Undergraduate Admission
Whittier College seeks to admit bachelor degree seeking students who demonstrate promise in achieving academic success. The Admission Committee will carefully review a prospective student’s academic record, including school transcripts to evaluate grades and course rigor, and any submitted standardized test score results. While the academic review will be the primary basis for admission, the Admission Committee is interested in the personal qualities that mark students as potential contributors to our vibrant campus community. Whittier College strives for a student body diverse in economic, social, ethnic, religious, and geographic make up. As such, student attributes including personality traits, achievements, special talents, extracurricular involvment, family commitments, and background will also be considered by the Admission Committee.
All applicants to Whittier College receive individual attention and consideration throughout the admission process. Prospective first year and transfer students can apply for entrance in the Fall or Spring semesters. Detailed information concerning application requirements and deadlines can be found at www.whittier.edu/admission.
First Year Student Admission
Whittier College strongly recommends that first-year students enter with at least four years of English, three or four years of mathematics, two or three years of one foreign language, two or three years of social studies, and two or three years of laboratory science. Honors, Advanced Placement, and International Baccalaureate courses add further strength to an applicant’s record and are considered favorably in the admission deliberations, but not required.
Credentials Required. First-year applicants must submit a completed Common Application, which includes a personal essay and supplemental questions from Whittier College. Additionally, first-year applicants must submit an official high school transcript, and one academic letter of recommendation from a teacher or school counselor.
Test-Optional Policy. First-year applicants can submit their results from the SAT or ACT examinations. If a student has taken the exam multiple times it is recommended that they submit all scores for consideration. However, students can elect to apply without submitting any standardized test scores by indicating this preference on their Common Application. If a student fails to indicate their intention to apply test optional on the Common Application they can contact the Office of Admission to change their preference as long as we have not received their official scores from the testing agency. The Office of Admission may request scores from test-optional applicants with less than a 3.0 Whittier Admission GPA (9-11, weighted, academic grade point average).
Transfer Student Admission
Students that have graduated from high school and completed coursework at a fully accredited two-year or four-year institution may apply to Whittier College as a transfer applicant. There is no minimum number of courses or units needed before a student is eligible to transfer. Applicants in good standing at their most recently attended institution who meet the standards of the Admission Committee will be admitted and placed in the appropriate class standing (following an official credit evaluation by the Registrar’s Office upon receipt of an enrollment deposit).
Credentials Required. Transfer applicants must submit a completed Transfer Common Application, which includes a personal essay and supplemental questions from Whittier College. Additionally, transfer applicants must submit transcripts from all post-secondary institutions attended, an official copy of their final high school transcript, and one letter of recommendation from a recent or current professor.
Test Score Policy. Transfer applicants are not required to submit standardized test score results. The Office of Admission may request scores (if available) from transfer applicants that have completed less than 30 units.
Transfer Coursework. Whittier College determines the applicability of transfer coursework accepted towards completion of a degree for each enrolled transfer student. For information about transfer credits and evaluation please refer to “Transferability of Coursework” in the Academic Policies and Procedures section of the catalog.
International Student Admission
International students are welcome to apply for first-year and transfer admission. In addition to the general requirements listed in this section, International students are required to submit a Certificate of Finances, and official results from any of the following English proficiency exams: TOEFL, IELTS, iTEP, or DuoLingo (TOEFL minimum: 80, IELTS minimum: 6.5). The English proficiency exam can be waived if any of the following is true for the applicant: their first language is English; they completed at least three years of school where the primary language of instruction was English; they earned a score of 550 or higher on the ERW section of the SAT; they earned a score of 24 or higher on the Reading and/or English sections of the ACT.
International applicants who wish to transfer credit from a post-secondary institution outside the United States are required to have their coursework evaluated by an external credit evaluation agency. International candidates are urged to complete the process early to allow sufficient time to satisfy visa and immigration requirements.
Admission to Non-Degree Standing
Non-degree standing is granted to a limited number of students who are not currently interested in seeking a degree at Whittier College. To apply for non-degree standing, students must submit a transcript from the last institution attended, proof of attainment of the high school diploma, and the appropriate application form with fee. Additional credentials may be requested on an individual basis. Non-degree standing is based on the academic credentials of the applicant, their intent in continuing the course of study at Whittier, and the availability of space at the College. Students must re-enroll to continue non-degree standing each semester. A student may transfer no more than 30 credits of courses taken at Whittier College under nondegree status toward a Whittier College Bachelor of Arts degree and no more than 12 non-degree credits toward a Master’s degree at the College. To request a non-degree application or more information, contact the Office of The Registrar.
Credential and Graduate Admission
The Whittier College Department of Education welcomes applications from students interested in pursuing a Master of Arts in Education, or a Teacher Credential in a Preliminary Multiple Subject (elementary), Single Subject (secondary), or as Education Specialist. There is also an option for students to pursue both concurrently. Teacher credentials are officially granted by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing.
Completion of a Certificate of Clearance, which include the Live Scan fingerprinting process and Department of Justice background check, will be required upon admission into the program, and must be completed prior to enrolling in classes.
The Commission on Teacher Credentialing establishes subject matter preparation requirements. Priority admittance will be given to students who have completed all subject matter requirements and who meet all other requirements for admission to the program.
Prospective students can apply for entrance in the Fall, Spring, or Summer terms. Detailed information concerning application requirements and deadlines can be found at www.whittier.edu/admission/applying/graduate or in the Graduate Education section of the catalog.
Limitations and Conditions
Admission to Whittier College is contingent upon the truthfulness of the information contained in the submitted application and accompanying materials. Discovery of false or incomplete information subsequent to the offer of admission is, at the college’s discretion, grounds for withdrawal of the offer of admission or for immediate dismissal at any point in the student’s course of study. Such dismissal shall result in forfeiture of all charges paid and academic credits earned.
Admitted students are expected to uphold the polices and character expectations of Whittier College, as well as federal and state laws and policies. Therefore, an offer of admission may be revoked for conduct incidents that occur between the time of application and the point of enrollment.
Additionally, first-year undergraduate admission is conditional on the receipt of official academic records. To enroll in course work at Whittier College, new first-year students must submit an official final high school transcript with a posted graduation date, and if an admitted first-year student submitted self-reported standardized test scores on their application an official test score report directly from the testing agency is required. If a first-year student’s academic performance significantly declines between the time of application submission and the receipt of the final high school transcript, or if their self-reported test scores are inaccurate, an offer of admission may be revoked.
An admission offer is valid for the term indicated on the official acceptance notification. Admitted students looking to enter Whittier College in a term other than indicated on the acceptance notification must either request to defer admission or re-apply for a future term.
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