How to Apply

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First-Year Student Application Checklist

A complete application includes:

  1. The application for undergraduate admission, including essay and activities list

  2. $70 non-refundable application fee (fee waiver may be available based on financial need)

  3. Unofficial high school transcript or certificate/diploma of high school equivalency (such as the GED)—submitted electronically or by mail

Test Scores are Optional

You aren’t required to submit SAT or ACT test scores to apply to Western Washington University. If you do choose to send scores, we will consider them within our holistic review of your application materials.

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Application Fee

A non-refundable $70 application fee is required to process your application. When you apply online, you will be asked to submit a credit or debit card, over a secure connection, to complete your application. If you use a paper application, your application fee must be in the form of a check or money order, payable to "Western Washington University". Please ensure your full name and birth date are included on the check.

Fee Waiver

You may request a fee waiver if you have extreme financial need, or a low student aid index (SAI) if receiving financial aid. When you apply online you will have the option to request a fee waiver at the time you submit your application. If you plan on using the paper application, please contact our office for a fee waiver request form and submit your form with your completed application. 

High School Transcript

You need to provide a high school transcript from all schools attended.

  • If you are still in high school, your transcript will need to include coursework for grades 9–11.
  • If you have already graduated, your transcript will need to include coursework for grades 9–12 and also include your graduation date.

Acceptable alternatives to a high school transcript:

  • GED
  • other high school equivalency certificate or diploma scores
  • diploma earned through a Washington community college
  • homeschool transcripts--these should include subjects and grades for each year, as well as supplemental information of concepts covered and materials used 

How to submit your high school transcript

Ask Your High School to Send It

An easy way to provide your transcript is to have your high school send it to us. We will accept transcripts emailed by your high school to admissions.documents@wwu.edu, mailed to the address below or sent electronically via the Naviance/Parchment, eScrip or SCOIR e-transcript systems. 

Provide It When You Apply

You may upload one transcript with your online application. By choosing this option, you do not need to request your high school send us a copy. 

If you attended more than one school, you will need to request that additional transcripts be sent from each of those schools. 

ACT or SAT Scores

Western’s application process is test optional. You are not required to submit test scores to apply for admission. If you choose to submit scores, we will consider them as part of our holistic review process of all application material. Material we review includes your transcripts, activities resume, essay, and personal statements.

Your application for admission will receive full consideration for Admissions and merit scholarships, independent of whether we have a test score on file for you.

If test scores have been sent to us, but you prefer that they not be considered in our holistic review, please email admissions@wwu.edu with your request.

Woodring College of Education Applicants

If you plan to apply to the Woodring College of Education, please know that test scores may be considered as part of the application process.

Submitting Scores

Test scores must be sent directly from the testing service or reported on an official high school transcript. If you take the SAT more than once, we will superscore the results. That means we will take the highest score from each section and combine those high scores into the highest composite score possible. We only consider the Math and Evidence-Based Reading and Writing sections of the SAT. Western does not superscore results from the ACT. Effective July 2024, SAT scores taken before 2005 will not be available from the College Board. 

ACT
Phone: (319) 337-1313
Website: ACT Records
WWU Institutional Code: 4490

SAT
Phone: (866) 756-7346
Website: College Board 
WWU Institutional Code: 4947

Mailing Application Materials

To submit transcripts or other related application materials by mail, please use the address below.

Western Washington University
Office of Admissions
Old Main 200, MS 9009
516 High Street
Bellingham, WA 98225-9009

Please note, it may be necessary to delete the third line, "Old Main 200, MS 9009" to facilitate delivery of college transcripts when ordered online. To help the Office of Admissions match your documents with your application, we recommend you include your full name and birth date on all materials mailed separately from your application.

Major-Specific Requirements

Admission to the University does not imply admission to a specific major. Most Western majors have separate application processes, and many have selective admissions requirements such as prerequisite course work, minimum GPA, audition, or portfolio. You should familiarize yourself with admission requirements and deadlines as soon as possible. 

All students should review the catalog details available in Western's Majors Page to become familiar with major-specific admission requirements, major declaration procedures and department advising contacts. We encourage you to complete as many of the courses for your intended major as possible prior to transferring.

The below-listed programs are just some of those that require a separate application, audition, or portfolio.

What to expect after you apply

After you submit your application for admission online, you will receive an email confirming that we received it. 

You will be prompted to pay the application fee (we cannot process your application without it) and provided with a link to check your application status using the Student Admission Portal. The portal provides a personalized checklist of items we've received, as well as any missing items needed to make your application complete. 

Admission decisions are made on a rolling basis—most Regular Decision applicants will receive an admission decision by early April. Students will be notified in writing of their admissions decision and it will also be made available in the Student Admission Portal. We appreciate your patience in this process to ensure every application is carefully reviewed. 

Equal Opportunity and Reasonable Accommodation

WWU is an equal opportunity institution. To request an accommodation in the application process, contact the Disability Access Center (DAC), (360) 650-3083 (voice), (360) 255-7175 (VP), drs@wwu.edu. One week advance notice is appreciated.