Hobart and William Smith Colleges

Welcome to Our Global Community 

Hobart and William Smith has been welcoming international students for over 100 years. More than 60+ countries from 6 continents are represented among the HWS student body, and between our students, faculty and staff members, more than 50 languages are spoken on campus! We welcome international students to apply under the Early Decision, Early Action and Regular Decision application plans.  

Application Requirements

You are an international applicant if you require a visa to reside and study in the United States, or are in the United States on a protected status. A U.S. citizen or permanent resident who currently lives and studies outside the U.S. is considered a domestic applicant with foreign credentials.

To be considered for admission, please submit the following:

• Common Application or Coalition Application – There is no fee to apply
• Personal Essay
• Official High School Transcript
  
  • Note: we do not require a WES or third-party credential evaluation for admission. If you have already obtained an evaluation of your transcript(s), please provide a copy of this alongside your official transcript(s)
  • If these documents are not in English, please provide a certified translation
• Proof of English Proficiency
  
  • This is required for students whose native language or secondary school language of instruction is not English.
  • Students are welcome to apply regardless of their English proficiency test results. The most successful and competitive applicants generally score at or above:
    
    • TOEFL: 80
    • IELTS: 6.5
    • Duolingo: 120 (We do not provide Duolingo fee waivers)
    • SAT Reading and Writing: 600
  • English proficiency waivers are available, if eligible. Please see “English Proficiency Waiver Request” under our Optional Materials list below
• One Teacher or Counselor Recommendation
• CSS Profile or Certification of Finances
  
  • Please note that all candidates must submit one of the two financial profiles above, regardless of financial need
  • While our preference is to complete the CSS Profile, we recognize that for some students the fee may be a challenge, and will accept the Certification of Finances as an alternative
    
    • We do not provide CSS Profile fee waivers

Optional Materials

• SAT/ACT Standardized Test Scores
• English Proficiency Waiver Request
  
  • Applicants seeking a waiver should ask their school counselor or a school official to send a formal, written waiver request confirming the language of instruction. Letters should be sent directly to admissions@hws.edu from a verified school email address for consideration.
• Arts portfolio – if interested in a merit-based art scholarship

We hope you choose to apply to Hobart and William Smith, home to a diverse liberal arts and sciences community set on the shores of Seneca Lake.

Dates and Deadlines

Application Round	Application Deadline	Decision Notification	Enrollment Deposit Deadline
Fall 2025 Early Decision I	November 15, 2024	Mid-December	January 15, 2025
Fall 2025 Early Action	November 15, 2024	Mid-January	May 1, 2025
Fall 2025 Early Decision II	January 15, 2025	Mid-February	March 1, 2025
Fall 2025 Regular Decision	March 1, 2025	Late-March	May 1, 2025