Whether you have heard a lot or very little about Oberlin College, it’s important to form your own opinion. A visit to campus is one of the best ways to discover what Oberlin has to offer. When visiting Oberlin, you can attend classes, meet with professors, take tours, attend a group information session—even spend a night in a residence hall.
Interview
Visiting students
may schedule an on-campus interview through the end of January. Although an interview is not required, it can be very informative.
Oberlin on the Road
Admissions counselors travel to various cities in the United States and in other countries to speak with prospective students at high schools, college fairs, and other events.
How to Afford College
Institutional based financial aid is not available for visiting students.
