Wheaton College selects candidates for admission from applicants who evidence a vital Christian experience, high academic ability, moral character, personal integrity, concern for others, and the desire to pursue a liberal arts education as defined in the aims and objectives of the College.

The College seeks to enroll, from its many applicants, a well-rounded freshman class—a class composed of about 590 dynamic individuals with a wide variety of attributes, accomplishments, backgrounds, and interests.

These qualities are evaluated by considering each applicant's academic record, autobiographical statements, test scores, recommendations, participation in extracurricular activities, and interview report (should the applicant choose to have one). An audition is required for Conservatory applicants. Art students are encouraged to submit a portfolio.

Secondary School Record

Applicants should have followed a challenging college preparatory curriculum. Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate courses are encouraged, if available. Applicants are expected to have a high school diploma or the equivalent. Homeschooled students should meet the unit requirements listed below.

A minimum of 18 units should be earned in high school. (A unit is one full year of a subject). Only courses taken in grades 9-12 are counted. An applicant should plan to complete at least 14 units by the end of the junior year.

Of the 18 units, 15 must be earned in the academic areas of English, social studies, mathematics, science, and foreign language. Applicants will be expected to have completed at least two years of one foreign language.

Courses that meet the Unit Requirements:

English	4 units recommended
Examples: grammar, literature, composition, speech, debate, forensics, writing

Mathematics	3-4 units recommended
Examples: algebra, geometry, algebra II, trigonometry, analytic geometry, precalculus, calculus, math analysis

Science	3-4 units recommended
Examples: biology, chemistry, physics, earth science, physical science, geology, astronomy

Social Studies	3-4 units recommended
Examples: world history, global studies, U.S. history, western/world civilization, European/African/Asian history, geography, psychology, economics, political science, government, sociology, philosophy

Foreign Language	2-3 units recommended
Examples: French, German, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, Italian, Latin

Other
Examples: accounting, art history/survey/appreciation, Bible/religion, business, child development, communications, computer science, consumer education, drama, ESL, family living, general math, journalism, marketing, music history/theory/appreciation, pre-algebra.

No units are granted for health and activity courses such as physical education, driver education, or vocational courses. A maximum of one unit of computer science may be counted toward the 18 units.

Homeschooled applicants are asked to submit some additional curricular information. Early in the application process, a homeschooled applicant should request the homeschool packet.

Students who are in an accelerated program in high school and who can complete all requirements for a diploma and Wheaton entrance requirements in three years may be considered for admission. They must satisfy all Wheaton's requirements for admission, including the 18 units of coursework and assurance that a diploma will be granted before enrollment at Wheaton. They must also demonstrate exceptional academic ability as evidenced by grades and test scores and display sufficient maturity to perform at the college level.

In recent years, the average unweighted grade point average of students accepted for admission has been 3.7 on a 4.0 scale. Over 50% of these applicants graduated in the top 10% in their class. These figures are not minimums, but are provided to give a general profile of the freshman class.

Entrance Tests

Satisfactory scores on the Scholastic Assessment Test of the College Entrance Examination Board (SAT) or the American College Testing Assessment Program (ACT) are required of all applicants to the freshman class and transfers who, at the time of application, have not completed 60 semester hours of college credit. Wheaton's code number is 1905 for the SAT; 1160 for the ACT. All test scores must be sent directly from the testing service. All entering freshmen are required to take the SAT or ACT with the writing section. Freshmen applying for Early Action must take the ACT no later than the September test date of their senior year, or take the SAT no later than the October test date of their senior year. Freshmen applying for Regular Action must take the SAT or ACT no later than the December test date of their senior year.

Recommendations

The following are required:

Recommendation by an academic teacher (English, social science, science, math, or foreign language).

Recommendation by a pastor, youth pastor, former pastor, Bible study leader, church official, or other mature Christian. This person should be a mature Christian adult who has had the opportunity to observe the student's spiritual life, and should not be a relative.

Conservatory applicants must also request a recommendation from one of their music teachers.

Please refer to the recommendation forms in the application packet for specific instructions.

Community Covenant

www.wheaton.edu/welcome/aboutus_community.html

The Community Covenant is designed to express the Christian convictions, aspirations, commitments, and responsibilities shared by the members of the Wheaton College campus family. All students enrolling in Wheaton College will be required to sign the Community Covenant published in this catalog and in the admissions application.

Interview

An admission interview is optional. Interviews will be conducted while time slots are available, up to November 1 for Early Action applicants and through February 1 for Regular Action applicants. To facilitate Early Action admissions decisions, no interviews will be conducted during the month of November. Please keep in mind that interview appointments are limited and often fill up a few weeks before the application deadline.

Application Procedures

Freshmen (may apply for fall semester only)

Decisions are made two times during the year. Students who apply for Early Action, which is non-binding, receive their decision letters by December 31. Students who apply for Regular Action receive their decision letters by April 1. For information on deadline dates for Early Action and Regular Action, as well as for applying to the Conservatory, consult the current year’s application at www.wheaton.edu/admissions/undgrad. Applications submitted after the deadline dates cannot be guaranteed equal consideration with those submitted on time.

All students accepted for fall semester have until May 1 to submit an enrollment confirmation and $300 advance deposit. May 1 is the nationally recognized candidate reply date.

A student must complete the following steps to be considered for admission to Wheaton as a freshman:

File a completed Wheaton College application form along with a nonrefundable application fee.

Request that their secondary school send an official transcript of credits, including grade point average and the rank in class at the end of the junior year. The transcript must include work through the junior year and contain the freshman year record. If you have attended more than one high school, you must request a transcript from each school. Transcripts must be sent directly from the school or in a signed and sealed school envelope.

Have the Academic Recommendation form completed by an academic teacher.

Arrange for a pastor, youth pastor, former pastor, Bible study leader, church official, or other mature Christian to complete the Pastoral Recommendation on the form provided.

Take the SAT or the ACT including the writing section and have the score reports sent to the Admissions Office directly from the testing agency. The application for admission may be submitted before taking the tests. Please note that if you are applying for Early Action, you must take the ACT test no later than the September test date of your senior year, or take the SAT test no later than the October test date of your senior year. If you are applying for Regular Action, you must take the SAT or ACT test no later than the December test date of your senior year.

Enrolling students must request a final official transcript from their school as soon as possible, reflecting senior year credits, grades, final class rank, and date of graduation. Final transcripts must come directly from the school. Students are expected to satisfactorily complete all coursework in which they are enrolled at the time of acceptance.

Accepted students will be sent a health report form, which must be completed and submitted to Student Health Services before enrollment.

Conservatory of Music

The Conservatory of Music is a department of the Division of Conservatory, Art and Communication at Wheaton College. Those wishing to pursue a Bachelor of Music or Bachelor of Music Education degree should use the Conservatory of Music application available online. Those wishing to pursue a Bachelor of Arts degree in music should complete the online application to the Liberal Arts College. The deadline for applications is January 10 for the following academic year. A student must apply either to the Conservatory of Music or to the Arts and Sciences division of the College, but not both. Applicants to the Conservatory should refer to the section in this catalog for the Conservatory of Music. Additional requirements for admission and the procedure for applying to the Conservatory will be found in that section.

Transfer Students

Transfers should apply the previous spring for fall semester and the previous fall for spring semester. For information on deadline dates, consult thetransfer student portion of our website at http://www.wheaton.edu/Admissions-and-Aid/Undergrad/Prospective-Students/Transfer-Applicants. Typically Wheaton has about 70-90 openings for the fall semester and 20-30 for the spring. Beginning in March (for fall) and November (for spring), admission is offered on a rolling basis. Applications submitted after the deadline dates cannot be guaranteed equal consideration.

Wheaton College does not accept freshman transfers. A transfer must complete a minimum of a full year of college work prior to transferring. In order to apply as a transfer student, an applicant should have first graduated from high school and subsequently completed a minimum of one semester of full-time work (earned at least 15 semester hours or 22 quarter hours) at an accredited postsecondary institution. In order to apply for spring semester, the student must have earned at least 30 semester hours of credit at the time of application. The student should have at least a B average and be in good standing at the school last attended. Credit is granted for work of satisfactory grade (C-) taken in accredited schools, provided courses apply toward the Wheaton program. Junior college students may transfer up to two years (62 semester hours) of credit. A maximum of 30 semester hours of accredited work earned by correspondence or extension may be applied toward Wheaton requirements.

Students applying for transfer to Wheaton must complete the following steps:

File a completed application form along with a nonrefundable application fee.

Request that the secondary school send a transcript of credits, including a statement of graduation. Transcripts must come directly from the school.

Request transcripts from all postsecondary institutions attended, whether or not credit was earned. Transcripts must be sent directly from the school or in a signed and sealed school envelope.

Have the Academic Recommendation from the application packet completed by a professor or faculty advisor at the previous college.

Arrange for a pastor, youth pastor, former pastor, Bible study leader, church official, or other mature Christian to complete the Pastor's Recommendation from the application packet.

Have the SAT or ACT scores sent to Wheaton directly from the testing agency. Students who have earned at least 60 semester hours of credit at the time of application are not required to submit test scores.

If accepted, students are required to send an advance deposit of $300 by the date stated in the admission letter. (See section on advance deposit.)

Enrolling students must also submit final transcripts of college work as soon as it is completed. Final transcripts must come directly from the school. Students are expected to satisfactorily complete all course work in which they are enrolled at the time of acceptance.

In addition, a health report form must be completed and submitted to Student Health Services before enrollment.

Re-admission

When a matriculated student withdraws from Wheaton and desires to return, a Returning Student Application must be submitted to the Admissions Office. Application deadlines for students applying for re-admission are the previous spring for fall and summer, and the previous fall for spring. For information on deadline dates, consult the current year’s application. Readmission is not guaranteed; however, preference is given to returning students based on the number of openings in a given semester. Students are advised to submit the application and supporting documents well in advance of their desired date of reenrollment.

If the student has attended another college since leaving Wheaton, an official transcript of all courses taken must be sent to the Admissions Office. Upon acceptance, readmitted students are required to submit a $300 advance deposit. Housing requests will not be processed until the advance deposit has been received by the Admissions Office.

If a student has not been enrolled for ten years or more and is readmitted into a degree program ten years from initial enrollment, the requirements listed in the catalog for the year of readmission must be met for graduation. Such students may file an Academic Petition with the Petitions Subcommittee of the Educational Policies and Curriculum Committee to extend degree completion beyond the ten-year limit. Students also may petition departments to be allowed to use credits more than ten years old to meet requirements of the newer catalog.

International Students

Qualified international students of high scholastic standing are invited to apply for admission to the College. Applications will be accepted from international students for fall semester only. The application deadline for undergraduate international applicants is January 10.

These requirements apply to all international students and to U.S. residents whose native language is not English. English proficiency is required and may be demonstrated by meeting one of the following qualifications:

The applicant receives at least the required minimum scores on the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language). For information on the required minimum scores, consult the current year’s application at www.wheaton.edu/admissions/undgrad.

The applicant is a native speaker of English and is a citizen of the USA, Great Britain, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, or the British West Indies. In this case, SAT or ACT scores (with the writing test) are required instead.

The applicant has studied as a full-time student in one of the countries mentioned above within the last two years (or at an international school where English is the language used in classroom teaching) has taken at least one English class with a grade of B or better, and has a good academic record at the school attended. In this case, SAT or ACT scores (with the writing test) are required instead.

NOTE: We must receive official score reports directly from the testing service.

Scores must be no more than two years old. If a student took the exam more than two years ago, it must be taken again. Students who do not meet the minimum English proficiency requirements will not be admitted.

United States immigration laws require the College to verify the ability of international students to pay all tuition and living expenses for the time they are studying in the U.S. Therefore, all international applicants are required to submit the International Student Certification of Finances form in order to verify adequate financial support. An admission decision will not be given until the completed form has been received.

In order for the applicant to receive the Certificate of Eligibility (Immigration form I-20) required for all foreign students entering the United States, the following conditions must be met:

The applicant must be formally admitted to the College as a full-time student.

The applicant must complete a Certification of Finances form to verify adequate financial support according to the budget the College requires for the entire length of study, including support for all dependents. Canadians must demonstrate adequate financial support for the same.

When these conditions have been met, the Certificate of Eligibility (I-20) will be issued to the student. Without issuance of the I-20, a student will not be allowed to enroll at Wheaton College.

Selection Process

Admission Decisions

The selection of candidates for admission to Wheaton College is made by an Admissions Committee. Notification dates are listed in the application, or in the above section pertaining to your application type. For fall admission, all applicants with completed files should have received a decision letter by early April.

Waiting List

In April, some candidates will be notified that they have been placed on a waiting list. In the event that cancellations from those offered admission create openings in the class, those openings will be offered to candidates on the waiting list.

Advance Deposit

An advance deposit of $300 must be submitted with the Enrollment Confirmation Form to accept admission to the College or Conservatory of Music. The deposit is not refundable after the deadline and is forfeited if the student does not enroll. Upon enrollment, the deposit is credited toward tuition.

Deadlines for submitting the advance deposit are as follows: May 1 for the fall semester and December 1 for the spring semester. If the deposit is not received by the above deadline, the student’s spot in the class may be forfeited to a candidate on the waiting list.

Test Information and Credit

Competency and SAT Subject Tests

Competency in the areas of foreign language, mathematics, speech, and writing should be demonstrated through the testing programs listed below. If competency is not demonstrated, the course or courses become part of the general education requirement. (See General Education Requirements for specific competency requirements.)

Foreign Language - Competency exam administered on campus if a student does not demonstrate competency through SAT Subject Tests, AP, or IB exams. For languages not taught at Wheaton, exam availability may vary;

Mathematics - Competency exam administered on campus;

Oral Communication - Test administered on campus;

Writing - See Writing under the English section of this catalog.

The SAT Subject Tests are not used in the admissions process but may be useful for the possibility of waiving some general education requirements. Students should arrange with their guidance counselors to take the tests sometime during their senior year, preferably no later than May. For further information on competency, see the General Education Requirements section of this catalog.

Note: If an Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate course and exam are taken, the SAT Subject Test is not necessary.

Additional information will be sent to accepted freshmen.

Advanced Standing — Credit by Examination

A student may be granted advanced standing or college credit on the basis of examination. The amount of credit and level of placement will be determined by the Registrar and the department chair in which the course is taught. Credit for advanced standing can be acquired by the following means:

Advanced Placement Program of the College Board with scores of 3, 4, or 5. AP credit will be forfeited if an equivalent college course is taken for credit;

International Baccalaureate courses with grades of 5 or higher;

Certain foreign credentials;

Department examinations which are administered by several of the academic departments at Wheaton College.

Additional information will be sent to accepted freshmen.

Acceptance of Degrees and Credits

The College reserves the right to decide the acceptability and relevance of degrees and credits earned at other institutions. The Registrar is responsible for specifying the criteria and condition for the acceptance of such degrees and credits. College credit taken before the freshman year in high school will not be considered for transfer to Wheaton College.

Graduation Rate Information

As prospective students consider which college to attend, they often question what graduates do after graduation and how many students who start a degree program actually complete it. Of the 602 freshmen who enrolled at Wheaton for the 2010 fall semester, 95% returned to Wheaton for the 2011 fall semester. Of the 578 freshmen who enrolled for the 2005 fall semester, 85% graduated from Wheaton in four years, 86% within five years, and 87% within six years.

Within five years of graduation, appx. 57% of Wheaton graduates have gone on to some form of graduate study.

This information is being provided as a service to students and in compliance with the Federal Student Right-to-Know Act.

Revision Date: June 1, 2012

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