First Year Students
Put together the strongest application possible and get the help you need along the way.
We’re glad you’re applying to Willamette, and we’ll do everything we can to help you stay on track. Keep in mind that the sooner you apply, the sooner you’ll have all the information you need to finalize your college decision. Feel free to reach out to us anytime — we’re here to help!
We offer test-optional admission, and we use the Common Application exclusively to streamline the process.
Steps to complete your application:
Early Action
- Common Application due by November 15
- All required supporting materials received by December 1
- Receive an admission decision by December 30
- Enrollment deposit due by May 1
- Early Action is non-binding, meaning that you are not committing yourself to attend Willamette by applying early, and you have until May 1 to make a final enrollment decision.
Early Decision
- Common Application due by November 15
- All required supporting materials received by December 1
- Receive an admission decision by December 30
- Enrollment deposit due by January 15
- Early Decision represents a binding commitment to enroll should an offer of admission be extended.
Regular Decision
- Common Application due by February 1
- All required supporting materials received by February 8
- Receive an admission decision by March 1
- Enrollment deposit due by May 1
Spring Entry
- Common Application and all required supporting material received by November 1
- Receive an admission decision by November 19
- Enrollment deposit due by December 10
NOTE: The Admission committee reserves the right to delay an admission decision if additional materials or grades are deemed necessary.
Willamette is a Common Application exclusive institution. We use the Common Application because it collects a broad range of academic and extracurricular activity of potential Bearcats and simplifies the process for our applicants.
Apply for Admission
Counselors submit official transcripts through the Common Application. Your senior grades must be submitted as soon as they are available. To ensure adequate academic preparation for success in Willamette’s rigorous curriculum, we recommend the following pattern of secondary school coursework:
- Four years of English
- Four years of mathematics (including algebra, geometry and trigonometry)
- Four years of social science coursework
- Three to four years of lab-based science coursework
- Three to four years of a foreign language
Counselors may submit School Report Forms and Recommendations through the Common Application.
Willamette offers test-optional admission, but if you do decide to report your standardized test scores then you must submit your official score report(s). Please note that students attending secondary schools that print SAT and/or ACT scores on official transcripts do not need to submit score reports from either testing agency.
If you take the SAT and/or ACT more than once, the Admission Committee will review your highest scores from each section, resulting in what is widely known as a superscore.
Letter(s) of recommendation may be submitted by your teachers (preferably English, math, science or history) through the Common Application.
Transfer Students
Wherever you are on your educational journey, we'll provide the resources you need to make a smooth transition to Willamette.
Thanks for your interest in applying to Willamette! If you have graduated from high school, or have a completed GED, and have or will receive college-level credit from an accredited institution, then you qualify as a transfer student. Review the information below and let us know if you have any questions.
Transfer Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, and enrollment deadlines are determined at the point of admission. Once all of your credentials are received, the Admission Committee will review your application for admission. Photographs and copies of official documents submitted by the applicant cannot be accepted.
Note: If you are graduating from high school this year and are dually enrolled in an early start program with your high school and a partnering college, please apply as a first-year student. Not sure if you are a transfer student? Contact us at 503-370-6303 or bearcat@willamette.edu.
Steps to complete your application:
Spring Entry
- Transfer Common Application and all required supporting material received by November 1
- Receive an admission decision by November 19
- Enrollment deposit due by December 10
Fall Entry
- Transfer Common Application and all required supporting materials due by April 15
- Enrollment deposit due by May 1
Rolling Admission
- Applicants are welcome to apply to transfer after April 15 on a rolling basis before July 29
- Enrollment deposit due two weeks from receiving an offer of admission
NOTE: The Admission committee reserves the right to delay an admission decision if additional materials or grades are deemed necessary.
Willamette is a Common Application exclusive institution. We use the Common Application because it collects a broad range of academic and extracurricular activity of potential Bearcats and simplifies the process for our applicants.
Apply for Admission
Please refer to the Common Application instructions for submitting college transcripts. We need a transcript from each institution you have attended. If you are in your first term of college and are applying to transfer the following term, please submit a Mid-Term Report. This form can be downloaded directly from the Common Application.
Please note that transcripts must be sent directly from the institution to our office. The Common Application allows you to self-disclose grades, however that must be accompanied by an official transcript. We cannot accept transcripts from students directly and still consider them official. Transcripts can be emailed to bearcat@willamette.edu or mailed to Willamette University, Office of Admission, 900 State Street, Salem OR, 97301.
If you have one or more years of college credit post-high school graduation or after acquiring your GED, you do not need to submit your high school transcript for the admission evaluation process. Please note that to enroll in your second semester of courses, you will need to provide certification of high school completion and/or GED certification. If you do not have over a year of college credit, please email bearcat@willamette.edu for more information.
In order to submit your common application, you must list one academic recommender. However please note that it is an optional requirement for Willamette, meaning that we will move forward with the admission evaluation process with or without the recommendation.
International Students
We welcome applications from citizens of other countries.
We appreciate your interest in applying to Willamette University, and we value the richness and diversity that international students bring to our campus.
Once all of your credentials are received, the Admission Committee will review your application for admission. Upon admission to Willamette University, a $500 deposit is required to accept and reserve your place in the class.
Please feel free to reach out to the Office of Admission if you have any questions, and take some time to review the services of the Office of International Education. We look forward to getting to know you throughout the application process.
Steps to complete your application:
For Spring Semester Admission
- Your application and additional materials due by November 1
- Receive an admission decision by December 1
- Enrollment deposit due by January 1
For Fall Semester Admission
- Common application due by February 1
- All required supporting materials received by February 8
- Receive an admission decision by March 1
- Enrollment deposit due by May 1
Willamette is a Common Application only institution. We use the Common Application because it collects a rich trove of academic and extracurricular information on potential Bearcats and makes the process as easy as possible for our applicants.
Apply for Admission
Official copies of all records of secondary and post-secondary academic work.
Your records should include:
- Yearly secondary school records that indicate courses taken and grades/marks received.
- Official documents verifying all secondary examination results and the awarding of all secondary school diplomas/certificates, including the title and date conferred; these should be in the issuing language and accompanied by a certified, exact English translation where applicable.
- For transfer candidates only. Yearly records from each post-secondary institution or university attended that indicate the number of lecture and/or laboratory hours taken per course per week and the grade/mark received in each course.
Counselors may submit School Report Forms and Recommendations through the Common Application.
Willamette offers test-optional admission. If you choose not to submit SAT or ACT test scores as an international applicant, you are required to schedule an interview with a member of our admission staff. If you decide to include a standardized test score, please send your official scores from either the SAT I or the ACT.
A letter of recommendation should be sent from one of your teachers (English, math, science or history). This letter should be written on your high school's letterhead, and should include your full legal name.
If your native language is not English, Willamette University requires you to submit scores from one of the following tests. Scores can be sent directly from the testing agency to the university. These tests can be waived if the primary language of instruction at your high school has been English.
Willamette University will recognize completion of Level 5 coursework from Pacific International Academy as proof of English language proficiency.
Willamette University’s Minimum Score Requirements
- TOEFL:
- 560 (paper-based)
- 220 (computer-based)
- 83 (Internet-based)
- IELTS: 6.5
- PTE: 60
- Duolingo: 105
You must include a copy of the photo identification page of your passport as required by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
The Financial Guarantee Statement must be completed in conjunction with supporting documentation of financial resources. Applicants must demonstrate that they and their family can cover the total cost of the first year of attendance.
The Financial Guarantee Statement is available in the applicant status page
after the student has been admitted.
Mailed documents may be sent to the following address:
Willamette University
CAS Admission Office
900 State Street
Salem, OR 97301
Fax: +1-503-375-5363
