College and University Requirements

Freshmen entering Washington public four-year colleges and universities must have passed at least 15 core units (credits) in high school including:

English                                    4 years
Math                                       3 years (Algebra I-II, Geometry, Alg III-IV/Trig.)
Social Studies                          3 years
*Science                                 2 years (at least 1 from Biology, Chemistry or Physics)
World Language                      2 years (same language)
**Fine and Performing Arts     1 Year (or additional year from above core courses)

*Western Washington University requires that one lab science be Chemistry, Physics or Principles of Tech.

**University of Washington and Western Washington University require that at least 1/2 year be earned from fine and performing arts courses.

Admission requirements vary greatly at other colleges. Students and parents should work closely with their counselors to develop an appropriate college prep schedule. It is each student's responsibility to check with individual colleges for requirements.

New Math Placement Test

Students planning to attend Central, Eastern, Western, UW or WSU this fall (2008) must take a math placement test before they register for classes (this is different than the Compass Test, which students take before entering a two year college). Students can take the test at their prospective college or (more conveniently) can take the test at Peninsula College, which will forward their math scores.  The test will be offered May 31st and again on June 19th. Students register on line, at the following link:
                        http://www.washington.edu/oea/services/testing_center/aptp/index.html

Community Colleges

Community colleges admit all high school graduates with no specific admissions requirements, although some programs such as nursing or flight training may have specific requirements. However, if you are planning to transfer to a four-year college from a community college, you should attempt to follow the college prep program listed in the box above, as well as take the SAT or ACT. Community colleges have both transfer and vocational programs. Many of these colleges fill their enrollment early in the spring for the next school year. It is advisable to apply late in the first semester of your senior year. Most community colleges require a placement test which must be taken prior to registration.

Vocational & Technical Colleges

Most jobs do not require a four-year college degree, but do require skilled technical training. Vocational and technical colleges train people to become productive members of the workforce. Washington state offers a wide range of training programs in community and technical colleges. Most vocational schools do not have specific admissions requirements. Entrance into a particular training program may be determined by performance, an aptitude or screening test and a personal interview. Many vocational training programs have long waiting lists; therefore, students should work with their counselors and vocational instructors to ensure proper registration for these programs. In addition to the community and technical colleges, there are also a number of private technical institutes which can provide excellent training programs.