Who’s In? It Just Got Super Easy To Get To College In Washington

If you have kids or grandkids that may be headed to college in the next few months, then you should know about a new pilot program in Washington State called "Guaranteed Admissions"

It's A New Admissions Ballgame

Gone are the days of sending off applications and sweating out the weeks hoping to hear something positive come in the mail or to your phone.  Gone too are the all-or-nothing, make-or-break one-day SAT or ACT tests.  The name says it all "Guaranteed" admission.

Ok, there are some minimal requirements as to grade-point-average but so much of the hassle and red tape has been stripped away from the application process.

How Does It Work?

The online summary puts it this way:

"Washington’s public four-year college and universities, in partnership with our communities, are committed to meeting the college and career goals of Washington’s students. Focused on increasing access and credential completion in Washington, many of Washington’s public baccalaureate institutions offer guaranteed admissions programs for students who meet set criteria."

Who Is In The Pilot?

The schools in the program are Central Washington University, Eastern Washington University, The Evergreen State College, Western Washington University, Pacific Lutheran University, and Washington State University. (for now, the University of Washington is NOT included)

To get in, students need a minimum GPA or minimum GPA/class ranking  --

CWU - GPA 3.0....EWU - GPA 3.0....Evergreen - GPA 2.5....WSU - GPA 3.6 or ranked in top 10 percent of high school class .....PLU - GPA 3.3....WWU – GPA 3.0.  Students also need to have completed the  College Academic Distribution Requirements (CADRs) such as

• 4 years of English
• 4 years of Mathematics
• 2 years of World Language
• 3 years of Science
• 3 years of Social Science
• 1 year of fine, visual, or performing arts

It Is Very Much Worth Checking Out

Still not 100% clear?  Here is the best way to look at it. A Frequently Asked Question is How do guaranteed admissions differ from “regular” admissions?   The answer is “Regular” admissions require a student to first apply for admissions and then a student may be offered admission.  Guaranteed admissions offers admissions to a student and then requires the student to apply to the institution. 

Interested students and parents should check in with their High School counselors or the main office for more details.