Admission Policy. Westmont selects candidates for admission from those prospective students who provide evidence that they are prepared to benefit from - and to contribute to - an educational environment that is academically rigorous and deeply Christian.

Each year, there are more qualified applicants than we can enroll at Westmont, given our enrollment cap of 1,200. Thus, the admissions process is inherently selective. Recognizing the importance of peers in shaping a learning environment, Westmont gives attention in the admissio
ns process not only to individual applicants, but also to the emerging character of each class as a whole.
In the admissions process, the following elements will be taken into account when reviewing each applicant:

1. The strength of the high school academic record as reflected in grade point average.
2. Academic aptitude as reflected in SAT/ACT scores.
3. The strength of one’s academic program, (Honors, AP, or IB) and rank in class.
4. Demonstrated character as reflected in the sorts of challenges that an applicant has met.
5. A clear sense of goals for one’s education as reflected in the essays.
6. Special skills in the creative and performing arts, athletics, science, journalism or other academic areas.
7. A clear vision as to why Westmont is the best place to pursue one’s educational goals as reflected in the admissions essays.
8. Diversity in one’s background and interests.

Final decisions for admissions are based on an evaluation of the entire application. It is crucial, therefore, that an admissions file be an accurate and complete reflection of a candidate.

A visit to the campus, which should include an interview with an admissions counselor, class visitations, chapel, meetings with professors and coaches and spending a night in a residence hall, is an excellent way to learn more about Westmont and how it might be just the right choice for you. Appointments for campus visits can be arranged through the Office of Admissions.

How to Apply. FIRST-YEAR STUDENTS: The Westmont Office of Admissions begins receiving applications on October 1 for the following fall semester. If you are a high school senior and Westmont is one of your top choices, you may apply for EARLY ACTION (a non-binding process). Applicants with strong records and accomplishments may find this an attractive choice. EARLY ACTION applicants are indicating to the Admissions Committee that Westmont is perhaps their first choice college. This may allow you to resolve your college choice early in your senior year and avoid the necessity of filing multiple applications. First-year students interested in competing for Westmont Full Tuition Scholarships, must apply by the Early Action process. EARLY ACTION applications must be completed and postmarked no later than December 1. Completed files must include official transcripts for all courses from 9th grade to the present. Candidates not accepted for EARLY ACTION may be notified that they will be reconsidered for admission under REGULAR DECISION. This will allow time for additional materials to be submitted that might strengthen the overall file (i.e. fall term grades and additional SAT I/ACT results). Application materials for REGULAR DECISION should be submitted by the priority deadlines of February 15 and November 1 for spring. TRANSFERS: Application materials should be submitted by March 1 for fall and November 1 for spring.

1. Complete, return, or submit online the Westmont College Application for Admission.
   
   
2. Enclose an application fee in the form of a personal check (or money order) for $50, made payable to Westmont College. (Westmont’s online application fee is $40.)
   
   
3. Request that official transcripts for all courses from ninth grade to the present be sent to the Office of Admissions. Admission decisions will only be made with an official transcript. Admissions decisions may be rescinded in the summer or registration for classes may not be allowed if there is no official final high school transcript on file. If any high school or college work is in progress at the time of application, be sure an additional, final transcript is sent when the work is complete.
   
   
4. Applicants must submit two letters of recommendation. Required letters of recommendation for FIRST-YEAR STUDENTS are: two from teachers in core courses or one from a teacher and one from an adivsor or counselor. Required letters of recommendation for TRANSFERS are: two from professors in academic courses or one from a professor and one from an advisor or counselor. Pastor or youth leader recommendations are welcomed for first-year and transfer students. Pastor recommendations will be in addition to the teacher/counselor recommendations. They cannot be used as a substitute.
   
   
5. Request that the results of either the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT I) or the American College Test (ACT) be sent to the Office of Admissions. Transfer applicants who have completed more than 24 units of transferable, semester college credit are not required to submit test scores.

Return all application materials to:

Director of Admissions
Westmont College
Santa Barbara, CA 93108-1089

Admission to First-Year Standing. Westmont attracts high school graduates who have at least a B average in academic subject areas, rank in the top 50% of their high school class, have followed a college preparatory curriculum, present above average SAT I or ACT scores, and would benefit from and contribute to the goals and mission of Westmont College. Applicants must have a minimum of 16 academic units of credit, including at least:

In addition, applicants should have strong academic electives. Exceptional applicants not meeting one of these standards may be granted conditional admittance with the understanding that the deficient course(s) will be made up at a community college or similar institution. Demonstrating proficiency on a national exam such as the SAT II can also satisfy a requirement. (Contact the Office of Admissions for details.) Preferably, any deficiencies will be made up during the summer before a student first enrolls at Westmont. In any case, conditionally admitted students must have satisfied all outstanding admissions requirements in order to continue beyond the second year of classes at Westmont. Moreover, some Westmont College classes may require that deficits in one or more of the areas be satisfied before a student is allowed to enroll in that course.

The Office of Admissions recalculates the grade point average of each applicant and considers the overall average, the average in academic courses and the average that includes honors or advanced placement courses.

Home-Schooled Students. Westmont encourages applications from the home-schooled student. Home-schooled students are recognized for the individual and unique talents and qualities they bring to the Westmont community. Home-schooled applicants are evaluated on their individual merit and specialized programs. Westmont does request a Certificate of Completion of the home-study program and proof of whether or not the program is recognized by the state where the student resides. Because the curriculum of home-schooled students varies depending on the particular program, the Office of Admissions may place greater emphasis on either the SAT I or ACT. (Westmont welcomes either standardized test.) If the home-schooled student has enrolled concurrently in a college or university for additional classes prior to the completion of their home-study program, Westmont must have official transcript from the institution(s) in order to apply appropriate credit. Home-schooled students will qualify for the same merit-based scholarships as do traditional high school graduates.

If the home-schooled student is applying for Federal Financial Aid, the State Department of Education requires them to satisfy the Ability to Benefit requirement in order to qualify for Federal Financial Aid. Please visit our website for a complete list of tests that will satisfy this requirement. (www.westmont.edu/prospective/homeschooled)

Non High School Graduates. Applicants who have not officially graduated from high school or graduate early, may still be considered for admission. However, Westmont will require these applicants to submit the results of the General Education Development (G.E.D.) Test or the High School Proficiency Examination for the state in which the student resides. Greater emphasis may be given to the SAT I or ACT in these specific circumstances.

Admission to Transfer Standing. Westmont welcomes applications from transfer students. As with first-year applicants, admission to Westmont is competitive and will be granted to those applicants with the strongest credentials. Transfer credit from community colleges is limited to 64 semester units or 96 quarter units.

Transfer applicants with more than 24 solid semester units of completed transferable college credit at the time of application will be evaluated for admission primarily on the basis of that college work, even though it is necessary to submit an official copy of the high school transcript. Applicants with less than 24 semester units will be evaluated on the basis of the college transferable units complete at the time the application is submitted as well as the high school transcript and the results of either the SAT 1 or ACT. Applicants transferring from an accredited college or university will be given credit for transferable courses for which they received a grade of C- or better and coursework is submitted on an official transcript. Giving credit for a course does not necessarily mean that an academic department will apply that course to the fulfillment of a major requirement.

Following admission, the Westmont Records Office will make a thorough evaluation of completed coursework as it applies to the general education requirements and the overall graduation requirements. Evaluations will be completed only with an official transcript. The Records Office will mail the evaluation to the applicant.

Westmont may restrict credit from a non-accredited institution and may, at the discretion of the registrar, require some validation through attending the course at Westmont and receiving a minimum grade of C, or through an examination. Students must validate courses during their first year of residence at Westmont.

Although it is not a final authority regarding transfer credit, evaluators use The Report of Credit Given By Educational Institutions. The College does not award credit for courses taken more than 25 years ago.

Consortium Visitor Program Application Process. Students enrolled at a Consortium institution, who want to take advantage of this opportunity, apply using a special application process (see page11 for a list of participating schools). To be considered, begin by contacting your current institution’s Registrar’s Office to obtain the consortium application. Your proposed coursework for the required semester needs to be approved by your Registrar. Following this approval, submit the Consortium Visitor application to the Westmont Admissions Office, along with transcripts of all completed college work. In the event you have not completed 24 semester units in college, an official high school transcript will be necessary. The consortium application and all supporting documents must be received in the Admissions Office (postmarked) for fall admission, by March 1 and for spring admission, by November 1. Should the application be submitted after these deadlines, the applicant will be considered on a space available basis only. Should an offer of admission be made and the applicant confirms after the deadline stated in the acceptance letter, the confirmation will be accepted on a space available basis only.

Reapplicants. Reapplicants are students who previously attended Westmont and have withdrawn or exited from Westmont for a semester or more and now desire to return. All reapplicants must submit an Application for Readmission to the Admissions Office. The Application for Readmission may be obtained in the Admissions Office, Registrar’s Office or the Student Life Office. The Application for Readmission and all supporting documents must be received in the Admissions Office (postmarked) for fall admission, by March 1 and for spring admission, by November 1. Should the reapplication be submitted after these deadlines, the reapplicant will be considered on a space available basis only. Should an offer of admission be made and the reapplicant confirms after the deadline stated in the acceptance letter, the reapplicant’s confirmation will be accepted on a space available basis only. Students must submit the application and transcripts from all colleges and universities attended during the absence from Westmont. If reapplicants have attended other colleges since leaving Westmont, they must have maintained a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0. Students will be considered for readmission only if the following criteria have been satisfied; all educational loans and student accounts are current; the student left Westmont in good academic and student life standing. The Office of Admission requests clearances from the Business Office, Office of Student Life and the Office of the Registrar.

If a reapplicant initially left Westmont for medical reasons, they must include a statement from a doctor indicating that any health issues have been resolved sufficiently to allow a return to school.

Applicants from Foreign Countries. Applications for students from foreign countries are available from the Office of Admissions. Westmont evaluates applicants on their academic background as shown on transcripts and through the results of the SAT I or ACT and the Test of English as a Foreign Language (if the native language is other than English) with a minimum score of 560 or 220 on the computer based TOEFL. In addition to the application form, the College requires a report on proficiency in English, a personal reference, school recommendation, school transcripts, health information and certification of good health, and a confidential financial statement. It is the applicant’s responsibility to provide Westmont with certified English translations of all transcripts. In addition, the applicant will be asked to have the transcripts evaluated by a professional foreign academic credentials service at the applicant’s expense.

Special Students. Special students are mature persons qualified for admission to Westmont who do not intend to work toward a degree. To be admitted as a special student, an applicant must file an application for non-matriculated status and provide an official transcript from the last college or university attended in a degree program. The transcript must show good standing and applicants must qualify for admission to the College and to the desired classes. Westmont grants admission as a special student only as its enrollment limitation and facilities permit.

The College expects students who are granted admission to respect and live within Westmont’s Christian Life Expectations and maintain at least a 2.0 grade point average in order to continue enrollment. Special students who later wish to apply credits toward a Westmont degree must apply for regular admission. If they are granted admission, they must get approval from the Academic Senate to apply previous credit to the degree program. They should file the petition for approval with the registrar.

Advanced Studies. College graduates holding a bachelor’s degree and wishing to earn a standard elementary or secondary teaching credential are welcome to apply to the Advanced Studies Program. Limited enrollment is available. Students must have a grade point average of 2.75 and schedule an interview with a member of the faculty in the Education Department.

Advanced Placement. Westmont grants advanced placement and/or credit to students who present scores of 4 or 5 on the Advanced Placement Tests of the College Entrance Examination Board and for scores of 5, 6, or 7 on higher-level subject examinations of the International Baccalaureate Program. The College limits credit to a maximum of 32 units and may be applied to general education or elective units only.

College Level Examination Program. Westmont will give CLEP credit for scores of 500 or above for general tests and 50 or above for subject matter tests, provided students have not completed introductory college courses in those areas. Essays are required when they are available (that is, offered with the examination). CLEP credit may be applied to elective credit only.

Students may transfer college credit they earned while they were in high school to Westmont. They must ask the college they attended to send an official transcript to Westmont so the course work can be evaluated.

Notification of Admission. Following are application deadline and notification dates:

Note: Applications may be submitted after the deadline dates. However, Westmont cannot guarantee that they will be given the same consideration as those submitted on time. The office of Admissions continues to process applications on a space available basis only.

Confirmation of Admission. Westmont adheres to the Candidates National Reply Date of May 1. Therefore, students must send a non-refundable deposit of $300.00 and a Westmont Housing Application by May 1. International students who require an I-20 form to obtain a student visa must send a $8000 deposit ($6800 of which is refundable if the student cancels). Due to Westmont’s limited enrollment (see CUP on page 243), deposits postmarked after May 1 could be returned because of space limitations. Deposits may be accepted after the May 1 postmark only if space is available. Deposits are not additional fees, but are credited to the student’s account. After confirming, students will also receive a health questionnaire which does not require a doctor’s appointment. College health insurance regulations make it necessary for every student to complete and return the health questionnaire.