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College Admissions

Steps to college graphic

Helpful Links

* Common App - Apply to many colleges at once, with one application

* WSAC (Washington Student Achievement Council) - Everything college planning related for WA state colleges

* BigFuture - Our top recommended college planning site

Our staff encourage all students to seek training after high school. This training can range from a short term program at a community or technical college, to military training, to a four-year college degree and beyond.  

College Preparation Workbook

Selecting the right college for you

  October (with some exceptions) is the time for seniors to begin applying for colleges. Some colleges have deadlines prior to January 1. This is common with universities that have very competitive admissions standards. This rule also applies to some technical programs at the state community colleges. These colleges usually begin taking applications on December 1 of the senior year.   Things to consider when choosing your post-secondary program:

  1. Your career goals
  2. Programs of the school - do they meet your career goals?
  3. Location of the school - do you prefer staying in town, going in state or out of state?
  4. Size of the school - big, little, medium and the advantages and disadvantages of each
  5. Cost of the school - tuition can rage from $2,000 at Community College to $35,000+ at some private schools. Room, board, and books to not differ as much
  6. Requirements for admission are GPA, test scores and often an essay

Minimum Requirements for College Entrance*

 College Prep English  4 credits
 Fine Arts  1 credit
 Mathematics through Advanced Algebra  3 credits
 Science (including Biology, Chemistry, or Physics)  3 credits
 Social Studies  3 credits
 World Languages (both credits in same language)  2 credits

  * Entrance requirements for colleges may vary. Check with the colleges of your choice for specifics when selecting courses in the Sumner School District.    

 

College application

    Parts of the college application:

  • Application from college of choice
  • SAT Reasoning or ACT scores (4 year colleges and universities)
  • Compass Test (2 year community colleges)
  • Essay
  • Letter(s) of Recommendation if needed
  • Transcript
  • Portfolio for performing arts students

 

Applying to college

  What schools look at:

  • Academic record - how many classes, how challenging, which classes
  • Grades - consistency or improvement
  • Class rank - standardized test scores, in terms of ranges
  • Out-of-Class activities - depth of involvement, variety, how long
  • Recommendation

When to apply:

  • Apply during the months of October and November of your senior year
  • Pay attention to "Priority Deadlines"
  • Some colleges waive the personal essay and/or application fee if you apply early

Four year institutions generally offer the following admission options:

  • Early Decision - a student declares a first-choice college, requests that the college decided on acceptance early and agrees to enroll if accepted
  • Early Action - Similar to Early Decision, but if a student is accepted, he or she has until the regular admission deadline to decide whether or not to attend
  • Regular Admission - This is the most common option offered to students. A deadline is set when all applications must be received, and all notifications are sent out at the same time
  • Rolling Admission - The college accepts students who meet the academic requirements on a first-come, fist-served basis until it fills its freshman class. No strict application is specified
  • Open Admission - Virtually all high school graduates are admitted, regardless of academic qualifications
  • Deferred Admission - An accepted student is allowed to postpone enrollment for a year