Application Platforms: Submit through the Common Application or the College’s own application—both accepted. No application fee charged. 

Application Components:

Completed application form

At least one teacher recommendation (some sources request two) 

Official transcripts of all academic work

School report and counselor recommendation (for first-year applicants) 

Personal essay / short answer: One paragraph describing why COA would be a good fit for you 

Optionally, portfolio or creative work (writing, art, music, etc.) may be submitted via email.  

Standardized Tests: SAT/ACT are optional. COA practices a holistic review. Superscoring is allowed (i.e., highest section scores are considered across multiple test dates) 

Academics & GPA Benchmarks:

Average high school GPA of admitted students is around 3.8 

SAT composite scores typically range between 1260–1360 (25th–75th percentile) 

ACT composite scores usually fall within 28–32 (25th–75th percentile) 

Interview: Not required, but strongly encouraged. Available online via Zoom or similar platforms 

Admissions Timeline:

Early Decision: typically due November 15 (decision by mid-December)

Early Action: due December 1

Regular Decision: due February 1 (decisions by early April)