About the Selection Process

How can I ensure that I’m accepted for admission to Rhodes?

Our students are bright, inquisitive, critical thinkers who are motivated to effect positive change in the world. If this describes you, we encourage you to apply. And while there’s not a magic formula to ensure your acceptance at Rhodes, we can give you some insight into how we evaluate applicants.

We weigh each application individually.

We respect the time and energy you’ve invested in preparing your application to Rhodes, and we promise to review it carefully and thoroughly. Our goal is to admit students who will excel in our environment and enrich our community. To evaluate future success we look at several criteria.

We consider the classes you’ve selected and whether or not they’ve challenged you. Students who elect to take advanced placement and/or honors classes are more competitive applicants.

  • Grades and class rank matter. Over half of our first-year class had a GPA of 3.6 or higher and ranked in the top 10 percent of their class. However, challenge and motivation are the key—we’d rather admit students who earned Bs in AP or honors classes than students who earned all As in easier classes.

  • Standardized test scores (SAT I and ACT) also measure a student’s academic potential. Test scores for the middle 50 percent of the students we accept are in the range of 1220-1370 for SAT I and 26-30 for ACT.

  • Your application essays and teacher/guidance counselor recommendations give us a feel for who you are. A campus visit and interview with Admissions is also beneficial. We’re looking for students who will do well at Rhodes and be happy here.

  • We are interested in your extracurricular activities—not the number but the level of commitment you bring to them. Whether you’ve taken many years of music lessons or participated in multiple levels of student government, sports or service clubs, your sustained interests highlight the talents and energy you can contribute to the Rhodes community.

Learn more about the timeline and process for college selection (PDF)


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