Admissions

UNDERGRADUATE ADMISSIONS

General Information

Central Washington University (CWU) offers admission to qualified students as they apply. All applicants must submit a completed CWU application along with a non-refundable application processing fee or fee waiver. Please contact Admissions for more information on fee waivers.

CWU has a rolling admission policy which means that students may submit an application for any quarter at any time before that quarter starts. CWU has set the priority application date for fall quarter for first-year and transfer students as March 1. This coincides with the Scholarship Central application. Applicants that apply for fall quarter will be notified of an admissions decision within one to two weeks after all application materials are received. Applications received after March 1 will be processed on a space-available basis. For the most current information and admissions deadlines for other academic quarters, please visit www.cwu.edu/admissions.

For initial admission, applicants must meet minimum standards as established by the State of Washington. The Academic Affairs Committee may recommend more stringent standards as well as standards for automatic admission. Standards for initial admission will be established by the Academic Affairs Committee of the Faculty Senate in consultation with Vice President of Student Engagement and Success. Adherence to established standards of admission will be monitored by the Academic Affairs Committee.

First-Year (Freshmen) Applicants

First-year applicants are students who will graduate from high school and enroll the summer or fall immediately following high school graduation, regardless of number of college credits earned while in high school through Running Start, College in the High School, Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), etc. or

Those who have earned fewer than 40 quarter hour college credits from an accredited two-or four-year college or university after high school graduation.

CWU offers guaranteed admission for students with 3.0 or higher high school GPA and completion of College Academic Distribution Requirements (CADRs). See below for more information on CADRs. For those who do not meet this criteria, CWU offers a comprehensive review process which takes into consideration: high school GPA, a personal statement, high school grade trends, and course rigor. At least a 2.00 cumulative grade point average (GPA) in all high school and any applicable college work. Note: ACT/SAT scores are not required.

Applicants with a 3.00 cumulative GPA or higher who have satisfied the State of Washington CADR requirements will be admitted. A personal statement is not required.
Applicants with a 2.99-2.50 cumulative GPA who have satisfied the CADRs will be evaluated through the comprehensive review process that considers factors such as a personal statement, grade trends, and the rigor of the courses completed. A personal statement may be required.
Applicants with a 2.49-2.00 will be evaluated through the comprehensive review process that considers factors such as a person statement, grade trends, and the rigor of the courses completed. A personal statement is required. First-year applicants deficient in any of the CADR areas up to, but not exceeding 3 Distribution Requirements, may be considered through the alternate admissions standards (CWUP 5-90-020(6)). Students considered for admission through the alternate admissions standards will be subject to the comprehensive review process and may be required to submit a personal statement.

Students denied admissions may submit an appeal. Appeals are reviewed as per CWUR 2-90-020(8) Admissions Appeals.

Official application materials must be received by the office of admission, including all high school and college transcripts.

College Academic Distribution Requirements (CADRs)

CADR refers to college admission criteria. Each school district determines which of its courses meet CADR guidelines. Students are encouraged to take additional courses above and beyond the minimum CADRs.

English: 4 credits, including 3 credits of literature and composition.
Math: 3 credits plus 1 credit of a senior year math-based quantitative course. Acceptable courses include algebra I, algebra II, geometry, pre-calculus and above, math analysis, statistics, applied math, appropriate career and technical courses, or an algebra-based science course such as chemistry or physics. If you take and pass pre-calculus or math analysis of calculus prior to your senior year, you’re exempt from this requirement.
Social Science: 3 credits. Acceptable courses include world history, US history, anthropology, contemporary world problems, economics, geography, government, political science, psychology, sociology.
Lab Science: 3 credits (two credits must be earned in lab courses including one credit in an algebra-based lab science and one course in biology, physics or chemistry).
World Language: 2 credits of the same world language, Native American language or American Sign Language.
Arts: 1 credit. Acceptable courses include classes in fine, visual, or performing arts or 1 credit beyond the minimum in any other required CADR areas.

College Credit Earned While in High School

Regardless of the number of college credits completed, or if an associate degree is earned, students earning college credit while in high school, including coursework taken during summer after graduation, will be considered freshmen (first-year) for admissions purposes. Running Start students and others with college credit are eligible for all freshmen scholarships and must live on campus for their first year. CWU accepts most college credit earned while in high school, including programs such as:

Advanced Placement (AP)
College in the High School
College Level Examination Program (CLEP)
CWU Cornerstone
International Baccalaureate (IB)
Running Start

Home-school Applicants

A home-schooled student is any applicant who will complete their high school coursework at home and will not receive a diploma from an accredited high school. An applicant is qualified for freshman admission if they:

Present evidence of their completion of the academic CADR courses by submitting an official home-school transcript. Transcripts must be signed by a parent or guardian in order to be official.
Provide the GED as proof of high school completion. A GED is not required but may be submitted for eligibility for Federal Financial Aid and to participate in varsity athletics.
Submit any official college transcripts (if applicable). Regardless of the number of college credits completed, students earning college credit in high school will be considered freshmen for admissions purposes as long as they do not take coursework after graduation from high school (excluding summer).

All home-schooled students will be reviewed by the Admissions Review Process on an individual basis.

Transfer Applicants

Applicants who have completed a transferable associate’s degree from an accredited post-secondary institution will be admitted as space allows.

Applicants without a transferable associate’s degree, but with at least 40 quarter (27 semester) transferable credits at time of application, from an accredited post-secondary institution may be admitted as space allows provided they have at least a 2.50 cumulative GPA in transferable courses. Applicants lower than 2.50 will be evaluated through the comprehensive review process (see CWUP 5-90-020(7)). A personal statement will be required.

Applicants with fewer than 40 quarter (27 semester) transferable credits at time of application will be considered for admission if they also meet the first-year requirements. (See CWUP 5-90-020(2)(B))

Students with a cumulative transfer GPA below a 2.00 may be admitted through the comprehensive review process (see CWUP 5-90-020(7)). For students with a cumulative transfer GPA of less than 2.00, college-level credits earned below a 2.00 may be disregarded for admissions purposes only, provided the work was completed at least four years before the time of enrollment at CWU. Application of this policy is contingent upon both evidence of extenuating circumstances and evidence of future academic success.

Applicants Without High School Diplomas (including alternatively graduated applicants).

Applicants who have not earned a high school diploma may be offered admission to the university under the alternative admissions process outlined below.

Alternative Admissions

Applicants who do not meet admission criteria may be considered for admission by the Admissions Review Committee through an alternative admissions pathway. Such applicants include, but are not limited to, applicants who have been home-schooled, persons who are 18 or older and have neither completed high school nor 40 credits of college work elsewhere but have earned the GED, applicants deemed deficient in high school course requirements, and applicants who are 25 or older who have poor academic histories and who have not attended school recently. Applicants considered through the alternative admissions pathway will be subject to the comprehensive review process and are required to submit a personal statement. Applicants without an associate degree must satisfy the foreign language admission requirement prior to completing a total of 135 credits.

International Students

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. International students must meet the following minimum requirements for admission purposes:

1. Evidence of completion of the academic course work and national examinations that would qualify them to apply to colleges and universities in their native country.

2. If English is not the first language, competency in English demonstrated in one of the following ways:

Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) minimum score of 525 paper-based, 195 computer-based, and 71 internet-based.
International English Language Testing System (IELTS) minimum score of 6.0.
Duolingo English Test minimum score of 100
Completing two English department approved composition courses each with minimum grade of 2.0, “C” or equivalent rating from a regionally accredited U.S. college, university, or an approved university partner.

3. If English is the first language, the foreign language requirement for the Bachelor of Arts degree can be fulfilled by completing the basic skills foreign language requirement, passing the CLEP®, passing a foreign language course challenge exam, or obtaining approval from the Chair of World Languages.

4. Applicants transferring from U.S. institutions must have a minimum grade point average in transferable courses as established by the Academic Affairs Committee or DTA associate degree from an accredited Washington State community college (or approved out-of-state transferrable associate degree).

5. Adequate financial support for the student’s intended studies. Financial support will be judged based on applicant’s confidential financial statement and a current bank letter or guaranteed source of funding.

6. If all of the above conditions are met, the student is recommended for admission by the international admissions counselors, and the Office of International Studies and Programs may issue the INS certificate of eligibility for F-1 status (Form 1-20).

Exceptions to the above admissions requirements must be approved by the admissions review committee in consultation with the Director of International Studies and Programs.

Students who originate from one of the following countries are considered to have met English Proficiency Standards: Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, United Kingdom, and English-speaking provinces of Canada. These students are exempt from furnishing proof of English proficiency documents.

International Transfer students who are transferring from U.S. institutions must have a minimum grade point average of 2.5 in transferable college level courses and meet the academic requirements for college entrance in their native country. Though not required for admission purposes, adequate financial support, verified by the Confidential Financial Statement form and a current bank letter or scholarship award, is required of all international applicants.

All supporting documents should be sent a minimum of 90 days in advance of the quarter for which the applicant seeks admission.

Students who submit international college or university transcripts must have an official course-by-course translation. Evaluation may be done by university personnel or one of the following foreign credential evaluation companies: Foundation for International Services (FIS) Inc. at www.fis-web.com or World Education Services (WES) at www.wes.org.

Re-admission of Former Students

Students who interrupt their CWU studies for more than one quarter (excluding summer) must re-apply for admission to the university and pay the application fee. If the student has attended any institution during their absence from CWU, the student must send official transcripts of all post-CWU coursework to the Office of Admissions 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 Dean of Student Success for reapplication instructions at least 30 days prior to the start of the quarter for which the student is applying.

Confirmation of Admission

Students who are offered admission to the university must confirm their intention to enroll by utilizing the “confirm your admission” button sent to them via email. This will begin the advising, registration and orientation process. The university may withdraw an offer of admission for fall quarter if confirmation is not complete by 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 should notify the Office of Admissions by emailing admissions@cwu.edu. 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 re-apply for a subsequent quarter.

Revocation of Offer of Admission

Offers of admission may be revoked by the Office of Admissions 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 admissions criteria or other university standards.

Non-matriculated Student Application

Students who are not seeking degrees or certificates may be allowed to enroll in courses as non-matriculated students. These students do not need to go through the regular admissions process but should apply through the Office of the Registrar by completing the Non-Matriculated Application form. Non-matriculated students register during open enrollment a space-available basis. Credits earned as a non-matriculated 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. Exceptions may be made for non-matriculated students in collaborative certificate programs.

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

High School Enrichment Program

Students who have not yet graduated from high school may be allowed to enroll as non-matriculated students. High School Enrichment Program applicants must submit official copies of their high school transcript and complete the High School Enrichment application available from the Office of the Registrar. High school enrichment applications must be approved by the student’s high school principal and the CWU Registrar; regular tuition and fees apply for students attending under this program. For further information, please call 509-963-3001 or e-mail reg@cwu.edu.