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International Student Admissions

  1. Whitworth University
  2. Admissions & Aid
  3. International Students
  4. Admissions Process

International Admissions Process

Are You an International First-Year or Transfer Applicant?

  • An international student is one who requires a student visa, (an F-1 or J-1, for example) in order to study in the United States. If you are dual citizen, permanent resident or refugee, or if you hold a green card, then you are not considered an international student and you should not fill out the international application.
  • A first-year undergraduate applicant is a student who is enrolled in, or has graduated from, a secondary school and has not been enrolled in a university or other institution of higher education.
  • A transfer applicant is currently enrolled in, or has been enrolled in, an institution of higher education, but will not have completed a four-year/bachelor's degree by the time he/she enrolls at Whitworth.
  • International high school students in the U.S, please note: If you were, or are, currently enrolled in U.S. college or university courses authorized through your U.S. high school, you will be considered a first-year applicant, even if you receive(d) your A.A. degree concurrently with your high school diploma.

Are You Applying for a Second Bachelor's Degree?

Students with a bachelor's degree are welcome to apply for a second bachelor's-level program and may follow the application process guidelines below. However, please note that international students pursuing a second bachelor's degree are not eligible for scholarships or other financial aid.

Are You a Graduate Applicant?

If you have completed a four-year/bachelor's degree, you may be eligible to apply to Whitworth's graduate programs. You must fill out the application required by the specific graduate program and you must fulfill their admissions requirements. See Graduate Students Admissions to explore these programs.

International Undergraduate Applicants Must Submit the Following:

  1. Online Application: International applicants are required to apply to Whitworth through the Common Application. There is no fee to apply.
  2. Transcript: Only official transcripts only will be accepted.
  3. Financial Guarantee: Applicants must complete our Certificate of Financial Responsibility and provide original bank documents.
  4. Diploma & Final Transcript: You must submit a copy of your diploma and final transcript if you choose to enroll.
  5. Essay: Essay prompt and information will be provided within the application.
  6. External Examination Results: If applicable to your secondary school program, you must submit your external examination results (Ex. Cambridge Exams, IB scores, ATAR, NZQA). More information can be found in the section below entitled “External Secondary School Examinations.”
  7. Official College/University Transcript: In addition to the official transcript, if we notify you that a credential evaluation is required, you must submit this evaluation through one of the following partner services: SpanTran or WES.
  8. English Language Proficiency: Applicants who are not from one of the approved English-speaking countries listed below are required to submit one of the following test scores: TOEFL, IELTS, PTE, Duolingo English Test (DET), SAT, ACT, or AP English Language/Literature.
    Minimum score requirement:
    • TOFEL iBT: 79
    • IELTS: 6.5
    • PTE: 56
    • WASSCE: C4
    • DET: 110
    • SAT: 500 Sub-score in Critical Reading & Writing
    • ACT: 24 English Sub-score
    • AP English Language or Literature: 3

Applicants who are from one of the countries listed below are exempt from the English language proficiency requirement and do not need to submit any formal test score.

Approved English-speaking Countries List:
Antigua, Barbuda, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Canada (except Quebec), Cayman Islands, Dominica, Federated States of Micronesia, Grenada, Guyana, Ireland, Jamaica, Kenya, New Zealand, Seychelles, South Africa, St. Kitts-Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, United Kingdom, and U.S. Virgin Islands

Application and Deposit Deadlines

  • Early Action I deadline: November 15
  • Early Action II deadline: January 15
    • Students who submit a completed application by these early action deadlines will receive expedited financial aid and scholarship awarding.
  • General Application deadline: All application materials should be received by Whitworth no later than March 1 for fall admission or Oct. 15 for spring admission.
  • Deposit deadline: To confirm enrollment at Whitworth, admitted students must submit a deposit of $1,000 by May 1 for fall enrollment or Nov. 15 for spring enrollment.
    • If a student’s F-1 visa is not obtained by the start of the semester date indicated on the form I-20, the deposit can be refunded. For other circumstances, students may submit an appeal letter to wuintladmissions@whitworth.edu for consideration of a deposit refund.

Additional Information about English Proficiency Test Scores

English proficiency test scores can be self-reported or sent by the testing agency, the student’s school counselor, or EducationUSA Adviser. For information about the TOEFL, IELTS or DET, please visit: www.toefl.org | www.ielts.org | englishtest.duolingo.com

Students who have taken AP English tests (language or literature) and achieved a score of 3 or higher have met our proficiency requirement.

Students who have attained a grade of C or higher in O-Level English (as a First Language), or a score of 4 or higher in IB SL English Language and/or Literature A have met our proficiency requirement.

SAT & ACT

Applicants who take the SAT or ACT may self-report their test results or have them sent directly to Whitworth by the testing agency, the student’s school counselor, or a student’s EducationUSA Adviser. For more information about the SAT and ACT, please visit their websites: www.collegeboard.com | www.act.org

Whitworth school codes for the SAT and ACT:

  • SAT Code: 4953
  • ACT Code: 4494

Transcripts

  • Secondary school transcripts may be self-reported or sent directly from your school in both the original language and in English.
  • If you have only one original copy of your transcript and are unable to obtain another original, you may provide Whitworth with a photocopy that is certified by the school that issued the transcript. Photocopies certified by any other agency will not be accepted.
  • Whitworth University reserves the right to ask for a SpanTran or WES evaluation, at the applicant's expense, to authenticate a transcript.
  • For university students, a credential evaluation is required, at your expense, if you are transferring from an institution outside the U.S. Please visit the SpanTran-Whitworth website or www.wes.org to complete this step.

External Secondary School Examinations

If applicable to your secondary school program, international applicants must submit external examination results that signify completion of your secondary school program and show that you are qualified for university study. Whitworth accepts a range of tests that are standard in applicants' native countries. Examples of such tests include:

  • The Abitur
  • Cambridge Examinations (A Level, AS Level, O Level)
  • Chinese National Higher Education Entrance Exam (Gao Kao) or High School Academic Proficiency Test (Xueye shuiping ceshi)
  • International Baccalaureate
  • West African Examinations Council Exams
  • ATAR & New Zealand Qualifications Authority

Examination results must be verified by the individual examination authority. For example, Chinese credentials must be verified by the CDGDC; GCE exams taken in India must be verified by the Indian School Certificate Examinations; and students in Ghana, Nigeria, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Gambia must have their credentials verified by the West African Examination Council.

Students taking international O-level exams must have passes in five subjects with at least a grade of C in order to be eligible for admissions consideration.

Earning Whitworth Credit from Secondary/High School Exams

Financial Aid

Whitworth University is committed to global diversity on its campus and offers generous academic scholarship (including four types of Whitworth academic scholarships) and financial aid packages to qualified undergraduate international students, including freshman and transfer applicants. Information about our scholarships and how to apply for need-based financial aid through the College Board CSS Profile is available here.

Contact and Mailing Information

All application materials, test scores and financial aid forms should be sent to the following address:

International Admissions
Whitworth University
300 W. Hawthorne Road
Spokane, WA 99251
USA
Email: wuintladmissions@whitworth.edu