What Colleges Like Whittier Look for in Prospective Students

No surprise here, the most important factor colleges like Whittier consider in their applicants is high school preparation. We’re looking for:

  • High school coursework:
        -Four years of English;
        -Three or more years of mathematics;
        -Three or more years of science;
        -Three or more years of social science; and
        -Two years of one foreign language.
  • Diversity and difficulty in the courses you take especially for honors, AP, and InternationalBaccalaureate courses.
  • Good grades throughout high school. They demonstrate your willingness to work hard and participate in a variety of subjects.

And of course, we’ll ask you to submit your scores from either the SAT I or the ACT. How important are these scores? They are only one of the factors we will consider in the admission process. We know that some students don’t “test well” because of slow reading speed, unfamiliarity with the format, or simple fear! You might want to take either the PSAT (as a high school junior) or the PLAN (offered by ACT to high school sophomores) to familiarize yourself with these testing formats and as initial preparation for senior year testing.

Activities outside the classroom (which you will have to opportunity to detail for us in your application for admission) are of special interest to us at Whittier. We notice, appreciate, and reward students who have been involved in theater, musicale groups, special interest clubs, community service, church or civic work, student publications, sports, or student government. Why? Students who have been active bring some great skills to our campus, including leadership, time management, and collaboration, and usually use those skills and interests to enhance activities at Whittier.

Recommendations: Keep in mind that during your senior year Whittier, like most liberal arts colleges, will be asking you to submit some letters of recommendation in support of your application for admission. Why is this important now? Because high school teachers, advisors, mentors and counselors are the folks you will be asking to write those recommendations. During your four years in high school, you will want to establish relationships with adults who can serve as mentors and advisors during high school, and then speak to your abilities and preparation during the college admission process.