Non-Profit Private
Accredited · New England Commission on Higher Education
Geneva, New York
57.3% Acceptance Rate
Hobart William Smith Colleges — Admission Snapshot 2026
A complete at-a-glance picture of every metric that matters for your 2026 application
57.3%Acceptance Rate
3.55Avg GPA
1296Avg SAT
29Avg ACT
$80,635Annual Cost
$68,831Grad Salary
24.1%Pell Grant
Acceptance Rate
57.3%
Avg GPA
3.55
Avg SAT
1296
Avg ACT
29
Selectivity
Somewhat Selective
Institution Type
Non-Profit Private
Campus
Main Campus
Accredited By
New England Commission on Higher Education
SAT Middle 50%
1220–1360
ACT Middle 50%
26–32
Need-Based Aid
24.1% receive Pell
Hobart and William Smith Colleges, founded in 1822 (Hobart) and 1908 (William Smith) in Geneva, New York, form a coordinate private liberal arts institution with a unique combination of single-sex traditions and coeducational academics. The colleges are ranked among the top national liberal arts institutions by U.S. News and offer 45+ majors across their beautiful 200-acre campus on the shores of Seneca Lake. HWS is known for its environmental studies, writing and rhetoric, and international relations programs. The campus features state-of-the-art facilities including the Gearan Center for the Performing Arts and the Finger Lakes Institute for environmental research.
HWS's location in New York's Finger Lakes region provides unparalleled opportunities for lake research, viticulture studies, and outdoor recreation. The colleges' robust study abroad program sends 60% of students to international destinations, supported by the nationally recognized Centennial Center for Leadership. HWS Statesmen and Herons compete in NCAA Division III athletics, while campus traditions like Moving-Up Day celebrate the coordinate system. The colleges' emphasis on experiential learning includes guaranteed internship funding for all students through the Salisbury Center for Career Services.
Hobart William Smith Colleges Acceptance Rate
Hobart William Smith Colleges is moderately selective — 57.3% of applicants are admitted — with room for a well-rounded, if imperfect, transcript.
What Hobart William Smith Colleges Admissions Looks For
- Whole-Person Review: Personal circumstances and career goals are weighed alongside grades.
- Flexible on GPA: Strong extracurriculars or work experience can offset an average transcript.
Selectivity at a Glance
Somewhat Selective
Selectivity scale: Somewhat Selective — 57.3% acceptance rate
Most Selective (0%)Open Enrollment (100%)
Recommended Academic Profile
Candidate GPA Range
Admission Category
Strategic Requirement
3.55 – 4.00
Target Match
Maintain Rigor & High Testing
3.35 – 3.54
Competitive Reach
Focus on Score Compensation
Below 3.10
Secondary Reach
Requires Contextual Support
Source: IPEDS & College Scorecard (Nov 2025).
Hobart William Smith Colleges Application Deadlines & Admission Dates 2026
The application deadline for Hobart William Smith Colleges is November 15 for Early Decision I applicants, with additional plans listed below. Admission decisions are typically released by December 15.
Key Admission Dates
⏳ 107 days left — Early Decision I
Early Decision I
November 15
Decision by: December 15
Early Decision II
January 15
Decision by: February 15
Regular
January 15
Decision by: March 15
💡 The scholarship deadline (November 15, 2026) often falls before the regular admission deadline. Submit your application and FAFSA early to be considered for maximum aid.
Deadlines are verified from official institutional sources but may change each cycle. Always confirm final dates on the official website.
Hobart William Smith Colleges GPA Requirement
The average GPA of admitted students at Hobart William Smith Colleges is 3.55. That makes admissions here highly selective. Most admitted students carry mostly A's with the occasional B.
Between 3.25 and 3.55? A strong standardized test score is worth prioritizing.
Most schools report GPA on a weighted or unweighted 4.0 scale differently — for an unweighted profile like this, students with AP/IB coursework typically carry a weighted GPA of 3.75–3.95.Hobart William Smith Colleges GPA & Admission Outlook
Assessment: Selective; solid academic performance is expected.
Recommended Strategy: Focus on a Strong 'Spike' in extracurriculars or research.
Where your GPA falls in this range shapes what the rest of your application needs to do:
Candidate GPA Range
Admission Category
Strategic Requirement
3.55 – 4.00
Target/Match
Maintain Rigor & High Testing
3.35 – 3.54
Competitive Match
Focus on SAT/ACT Compensation
3.15 – 3.34
Secondary Reach
Personal Statement & Impact
Below 3.14
Institutional Reach
Requires Significant Contextual Factors
Evaluation Metrics That Matter Here
- No supplemental essays, no test scores required, no application fee; automatic consideration for some merit scholarships.
- Coordinate college system: Hobart College (men, est. 1822) and William Smith College (women, est. 1908) share campus/faculty/curriculum but maintain separate deans, student government, and athletics.
- Acceptance rate roughly 64%; average SAT around 1270, average ACT around 29.
- Deadlines: ED and EA both Nov. 15; ED2 Jan. 15; Regular Decision Feb. 1.
- Rigor Over Raw Number: A slightly lower GPA (say 3.8) paired with multiple AP or IB courses often outweighs a flat 4.0 from a standard curriculum.
- Trajectory Matters: A lower start in 9th or 10th grade, followed by a clear upward trend senior year, reads as academic resilience rather than a weakness.
Data verified via IPEDS, College Scorecard (Nov 2025) and the Common Data Set (CDS). Expert Review led by Sohaib Khan and Dr. Waseem.
Check Your Admission Chances at Hobart William Smith Colleges
Admission Chance Predictor
Real-Time Sensitive Analysis — based on Hobart William Smith Colleges's verified institutional data
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Calculating Profile...
Adjust the sliders to see how every decimal point affects your outcome.
Your SAT Score 1200
Your Unweighted GPA 3.00
✅ Verified Data: Institutional records for 2026.
Calculated via College Portal's Human-Intelligence (HI) Methodology & Editorial Standards. Verified by Sohaib Ahmad Khan.
Hobart William Smith Colleges Test Requirements
Standardized scores still matter here: aim for the middle 50% range of the 2026 admitted class below, and if Hobart William Smith Colleges is test-optional, a high score submitted voluntarily still helps with merit scholarships.
Can I Get Into Hobart William Smith Colleges Without SAT or ACT?
Hobart William Smith Colleges considers scores when submitted, without requiring them. Prepare well and submit your best attempt — most applicants test 2–3 times.
Hobart William Smith Colleges Average SAT Score: 1296
The average SAT score of admitted students at Hobart William Smith Colleges is 1296 on the 1600-point scale.
SAT Competitiveness
SAT 1296 — Slightly Competitive
This sits close to the national average SAT score.
Key Insight: Aim for the 75th percentile (1360 SAT or 32 ACT) to stand out. Below average? Hobart William Smith Colleges allows Score Choice for the SAT, so a retake only helps — a low sitting never has to be sent.
If your score is below 1220, retaking the SAT is strongly recommended to improve your chances at Hobart William Smith Colleges. Retaking multiple times is completely normal — most competitive applicants sit for it two or three times. There's no official limit on attempts.
SAT Scores Breakdown by Sections
| Section | Average | 25th Percentile | 75th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAT Math | 635 | 600 | 670 |
| SAT Reading | 655 | 620 | 690 |
| SAT Composite | 1296 | 1220 | 1360 |
Below 1220, you're behind most admitted students; at 1360 or above, you're ahead of 75% of them. (25th/75th percentile = the score below which that share of admitted students fall.)
View list of all colleges with average SAT score of 1300
Can I get into Hobart William Smith Colleges with a 1350 SAT?
A 1350 SAT puts you ahead of most of Hobart William Smith Colleges's admitted class — but admissions still weighs GPA, course rigor, and essays alongside it. A strong score opens the door; the rest of your profile decides what happens next.
Hobart William Smith Colleges ACT Requirements
The average ACT score at Hobart William Smith Colleges is 29.
ACT Competitiveness
ACT 29 — Competitive
This average is solidly above the national mean without being elite-tier.
ACT Scores Breakdown by Sections
| Section | Average | 25th Percentile | 75th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| ACT Math | 27 | 25 | 29 |
| ACT English | 28 | 24 | 32 |
| ACT Composite | 29 | 26 | 32 |
Can I get into Hobart William Smith Colleges with a 32 ACT?
A 32 ACT puts you ahead of 75% of Hobart William Smith Colleges's admitted students — a strong position, though the ACT is only one benchmark among several admissions weighs.
Unlike the SAT, the ACT scores four separate sections — English, Math, Reading, and Science — each on a 1–36 scale. A noticeably weak section (Science, especially, at STEM-focused schools) stands out to reviewers, so it's worth checking your section breakdown for outliers before applying.
Your ACT score clears the first filter, but GPA, course rigor, extracurricular depth, recommendations, and essays are what carry an application the rest of the way at Hobart William Smith Colleges.
Your 2026 Admissions Roadmap for Hobart William Smith Colleges
Accessible Strategy: Academic Foundation
Hobart William Smith Colleges takes a broad view of applicants. Your energy is best spent proving readiness for coursework and maximizing your financial aid package.
Skip the supplemental essay stress - HWS genuinely doesn't require one
Unlike most selective liberal arts colleges, HWS requires no supplemental essays, no standardized test scores, and no application fee, while still automatically considering you for merit scholarships. Redirect the time you'd spend on a supplemental essay toward strengthening your Common App personal statement instead, since that's the essay that actually matters here.
Understand the coordinate college structure before choosing Hobart vs. William Smith identity
Men graduate from Hobart College and women graduate from William Smith College, each with its own deans, student government, and athletic department, even though all students share the same campus, faculty, and curriculum. Ask current students or admissions specifically how this dual-identity structure shapes daily campus life, since it's a genuinely unusual model most applicants haven't encountered elsewhere.
Apply Early Decision or Early Action by November 15 if HWS is a strong fit
With ED, EA, ED2 (Jan 15), and Regular Decision (Feb 1) options, HWS offers real flexibility, but the two earliest rounds share the same November 15 deadline. If you're confident in your fit, applying by this early date maximizes scholarship consideration timing.
Highlight rigor and community impact, since HWS explicitly screens for both
Successful applicants are described as having challenged themselves with a rigorous high school curriculum and applied their talents to bettering their school or community. Use your activities list and personal statement to make both of these dimensions explicit, not just grades.
Expert Insight:
Applicants sometimes assume the absence of supplemental essays and test requirements signals lower selectivity, but HWS is still described as "highly selective" and average SAT scores of admitted students run around 1270. Treating this as an easy admit because of the streamlined application process is a common miscalculation.
Hobart William Smith Colleges Profile
Full Name
Hobart William Smith Colleges
City
Geneva
State
New York
ZIP Code
14456
Type
Non-Profit Private
Campus
Main Campus
Official Website
Accredited By
New England Commission on Higher Education (NECHE)
Is a Hobart William Smith Colleges Degree Worth It?
At $80,635/year against a $68,831 median graduate salary, Hobart William Smith Colleges is worth weighing against your specific program and financial situation — the numbers below give you a real basis for that decision.
The average household income among admitted students is $75,500, with a graduate unemployment rate of 3.33%.
How much does a degree from Hobart William Smith Colleges Cost?
The sticker price is $80,635/year, but the average net price students actually pay — after Pell and federal grants — is typically much lower.
24.1% of students receive a Pell Grant and 71.1% take federal loans at Hobart William Smith Colleges — file your FAFSA early and list Hobart William Smith Colleges as a choice to be considered for both.
How much does a Hobart William Smith Colleges Graduate earn?
Median earnings 10 years after enrollment (roughly 4–6 years post-graduation) are $68,831 — about 70% above the U.S. median graduate income.
Compare Similar Colleges
Less Competitive Schools
These schools have lower average SAT or ACT scores than Hobart William Smith Colleges. If your SAT or ACT score is slightly lower, you'll be competitive for these schools.
| School | Location | SAT | ACT |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Alabama at Birmingham | Birmingham, AL | 1251 | 26 |
| University of Arizona | Tucson, AZ | 1261 | 26 |
| Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Prescott | Prescott, AZ | 1256 | 27 |
| Biola University | La Mirada, CA | 1258 | 27 |
| Point Loma Nazarene University | San Diego, CA | 1278 | 26 |
| Thomas Aquinas College | Santa Paula, CA | 1277 | 29 |
| University of Central Florida | Orlando, FL | 1277 | 27 |
| Eckerd College | Saint Petersburg, FL | 1256 | 27 |
| Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Daytona Beach | Daytona Beach, FL | 1256 | 27 |
| Florida Southern College | Lakeland, FL | 1263 | 28 |
Equally Competitive Schools
These schools have the same range of average SAT or ACT scores as Hobart William Smith Colleges. If your SAT or ACT score is competitive, you'll be competitive for these schools also.
| School | Location | SAT | ACT |
|---|---|---|---|
| The University of Alabama | Tuscaloosa, AL | 1287 | 28 |
| University of the Pacific | Stockton, CA | 1303 | 27 |
| United States Coast Guard Academy | New London, CT | 1290 | 28 |
| University of Delaware | Newark, DE | 1297 | 29 |
| Rollins College | Winter Park, FL | 1304 | 29 |
More Competitive Schools
These schools have higher average SAT or ACT scores than Hobart William Smith Colleges. If you improve your SAT or ACT score, you'll be competitive for these schools.
| School | Location | SAT | ACT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hendrix College | Conway, AR | 1336 | 29 |
| Chapman University | Orange, CA | 1353 | 30 |
| Pepperdine University | Malibu, CA | 1367 | 29 |
| Westmont College | Santa Barbara, CA | 1367 | 32 |
| University of Colorado Boulder | Boulder, CO | 1353 | 31 |
Degree Programs at Hobart William Smith Colleges
Bachelor Degree Programs
Frequently Asked Questions About Hobart William Smith Colleges Admissions
Median graduate earnings at Hobart William Smith Colleges run about $68,831 a year.
At about $80,635 a year, Hobart William Smith Colleges's cost is on the higher end; look closely at aid options.
Hobart William Smith Colleges's Pell Grant rate of 24.1% sits below the national average — merit-based aid is worth checking regardless of income.
At 57.3%, Hobart William Smith Colleges's acceptance rate is on the more attainable end compared to top-tier selective schools.
Admitted students at Hobart William Smith Colleges average a 3.55 GPA.
Hobart William Smith Colleges doesn't publish a hard GPA floor — but landing at or above 3.25 keeps you in the typical applicant range; below it, lean on essays and recommendations.
Below 3.15, Hobart William Smith Colleges becomes a harder reach — though a strong test score, meaningful activities, and AP/IB coursework can still make a real case.
A strong SAT score matters at Hobart William Smith Colleges — aim above 1296, ideally within the 1220–1360 range admitted students typically fall in.
The application deadline for Hobart William Smith Colleges is November 15 for Early Decision I applicants. Admission decisions are released by December 15.
The scholarship/financial aid priority deadline is November 15, 2026. Submit FAFSA before then for maximum consideration.
Yes — transfers are common. Have transcripts, recommendation letters, and a solid personal statement ready to make your case.
Strong academics, a focused extracurricular profile, and standout essays move the needle most — along with a competitive SAT/ACT score where relevant.
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