Olin College of Engineering: Acceptance Rate and Admissions Statistics

Olin College of Engineering is a private undergraduate engineering college with an acceptance rate of 15.7%. Located in Needham, Massachusetts, the Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering welcomed its first class of students in 2002. Olin has a project-based, student-centered curriculum. The college has just over 300 students in total and an 8-to-1 student/faculty ratio. All enrolled students receive the Olin Tuition Scholarship which provides a guaranteed merit scholarship valued at half the annual tuition for four years.

Considering applying to Olin College of Engineering? Here are the admissions statistics you should know, including average SAT/ACT scores and GPAs of admitted students.

Acceptance Rate

During the 2018-19 admissions cycle, Olin College of Engineering had an acceptance rate of 15.7%. This means that for every 100 students who applied, 15 students were admitted, making Olin's admissions process highly competitive.

SAT Scores and Requirements

Olin College requires that all applicants submit either SAT or ACT scores. During the 2018-19 admissions cycle, 67% of admitted students submitted SAT scores.

This admissions data tells us that most of Olin's admitted students fall within the top 7% nationally on the SAT. On the evidence-based reading and writing section, 50% of students admitted to Olin College scored between 700 and 760, while 25% scored below 700 and 25% scored above 760. On the math section, 50% of admitted student scored between 760 and 800, while 25% scored below 760 and 25% scored a perfect 800. Applicants with a composite SAT score of 1560 or higher will have particularly competitive chances at Olin College of Engineering.

Requirements

Olin College of Engineering does not require the SAT writing section. Note that Olin participates in the scorechoice program, which means that the admissions office will consider your highest score from each individual section across all SAT test dates. At Olin, SAT Subject tests are optional.

ACT Scores and Requirements

Olin College requires that all applicants submit either SAT or ACT scores. During the 2018-19 admissions cycle, 45% of admitted students submitted ACT scores.

This admissions data tells us that most of Olin College's admitted students fall within the top 1% nationally on the ACT. The middle 50% of students admitted to Olin received a composite ACT score between 34 and 35, while 25% scored above 35 and 25% scored below 34.

Requirements

Olin College does not require the ACT writing section. Unlike many universities, Olin superscores ACT results; your highest subscores from multiple ACT sittings will be considered.

GPA

In 2019, the average high school GPA of Olin College of Engineering's incoming freshmen class was 3.9, and over 81% of incoming students had average GPAs of 4.0 and above. These results suggest that most successful applicants to Olin College have primarily A grades.

Self-Reported GPA/SAT/ACT Graph

The admissions data in the graph is self-reported by applicants to Olin College of Engineering. GPAs are unweighted. Find out how you compare to accepted students, see the real-time graph, and calculate your chances of getting in with a free Cappex account.

Admissions Chances

Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering has a highly competitive admissions pool with a low acceptance rate and high average SAT/ACT scores. However, Olin College has a holistic admissions process involving other factors beyond your grades and test scores. A strong application essay and glowing letters of recommendation can strengthen your application, as can participation in meaningful extracurricular activities and a rigorous course schedule. In addition to the standard application, Olin requires selected applicants to attend Candidates Weekend. Those invited will participate in a group exercise and individual interview, as well as learn more about Olin and the school community. Participation in Candidates Weekend is mandatory and is part of Olin College's admission process. Students with particularly compelling stories or achievements can still receive serious consideration even if their grades and test scores are outside Olin's average range.

In the graph above, the blue and green dots represent accepted students, and you can see that most students who were accepted to Olin College had "A" averages, SAT scores (ERW+M) above 1400, and ACT composite scores of 32 or better.

If You Like Olin College, You Might Also Like These Schools

• Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Cornell University
• Princeton University
• Tufts University
• Dartmouth College
• Rochester Institute of Technology
• Duke University
• Cal Poly
• Georgia Institute of Technology
• Stanford University

All admissions data has been sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics and Olin College of Engineering Undergraduate Admissions Office.