Frequently Asked Questions

Freshman Applicants

Application Questions

1. Is there a fee to apply to Whitworth?
2. What is the freshman application deadline?
3. What is the difference between Early Action and Regular Decision?
4. What do I need to submit as part of my application to Whitworth University?
5. What do I need to submit if I am a home-schooled applicant?
6. When should I apply for admission and financial aid? Is there a timeline I can follow?
7. Do I have to submit standardized test scores like the SAT or ACT?
8. How do I send my test scores to the admissions office?
9. Do you accept the "common application?"
10. What should I do if I am having a problem accessing the online application?
11. What address do I send application materials to?
12. When will I be notified of my admissions decision?
    
    
    Admissions & Financial Aid Questions
    
    
13. Am I required to take certain subjects in high school?
14. What is your policy regarding Advanced Placement (AP) classes and International Baccalaureate (IB) coursework?
15. Is there a minimum GPA and/or test score needed to apply to Whitworth?
16. What standardized tests do you accept?
17. If I take the SAT or ACT more than once, which score will you review?
18. If I am taking community college classes while I am in high school, do I apply as a freshman or a transfer student?
19. Where can I find printable applications or recommendation forms?
20. I have already been accepted and I want to enroll at Whitworth. What do I need to do?
21. What academic scholarships are available to incoming freshmen?
22. How do you handle GPA for home-schooled students when you are making decisions regarding admissions and financial aid?
    
    
    

    Visiting Campus and General Questions
    

23. What types of visit programs do you offer?
24. How many students attend Whitworth? What is the student to faculty ratio? What is the academic profile of our entering freshman class? Other general questions?
25. What kind of on-campus housing do you offer?
26. How safe is the campus community?
27. Tell me about Spokane.

Application Questions

1. Is there a fee to apply to Whitworth?
• There is no fee to apply to Whitworth. You may apply online for free by clicking here.
  
  
2. What is the freshman application deadline?
• The Early Action Deadline is November 30. (postmarked)
• The Regular Decision Deadline is March 1. (postmarked)
  
  
3. What is the difference between Early Action and Regular Decision?
• The Early Action application is non-binding and is recommended for high-achieving students who identify Whitworth University as one of their top college choices.
• In addition, the Early Action program allows accepted applicants the opportunity to reserve their place in the freshman class early and receive priority registration and housing.
• If you are accepted through the Early Action application, we ask that you submit the $350 enrollment deposit by January 31. This deposit is fully refundable until May 1.
• The Regular Decision application is available for all applicants who submit their application materials postmarked by March 1.
  
  
4. What do I need to submit as part of my application to Whitworth University?
• For information regarding the application and additional documents, click here.
  
  
5. What do I need to submit if I am a home-schooled applicant?
• For information regarding home-schooled applicants, click here.
  
  
6. When should I apply for admission and financial aid? Is there a timeline I can follow?
• For more information regarding the admissions process timeline, please click here.
  
  
7. Do I have to submit standardized test scores like the SAT or ACT test scores?
• You do not have to submit SAT or ACT test scores as part of your application (unless you are a home-schooled applicant). Please mark on your application whether you would like to have your test scores reviewed or if you would prefer an interview.
• If you do not want to submit your test scores (must be marked on your application), you must schedule an in-person or phone interview with an admissions staff member. This interview will replace your test scores and must be completed before your application can be reviewed and an admissions decision can be made.
• If you would like to change your selection to have your test scores reviewed or participate in an interview, you must call the admissions office at 800-533-4668 before your application has been reviewed.
• Please remember that test scores are required for some of our academic scholarships.
• For more information about this policy, click here.
  
  
8. How do I send my SAT or ACT test scores to the admissions office?
• You may send your test scores to the admissions office through the following options:
• Mail a copy of your score report to the address listed below.
• Fax a copy of your score report to 509-777-3758.
• Request a copy of your score report to be sent through the testing service. For the SAT test, please click here. For the ACT test, please click here.
• When you take the test, list "Whitworth University" as one of the schools to automatically receive your score report.
• To send a copy of your SAT score report to Whitworth, please use code 4953.
• To send a copy of your ACT score report to Whitworth, please use code 4494.
  
  
9. Do you accept the "Common Application?"
• Yes, we do accept the common application.
  
  
10. What should I do if I am having a problem accessing the Whitworth online application?
• If you are having trouble accessing the online application, please call the admissions office at 800.533.4668. If your password has expired, please call the technology help desk at 509.777.3911.
  
  
11. What address do I send application materials to?
• Please send your academic recommendation form, high school transcript and test scores to the address below.
  
  Whitworth University
  Admissions Office
  300 W. Hawthorne Rd.
  Spokane, WA 99251
  
  
• We are able to accept faxed copies of your test score report and your academic recommendation form. You may fax them to the admissions office at 509.777.3758.
  
  
12. When will I be notified of my admissions decision?
• We have a "rolling" admissions process which means we notify students of their admissions decision on a continuing basis determined by when the student submits all of his/her application materials.
• Once all of your application materials have been received and processed by the Admissions Office, you should expect a letter in the mail regarding the decision within about three weeks.
  
  

Admissions and Financial Aid Questions

13. Am I required to take certain subjects in high school?
• We do not have any requirements for taking specific courses or number of years students should take specific subjects in high school.
  
  
14. What is your policy regarding Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) coursework?
• We accept some credits received through IB or AP classes. Please check here (AP) and/or here (IB) for requirements.
  
  
15. Is there a minimum GPA and/or test score needed to apply to Whitworth?
• There is not a minimum GPA and/or test score that a student must have to apply to Whitworth. We review all completed applications.
  
  
16. What standardized test do you accept?
• We will accept the highest scores from the SAT I or ACT test. There is no preference given to one test over the other.
• For the SAT, we require the Math, Critical Reading and Writing sections (2400 point scale).
• For the ACT, we take the composite score and we do not require the writing portion (36 point scale).
• We do not accept SAT II Subject tests.
  
  
17. If I take the SAT or ACT more than once, which scores will you review?
• If you take the SAT more than once, we will review the highest score for each subject, even if they were taken from different test dates.
• If you take the ACT more than once, we will review the highest composite score. We do not review the different ACT subject scores separately.
  
  
18. If I am taking community college classes while I am in high school, do I apply as a freshman or a transfer student?
• If you take college classes before you receive your high school diploma, you will apply as a freshman. At the time of acceptance we will determine your eligibility for the incoming freshmen academic scholarships. If you take college classes after you receive your high school diploma (beyond the summer session), you will apply as a transfer student.
  
  
19. Where can I find printable applications or recommendation forms?
• Our application is only available online so we do not have a printable application available on our website. If you have any questions regarding this policy, please call the admissions office at 800-533-4668.
• You may access a printable academic recommendation form by clicking here.
• Your high school teacher or counselor may attach a letter on school letterhead to the form.
  
  
20. I have already been accepted and I want to enroll at Whitworth. What do I need to do?
    • A $350 enrollment deposit reserves your place in the entering freshman class and will prompt housing information to be sent to you.
    • This deposit includes a $200 tuition deposit, $100 housing deposit and a $50 matriculation fee.
    • Since the deposit is fully refundable until May 1, we recommend that you submit your deposit as soon as possible even if you are not completely sure you will be attending Whitworth to ensure priority in regards to housing and class registration.
    • You may submit your deposit by clicking here. This will allow you to pay your deposit via a secure website by either credit card or electronic check. You will need your student ID number which is located in your acceptance packet.
      
      
21. What academic scholarships are available to incoming freshmen?
• We offer academic scholarships based on GPA and/or SAT/ACT test scores. For a list of these academic scholarships, click here.
• If you receive a higher GPA and/or test score that qualifies you for a higher scholarship, you must submit the new information to the admissions office before March 1.
  
  
22. How do you handle GPA for home-schooled students when making admissions and financial aid decisions?
• Whitworth welcomes and enrolls many home-schooled students. In admissions review, we consider a GPA from an accredited home-schooled program the same as we would a GPA from a high school. For students home-schooled in non-accredited programs, we consider the GPA but will give extra weight to other parts of the application file. For purposes of awarding academic scholarships, we will consider GPA for accredited home-schooled programs and/or scores on the SAT or ACT. For students home-schooled in programs that are not accredited, we award scholarships based solely on SAT or ACT score.
  

Visiting Campus and General Questions

24. What types of visit programs do you offer?
• For more information about visiting Whitworth, please click here.
• If you are not able to visit personally, check out our virtual tour, which can be found by clicking here.
  
  
25. How many students attend Whitworth? What is the student-to-faculty ratio? What is the academic profile of our entering freshman class?
• All of these "fast facts" can be found here.
  
  
26. How safe is the campus community?
• Whitworth provides 24-hour security throughout campus.
• Residence halls are locked 24 hours a day. Each student has a key card that opens his or her dorm and a key for his or her individual room.
• Students can call security at any time, day or night, to escort them across campus.
• There are cameras, located in the parking lots and at the Hixson Union Building, that are monitored by security.
  
  
27. What kind of on-campus housing do you offer?
• We offer a variety of on-campus housing options. For a description of the different residence halls available, click here.
  
  
28. Tell me about Spokane.
• Spokane is located on the east side of Washington state, about 20 miles from the Idaho-Washington border.
• Spokane is located about 300 miles from Seattle (approximately a five-hour drive or a one-hour flight).
• Spokane is the second largest city in the state of Washington, with a population of about 500,000.
• Spokane has four distinct seasons and is well known for its year-round outdoor activities.
• Daytime temperatures range mostly from the low teens to the mid-30s during the winter and from the low 70s to the high 80s during the summer.
• In addition to outdoor activities such as hiking, skiing and biking, Spokane is rich with cultural activities. Concerts, art shows, parades and sporting events are offered throughout the year at affordable prices. Each year, downtown Spokane also hosts Bloomsday, a nationally known 12K fun run, and Hoopfest, the world's largest 3-on-3 basketball tournament.