College Planning
First year applicants are required to have a minimum of 16 academic units of credit to include:
| English | 4 years |
| Science | 3 years (two years of laboratory science) |
| Mathematics | 3 years (including at least second-year algebra)* (Algebra I taken in the 8th grade is acceptable) |
| Foreign language | 2 years of one language (3 years recommended) |
| Social Science | 2 years (history, government, sociology, political science, economics, psychology, civilization, geography) |
Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate. 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 advanced placement/IB units. Up to three Westmont-approved advanced placement exams may be applied to the general education curriculum requirements and any remaining AP units may be applied as electives.
Soul Searching: How do I go about selecting the right college?
Before you begin to make a list of colleges, it is best to spend some quality time thinking truthfully about yourself. Rather than make a list of colleges you think you can get into or that will be acceptable to your friends, you need to ask yourself a few important questions. What are your needs? What type of environment brings out the best in you? Once you have a good feel for the type of college environment you are looking for, narrowing down your options and making a great match is much easier. If you skip this process, your odds of picking a good match are slim. Think for yourself and know that what is right for your friends or siblings may not be what is right for you. What follows are just a few things you need to think about:
- What kind of person do you want the college you select to help you become?
- Which of your gifts and talents would you like to develop?
- What kind of relationships do students have with the faculty?
- Smaller classes will offer more opportunities to work closely with professors, perhaps allow opportunities to conduct important research along side of them. How academically competitive are you?
- Do you thrive under pressure?
- Do you choke? Are you self-motivated or do you need close personal attention? (Your response here can mean the difference between a large or small college.)
- Would you be happier as part of a larger college community with larger classes and, most likely, teaching assistants versus full-time professors in introductory classes?
- Do you function best in a place where everyone is “like you” or would you enjoy greater diversity in a student body? Diversity should be defined as a community who celebrates all cultures equally. (A Christian college will offer this!)
- Some colleges will require the selection of a major right away. Others, like Westmont, will not require the selection of a major until the end of your sophomore year. This is a big decision. It requires time, advice and prayer.
- If your faith is important to you and you are interested in learning how to be a more serious follower of Jesus Christ while growing intellectually, then you would want to consider a Christian college. In a Christian college you will learn to witness God’s hand in all subjects – from accounting to dance! Major employers are welcoming graduates from Christian colleges because they are competent and possess strong values.
- What would you most like to change about yourself? Why? Can the college you select help you with that? (It can in small colleges where you have easy access to professors and programs.)
- What values are truly important to you (spiritual character, political, financial)? How will your college environment affect these values? Will they offer equal and unbiased information?
- Do you learn best in classes with lots of discussion and where all classes are taught by full time professors? Where your thoughts and opinions are important?
- In which part of the country do you want to live? Close to home? On the opposite coast? Are you adventuresome? Remember, if you have grown up in sunny southern California, the winters in Massachusetts can either be very dreary or very exciting. Which are you?
- Do you prefer a large, rural city? Or a suburban environment? Most small colleges are always within 50-100 miles of a larger city, so you have the “best of both worlds”.
- Do you want to have lots of travel opportunities to other countries? (Westmont offers over 15 travel abroad programs.) Would you like to be involved in short and long-term mission outreach? (This summer Westmont students traveled to India, Israel, Guatemala, etc. for outreach.)