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Whitman College is an excellent choice for international students who desire a rigorous liberal arts education that will prepare them for graduate school or professional school as well as careers in all fields. A vibrant community of 63 international students at Whitman College play a significant role in the diversity of the Whitman community.
In the 2006 - 2007 school year students from the following countries are enrolled at Whitman:
If you haven’t explored our website yet to learn more about Whitman College please click here to learn more about Whitman. From here you can access a variety of information about Whitman, including a virtual campus tour. From the List of Majors you can follow links to detailed information about each department. If at anytime you have specific questions please e-mail Victoria Lidzbarski, International Admission Coordinator.
Whitman utilizes the Common Application as its application for admission for all students. All applicants must also complete the Whitman Personal Supplement. There are four ways international applicants can apply using the Common Application:
A completed Common Application for admission to the College includes: an official transcript of the secondary school report, a School Report completed by the applicant’s secondary school counselor, an academic recommendation from a secondary school teacher, a Personal Supplement, a nonrefundable application fee of $50, and official SAT (Scholastic Assessment Test) I scores.
While there is no required minimum SAT I scores to be considered for admission, competitive international applicants will score 600 or higher on each of the subsets of the SAT I Test.
SAT II subject test scores are not required. However, if you take any SAT II subject tests, please submit your scores.
The SAT I, administered by the College Board, is not offered in the People’s Republic of China; therefore, it is not required for students applying from China.
All international applicants must submit an official score from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). A minimum TOEFL score of 85 (for the internet-based exam) or 560 (for the paper-based exam) is required. The institution code for sending your TOEFL score to Whitman is 4951. All international applicants to the College must be proficient in written and spoken English to ensure their academic success at the College.
To determine when the SAT I and TOEFL exams are offered in your area visit the College Board website and the Educational Testing Service website.
International applicants who are applying for financial aid may not apply for Early Decision or spring term admission.
All credentials must be received by the Office of Admission at Whitman College no later than January 15.
International admission to Whitman is highly selective. We admit only 10% of the international students who apply to the College. For this reason, the Admission Committee pays close attention to a student’s “fit” for the College. The Admission Committee closely considers whether the applicant understands the value of a liberal arts education and that their academic and extra curricular pursuits are a match for the unique learning community at Whitman.
Interviews for International Applicants
The Whitman Admission Committee offers interviews to international applicants in select locations. To determine if a member of the Admission Committee will be traveling in your area and offering interviews please visit http://www.whitman.edu/admission/travel/ and click on international travel.
As our international travel is limited and we do not offer phone interviews for international applicants living outside of the United States, very few international applicants have the opportunity to interview with a member of the Admission Committee. If you do not have the opportunity to interview, it will not disadvantage your application.
Information for Canadian Applicants
International Transfer Applicants
The Whitman Admission Committee will consider applications from international transfer students currently enrolled in colleges and universities abroad or at a U.S. college or university. However, it is important to note that international admission to the College is highly selective. Whitman admits only 10% of the international students who apply to the College, and priority is given to students who are applying after completing their secondary education with the intention of completing their first undergraduate degree at Whitman in four years. As space in the class and funding for international students is limited, the Admission Committee focuses its efforts on students who will be members of the community for a full four years.
If you do apply as an international transfer student you must complete the Common Application for Transfers available on our website for transfer applicants and the International Application for Financial Aid and the Certification of Finances available on this website.
Visiting International Scholars
The curriculum at Whitman is not designed for international students seeking a second college degree. However, students with the means to pay the full cost of attending Whitman for one year, US$40,036, may submit a special application to enroll at the College as a Visiting Scholar for one year. If you are interested please contact Victoria Lidzbarski, International Admission Coordinator.
The application fee is US$50. It should be sent along with your application in the form of a check, bank draft, or money order in U.S. currency. If you apply on-line through Whitman’s web site you will need to pay by credit card. If you apply on-line through the Common Application web site you will need to mail your check, bank draft, or money order along with the Personal Supplement immediately after submitting the on-line application. The application fee is non-refundable. We realize that the application fee may be a hardship for some students. You can request a fee waiver by sending a letter from an official at your school, bank, or parent’s employer testifying to the financial hardship the application fee poses.
Financial Aid and Scholarships
Whitman College does offer scholarships to international students. All applicants to Whitman College, regardless of financial circumstances, are considered for the Whitman Academic Scholarships, also known as merit scholarships. These awards range between US$6,000 to US$10,000 per year and are renewable for four years.
International Student Scholarships are also available. Competition for these scholarships is very keen. In a typical year we offer 25 scholarships from a pool of approximately 300 international applicants. Scholarships are awarded to the top 25 applicants based upon their academic and extra curricular achievements in secondary school. We do not regularly offer international scholarships to transfer students.
Once a student is selected to receive a scholarship the actual amount awarded will vary depending upon the student’s financial need. For the 2007 - 2008 school year international student scholarship awards ranged between US$2,500 and US$40,036. The full cost of attending Whitman for the 2007 - 2008 school year is approximately US$40,036 for international students. This includes tuition, fees, room, board, health insurance, and a US$1,450 estimate for books and supplies. The awards are for four years of study, and will increase slightly each year as the cost of tuition changes. Students and families are encouraged to fill out the International Application for Financial Aid and the Certification of Finances carefully and accurately. You and your family should consider the larger picture of all four years of study in the United States including transportation costs. Our budget for international student aid is limited and our ability to increase your scholarship other than to cover the increase in tuition each year is extremely limited.
Most international students work on-campus while attending school. Under U.S. law you can work up to 20 hours per week while classes are in session and up to 40 hours per week during holidays and breaks. About half of our international students remain on campus during the summer to work and earn the funds necessary to help pay for their education. During the school year you can earn approximately US$2,500 and an additional US$4,000 during the summer.
United World College Graduates
Whitman College is proud to be a partner with the Davis United World College Scholars Program. The Davis Scholarship program contributes $10,000 each year for four years to each entering UWC graduate at Whitman. Ten UWC graduates are enrolled at Whitman College from the following UWC campuses:
Financial Aid Application and Certification
All international applicants must complete the College Board International Student Financial Aid Application and Certification. Students who do not need financial assistance are also required to complete these forms because they contain information necessary for issuance of the I-20. You can obtain a copy of these forms by contacting the Office of Admission or you can download them as .pdf files below.
| International Financial Aid Application International Certification of Finances |
 The free Adobe Acrobat Reader is required to read these files. |
International students at Whitman College must maintain a valid F-1 visa, commonly known as the Student Visa. To obtain a visa, visit a U.S. embassy or consulate in your home country or country of residence. You must present a valid passport, admission documents from Whitman, and an I-20 form. The I-20 is issued to you by Whitman College after you have indicated your intention to attend Whitman by sending the Office of Admission your enrollment deposit of US$300 no later than May 1. Under no circumstances will the I-20 form be sent before the enrollment deposit is received by Whitman College. Instructions for sending the deposit, including bank transfers, are included with the Letter of Admission.
The academic interests of international students are as diverse as they are. No matter what their major, Whitman provides all students with a rigorous academic foundation and a skill set that can be applied broadly, as is the mission of a liberal arts and sciences college. To explore the academic offerings at Whitman visit the List of Majors and Department websites or take a look at the College Catalog online . Below we highlight a few majors of particular interest to international students.
Computer Science & Engineering
Many international students express interest in engineering or computer science. Whitman is associated with the California Institute of Technology, the Columbia University School of Engineering and Applied Science, Washington University in St. Louis, Duke University School of Engineering, and the University of Washington in combined programs for liberal education in engineering and computer science. The plans require five years of study. The first three years are spent at Whitman College and the last two years at the engineering school, where the student completes courses in engineering or computer science. In the combined plan, two degrees are awarded upon successful completion of the program: the degree of Bachlor of Arts by Whitman College and the degree of Bachelor of Science by the engineering school. For admission consideration, the five schools require a recommendation by Whitman College at the end of the student’s three years here. To learn more about the requirements for a recommendation to the affiliated engineering schools read pages 26-27 of the College Catalog .
When exploring the possibility of a combined program in engineering or computer science, it is important to note that the international student will only receive financial aid from Whitman while enrolled at Whitman. Whitman has no influence on the financial aid packaged offered by the affiliated engineering school. The affiliated engineering school may not meet your demonstrated financial need.
Business
It might surprise some international students to learn that Whitman does not offer a major in business. As a liberal arts and sciences College Whitman is not narrowly focused on vocational training, but rather on education in the broadest sense of the word. Whitman educates students to take on any number of careers, including business, which is one of the top three careers that Whitman graduates pursue. You can pursue business with an undergraduate degree in any number of fields including economics, politics, and history.
Medicine
The medical profession seeks individuals from a variety of educational backgrounds. Although a strong foundation in the natural sciences is essential, a major in the sciences is not. A broad, liberal arts education should enable future physicians to gather and assess skills, and to apply this new information to the medical, scientific, and ethical problems they will face.
Because much of the practice of contemporary medicine is preventative as well as curative, medical school admissions committees also look for well-developed communication skills and an ample exposure to the social sciences and humanities. They are concerned with both the breadth and quality of the undergraduate course work.
Students interested in the study of medicine should familiarize themselves as early as possible with the specific requirements of the medical schools to which they plan to apply.
Whitman will prepare you well to apply to medical school and be successful in medical school, however it is important to recognize that the number of U.S. medical schools that will consider international students is limited. The following information is from the Florida International University Website . Only approximately 50 out of the 125 M.D. programs in the United States will even consider the application of an international applicant. Most public, state supported schools will not even consider international applicants. Private medical schools may consider international students, but usually are more competitive and more expensive. Of the medical schools that will even consider international applications, they are all reluctant to accept international applicants due to visa and monetary concerns. This article written by Dr. Kay Singer of Duke University will give you more information on the policies at medical schools (MD and DO) with regard to international students.
If it is possible, the student may return to his/her home country and use the medical education system there. However, this may not be possible due to the economic or political reasons for which the student came to the US for college, or for which the student's family came to the U.S. The student may also not even consider returning home an option. Many international students have sacrificed a great deal just to attend college in the US, and have dreamed of pursuing a medical career in the US as well. The international student who returns home, also has certain educational problems, due to the fact that in most non-U.S. medical institutions students enter medical school directly after high school preparation, and not after the bachelors degree.
Law
Whitman does not have and does not recommend a formal pre-law major as preparation for law school, believing that no specific series of courses can be considered correct for every student who intends to enter the legal profession. Major law schools and the Association of American Law Schools agree that a broad liberal arts program is the best general preparation.
Law schools want evidence that its applicants can think, read, write, express themselves orally, and have some understanding of the forces which have shaped human experience, developed its institutions and ordered its values. A wide variety of courses in the social sciences, history, literature, philosophy, and rhetoric deal with such matters, though in different ways and with different emphases. The study and practice of law also requires analytical reasoning skills which are fostered by certain courses in mathematics and the natural sciences, economics, and philosophy.
Students planning a legal career are welcome to discuss their plans with a Pre-Law Adviser. Those interested in the combined program with Columbia University that will permit them to obtain a law degree and a bachelor’s degree at the end of six years rather than the normal seven should read provisions for such a program in the Special Programs section of the Catalog (pages 27-28).
Further Information for International Students
The Whitman College Intercultural CenterThe Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs
The U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) web site has good general information about student visas and what the requirements are to get a visa and maintain it once you are in the United States.
The U.S. State Department can be very helpful in your college search and provides instructions and tips for obtaining a student visa and the location of U.S. embassies and consulates worldwide.
The U.S. Network for Education Information covers many topics and has links to dozens of useful sites.
Whitman students would like to answer your questions about the Whitman experience: Ask A Student.
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