College application process

College Application Checklist: Use this for all of the required steps when applying for College. Click the active blue active links!  

An important part of Academic Advising is understanding and meeting, not only the High School Graduation Requirements, but different College Admission Requirements. Four Year Colleges have a higher standard and more requirements that exceed High School Graduation Requirements than 2 Year or Community Colleges. We work with students to understand the differences between them and plan for both Graduation and Post-High School in order to maximize their time here at Olympic and have a full, enriching high school career. 

Know the WA State 4 Year College Admission Requirements

Washington State's College Academic Distribution Requirements (CADRs) are the minimum high school course credits required for admission to Washington's public four-year universities, including: 

• • English: 4 credits, of which 3 credits must include Composition & Literature, while only 1 credit may be Elective English, like Debate, Journalism, Theater.

  • Mathematics: 3 credits, including at least Algebra 2, AND a senior-year math-based quantitative course (such as Statistics, Bridge to College Math, AP Comp Science or an algebra-based Science course such as Chem, Physics. Completion of math beyond Algebra II prior to senior year, meets both the math and senior year quantitative requirements.

  • Science: 3 credits, with at least two of them being lab-based science, and 1.0 credit must be Algebra-based like Chemistry or Physics.

  • World Languages: 2 credits in the same world language, such as American Sign Language (ASL), French, Spanish, or Latin 

  • Arts: 1 credit in fine, visual, or performing arts, such as art, music, or drama 

  • Social Science: 3 credits in history or social sciences like economics, psychology, or sociology 

• Find out where all the WA Colleges are located!

• Know the differences between 2 Yr & 4 Yr Colleges in cost, deadlines, admissions selectivity, class & campus sizes, types of degrees etc. It matters! Remember, although private colleges do cost more, but they have A LOT more scholarships available for qualifying applicants!

• Letters of recommendation are not required for all college applications. Check each college's specific admissions requirements. Some colleges, like the University of Washington (UW), do not require them at all, while others may ask for them. They may be required for scholarships too. 

• Choose an adult to write your letter who knows you well and can speak highly of your personality, interests, strengths, and accomplishments. This could be a teacher, a school counselor, coach, supervisor from a job, internship or volunteer position, or a community leader.

• Ask well in advance & provide information about yourself to the recommender. Try the template below. Open, make a copy, add info & share.