First-Year Students

First-Year Students at Western

Fill out the “First-Year Students” application if you are or will soon be a high school graduate or if you have not attended another college after graduating. Students who have completed their junior year of high school may apply for admission any time after August 1.

Application Requirements for First-Year Students

• Complete Western’s Online Application or the Common Application.
• Submit your high school transcript to Western. Your transcript can be uploaded to your applicant portal, mailed, faxed, emailed, or sent through an electronic service (Parchment, Naviance, e-scrip, etc.)
• Submit the $30 application fee. This can be paid online with the application or by calling the Cashier’s Office at 970.943.3003.
• Optional: Send your official ACT and/or SAT test scores to Western (ACT code: 0536, SAT code: 4946).

Before enrolling, Western requires an official, final high school transcript. To be considered valid, your transcript must come directly from the high school you attended (digitally or by mail) and clearly show the date you graduated with an official signature from the school.

Academics

Western will look at your overall academic performance, which includes your high school GPA, your general academic rigor in your coursework, and ACT/SAT scores if you choose to send them.  The middle 50 percent of our admitted first-time first-year students have the following:

Middle 50% of Enrolled First-Year Students

Western follows the Colorado Higher Education Admissions Recommendations (HEAR) for all students during high school. First-year applicants must complete the following high school courses:

1. Four years of English
2. Four years of math (Algebra I or higher)
3. Three years of natural/physical science (including two units of lab-based science)
4. Three years of social science (including one unit of U.S. or world history)
5. One year of foreign language
6. Two years of academic electives

Optional (If You Feel Your Application May Need Extra Support)

• An admissions essay following the prompt “Why Western?”
• A personal statement
• Letter(s) of recommendation
• A resume

Keep in Mind

We admit students who will benefit from the educational experiences provided by Western Colorado University. We assess applications for:

• Evidence of academic progression
• Potential for success at the university level
• Evidence of leadership
• Community service
• Life experience affecting student’s overall academic record

All of the listed criteria will be taken into consideration but may not affect the final admission decision if the student is not academically prepared for admission into a university setting.

Credit for Advanced Placement Courses

Western recognizes that many students have taken Advanced Placement tests, CLEP tests, and/or participated in the International Baccalaureate (IB) program. The following links specific equivalencies for individual tests. A minimum score of 3 is required for credit to be granted for most Advanced Placement tests (for some, a score of 4 is required). Western will grant International Baccalaureate credit for tests with a score of 4 or better. Students may be awarded a maximum of 18 credits from CLEP exams.

• Advanced Placement
• International Baccalaureate (IB) program
• CLEP exams

Please Submit Application Materials to:

Application Deadlines

Western is on a rolling admission cycle. We accept applications throughout the year until our class is full. However, we recommend that high school seniors apply before the following date so that they are as prepared as possible for the upcoming academic year.

• November 1, 2023, for Spring 2024 applicants
• March 1, 2024, for Fall 2024 applicants

Application Status

You may check the status of your application anytime by using your self-service application portal. Typically, you will receive your admission decision 2-3 weeks after we have received all of your application materials. Contact admissions staff for additional information.

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