Admissions

If Lewis & Clark is the college that is clearly the best fit for you, there is no better way to indicate to us that L&C is your top choice than by applying Early Decision! You’ll have the peace of mind knowing that your college selection process will be completed months before many of your peers if you apply and are admitted under Early Decision. Since Early Decision is binding, if admitted, your selection is made and you can look forward to becoming a Pioneer while focusing on finishing your high school career. Keep in mind that students who wish to compare financial aid offers between colleges should not apply Early Decision.

The main advantage to applying under our non-binding Early Action plan is timing. Since you get your materials to us earlier (November 1) we are able to get a decision letter to you earlier (by January 1). The admissions committee will look for all the same criteria that we look for in the Regular Decision timeframe (see what are we looking for), so a student is not necessarily more likely to be admitted if they apply Early Action.

There is one important difference between the early application plans and Regular Decision: under Early Decision and Early Action, we require grades through the end of junior year, along with an accurate list of senior year courses. Under Regular Decision, we require that you submit grades from the first full marking period (semester or trimester) of your senior year. If it is important to you that the admissions committee reviews your senior grades, we recommend applying under Regular Decision.

There is no fee to apply to Lewis & Clark.

You should strive to submit your materials by the application deadline. Late applications may be accepted at the discretion of the Admissions Office, on a space-available basis. If you are interested in applying after the January 15 deadline, contact the Admissions Office to discuss your options with your Admissions Counselor.

Please note: students whose applications are received after the deadline may not receive their admissions decisions until after April 1. Financial aid notification may also be delayed and funds may be limited.

It is not necessary for your teacher to use the Common Application Teacher Evaluation form.

However, if your teacher will not be using the form, he/she should submit the evaluation on school letterhead, clearly print your full name on the top of the letter, and indicate the course(s) and grade level(s) in which he/she taught you. If not using the Common Application to submit their letter, they should email the letter to us directly at admissions@lclark.edu.

We do not require a letter of recommendation from a counselor, only the Secondary School Report form.

However, it is in your best interest for you to get to know your guidance counselor. Beyond completing required college application forms, you may find that your counselor can also provide excellent guidance throughout your entire college search process.

If it’s just not possible for you to get to know your counselor—and we certainly understand that situation may arise if you attend a large school—or if you have a new counselor at your school, you should (at minimum) have your current counselor submit the Secondary School Report form. That form provides vital information we need in order to complete your record at the college.

The admissions committee gives all applicants a comprehensive review before making an admissions decision. This is why we ask for a number of credentials to complete your application. The main priority of the committee is to make sure that the applicant is able to meet the college’s academic challenge and the expectations of our faculty.

While all credentials will be carefully reviewed, an applicant’s transcript is most beneficial in providing evidence of a student’s academic potential to thrive at Lewis & Clark. The committee examines course selection, curricular rigor, grade trends, and other academic factors reflected on the transcript.

Teacher and counselor evaluations, the essay, and the actual application form reveal other dimensions of an applicant and are also important in the application process.

SAT/ACT test scores are not utilized in our review. Learn more about our Test-Free Policy.

Non-academic activities are considered as well, since we need students who will play a role in our small, residential community, but these factors are only considered if a student is academically admissible. In the end, the committee hopes to admit students that are prepared for the challenge that an education at Lewis & Clark will offer while also contributing positively to the college community.