General Info
International
for students who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residentsConditional Admission
Conditional undergraduate admission may be granted to applicants who do not meet the university's English language requirement or who need more university preparation and English language study before entering a degree program. Students do not need a TOEFL score to apply for conditional admission. However, before beginning to take regular university classes and moving into full admission status, students will need to demonstrate a high level of academic English ability, equivalent to Western’s English language requirement, through their Intensive English Program coursework.
Applicants must fulfill all other requirements for undergraduate admission, including having competitive grades from previous high school or post-secondary institutions. Freshman applicants need to have completed foundation coursework in English, humanities, mathematics, natural/physical sciences and social sciences. For transfer applicants, academic coursework and experiences related to one's academic area of interest will further strengthen the application.
Conditional Admission students must attend the Intensive English Program (IEP) full-time for a minimum of one quarter. Before enrolling in their first credit class at Western, students must demonstrate English proficiency through successful completion of the IEP Level 7 Academic English courses (Academic Preparation, Research Writing, Academic Communications, and Applied Language Skills).
Students start working towards completion of their degree by enrolling in one regular university class while continuing to take a part-time load of IEP classes. Over the next several quarters, the IEP advisor helps the student find a balance of English-language classes and regular university coursework that will challenge the student without overwhelming the development of language and academic skills.
In order to be granted full undergraduate admission, the Conditional Admissions student must maintain a Grade Point Average (GPA) of 2.75 in at least 12 credits of regular university classes and a 3.0 GPA in IEP classes. The students must also receive a recommendation from IEP Writing and Academic Communications instructors.
Students may apply for Conditional Admission by first enrolling in the Intensive English Program, or they may apply directly to the Office of Admissions. On the International Student Undergraduate Application, applicants should check that they are "Seeking Conditional Admission to Western" to indicate this choice. Note that two applications, to both the Office of Admissions and to the Intensive English Program, are required.
For more information, contact the Intensive English Program office at (360) 650-3755, email to iep@wwu.edu, or visit the IEP Home Page.