W&J is nestled amongst the rolling hills of western Pennsylvania in the city of Washington, a community of more than 15,000 people. Our campus is situated just 50 km/30 miles southwest of Pittsburgh. Few cities of any size match Pittsburgh’s offerings in the performing and visual arts, world-class museums, and variety of restaurants. Students can easily travel to Pittsburgh on the Pipeline – a shuttle running directly from campus into downtown Pittsburgh. For more information, check out the City of Washington’s website or the Visit Pittsburgh website.

The college is located 50km from the Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT). Pittsburgh is within a 90-minute flight of 70 percent of North America’s population. Information on transportation to the W&J campus, lodging, and more is available on the Visit Campus page.

Robert Adkins, dean of admission, welcomes emails from international students. He is also available to Skype with students, but you should contact him by email to schedule a time to Skype.

Although an interview is not required, W&J encourages all students to have a conversation with an admission counselor. W&J is able to offer a limited number of Skype meetings to international students. These meetings give you the opportunity to tell us about yourself, your interests, accomplishments, and your interest in W&J. It is also an excellent opportunity for you to ask questions and get to know W&J on a more personal level. A meeting with an admission counselor is not required to apply to W&J and you will not be at a disadvantage if you choose not to schedule this meeting.

Do you offer athletic scholarships? Need-based aid? Merit Aid? W&J provides partial tuition merit scholarships to academically talented international students. W&J does not offer need-based aid to non-US citizens/permanent residents. As an NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) Division III institution, W&J does not award athletic scholarships. Please note that non-US citizens applying for admission must provide proof of funds available for their education – this documentation is necessary to acquire a U.S. visa and therefore is a part of the admissions process. Please complete this Certification Of Financial Support (PDF) or submit other supporting documents. Students relying on a loan to cover any portion of their expenses must provide documentation of a loan pre-approval before an I-20 can be issued. It is recommended that the loan process be completed by July 1. Supporting documents may include (but are not limited to):

• A bank statement signed by a bank official showing available funds
• A letter from an employer verifying income
• Letter of financial support from sponsor program or loan agency

Students who are certain that W&J is the school they will attend if admitted should consider applying Early Decision. Students will receive notification a little over a month after the deadline, provided that they have submitted a complete application and all supporting credentials. Early Decision is a binding agreement, and so if a student applying Early Decision is accepted to W&J, he will withdraw all other applications and enroll at W&J. Early Action is a non-binding agreement and is recommended for students who are very interested in W&J and would like to receive an admission decision earlier in the year than they would if applying Regular Decision.

The deadlines and notification dates are:

Early Decision (binding) Application Deadline: December 15 
Early Action (nonbinding) Application Deadline: January 15
Regular Decision (nonbinding) Application Deadline: March 1

You do not have to send all your documents together. Please note, however, that we will not process an application until it is complete.

Students whose first language is not English must submit some form of testing to provide evidence of their English proficiency. TOEFL and IELTS are the preferred tests, though you may contact us about submitting another form of testing such as ELPT. These tests may be waived if you submit SAT scores with a critical reading score above 600. W&J does not have a minimum TOEFL score, but we typically look for a score of 580 or higher on the paper-based test, 233 or higher on the computer-based exam, or 85 on the iBT. For the IELTS we generally look for scores of 6.5 or higher out of 9. The ETS code for W&J is 2967.

You may apply using the W&J Leadership Application or the Common Application. Please note that all official documents/credentials must be translated, preferably by an official agency if the originals are not in English.

At W&J we understand that there are some cultures where it is common for someone to prepare all your application materials. However, that is not necessary – we just want to know about you, and the best way for us to get to know you is through an application you have prepared yourself. You know yourself best!

Depending on the educational system and norms in your country you might choose to submit a recommendation from a head teacher, a tutor, head master, or another teacher.

W&J would prefer to receive original documents but understands that this is not always possible. If you cannot send originals, please have your school counselor or headmaster verify their authenticity with their signature and school stamp/seal (if applicable). You may also take them to a Fulbright or EducationUSA office for verification. Find an EducationUSA advising center near you.

Washington & Jefferson College no longer requires applicants to submit standardized test scores (SAT or ACT) as a part of the admission process. Testing is only one of many measures of potential academic success and often not the strongest. View our full score-optional policy. Students who choose to apply Score Optional will be given full consideration, with no disadvantage for admission.

While we strive to create an active community of learners and doers, we understand that not all schools are able to offer extracurricular activities. If you have been active in a club, played a sport, held a job, served in the community, or wish to tell us more about your accomplishments, you may submit a CV detailing your involvement. However it is not a requirement. We do not encourage you to submit certificates of extracurricular achievements, i.e. certificates of participation in Model UN, Math Olympiads, etc.

Yes, W&J welcomes applications from international transfer students. If you have completed at least a semester of courses at university level, you should apply as a transfer student. The Registrar will decide which courses will receive credit for transfer. Please note that if you have already completed a university degree, you cannot apply for admission to W&J.

Students who successfully complete an International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma with 5, 6, or 7 on the higher level exams may receive consideration for credit. Read more about our IB Policy. Advanced (A-Level) courses of C or higher will receive consideration for credit on an individual evaluation. A minimum score of a four on an advance-placement (AP) exam is necessary for any consideration of credit or placement to be given.

W&J does not have a core curriculum, but does have certain General Education Requirements. For more information view the W&J College Catalog.

Yes, campus housing is guaranteed and required all four years. About 90 percent of students live on campus. Curious? Take a look at some our housing options!

The best way to get in touch with W&J students is through our Facebook page. You may also email Robert Adkins, dean of admission, for names and email addresses of international students who are willing to answer your questions.

We will do our best to notify you within 2 weeks of receiving your completed application, regardless of which application plan you choose.

All international students are required to be enrolled in our insurance plan, currently offered through CISI. Students will typically be billed at during the fall semester for the entire year. The plan costs approximately $115 per month. Insurance provider, plan and costs are subject to change. Please feel free to email studyabroad@washjeff.edu with questions or for a copy of the current brochure.