How to get into Colgate
What 76 admitted applicants actually had: their grades, test scores, activities, awards and intended majors, counted from 192 Colgate results that students posted for the 2017 to 2026 cycles. Every number below is counted, not estimated.
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Colgate admits by the numbers
Median unweighted GPA
3.96
Middle half 3.89 to 4.00
Median SAT
1,520
Middle half 1,468 to 1,550
Median ACT
34
Middle half 33 to 36
Median weighted GPA
4.46
Middle half 4.37 to 4.60
Results posted: 76 admitted, 80 rejected, 36 waitlisted. People who post results are a self-selected group, so this is not the Colgate acceptance rate; the official rate is in Colgate’s Common Data Set.
Admitted vs. rejected: grades are not the difference
| Median | Admitted | Rejected |
|---|---|---|
| Unweighted GPA | 3.96 | 3.80 |
| SAT | 1,520 | 1,480 |
| ACT | 34 | 34 |
When the rejected applicants’ numbers sit this close to the admitted ones, the decision was made somewhere else in the file: the activities, the essays and the letters. That is where the rest of this page looks.
What Colgate admits did outside class
Share of admitted applicants listing at least one activity of each type.
- Nonprofit/Service66%
- Athletics49%
- Music42%
- Tutoring/Teaching38%
- Work/Job38%
- Research37%
- STEM club/competition30%
- Journalism/Writing28%
Held a leadership role
86%
Founded something
37%
National or intl. award
67%
Did research
37%
Intended majors of Colgate admits
- Economics11%
- Business8%
- Engineering8%
- Math8%
- Political Science8%
- International Relations7%
Who got in
Of the admitted posters, 16% first-generation, 14% low income, 20% underrepresented minority, 8% legacy, 1% recruited athlete and 13% international. Of those who said where they enrolled, 9% chose Colgate.
Three recent Colgate admits
2026 cycle · Math
Tennis captain and video-game world #1 interested in math and political science, with personal investing and a weather project.
GPA 3.76 UW · SAT 1530 · Original post
2026 cycle · RD · International Relations
Third-culture-kid with investment fund leadership, Model UN presidency, and immigrant rights advocacy.
GPA 3.69 UW · ACT 31 · Original post
2026 cycle · English/Writing
Humanities applicant combining competitive academic activity, art, writing, and music.
GPA 4.00 UW · ACT 36 · Original post
Essays that worked for Colgate
“The way the light shined on her skin as she sewed the quilt emphasized the details of every wrinkle, burn and cut.”
Published by The New York Times
Where else Colgate admits got in
Colgate admissions questions
- What GPA do you need to get into Colgate?
- Among 76 applicants who posted a Colgate admission on r/collegeresults, the median unweighted GPA was 3.96 and the middle half reported 3.89 to 4.00 (52 reported a GPA). Colgate sets no minimum GPA; these are what admitted posters reported.
- What SAT score do you need for Colgate?
- Among 76 applicants who posted a Colgate admission on r/collegeresults, the median SAT was 1,520 and the middle half scored 1,468 to 1,550 (48 reported an SAT). The median ACT was 34.
- What extracurriculars do Colgate admits have?
- The most common activity types among admitted posters were nonprofit/service (66%), athletics (49%), music (42%), tutoring/teaching (38%). 86% held at least one leadership role and 67% listed a national or international award.
- What is the Colgate acceptance rate?
- The official rate is published by Colgate in its Common Data Set. These pages do not compute one: people who post results are a self-selected group, so the share of admits among them is far higher than the real rate.
Applying to Colgate?
A Specialist who got into a school like Colgate can read your student’s file against these numbers and say where it stands out and where it doesn’t.
Source: self-reported results posts on r/collegeresults, each linked from our Database, counted across the 2017 to 2026 cycles with transfer applicants excluded. Aristo Scholars is not affiliated with Colgate. All colleges