Undergraduate Admissions

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Central offers admission to qualified students as they apply. All applicants must submit a completed CWU on-line or paper admissions application (the on-line application is preferred) along with a non-refundable processing fee of $50 in the form of a check or money order. To apply on-line visit www.applyweb.com/apply/cwu/index.html.

For fall quarter, the Admissions office responds to applications soon after Dec. 1 for students who apply before Nov. 15 and within 4-6 weeks for those who apply later. The deadline for fall quarter application for freshmen and transfers is April. For the most current information and admissions deadlines for other academic quarters, please visit www.cwu.edu/~cwuadmis/.

Freshman applicants (students currently enrolled in high school or high school graduates who have earned fewer than 40 college credits) must send official copies of all high school and college transcripts, as well as ACT or SAT scores, to the Admissions office. Freshman applicants are offered admission if they meet a minimum admissions index, which is determined by a formula that weights high school GPA and standardized test scores in a ratio of approximately 3:1. The formula was developed by the Washington Higher Education Coordinating Board (HECB). For the 2006-07 academic year, the minimum admissions index is 28. Freshman applicants must complete the following core courses in high school, as proscribed by the HECB.

Central Washington University recommends that students take additional courses to prepare them for University level work.

Students who have participated in the Running Start program must meet both freshman and transfer admission requirements, and must submit either ACT or SAT scores and official copies of high school and college transcripts. Running Start students are eligible for all freshman scholarships.

Admissions applications for homeschool students are evaluated on an individual basis. Students will be required to submit ACT or SAT scores, as well as any high school, homeschool, or college transcripts available. They also may be asked to submit additional information or essays.

Equivalency Guides and Policies

Transfer students who have earned 40 or more college-level credits (27 semester credits) must send official copies of all college transcripts to the Admissions office. Transfer students with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 are generally offered admission. Transfer applicants who do not meet this minimum will be considered for comprehensive review through the admissions review committee. Students who have earned the Direct Transfer Agreement (DTA) associate degree will receive priority consideration for admission.
A current list of DTA degrees is available online at www.cwu.edu/~cwuadmis/dta.html. For current information and application deadlines, visit www.cwu.edu/~cwuadmis.

Central recognizes that many factors affect grades and test scores, so, the University utilizes a comprehensive admissions review process. Applicants are invited to include with their applications any statements or information that they believe will more fully define their potential for academic success.

Other students who may be reviewed through the comprehensive review process include those who are 18 or older and have neither completed high school nor 40 college-level credits but have earned General Education Development (GED) certificates, as well as students 25 or older who have poor academic histories and have not attended school recently. Applicants may be required to complete supplemental application forms and/or submit additional information or essays.

Central welcomes qualified students from other countries. Students demonstrating the greatest potential for success at the university level may be admitted after a thorough review and evaluation of their entire academic background.
Because educational systems vary widely around the world, there is no single, uniform admission requirement for international students. However, they must meet the following minimum requirements for admission purposes:

1. Completion of the academic coursework and national examinations necessary to satisfy admission requirements to colleges and universities in their native country.
2. Adequate financial support, verified by the Confidential Financial Statement form and a current bank letter or scholarship award.
3. If English is not their first language, competency in English must be demonstrated through a score of 525 or higher on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), or a score of 195 on the computer-based TOEFL, or two transferable English composition courses which would meet the general education writing requirement (3.0 GPA in each course). Students may also satisfy the language competency requirement through recommendation from the UESL program at CWU. Competency in English is required before an I-20 is issued.
4. International students transferring from U.S. institutions must have a minimum grade point average of 2.50 in transferable courses and meet the academic requirements for college entrance in their native country.

Applicants must submit CWU’s International Student Application for Admission, on-line at www.cwu.edu/~cwuadmis/international.html and the $50 application fee. In addition, students must send official transcripts from all secondary schools and colleges attended directly to the Office of Admissions. Examination results, such as General Certificate of Education, Ordinary and Advanced Level scores, West African School Certificate, Hong Kong Certificate of Education or Advanced Level Certificate, etc., should be sent directly from the Testing Center in charge of administering the examinations. Personal student papers, photocopies, or attested copies are not accepted for admission or evaluation purposes. All documents should be sent a minimum of 90 days in advance of the quarter for which the applicant seeks admission.

Students who interrupt their CWU studies for one or more quarters (excluding summer) must re-apply for admission to the University and pay the application fee. For more information, check the admissions Web site at www.cwu.edu/~cwuadmis. f the student has attended any institution during his or her absence from CWU, the student must send official transcripts of all post-CWU coursework to the Admissions office at the time they re-apply. Eligibility for re-admission will be based on prior academic performance at the University and any courses completed since last attending CWU. If a student left on academic or disciplinary suspension, they should contact the Office of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management for reapplication instructions thirty (30) days prior to the start of the quarter for which the student is applying.

Pay Online

Students who are offered admission to the University must confirm their intention to enroll by paying a non-refundable $55 confirmation fee before they can begin the orientation, registration and advising process. The University will not withdraw an offer of admission for fall quarter until after May 1. Students who have not confirmed may be denied admission After that time if enrollment limits have been reached. Students who choose not to accept offers of admission must notify the Admissions office in writing. An offer of admission is only valid for the academic quarter indicated in the acceptance letter. A student who chooses not to accept an offer of admission may reapply for a subsequent quarter.

Offers of admission may be withdrawn by the Admissions office if a student’s academic work between the time of application and the quarter for which the student has applied results in the student not meeting the minimum requirements for automatic admission or other requirements. If an offer of admission is withdrawn, then the Admissions office will refund the confirmation fee.

Non-Matriculated Student Application

Students who are not seeking degrees or certificates may be allowed to enroll in courses as nonmatriculated students. These students do not need to go through the regular admissions process but should apply through Registrar Services and may be allowed to register on a space-available basis. Credits earned as a nonmatriculated student may not be used to satisfy degree or certificate requirements unless the student applies and is accepted as a matriculated student, in which case a maximum of 45 credits may be applied. Exception may be made for non-matriculants in collaborative certificate programs.

Students who have previously attended Central as matriculated students and have not obtained a degree, and students who have applied and been rejected for undergraduate matriculated status will not be allowed to enroll as nonmatriculated students. Nonmatriculated students are not eligible for most financial aid, veteran’s benefits, credit evaluations, or other services regularly provided for matriculated students.

tudents who have not yet graduated from high school may be allowed to enroll as non-matriculated students for courses that they need to advance academically, provided that such academic opportunities are not readily available to them elsewhere. To be eligible for the High School Enrichment Program, students must have demonstrated superior academic performance or preparation in the area of study for which they are applying. High School Enrichment Program applicants must submit either ACT, SAT or Compass scores and official copies of their high school transcript. In addition, they need to explain in writing their reasons for wanting to attend specific courses at the University and offer arguments for their potential to succeed. They must also meet with the registrar and have the approval of their high school principal and the course professor.

Prospective students, their relatives and friends may visit the University through the Central Visitation Program. We offer daily campus visits Monday through Friday, and some Saturdays. CWU also offers the Central Sampler, an overnight program. There is a nominal charge to participate in this program, which enables visitors to spend a night in a residence hall, eat three meals in the dining halls, tour campus and hear presentations by Admissions, Housing and New Student Programs, Dining Services, and Financial Aid. Sampler staff also arrange for individual meetings with faculty in areas of academic interest. Sampler visits are available on selected dates throughout the academic year. For most current information, dates and times visit www.cwu.edu/~cwuadmis/visit.html or call 1-866-CWU-4-YOU (1-866-298-4968).