Admissions Process

As one of the most selective colleges in the Pacific Northwest, Whitworth University seeks to admit highly qualified students who are equipped to succeed in our academic environment. Our freshman-to-sophomore retention rate and four-year graduation rate are well above national averages and provide evidence that our holistic admissions process identifies the best students for Whitworth.

We consider the following factors in evaluating applicants for admission:

High school grade point average
SAT and/or ACT score (Please note: applicants may request an interview in place of submitting their tests scores. Please see our Interview Option FAQ for more information.)
The quality of the student's writing sample
Rigorous college preparatory coursework
Academic recommendation from high school teacher or counselor
The reputation of the student's high school
Participation in extracurricular activities
Demonstrated leadership abilities

Freshman application deadlines:

Early Action: Nov. 30
Regular Decision: March 1

Freshman applicants must submit the following:

A completed online Whitworth Application for Admission or Common Application for Freshman Applicants (Whitworth supplement is required)

Need help accessing your online application? Call the Whitworth Admissions Office at 800.533.4668.
Academic Recommendation Form or letter of recommendation

The Academic Recommendation Form must be printed out and completed by a high school counselor or teacher and sent directly from the counselor/teacher to Whitworth. (Only one academic recommendation form is required; however, we will accept additional recommendation forms.) Your counselor/teacher may choose to submit a letter on school letterhead in lieu of (or in addition to) the recommendation form.
Please ask your counselor/teacher to mail the completed Academic Recommendation Form or letter of recommendation to:

Whitworth University
Admissions Office
300 W. Hawthorne Rd.
Spokane, WA 99251

OR fax the Academic Recommendation Form or letter of recommendation to: 509.777.3758 (Whitworth Admissions Office)

Official High School Transcript

Your official high school transcript must be sealed and mailed directly from your high school to the Whitworth Admissions Office:

Whitworth University
Admissions Office
300 W. Hawthorne Rd.
Spokane, WA 99251

OR faxed to 509.777.3758 (Whitworth Admissions Office)

SAT and/or ACT score or Interview Option
Whitworth considers students' SAT or ACT superscore (composite of the highest sub-score of each section of the test - potentially from multiple test dates). Scores from the SAT and ACT are considered equally.

Please have your score report sent directly to Whitworth from the SAT/ACT testing service. When you take the test, list "Whitworth University" as one of the schools to automatically receive your score report.
- To have your SAT score report sent to Whitworth, use code 4953.
- To have your ACT score report sent to Whitworth, use code 4494.
OR fax a copy of your SAT/ACT score report to 509.777.3758 (Whitworth Admissions Office).
OR Mail a copy to:

Whitworth University
Admissions Office
300 W. Hawthorne Rd.
Spokane, WA 99251

Interview Option: Applicants with a cumulative high school GPA above 3.0, from an accredited high school or home-school program, may choose to EXCLUDE their SAT or ACT scores from consideration in the admission application process. Applicants who choose this option will be contacted by the admissions office to schedule a phone interview. The majority of Whitworth applicants who choose this option have SAT scores below 1650 or ACT scores below 24.

Please note: SAT/ACT test scores are considered in awarding Whitworth's Academic Scholarships, though most of the scholarships can be earned based on high school GPA alone. Incoming freshmen enrolled at Whitworth full time will automatically receive the highest academic scholarship for which they qualify. Whitworth will renew the academic scholarship each year a student is enrolled full time and maintains satisfactory academic progress.
Additional Information (optional):

Personal statement
List of activities/honors/awards
Résumé
Mail hard copies of your additional information to:

Whitworth University
Admissions Office
300 W. Hawthorne Rd.
Spokane, WA 99251

OR fax to 509.777.3758 (Whitworth Admissions Office)

OR e-mail to admissions@whitworth.edu

What happens next?

After we receive all of your application materials, we will e-mail you instructions on how to check the status of your application. If you don't receive an e-mail within two weeks of submitting your application, please call the Whitworth Admissions Office at 800.533.4668 to check on your application status.

Whitworth has a "rolling" admissions process: After all of your application materials are received and processed by the Whitworth Admissions Office, you should expect a letter in the mail regarding Whitworth's decision within about three weeks.

For more information about the freshman admissions process, please visit our Freshman Admissions Frequently Asked Questions page or contact your Whitworth admissions counselor.

For Those Who Need to Know…

Whitworth University is committed to delivering a mission-driven educational program that cultivates in students the capacity to engage effectively across myriad dimensions of diversity; the university therefore complies, in its admission and financial aid policies, with all federal, state and local non-discrimination laws that are applicable to religious nonprofits and does not engage in unlawful discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age or disability.