Colleges & Universities
Perhaps the most difficult aspect of the college application process is deciding where to apply. In the United States, there are thousands of universities, colleges and community colleges, both public and private. It is your task to determine what type of school is right for you based on your interests, expectations, abilities and needs. The following lists are examples of classifications of four-year colleges that are frequently used in college guide books. These are not comprehensive lists but they reflect schools that would be easily recognizable by families in the Northwest.
Criteria to Consider in College Selection
As you imagine the perfect college, remember that there is not one perfect college that is perfect for everyone. Everyone has different expectations and needs for their college experience. Your goal is to discover the college that meets your own requirements. You must find the perfect college for YOU. In order to do this you must examine the many different aspects of college. The following is an attempt to help you do this in an organized, systematic way.
Two Year Institutions
Two year post-secondary educational institutions offer certificate programs (less than two years of work), professional technical programs (terminal associate degrees), and transfer programs (Associate of Arts and Associate of Sciences degrees). There is an excellent website at http://cset.sp.utoledo.edu/twoyrcol.html that provides a listing of two year institutions, state by state.
Community Colleges (two year public institutions) have always answered the needs of the local communities. The first community college was founded in 1901 in Joliet, Illinois. After World War II, there was a surge in the demand for higher education to feed the need for a more skilled workforce. In the 1960’s, the number of community colleges once again surged when the Baby Boomers began their post secondary education. The number of community colleges in the United States now exceeds 1600 and has continued a constant increase since the 1960’s.
Each community college is an independent institution that has its own unique characteristics. All of the public community colleges have open admission policies. They accept any applicant who is a high school graduate. Each community college will then test each student for placement in English and math. It is important to contact the admissions department to obtain information on registration for these placement tests. Full time tuition usually averages $2800 per year, less than half of the tuition charged by the public 4-year institutions. Course offerings allow students to enroll in day or evening classes. The predominate difference between community colleges and four-year colleges is that community colleges offer Associate of Arts and Science (AA/AS) degrees upon completion of their program. Associate degrees can be in traditional academic subjects or in career-oriented/vocational fields. Examples of community colleges include Bellevue Community College, and Seattle Central Community College.
Within the state of Washington, it has become increasingly easy for a student who has received an AA/AS degree at one of the state’s community colleges to transfer into a public four-year university with junior year standing. This guaranteed transfer program is called the Direct Transfer Agreement (DTA). In order to transfer, a student must meet specific minimum requirements that are established by the state of Washington, the community colleges and the universities. The DTA allows a student to graduate from an accredited public or private university with a bachelor’s degree in an additional two years. The overall cost of a college education is significantly reduced by this course of study.
The exception to the DTA is the University of Washington. Students who have completed their AA/AS degrees at community colleges, apply to the UW as transfer students. Their applications are considered in the pool of applicants who have completed some college credit courses at four-year colleges but they are not guaranteed admittance to the UW as in the Direct Transfer Agreement.
Often students who have not done well academically in high school view the two year community college as an alternative to a four-year college experience. We feel that community college students who are the most successful in ultimately obtaining a bachelors degree from a four year institution are those who are more independent and self sufficient than the average freshman at a four year college. Students at community colleges must be very organized because they must do everything for themselves. They must remember to register for classes, attend classes and take a full load in order to receive their Associates degree in two years. It is very easy to drop classes or just register for less than a full load. Students often live at home or in apartments so they do not make a strong social connection to the community college campus. It is easy to get a full time job, gradually decrease your course load, and ultimately stop going to school. It takes a very driven, organized, mature student to maintain full time status at community college. Students and parents should be aware of these “pitfalls” when considering community college as an option.
Private Two Year Institutions are those that are not funded by state governments but receive financial support from tuition. These schools, like their four year counterparts, are much more expensive than the public institutions. Financial Aid is available to students just as it is for four-year students. These institutions frequently have direct transfer arrangements with prestigious four-year institutions. Graduates can matriculate at four year colleges for which they may not have been qualified for admission right after high school. Some of the advantages of these schools are the class size and individual attention students receive. They often offer help with study skills and for students with learning disabilities they can be a transition between high school and a four-year college. Another advantage is that they often have student housing which a lot of public community colleges lack. Examples of these schools are Landmark College in Virginia and Marymount College in California.
Proprietary Schools (For Profit) are institutions run by private individuals or corporations. These schools offer both non-degree vocational training and degrees. These schools are increasing across the country due to the demand in the fields of healthcare, computer technology, business and criminal justice. The goal of these schools is to educate a person for a specific career. Examples of these schools would be ITT Technology and Bryman Institute.
Four Year Institutions
There are over 2500 four-year post secondary educational institutions in the United States. They vary tremendously by size, location, cost and academic rigor. They all award bachelor degrees in major fields of study chosen by the students.
Publicly funded state four year universities are fully accredited institutions that award bachelor degrees to students who have successfully completed the core curriculum requirements and fulfilled the major requirements for a specific academic subject. The public universities in the state of Washington are: the University of Washington, Washington State University, Western Washington University, Central Washington University, Eastern Washington University and The Evergreen State College.
For state residents, the cost of tuition, room/board and fees averages approximately $20,000 per year at the Washington universities. These costs for non-residents average $35,000 per year.
Private colleges and universities receive most of their funding from non-governmental sources and offer an academic experience comparable to public universities. Some reasons students choose to attend private schools include: academic reputation, religious affiliation, size, location, or course of study. The cost of tuition, room/board, and fees can range from $20,000 to $55,000 per year. These costs, at first glance, are staggering but many private colleges have financial aid departments that are capable of meeting some or all of the financial needs of their students. Examples of private universities are Gonzaga University, the University of Portland, St. Martin’s University, and Seattle University.
Size of the College or University
Colleges and universities range in size from the very small liberal arts college to the very large public university. We are very fortunate that we live in an area where several different sizes of colleges are located. Early in the college search process, it would be wise to visit these local colleges, even if you are not interested in attending the school so that you can get a feel for the differences between the schools. This will help to narrow down the size of college that will be the best learning and social environment for you.
Academic Atmosphere
The academic environment can differ markedly between colleges that may be similar in other aspects. The academics can be challenging, intense, relaxed, supportive, large classes, small classes, taught by professors, taught by graduate students. Some colleges, especially smaller to medium sized liberal arts colleges, have a reputation for the high quality of the education they offer. These colleges often combine a rigorous core curriculum with outstanding academic departments. If you are interested in pursuing a specialized professional education, such as engineering, architecture or nursing, it may be necessary to choose a college that has a strong program in the field. Most high school students don’t know what major they will choose in college so a broad liberal arts program is ideal. Other academic considerations may include honors programs and study abroad programs.
Social Atmosphere
Some of the elements to consider in the social atmosphere are:
- Residential campus or commuter campus—If the campus is deserted on the weekends there will not be many social activities on campus. This could be difficult for a student who has come to college from a long distance and cannot return home every weekend.
- Small, close-knit college town or a large metropolitan center—In the smaller community the college will be the center of all of the social activity for the entire community. The large metropolitan area may have more off-campus activities for students.
- Politically active or politics are not a concern—If involvement in a political campaign is an interest, this would be an important consideration.
- Strong Greek system or no Greek system—If the Greek system is very strong, often the center of social activities on campus will be in the fraternities and sororities.
- Most students come from a local region or students come from a more “national” population
- Single sex or coed student population
- Diverse or similar student population
Housing
Another important factor to consider is the location and type of living arrangements you will have during your college years. The first determination you will need to make is whether you want to live at home or on campus. Even if you decide to go to a college in Seattle, we recommend, if it is financially possible, that you live on-campus. When a freshman lives off-campus he misses much of the total college experience that takes place, spontaneously, in the dorms. It is much more difficult to feel totally connected to a campus if you commute from home.
Dormitories can be single sex, coeducational, by college major, alcohol free, smoking or non-smoking, freshmen only, upper-class only. It is important to find out how many years housing is guaranteed because it is frequently more expensive to live off-campus. Also, if it is necessary to live off-campus, find out if the college helps to find such housing.
Cost
One of the most important considerations may be the cost of your college education. The most selective colleges are also the most expensive. However, it is important to realize there is a wide range of financial aid options and your goal is to find a college where you will receive the education that you desire. The financial aid package that the colleges offer will include a combination of scholarships, grants, and loans.
Athletics and Co-Curricular Activities
If participation in or attending athletic events is important to you, you should be aware that there are many different levels of sports to consider. Participation in varsity sports will be dependent on your ability and recruitment by the college coaches. When considering your ability to become involved in an intercollegiate athletic program, especially if you might like to pursue the possibility of being recruited, it is important that you see your counselor, your coach and the athletic director. Participation in intramural sports is voluntary and can be the most fun you ever have in a sport. To some students it is important to attend a Division I college that has a full complement of athletic teams. To other students, athletic teams hold no interest for them at all.
If you are interested in continuing any of your co-curricular activities, you should investigate their availability on each campus you are considering. If the club or activity is not currently on-campus, most colleges will encourage you to start a new group. Many college representatives are eager to discuss the student organizations that are on campus and their purpose or mission as a student group.
Geographic Location and the Surrounding Community
Some of the things to consider in this category are the size of the city, area of the country, climate, recreational activities in the area, and how close or far from home you want to be. Colleges are located in metropolitan, suburban, small towns and rural locations in the Northwest, South, Midwest, East Coast, and West Coast. If one of your important activities is dependent on a particular environment, and if it is an activity you wish to continue, you will need to find a college close to such an area. And of course, if you want to stay close to home you will have already limited your search area. As with all of these criteria, there are advantages and disadvantages to each choice. It is up to you to determine which choices are the best fit for your individual needs.
Specific/Unique College Applications
The University of Washington
The University of Washington admissions committee reads every application in its entirety. They employ a holistic review of applications and do not utilize the Admission Index system that some of the other public universities in Washington use to determine admissibility. In addition, the University of Washington does not require initial transcripts. The student will report in his application the classes he completed and the grades he earned in those classes. In order to complete this section of the application, Mrs. Eulberg will give you an unofficial transcript that you can use to grid in the classes that you took at O’Dea High School.
The University of Washington does not accept any letters of recommendation so the answers that you compose for their essay questions are the only way that you will have to convey to the Admissions Committee who you are as a person. These essays are extremely important in all applications but they have a significant value in the U of Washington process. Even though some of the questions may say that they are optional, you should answer all of the questions on the University of Washington application.
The University of Washington requires the SAT Test or the ACT test with Writing. They do not require any of the SAT Subject Tests. You must have your test scores sent from the testing company to the University of Washington or your application will not be complete.
If you are accepted to the University of Washington and choose to attend there, we will send a final transcript to them. At that time, your application is verified by cross-checking with your final transcript. Any dishonesty in reporting grades will result in the offer of admission being rescinded. You will receive that notification during the summer and it will not allow time for you to re-apply to any other college so complete the information on the application with great care.
There is an additional application process when you are applying to the Honors program at the University of Washington. They do require letters of recommendation and an initial transcript. Admission to this program is highly competitive. The application due date for the honors program is December 1st.
United States Military Academies
US Air Force Academy
Colorado Springs, Colorado 80840
949-380-5808
US Naval Academy
Annapolis, Maryland 21402
800-327-6289
US Military Academy
West Point
606 Thayer Road
West Point, NY 10996
914-938-4041
Coast Guard Academy
15 Mohegan Lane
New London, Ct. 06320
516-773-5000
US Merchant Marine Academy
300 Steamboat Road
Kings Point, NY 11024
800-444-8501
The application procedures for The United States Military Academies differ among the academies but these general guidelines should assist you with the admission process. The entire process is much more involved and should begin in the spring of your junior year. Your first step should be to go to the websites and request information. This will notify the Academy of your interest and you will be included in their mailing list. The application process should be started in spring of your junior year. You must request a nomination from your State Senators and from the Congressional Representative for your district for all of the academies except the Coast Guard Academy.
If you receive an academy appointment, you will receive a full scholarship for tuition, room & board, and any fees. You will also receive a stipend each month to meet the expenses of books, supplies, clothing and personal expenses. In exchange, you will have a military obligation after graduation from the academy. If you are seriously interested in applying to any of the academies, you should investigate the summer programs for high school students that are available on each academy’s campus. If you have an interest in attending any of the military academies, please see Mrs. Eulberg in the Counseling Office for further information.