<p>I’m wondering if anyone knows of Western schools that guarantee admission with a certain GPA and/or SAT score (in the range of our kids on this thread). Kansas University apparently guarantees admission with a 2.5 or 1050 SAT score, and if the SAT score is on file at time of admission the acceptance is given within 48 hours. For my son having one “in the bag” going into winter break will be fantastic. Any other recommendations of similar programs?</p>
<p>According to their website, Northern Arizona guarantees admission if you have a 3.0 and have taken the required high school coursework.</p>
<p>I also notice on the WUE site that some schools have a GPA and SAT score listed. For example from Western Washington it says that that the exchange is highly competitive and based on merit with a SAT reading/Math score of 1200 and a 3.8 GPA. I am wondering if it is not as easy to get the exchange as it has been in previous years at some of the schools.</p>
<p>Washington state (where I live) has been going through some SERIOUS belt-tightening, and higher education has been one of the targets. Our legislature told the state schools that they could raise tuition pretty much however they needed to and Univ of Washington just went up 20% for next year (from about $8500 to over $10,000). We also had the pre-paid tuition program for several years (where you buy points for your child’s tuition at state colleges and universities) and that has also ended. I don’t know specifically about WUE but would not be surprised at all if stats have been raised due to budgetary constraints.</p>
<p>Tulare,</p>
<p>Southern Utah University uses a matrix with the indices being GPA and SAT or ACT test score. If they intersect in the acceptable range, you’re in. My son used this as his 4-year safety, but in the end decided to start at community college. We are in CA. SUU is also a WUE school.</p>
<p>Tulare,</p>
<p>I know U of Wyoming and U of South Dakota have guaranteed admission guidelines, I believe that U of Idaho, U of Montana and Montana State do as well. All of these are WUE schools though how many students are admitted with the tuition discount I don’t know.</p>
<p>Mom60 - Sure looks that way doesn’t it…? —since U of Oregon doesn’t list CA in the eligibility requirements listing of participating states. U of Oregon was crossed off my son’s list, so I didn’t read it carefully. If you are iterested and live in CA - I’d call them to verify…</p>
<p>It is a bit complicated as other posters have mentioned since it seems each school has different implementation programs regarding how they handle WUE “awards”. We are just starting to firm up our sons list and determine application dates to participating schools.</p>
<p>We are also CA residents and are big WUE fans. My D is a Soph at WSU where she received the WUE. We also got a WUE offer from WWU. Oregon does not offer the WUE to CA residents - probably because the UCs don’t participate in the program.</p>
<p>elPadre-How difficult was it to get the WUE tuition? What were your D’s stats? (if you don’t mind me asking)</p>
<p>Indeed, U of Oregon does not offer WUE to California residents.</p>
<p>SockherMom - sorry for the delayed response. </p>
<p>My D1’s weighted GPA was actually around a 4.0. I am closely following this thread now as I believe it to likely be more applicable for D2 (HS Soph). Having said that, D1 actually was offered $ in addition to the standard WUE offer. I do believe the WUE is a little easier to qualify for at WSU compared to WWU. </p>
<p>You can actually do some calculations on the WSU site as they offer $9k or $4k a year depending on stats (assuming no other scholarships).</p>
<p>Other attractive WUE options we are planning to look into more for D2 include Colo St and UNM (in addition to WSU &WWU).</p>
<p>Thanks elpadre</p>
<p>We are also from CA, my daughter has applied to both WWU and WSU…just wondering your D’s reasons for choosing one over the other. We live in a beach suburb of LA…my D really wants to be in a large city but is willing to look everywhere.</p>
<p>Thanks</p>
<p>Neither WWU nor WSU are in large cities. WSU is in tiny Pullman in a lovely small farming region, more extreme weather, colder & more snow in winter, hotter in summer. WWU is in a waterfront small crunchy granola town. Rainy with a bit of snow, not ever HOT by CA standards (think Bay area weather at best)</p>
<p>As Somemom has stated, if your D is looking for a large city, that is one thing WSU does not offer, as it is very rural. The closest big city is Spokane which is 90 minutes away. WWU is in Bellingham while not large, it is quite a bit bigger than Pullman. And it is also relatively close to Seattle. Aside from wanting to be in a big city, does your D have any concerns about weather? Despite the smaller population in Pullman, my D was never bored and rarely idle for that matter. What are your D non-academic interests?</p>
<p>PS: WWU is only an hour from downtown Vancouver so that is a fun nearby city</p>
<p>Non academic interests…friends, internet and most importantly…shopping! She is not really concerned about weather, she is actually looking forward to going to somewhere that has “weather”, we will see how long that lasts. Funny thing, my mother who just turned 90 years old was born in Bellingham, when I told her that my D was applying to school there she couldn’t believe it. I didn’t realize that Vancouver was so close, so that is great news.</p>
<p>We will wait and see where she gets in and then plan a college tour trip, she has only been to Seattle in the NW and when we were there they were having a heat wave, it was 90 and beautiful.</p>
<p>Well, don’t visit this weekend! 
We’re having a little trouble getting into summer in the Seattle area…again. However, we’re nearly always wonderful by August. :-)</p>
<p>For shopping, your D would have a great time at WWU. There is the Bellis Fair mall which, although it’s basically just a gigantic mall, draws people from both the Seattle area and across the border. Also, Bellingham is only about an hour or less north of a huge outlet mall in the Marysville area (between Seattle and Bellingham). There are some fun towns (sometimes a bit touristy but great in the off-season) such as La Conner where the entire town is just for browsing and window shopping at eclectic boutiques full of art and just fun things. And she’d be close to Anacortes, where she can hop a ferry to Friday Harbor and wander ANOTHER boutique-y town.</p>
<p>Okay, not that we want to make shopping our deciding factor but I thought I’d throw it in. Seattle is about 90 minutes South, Vancouver even closer. Also, you mentioned that you live in one of the LA beach suburbs? I grew up in Torrance and San Pedro (and my sister is still in Redondo Beach). What’s funny is that your D grew up there and is looking for schools up here and my D was born and raised here and wants to go THERE. LOL</p>
<p>Hey, I grew up in Torrance, too! My folks are still there. I came up to Oregon for college and never left. Lots of wonderful things to recommend the northwest (but man, around February, I do miss the SoCal weather).</p>
<p>I tried to get my son to extend his college search southward but he’s a native webfoot and wasn’t swayed by the weather argument.</p>
<p>Well, my kids are polar opposites. My daughter really, really loves Southern Calif when we visit family there but my son (2 years behind her) loves it up here in the Northwest. As for me, I came up here because I always loved cloudy days and hated that it was 85 degrees on Christmas in LA. It just didn’t fit with all the cool holiday movies where everyone was all cozy indoors while the snow fell outside. (We’ve only had 3 white Christmases here in 15 years, though.) It’s funny how one image or impression can make you change your life! </p>
<p>My daughter also doesn’t want to apply to midwest schools because she thinks that she’ll wind up living where she goes to school (as you did) and wants to be on the east or west coast. That is pretty much her whole contribution to the college search process so far. LOL</p>
<p>Tangosmom-OK, well I guess she will have the shopping thing covered, can you lend her your credit card please…</p>
<p>As they always say, the grass is greener…</p>
<p>My son wanted out of LA also but he wasn’t sure where but he just finished his freshman year in Philadelphia and came home for the summer…now he appreciates where he lives but he is a bit bored by the lack of things to do! I guess you can only go surfing for so many hours…lol. He has had 3 friends from college come out to visit this summer, they can’t believe that he wants to be back in the “city” and he is in fact leaving to go back to east early, going from the Pacific Ocean, to stay with a friend on the jersey shore…</p>
<p>Our attitude is that it is best for our kids to go away for college, that is part of the growing experience, learning new things, see how other people live, etc. My son is basically living in the middle of the city and 2 blocks from a ghetto in Philly, am I happy…no but he is learning to deal with adversity, new attitudes, a new way of living and this can only help him in his future pursuits. As for my daughter, I guess if it were her near a ghetto, I would not quite feel the same but I am all for her going somewhere new and different even if she is not quite sure what she really wants…</p>