What a friend would tell you
What DePauw is looking for
Apply to the Management Fellows or Media Fellows programs if you qualify. These selective programs are DePauw's strongest differentiators and admissions takes them seriously. Greek life compatibility matters: signal that you're social, engaged, and a joiner. Extroverted initiative reads better here than contemplative depth. Demonstrated interest (campus visits, event attendance) counts.
What students wish they'd known
Over 70% of students go Greek, and opting out means a dramatically smaller social world. Greencastle is isolated enough that students without cars feel stuck. The campus can feel socially stratified by fraternity and sorority affiliation. Academic rigor is uneven across departments. The school's regional reputation has slipped in recent years, and some employers outside the Midwest don't recognize the name.
DePauw might be a fit if...
- You want a small liberal arts school where Greek life, athletics, and campus organizations define the experience
- You're targeting the Management Fellows or Media Fellows programs as pre-professional launchpads
- You're an extroverted joiner who thrives when campus is the whole world, not someone who needs a city nearby
DePauw Admissions Strategy
1.3x
Early Decision Advantage
Early Decision admits at 1.3x the RD rate. The trade: ED is binding. Apply only if you'd say yes on the spot.
Early Decision: the numbers
DePauw's Early Decision acceptance rate is 70% vs 54% RD. ED is binding. If you are admitted, you are committing to enroll. This signals strong commitment and gives a meaningful admissions advantage.
Deadlines: ED November 1 · EA November 1 · RD February 1
Deadlines: ED November 1 · EA November 1 · RD February 1
Test Policy
Test-optional
You choose whether to send scores. A strong score helps your case; a weak one is better left off.
Demonstrated Interest
Considered
Considered, not formally logged. A specific 'Why us' is the lever that matters.
Interview
Recommended
Yield Rate
42%
42% of admits enroll, which is typical for a selective school. Waitlists here move every year.
Want the strongest possible application to DePauw, plus better odds and merit offers everywhere else you apply?
Join the free one-hour workshop from two Harvard grads who have helped 3,000+ students get in. Parents welcome.
Cost & Financial Aid at DePauw
$63,000
Sticker Price
$24,000
Avg Merit Aid
Need-aware admissions. Meets 100% of demonstrated need. 85% receive financial aid.
For context: DePauw spends about $17,500 per student per year on instruction and student resources, right around the $15K national average.
What DePauw Graduates Get
$48,000
Avg Starting Salary
95%
Employed or in Grad School
68%
Graduate in 4 Years
The 4-year number is the on-time rate; the 6-year rate (75%) is the one schools usually advertise. A wide gap means many students pay for extra semesters.
DePauw Campus & Culture
The Campus
DePauw's 665-acre campus occupies a hillside in Greencastle, Indiana (pop. 10,000), with East College (1877, National Historic Landmark) as its signature limestone-and-brick building. The Performing Arts Center and Lilly Center for athletics are modern additions. Fraternity and sorority houses line Anderson Street. Greencastle's downtown is a two-block strip; campus is the entire social universe.
The Social Scene
Fraternity-dominated, music school integration, Midwest traditions
DePauw Traditions & Trivia
Monon Bell Game
DePauw and Wabash, 27 miles apart, have fought over a 300-pound locomotive bell from the old Monon Railroad since 1932, with the winning school ringing it on campus all year until the next game.
Columbian Boulder
A granite boulder gifted to DePauw in 1892 sits in front of East College and serves as the campus's most iconic gathering spot, where students have marked every milestone for over a century.
Academics at DePauw
What DePauw is known for
Business and economics, fraternity culture, music school
Most popular majors at DePauw
Standout programs
Business, economics, music, psychology
How the curriculum works
Liberal arts core with major and school specialization
Recommended high school courses
4 English, 3 Math, 3 Science, 3 Social Studies, 2 Foreign Language
Notable DePauw Alumni
Vernon Jordan
Civil rights leader and presidential advisor, class of 1957
Barbara Kingsolver
Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist (Demon Copperhead), DePauw class of 1977
Dan Quayle
44th Vice President, class of 1969
Lee Hamilton
U.S. Representative and 9/11 Commission co-chair, class of 1952
Ferid Murad
Nobel Prize in Medicine, class of 1958
If you like DePauw, also consider
Wabash College
similar Indiana Greek culture but all-male and more rigorous
Centre College
comparable Southern LAC with law school pipeline
Denison University
Ohio LAC with similar social energy but broader academic reputation
Bucknell University
Greek-heavy LAC with stronger engineering and Northeast location
Colgate University
similar vibe with more prestige and harsher winters