How to get into Reed College
How to get into Reed: senior thesis, no grades by default, intellectual seriousness
24.6%
Acceptance rate
$69,350
In-state cost
What makes Reed College admissions different
Reed College (Portland, OR) is the most intellectually distinctive small LAC in the country. Every student writes a senior thesis. Grades are recorded but not given out by default. The Hum 110 freshman humanities sequence is required and infamous. Admit rate ~25%. Reed admits intellectually serious students and rejects polished applicants who'd be unhappy there.
What an actually competitive application looks like
- 1.
Write essays that show how you actually think — Reed prizes intellectual depth over packaged narratives.
- 2.
Engage substantively with Hum 110 or a specific Reed program in supplements.
- 3.
Take a rigorous, broad academic curriculum. Reed wants generalist intellectual preparation.
- 4.
Apply ED I (Nov 1) or ED II (Dec 20) if Reed is your top choice.
- 5.
Demonstrate genuine intellectual interests outside school — what you read, write, or research on your own time.
Common mistakes that hurt applicants here
- ✕
Polished, achievement-listing essays. Reed will read past them.
- ✕
Treating Reed as a 'quirky' branding play. They're serious; readers can tell when applicants aren't.
- ✕
Ignoring the drug-culture stereotype rather than addressing the actual academic culture.
The specifics for Reed College
Application deadlines
- Early Decision INovember 1
- Early Decision IIDecember 20
- Regular DecisionJanuary 15
What makes this admissions process distinctive
Required senior thesis
All seniors complete a year-long thesis project; graduation is contingent on the oral defense
Grades available but de-emphasized
Grades are recorded but not regularly distributed to students; written evaluations are the norm
Humanities 110 first-year sequence
All first-year students complete a year-long humanities seminar reading ancient and modern texts
What graduates actually do
Reed produces the highest per-capita rate of PhD completers of any U.S. liberal arts college — extraordinary in chemistry, physics, and humanities doctorates. Beyond academia, alumni cluster in tech (notably Apple, via Steve Jobs' attendance), publishing, and the arts. Median early-career earnings run modestly (around $40-48k per Scorecard) due to graduate-school path, but mid-career outcomes are strong via PhD/JD/MD trajectories. Reed's network in elite humanities academia is exceptionally tight.
Notable alumni
- Steve Jobs — co-founder of Apple (attended)
- Larry Sanger — co-founder of Wikipedia
- Gary Snyder — Pulitzer Prize poet
- Ry Cooder — musician (attended)
- James Beard — chef, food writer (attended)
- Peter Norton — founder of Norton Antivirus
Transfer pathway
Reed admits transfers for fall entry only. Applicants must have completed at least one full year of college work and align with Reed's distinctive academic culture (small Conference-style classes, mandatory junior qualifying exam, senior thesis). The application requires the Common App transfer form, transcripts, college report, and recommendations.
Specifics verified 2026-05-18 from the school's own admissions page + Common App. Always confirm current-year details directly on the school site before applying.
If you're on the bubble
Reed admits intellectually serious students at any stat range. A genuinely curious mind matters more than 1550 SAT. If you've never read for pleasure, Reed will read your application that way.
Next steps
Last updated: November 2025. Acceptance rate and cost data refreshed nightly from college reporting.