How to get into College of the Holy Cross with acceptance rate trends and class rank data.
Getting into the College of the Holy Cross means showing fit with a selective Jesuit liberal-arts college that prizes intellectual curiosity, character, and a commitment to its values-driven mission.
How Hard Is It to Get Into Holy Cross?
Holy Cross is selective and test-optional, which places extra weight on the strength of your transcript, essays, and recommendations. Early Decision applicants signal commitment and tend to fare well.
What Holy Cross Looks For
- A rigorous course load with consistent academic performance
- Engagement with ideas, service, and community
- Essays that reflect genuine reflection and self-awareness
- Recommendations that speak to character as well as ability
As a test-optional school, Holy Cross reads the whole person. Without scores to lean on, your coursework rigor and the human qualities in your essays carry more of the decision.
How to Strengthen Your Application
Decide thoughtfully whether to submit test scores, lean into the college's emphasis on service and reflection, and let your essays show how you think rather than simply what you have accomplished.
“At a values-driven college, who you are comes through as clearly as what you have done.”
— One Degree Advisory
