Requirements for Admission (2023)

Thank you for considering Washington State University. We want to see you on campus someday soon!

Academic requirements

Secondary school

To be considered for admission to Washington State University as a first-year student, a student needs to complete at least 12 years of school, culminating in an appropriate secondary certificate or external examination. (We may consider the first year or two of university in some countries to be secondary level.)

Schooling should include preparation in humanities, mathematics, basic sciences, and social sciences.

WSU requires a minimum grade point average of 2.70 (on a 4.00 scale) for admission as an international first-year student.

College or university transfer

To be admitted to WSU as an international transfer student, you need to complete a minimum of 27 semester credits or at least 1 full year of study at an accredited post-secondary school. WSU requires a minimum grade point average of at least 2.50 (on a 4.00 scale) for admission as an international transfer student.

Transfer your credits to WSU

OurTransfer Course Search Toolcan help you determine which of your classes will transfer to WSU. You can also use it to find out which courses you should be taking to meet your future WSU requirements.If you are transferring from an international university, we strongly recommend you submit aCourse Equivalency Evaluation Request Formand provide your syllabi (in English).This will ensure your credits transfer to WSU in the most helpful way possible toward your degree.

Transfer credit for AS and A-Level examinations

Students who have completed GCE AS or A-level examinations may qualify for transfer credit. Visit ourCambridge Credit Chartfor more detailed information on which exams qualify for AS and A-level transfer credit. To receive transfer credit, applicants must have the awarding body send their official AS/A-level Statement of Results to WSU.

Transfer credit for IB exams

WSU awards transfer credits for International Baccalaureate (IB) standard and higher level examinations. Visit ourIB Credit Chartto see how your standard level (SL) and higher level (HL) exams will transfer to WSU.

Requirements for Admission (1)

“I was really interested in communications and Washington StateUniversity has a great program in this area. WSU is a great place tonetwork. Transferring to WSU worked out very well!”

Evelyne Mayem, Chad

English proficiency

There are 3 ways to meet the university’s English language proficiency requirement.

1. Language proficiency exams

WSU accepts scores from the following exams. Score reports can be uploaded into the online international undergraduate admission application at time of submission or emailed or sent by postal mail to our office. Scores must be less than 2 years old.

ExamMinimum Score
TOEFL79
IELTS6.5
Cambridge B2 First,
C1 Advanced, or
C2 Proficiency
176
SAT500 Critical Reading Sub Score
MET52
Duolingo

Duolingo English Test

105
ACT17 in English
19 in Reading
Cambridge IGCSE/O- LevelsGrade C or better in English First Language
Cambridge International AS/A LevelsGrade C or better in English First Language
Advanced Placement (AP)3 or better in Language Composition Exam
PTEA56
ITEP4.5

Please have Duolingo, TOEFL, and IELTS scores sent directly from the testing agency.

Duolingo

For Duolingo tests, you will have to select Washington State University as your school of choice.

  1. Log in to englishtest.duolingo.comwith the email address you used to take the test.
  2. Scroll down to your certified test results and click the “SEND RESULTS” button at the top next to “print results”.
  3. Select the university institution type.
  4. Type and select Washington State University. Be sure to filter by “Undergraduate”, NOT “graduate”.
  5. If your institution uses an Application ID, do not forget to add it!
  6. Confirm and SEND.

How-To Video

TOEFL

Your test fee includes up to 4 free official TOEFL score reports to be sent to the institutions, agencies, or other recipients that you select before you take the test. You can add or delete recipients through your ETS account until 10 p.m. (local test center time) on the day before your test.

  1. Log in to your TOEFL iBTaccount
  2. On the home page, select “Order Score Reports.” (You will need to register for a test date before you can do this step.)
  3. For Product Type, click “TOEFL Services” then click “Continue.”
  4. Select the test date you want to send the scores of and click “Continue.”
  5. Search for Washington State University and select it.

IELTS

If you took your IELTS exam in a test center,you could request to send IELTS results to up to 5 organizations. We would prefer that you send the results to us electronically. Make this request with your test center.

Online test takers can send their results to as many institutions as they need.

Here is the information you will need for the request:

Name of department: International Undergraduate Admissions

Name of Institution: Washington State University

Email:international@wsu.edu

Address:

Office of International Programs International Undergraduate
PO Box 645115 Pullman, WA 99164-5115
USA

2. Language waivers

There are several ways to qualify for a waiver. You will not need to provide an exam score if you meetany of these criteria:

  • Waiver Option A – If you have attended a U.S. high school or an international high school that is regionally accredited in the United States for 3 or more years
  • Waiver Option B – If you have attended a U.S. regionally accredited college or university, have completed the transferable equivalents of WSU’sEnglish 101 and 102 with a 3.0 grade point average for each course at the time of application, and have 27 semester (40 quarter) transferable credits completed by the beginning of classes for the term you are applying
  • Waiver Option C – If you have attended a U.S. regionally accredited college or university and have earned at least 53 semester (80 quarter) hoursof transferable credits by the beginning of classes for the term you are applying
  • Waiver Option D – If you have attended a U.S. regionally accredited college or university and have completed an Associate of Arts or Associate of Sciences degree from the college or university with a minimum GPA of 2.5 by the beginning of classes for the term you are applying
  • Waiver Option E – If you are a citizen of Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, British Overseas Territories, British Virgin Islands, Cameroon, Canada, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guyana, Ireland, Jamaica, Kenya, Montserrat, Nigeria, New Zealand, Rwanda, Saint Lucia, Saint Christopher and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, South Africa, South Sudan, Tanzania, Trinidad & Tobago, Turks & Caicos Islands, Uganda, United Kingdom and Northern Ireland, Zambia, Zimbabwe (provide proof of citizenship to have waiver applied)
  • Waiver Option F – You were schooled outside the United States at a school where the language of instruction was English (provide an official letter from the school stating English was the language of instruction while you attended)

3. Learn English at WSU

WSU offers Undergraduate Foundation and International Master’s programs that prepare international students for study at the university by allowing students to complete coursework (classes that count toward your degree) alongside English support courses.

For more program information

Undergraduate Foundation Program

International Master's Program

Transcripts

WSU International Admissions will review your application for admission using unofficial copies of transcripts from the secondary and post-secondary schools you have attended. We will provide you with an admission decision based on the review of your transcripts and will then require you to provide us with official transcripts prior to your arrival at WSU.

  • Transfer students – If you have attended 1 or more years of college or university studies, you will need to have each college or university you have attended send us transcripts. We will not require secondary/high school transcripts if you have 1 year or more of higher education completed.
  • First-year students – If you have attended only secondary/high school, you will need to have each secondary/high school you attended send us transcripts.

You may attach your unofficial transcripts to the application, provide them by email, or send official transcripts directly to Washington State University. Official transcripts mean the transcripts need to be sent directly from the school, college, or university you have attended. Transcripts should include courses taken, grade received, and degrees or certificates earned.

Whenever possible, transcripts should be provided in English. If not available in English, transcripts will need to be translated. An original version of the transcript and the translated copy should be provided to WSU International Admissions.

Evaluation and translation

When you send transcripts to the International Admissions Office at Washington State University, we will complete the credential/transcript evaluation for you. This is an important part of the admission process. Our credential evaluators will review your transcripts from your high school and convert them to a U.S. grading scale to determine your grade point average (GPA). We will use this GPA to determine your admission eligibility. If you have questions about how your grades will convert to the U.S. grading scale, please contact us.

Passport

Provide a copy of the identity page of your passport or national identification card along with your WSU application for admission. You may upload this document into the online application before submitting the application for our review or you can scan and email it to us or send by postal mail.

If any dependents (wife, husband, or child) will be coming to WSU with you, provide a copy of the passport identity page or national identification card for each of them as well.

Certificate of Finances

After you have been admitted, you will need to provide verification of financial support for at least 1 year of tuition and expenses. This support may be provided through any combination of personal or sponsored funds. Complete and return the form below that matches your placement.

Academic English Certificate of Finances (pdf)

Bachelor’s DegreeCertificate of Finances (pdf)

Undergraduate Foundation ProgramCertificate of Finances (pdf)

International Master’s ProgramCertificate of Finances (pdf)

Send the completed Certificate of Finances form to the International Admissions department at WSU. Forms are accepted by mail or email.

Mail:
Office of International Programs
International Admissions
Bryan Hall 108
PO Box 645115
Pullman, WA 99164-5115
USA

Email: international@wsu.edu
Materials sent to Washington State University will not be returned.

Next steps

Application Forms

Deadlines

How to Apply

FAQs

What are admission requirements for? ›

Admission Requirements means the specific minimum criteria a school must use when accepting a student into the school.

What are 4 requirements that you need to get into college? ›

4 Common College Admission Requirements to Ease the College Application Process
  • Standardized Test Scores. If your soon-to-be college student has not yet taken the SAT and/or ACT, talk about scheduling them. ...
  • School Transcripts. ...
  • AP Scores. ...
  • Application Essays or Personal Statement.
May 31, 2017

What are the admission requirements for Texas? ›

To be competitive for admission, freshman applicants must complete or be on track to complete certain high school coursework:
  • Language Arts: Four credits.
  • Mathematics: Four credits.
  • Science: Four credits.
  • Social Studies: Four credits.
  • Foreign Language: Two credits.
  • Fine Arts: One credit.
  • Physical Education: One credit.

What are Arizona admission requirements? ›

Admissions Summary

Students that get into University of Arizona have an SAT score between 1140–1360 or an ACT score of 21–29. Regular applications are due May 1.

What 2 factors are very important for admission? ›

What are the Most Important Factors in College Admissions?
  • Grades in college prep courses. ...
  • Strength of curriculum. ...
  • Admission test scores. ...
  • Grades in all courses. ...
  • Extracurricular commitment. ...
  • Letters of recommendation. ...
  • Essay or writing sample. ...
  • Demonstrated interest.

What is an admission checklist? ›

Admissions Applicant Checklists allows Admissions to create a list of requirements a student needs to complete to gain admittance. Some checklist items can be set as mandatory where the application will not show as completed until they are met.

What are the six college entrance requirements? ›

College Entrance Exams — What Admissions Tests to Take and How to Prepare
  • ACT (American College Test)
  • SAT (Scholastic Assessment Test)
  • SAT Subject Tests (formerly SAT II)
  • CLT (Classic Learning Test)
  • AP Test (Advanced Placement Test)
  • TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language)
  • GED (General Education Development)

What is required to apply to most colleges? ›

What Do I Need to Apply to College? For most college applications, candidates need to provide high school transcripts, recommendation letters, and ACT or SAT scores.

What qualities do colleges look for? ›

Here are 9 character traits that colleges often cite when they describe what they are looking for in students.
  • Curiosity. ...
  • Persistence. ...
  • Risk-taking. ...
  • Compassion. ...
  • open-mindedness. ...
  • Social Consciousness. ...
  • Creativity. ...
  • Collaboration.

What GPA do you need to get into Harvard? ›

The average high school GPA of admitted students at Harvard is around 4.2. 73% of students had a GPA of at least 4.0, indicating that admitted students typically mostly earned A grades in high school. If you're studying the IB, this translates to scoring mostly 7s and achieving a minimum score of at least 42.

What SAT score is required for Harvard? ›

Harvard University's SAT scores for admitted students range from 1480 - 1580, with an average score of 1530. Although SAT scores are optional, we recommend that students aim for a good SAT score of at least 1530 to be competitive in the admissions process at Harvard University.

Does Texas require SAT or ACT? ›

Students are encouraged to submit SAT/ACT scores, but it is not required.

What GPA do you need for U of A? ›

You're assured admission to the University of Arizona if you: Attend a regionally accredited high school. Rank in the top 25 percent of your graduating class and meet core coursework requirements. Earn an unweighted GPA of 3.0 or higher in your core competency requirements based on your 6th semester grades*.

Does UCLA require SAT? ›

Standardized Testing (SAT/ACT)

UCLA will not consider SAT or ACT scores for admission or scholarship purposes. If you choose to submit test scores as part of your application, they may be used as an alternative method of fulfilling minimum requirements for eligibility or for course placement after you enroll.

What college has the lowest acceptance rate? ›

Among the institutions with the lowest acceptance rate, colleges included, UCLA is the only public university with the lowest acceptance rate while the college with the lowest acceptance rate is Dartmouth College. The rest of the U.S. higher educational institutions with low acceptance rates are privately-owned.

What GPA do colleges look at? ›

Colleges will look at either weighted or unweighted GPAs in your application. They do tend to prefer weighted, because it gives more information about the difficulty of your classes, but don't worry if your school uses an unweighted scale.

Which grades do colleges look at? ›

Your transcript from the end of your junior year is typically used during the application process, and many colleges ask to see a transcript with fall senior year courses and grades as well.

What sports look good on a college application? ›

Athletic Participation

Playing team sports, such as football or basketball, also lets colleges know that you've been able to function as part of a team. Athletic participation generally takes up quite a bit of time and requires significant effort to develop skills.

What is admission assessment? ›

Admissions assessment is usually associated with the process of examining or testing candidates before they are admitted to a course or program. There are entire fields of study which evaluate and analyze how students are tested and whether improvements can be made to fundamental aspect of formal instruction.

What are admission practices? ›

Admission practice refers to any device or means used to determine whether a school place should be offered (e.g. supplementary application forms).

What does it mean to have an admission? ›

Admission is permission given to a person to enter a place, or permission given to a country to enter an organization. Admission is also the act of entering a place. Students apply for admission to a particular college.

Do colleges look at senior year grades? ›

The important thing to know is that colleges do look at your senior year grades. So, a weaker performance in senior year than in previous grades can impact your application and college admissions decisions.

Do colleges look at freshman year grades? ›

Colleges are generally more forgiving of low grades received in one's freshman year. So, although colleges look at freshman year grades, it is from a more “holistic” viewpoint. While low grades in freshman year won't drastically decrease your chances of getting into colleges, low grades in other years might.

Do colleges look at your social media? ›

Yes, colleges can look at the public version of your social media accounts, but they don't have some sort of secret, government-like power to access your private information. It's much more likely that your social media behavior would only be brought to their attention if it causes a stir.

How do colleges decide who to accept? ›

Courses and Grades

Highly selective colleges look for students who: Complete core academic requirements. Take more challenging classes, even though they may have slightly lower grades than they'd achieve in lower-level courses. Enroll in several college-prep or college-level courses (such as AP) and perform well.

What is required for college admission in USA? ›

Transcripts or records of grades (high school and/or university) Résumé/CV. Test scores (SAT, ACT, GRE, GMAT) Proof of English-language proficiency.

How many colleges should I apply to at a time? ›

Every year, prospective college students wonder, "How many colleges should I apply to?" As a general rule of thumb, some admissions experts recommend submitting applications to 4-12 schools.

What makes me a strong candidate for college? ›

Grade Point Average (GPA)

The most important step you can take to make yourself a competitive candidate is, of course, to work hard in school. Your GPA is the single most influential factor that any college will consider.

What are 5 things to look for in a college? ›

Top 10 Factors for Choosing a College
  • Safety.
  • Academic Support and Career Services. ...
  • Campus Life. ...
  • Athletics and Extracurricular Activities. ...
  • Majors and Minors. ...
  • Class Size. ...
  • Cost and Fees. ...
  • Location and Distance From Home. ...

What are the 5 traits colleges love? ›

These must relate to one or more of the five traits colleges look for in applicants: drive, intellectual curiosity, initiative, contribution and diversity of experiences. Some colleges may value more than five traits.

What is the lowest GPA Harvard will accept? ›

You should also have a 4.18 GPA or higher. If your GPA is lower than this, you need to compensate with a higher SAT/ACT score. For a school as selective as Harvard, you'll also need to impress them with the rest of your application. We'll cover those details next.

What is the most difficult college to get into? ›

Niche, a ranking and review site, recently published its list of the “2023 Hardest Colleges to Get Into.” Using data from the U.S. Department of Education on various colleges' acceptance rates and SAT/ACT scores, they found, unsurprisingly, Harvard University to be the most difficult college to get into.

Can I get into Harvard with a 6.0 GPA? ›

Most students admitted to Harvard have an unweighted GPA of 4.18 or above, so you'll need to have at least a 4.2 to be seriously evaluated. To meet the Harvard requirements, you'll have to score primarily A's on your high school courses.

What is the lowest ACT score to get into Harvard? ›

Admissions Summary

Harvard College is extremely selective with an acceptance rate of 4%. Students that get into Harvard College have an ACT score of 34–36.

What GPA is required for Oxford? ›

Undergraduate qualifications

If your graduate course at Oxford requires a 'first-class undergraduate degree with honours' in the UK system, you will usually need a bachelor's degree with an overall grade of Class 1, 'A' or 80%, or a GPA of 3.7 out of 4.0.

What ACT score is needed for scholarships? ›

At a minimum, an ACT score of 25 should qualify you for lower-level scholarship money. However, as the amount increases, scholarships become more competitive and the score ranges increase. Again, the barest minimum to shoot for is the 20-25 score range.

Is SAT waived for 2023? ›

The short answer is that the vast majority of schools are NOT requiring SAT test scores for the class of 2023 but that can absolutely change for those students entering fall 2024 and later.

Is SAT still required for 2023? ›

SAT and ACT scores are important in the 2022-2023 college admissions cycle when applying to test-required schools. As a matter of fact, especially if they're high, standardized test scores can be beneficial when applying to test-optional institutions. They don't count only when applying to test-blind colleges.

Can you graduate without taking the SAT? ›

These states include Alaska, Arkansas, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Texas, and Washington. Keep in mind that these schools and districts don't require students to take the SAT, nor is it a requirement for graduation.

What is the hardest school to get into? ›

Harvard, Stanford and Princeton, unsurprisingly, are America's toughest colleges to get into in 2023, according to Niche's most recent rankings.

What GPA do you need to get into Delta? ›

Full admission will be granted to students who: Complete the College Preparatory Curriculum* (CPC) with a minimum 3.20 GPA; or. Complete the CPC with a minimum 2.5 GPA and score and at least 16 on the ACT (at least 860 on the SAT); or.

What GPA do colleges look at for admission? ›

In general, a student aiming for the most selective schools should aim to have a GPA as close to the maximum as they can manage. That is, if the GPA scale is out of 4.5, they should have a 4.4 or higher, a 4.9 or higher for a 5.0 scale, and so on.

What are the admission requirements for UCLA? ›

Use it as a general guide to selectivity and not as a predictor of your chance for admission to UCLA.
...
GPA and test scores of middle 25%-75% students
High School GPA4.18 - 4.32
ACT Composite Score29 - 32
ACT English Language Arts30 - 35
SAT Evidence Based Reading & Writing670 - 760
2 more rows

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