At Whittier College, a First-Year Student is someone who is a high school senior or who has graduated from high school but has not enrolled in a 2-year or 4-year institution of higher education.
High schools students who took dual enrollment courses at their local community college are considered first-year students.
Students who meet the above criteria but hold a foreign passport or are currently studying out of the country should apply as International Students.
If the above information doesn't describe you, please consider applying as a Transfer Student.
Applying via Instant Decision
Instant Decision allows students to apply quickly and easily during a face-to-face interview with a Whittier Admission Counselor—no Common App is required.
Applicants will receive an admission decision and, if applicable, a preliminary scholarship award at the conclusion of their interview.
To apply via Instant Decision, students must:
- Book an appointment using the link below
- Upload a copy their high school transcript
- Upload a copy of their personal statement or graded writing assignment
Applying via the Common Application
Whittier College participates in the Common Application. There is no application fee and SAT/ACT scores are not required. To complete a Common Application, you'll need the following items:
- A completed Common Application
- Secondary School Report from your college/guidance counselor
- Two Letters of Recommendation: The first letter must come from a teacher who taught you in a STEM, Language Arts, or Social Sciences class. The second letter of recommendation may come from a teacher in any area of study or a counselor, coach, clergy, or employer/supervisor.
- Official high school transcripts reflecting coursework through the junior year for Early Action applications, and through the fall semester of senior year for the Regular Decision applications.
- Standardized Test scores (Optional)
- You may submit any additional information you believe will help support your application for admission.
Application Deadlines
Early Action
- Application deadline: November 15
- FAFSA deadline: November 15
- Decisions sent: January 15
- Enrollment deadline: May 1
Regular Decision/Instant Decision
- Application Deadline: April 1
- FAFSA and Cal Grant (CA applicants) deadline: March 2
- Decisions sent: Rolling
- Enrollment deadline: May 1
Whittier College is a test-optional school and does not require SAT or ACT scores for admission. Choosing to withhold SAT/ACT scores will not negatively impact an application. If you feel your standardized test scores are not an accurate reflection of your academic potential, we highly recommend you apply as a Test-Optional applicant.
Applicants who submit standardized test scores will have only their highest section scores, across all test dates, considered. This is also known as "super scoring." Whittier College's SAT I Code is 4952. Whittier College's ACT Code is 0480. Test scores self-reported in the Common Application will not be used for the admission review process.
Students who enroll at Whittier using self-reported test scores must verify their scores by submitting an official score report from the testing agency before starting classes.
Students who apply as Test-Optional and who have a Whittier Admission GPA under 3.0 could be required to provide standardized test scores in order to be considered for admission. The Whittier Admission GPA is a 9-11 grade, weighted GPA that includes all academic classes.
