Warren Wilson College Catalog 06-07

Go to the current College Catalog

Undergraduate Admission

Admission to Warren Wilson College represents a selection based on both the personal and the academic qualifications of the applicant. All available information is considered, including previous school record, evidence of academic and social maturity, extracurricular activities, community service, scores on the SAT or ACT, interview, references, recent grade trends, and general contributions to school and community. The criteria are designed to build a balanced student body with high standards of scholarship, personal integrity, serious educational and personal goals, and a willingness to support the mission of the College. The College is positively attentive to race, gender, disability, and age. Contact the Admission office at 800-934-3536 for more information.

The Admission Committee requires that candidates possess a high school diploma, with completion of twelve academic units (a unit is one year's study in a subject). A college preparatory curriculum, showing competency in the following subjects, is required:

Interviews are not required but strongly recommended.

The Freshman Student Admission Process

Each candidate for admission must submit the following by February 28:

  1. an application,
  2. an official high school transcript,
  3. SAT or ACT scores,
  4. a completed Evaluation Report Form (part of the application), and
  5. a two-part essay. The essay is the applicant's opportunity to highlight personal goals, achievements, strengths, dedications, and convictions.

The College also considers applications submitted through College's web site, www.warren-wilson.edu.

Home School Students must submit the following:

  1. a transcript listing course titles and content,
  2. SAT or ACT scores,
  3. an interview (phone or in person),
  4. a partial portfolio of sample work completed (such as graded papers),
  5. a letter of recommendation (not from a parent),
  6. a document that serves as the "diploma," and
  7. a copy of the state rules under which the "home school" was formed or is recognized if other than North Carolina rules.

Notification

Warren Wilson College will notify students about admission beginning on February 1. Admission decisions for students who have applied before that date will be sent out at that time, and continue in clusters thereafter, until the class is filled, typically about May 1. The only exception will be for Early Decision candidates, as explained below.

Committing to Warren Wilson

Students who have decided to enroll at Warren Wilson College should send their $300 nonrefundable admission deposits as soon as they know they will be attending the College, but before May 1. Students who deposit after May 1 will be subject to space limitations. Students involved in the Early Decision program should follow the procedures herewith.

Early Decision

Students who are highly interested in Warren Wilson College and have strong high school records may apply as Early Decision candidates. Applications for Early Decision must be received by November 15 and decisions will be mailed out on December 1. Any student not granted admission under Early Decision will automatically be put into the Regular Decision pool of applicants. If students are accepted as Early Decision candidates and they know that they will attend Warren Wilson, they should send their nonrefundable admission deposit by December 20. At that time, they must agree to withdraw applications made to other schools and not to apply to any more. If a student chooses not to deposit at that time, the offer of admission will be withdrawn.

Wait List

The College may assign some applicants to a wait list. Students assigned to the wait list may be offered admission later in the year if space becomes available. Students who are assigned to the wait list may contact the Office of Admission to determine their positions on the list and to learn the list's history in previous years.

Provisional Admission

Each year a small number of applicants are admitted as provisional students. Provisional students may or may not meet all regular admission standards, but show unusual promise for becoming successful Warren Wilson students. The provisional status limits students to 12-14 credit hours during the first semester, instead of the regular 16-18, and they must enroll in College Academic Skills. Provisional status is lifted after successful completion of the first semester. Provisional students are considered degree-seeking students, and typically do not take extra time to graduate.

Early Admission

Early Admission is an option open to a few high school juniors who wish to begin at Warren Wilson College a year early. To be a serious candidate, a student must fulfill the following requirements, for which there can be no exceptions:

  1. be in the top 10% of his or her class in a high-level curriculum,
  2. have high SAT or ACT scores,
  3. have completed all graduation requirements except for senior English, and
  4. show a high level of maturity.

To apply for Early Admission, students must submit all the documents requested for first year applicants, and

  1. the student and parents must file a letter stating the reasons for requesting early admission, and
  2. the high school principal must file a letter certifying that the student will receive a high school diploma after successfully completing the first year at Warren Wilson.

Deferred Admission

Accepted students may defer their offers of admission for up to one year by writing the Office of Admission of their intentions. This request is to be completed by May 1 of the year of acceptance. Students deferring admission may send in their deposits at the time they are admitted, but are not required to do so. However, students who deposit after May 1 of the year they intend to enroll will be subject to space availability.

College Credit While in High School

Entering freshman students who have taken college courses during their junior or senior year or in the summer prior to entering Warren Wilson College must report such work to the Office of Admission. At the student's request, the College Registrar will determine whether such work will receive credit.

Advanced Placement (AP) Credit

Academic credit may be granted to enrolled students who receive scores of 3, 4, or 5 on College Board Advanced Placement tests. Refer to the chart on page 11 [NOT YET AVAILABLE ON-LINE] to determine the required score, amount of credit, and course waiver.

Transfer Admission

Admission of transfer students is competitive, with the primary criteria being academic merit and available space in a given class. To be considered, a transfer applicant must provide

  1. a transfer student application,
  2. an official high school transcript,
  3. official transcripts from all colleges previously attended,
  4. a transfer evaluation form (part of the application) from the most recently attended college, and
  5. SAT or ACT scores if fewer than 28 semester credits have been earned.

In addition, for transfer students to be seriously considered, they

  1. must be eligible to return to their most recently attended college,
  2. must be in good standing at colleges previously attended, and
  3. should have an overall college Quality Grade Point Average of at least 2.5. The overall GPA will be calculated by the Warren Wilson College Registrar. Courses with grades of D are not accepted for transfer, but are calculated into the GPA. Transfer grades are not calculated toward Warren Wilson College GPA.

Academic work presented for transfer must be from an accredited college and is subject to final evaluation by the College Registrar's Office. Warren Wilson will accept a maximum of 64 credits from a two-year college program.

International Student Admission

Warren Wilson College has long had a specific commitment to international education, and since the early 1940s has had a sizable international population. An international student seeking admission is required to submit the following information to the Office of Admission:

  1. Warren Wilson College International Student Application, with the $15 (U.S.) application fee,
  2. original or notarized copies of secondary school records,
  3. results of external examinations such as GCE-O and GCE-A,
  4. results of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) A score of 550 or higher is required. (The TOEFL is administered at several test centers around the world. Inquiries and requests for TOEFL application forms should be addressed to TOEFL, Box 899, Princeton, New Jersey 08541, U.S.A. The institution number for Warren Wilson College is 5886.)
  5. two letters of recommendation,
  6. a personal essay,
  7. certification of finances, financial information, and contract proposal (part of the application), and
  8. verification of income (in U.S. dollars) including

    9. a. a statement from employer verifying parents' employment and salary
    b. a copy of last tax statement if self-employed
    c. a letter from a bank to verify average balance of past six months in savings and checking accounts.

Financial Aid to International Students

Through the Work Program, Warren Wilson College is able to offer financial assistance to all international students. These students may also be eligible for other financial assistance, including scholarships. More information about financial aid is available from the Office of Admission.

Admission to the Spring Semester

Admission to Warren Wilson College for the spring semester is offered on a space-available basis. Notification of admission will begin on September 1 and proceed until available space is filled.

Day Students

Warren Wilson College is a residential community. It is desired that most students live on campus throughout their enrollment. Therefore, students who wish to be day students must qualify as one of the following:

  1. living with parents,
  2. married,
  3. single parent, or
  4. financially independent as determined by the IRS.

Students who have lived on campus for one full year may petition the Dean of Students for day student status before April 1 (for fall semester) or November 1 (for spring semester). Considerations may include space on campus, the work program, and residential aspects of the community.

NOTES:

Falsification of Records

Entering the College using falsified or misleading documents or intentionally omitting documents can lead to dismissal or degree revocation.

Credit For Prior Learning

Students who are 25 years of age or older can petition to receive academic credit toward their degree programs for prior nonacademic learning experiences. They may earn a maximum of 16 credit hours through this procedure. Candidates for credit for prior learning begin the process with a letter to the Vice President for Academic Affairs, describing the subject areas in which they believe they can demonstrate and document learning that is appropriate to an undergraduate program. The Vice President for Academic Affairs will appoint one or more examiners to help the student complete the assessment process. The examiners' recommendations are presented to the Academic Council for final approval. Veterans of the armed forces (U.S. and others) are eligible to apply for two credit hours in physical education. To claim the credit, students should provide a statement to the Registrar giving the dates, place, and service branch where the basic training was completed.

Graduate Equivalency Degrees (G.E.D.)

A G.E.D. may, on occasion, be accepted in place of a regular high school diploma. Applicants with a G.E.D. will receive close scrutiny to determine whether they have had the appropriate courses to succeed at Warren Wilson. In general, a G.E.D. is used for older students who now show good reason to enroll in college. Applicants must have a minimum overall score of 3.00 and a minimum score of 50 in each subcategory. Applicants with a G.E.D. must include a detailed personal essay discussing why they left school and why they wish to enroll at Warren Wilson College. A personal interview is also strongly recommended.

Readmission

All requests for readmission (after a period of non-enrollment) are submitted on the regular college application obtained from the Admission Office. A student who was suspended or on any form of probation when last enrolled must include pertinent information as to why reinstatement should be granted. If another college or university has been attended during the period of non-enrollment, a transcript must be presented with the request for readmission.

Each application for readmission must be approved by the Executive Committee, which includes the Director of Financial Aid, Dean of Admission, Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dean of Students, Dean of Service, Dean of Work, and Registrar.