We read every application holistically — but we're transparent about what carries the most weight. High school GPA has been studied extensively, and it remains the single strongest predictor of whether a student will complete a college degree. That's why it's the foundation of our review.

Holistic means what it sounds like: our Admissions staff reads the full application — transcript, personal statement, recommendations, and everything else submitted — before a decision is made. No part of it goes unread.

Test scores are optional. Choosing not to submit them will not hurt an applicant's chances of being admitted. We welcome scores from students who believe they strengthen their application, and we don't hold their absence against anyone. Letters of recommendation and a personal statement are also optional, and we're always glad to have them — they tell us things a transcript can't.

Westminster College is a test-optional* institution. Students are not required to submit test scores to be accepted to Westminster.

If you choose to submit test scores, you should be prepared to submit the test name, the test date, and the total/composite score and the primary score components for the following: The EBRW and Math Section scores for the SAT, and the English, Math, Reading and Science Reasoning scores for the ACT.

Westminster College accepts unofficial scores submitted by your high school (usually found on your official high school transcript). We also accept unofficial scores submitted by you, such as a picture or screenshot of your student page for College Board or ACT that shows your score.

* Please note that while Westminster College does not require ACT/SAT scores for admission, our partner institutions for the following advanced degree programs do require test scores for admission:

• 3-4 Dental Program (B.S. + D.M.D.) with Case Western Reserve University
• 4+4 Dental Program (B.S. + D.M.D.) with Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (if applying as a high school student)
• 4+4 Medical School Program (B.S. + D.O.) with Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine
• 4+4 Medical School Program (B.S. + D.O.) with Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, (if applying as a high school student)

Only if they help your student. If a score reflects your student's ability better than the transcript does, encourage your student to send it. If it doesn't, leave it out and put energy into the parts of the application that show us who they are. Either path leads to the same review.

We encourage your student to tell us about it. We look at trends, not a single number. Life happens — an illness, a family change, a difficult year for reasons that have nothing to do with ability. When we see a dip in an otherwise upward record, we read it as what it usually is: one hard stretch, not a verdict on a student. A personal statement is the ideal place to give us the whole picture, and it's exactly the kind of context that helps us say yes.

A person — several, in fact. Applications are read by our Admissions staff, and every piece of a file gets attention. The transcript especially — we look at every grade in every course, not just the cumulative GPA.

Reading a transcript course by course is where the real picture emerges. We see which classes a student challenged themselves in, how they handled a subject that didn't come naturally, whether a rough semester was followed by a stronger one. A single number can't tell us any of that.

Every student is also assigned an Admissions Counselor, who serves as their point person throughout the process. The counselor isn't there to judge the application — they're there to help your student understand it. They can walk you through what we're looking for, explain where things stand, and answer questions at any stage. And if something in a file needs further explanation, there's a human on the other end who will ask the question rather than assume the answer.

No. Visiting doesn't factor into whether a student is admitted. We encourage visits because it's the best way to know whether Westminster is the right fit — but that's a decision that runs in your direction, not ours.

Not at all, and it's more common than families expect. Applying as an undecided student has no effect on admission, and Westminster's structure and curriculum is designed for students to explore before committing. Many students arrive certain about a major and change it anyway. Have your student select Exploratory for their intended program of study when completing the application and we will provide them with mentors that will help them select a major when the time is right.

No — applying to Westminster is free. Application fees add up quickly, and a student applying to several schools can spend real money before receiving a single decision. That quietly pushes families to narrow the list before they've had a chance to see what's out there. Students should be free to explore their options, and we'd rather earn a place on your list than charge for one.

Early Decision — apply by November 1. This is for students whose clear first choice is Westminster. It's binding: if admitted, your student agrees to attend Westminster and agrees to withdraw applications to all other schools. The payoff is an early answer on aid, housing, roommate, and class schedule, and a much calmer senior year. Enrollment deposit is due January 15.

Early Action — apply by December 15. You get an early answer without committing. It's nonbinding, you have until May 1 to decide, and you may be eligible for our $2,000 Early Application Grant if your student submits their application by November 1.

Rolling Admission — review begins December 1, with a March 1 deadline. We review as materials arrive and can often give a decision in days rather than weeks. Students who apply after March 1 are admitted based on remaining space in the first-year class. Deposit due May 1.

For a deep dive into admission plans, check out our Parent Blog.

Because three things fill up over the course of the year: seats in the class, scholarship consideration, and housing. Applying and depositing early puts your student in line first for residence hall and roommate assignments, which is the difference between choosing where you live and being placed. Early applicants also get priority consideration for merit scholarships, and Early Action applicants may qualify for the $2,000 Early Application Grant. After March 1, admission depends on space still being available.

The short version: nothing bad happens if you apply early, and several good things do.

Quickly. We know the waiting is the hardest part, and we don't stretch it out. Once your student's application is complete, review begins within days — not weeks or months. When a decision is ready, your student receives an email prompting them to check their application portal, and accepted students get a celebratory acceptance packet in the mail.

Private doesn't automatically mean more expensive. After scholarships and aid, many Westminster families pay about what they would at a state school — and some pay less.

A few things make that possible. Every accepted full-time undergraduate receives an academic scholarship from Westminster, before need-based aid enters the picture. Generations of alumni and friends of the College have funded additional scholarships specifically so that cost doesn't decide who gets to come here.

We also keep a close eye on what families pay at other institutions. We know where we land, and we're more competitively priced than most people assume before they run the numbers.

The only way to know your real number is to let us calculate it. Send us your FAFSA and we'll show you what a Westminster education actually costs your family — not the published price, but your price.

Three steps, in this order:

1. File the FAFSA as early as you can. It's the gateway to federal aid, Pennsylvania state grants, and much of our own need-based aid. Filing early doesn't just meet deadlines — it means you'll have real numbers in hand while your family is still comparing offers.
2. Watch the Pennsylvania State Grant deadline. Pennsylvania residents enrolling at a four-year private college must submit the FAFSA by May 1 to be considered for a PA State Grant. This is a hard deadline, it's a need-based grant that never has to be repaid, and families miss it every year simply because no one told them it existed. First-time applicants may also need to complete a State Grant Form and a High School Form — PHEAA will let you know if so.
3. Have your student apply for admission early. Merit scholarship consideration happens as the application is reviewed, so applying early is an aid strategy as much as an admissions one.

Not for our academic merit scholarships — every accepted full-time undergraduate is considered automatically as part of the admissions review. The FAFSA handles need-based aid. Outside scholarships and a handful of specialized awards may require separate applications, and your student's Admissions Counselor can point you toward those.

Talk to us before you rule Westminster out. Circumstances change, and sometimes an offer was built on information that's already out of date — a job loss, a medical situation, a change in household size. Our financial aid office can review your family's situation and tell you what's possible. The worst outcome of asking is that the answer stays the same.

File the FAFSA by May 1. That's the deadline for Pennsylvania residents to be considered for a PA State Grant through PHEAA, and it's firm.

The FAFSA alone doesn't finish the job. First-time applicants also need to complete the PA State Grant Form, and often a High School Form. PHEAA will email your student when those are ready — watch for it, because a missed form can cost your family the entire award. You can find the details and requirements at pheaa.org/grants/state-grant-program.

The PA State Grant is need-based gift aid. Your family never repays it. Families miss out on it every year simply because nobody told them it existed or the deadline slipped by in a busy spring — so put May 1 on the calendar now.

Not in the way it would at a public university. Westminster is a private college, so we charge the same tuition to every student regardless of where you live — there's no out-of-state penalty here. Our merit scholarships and need-based aid work the same way for your family as for a family who lives right down the street.

We also award a $2,000 Out-of-State Grant to students from outside Pennsylvania with completion of a FAFSA. Your student doesn't apply for it and you don't need to ask — we apply it automatically.

Live in Ohio or West Virginia? These are reciprocating states — you may be eligible for another $600 per academic year.

A $200 deposit holds your student's place in the class. It's due January 15 for Early Decision admits and May 1 for Early Action and Rolling admits. Depositing early is also what starts the housing process, so there's a real advantage to not waiting until the deadline. A deposit match grant is available through April 1.

More than you might think, and less than you might fear.

In practice, parents usually take the lead at a couple of key moments. You nudge your student to start looking. You suggest schools they haven't considered and help them narrow the list. You drive to the visits and debrief on the way home. You ask the questions that help your student figure out what they actually want — big or small, close or far, what they want their days to feel like. You keep the calendar and catch the deadlines before they slip past in the middle of a senior year that's already full. And you start the honest conversation about what your family can afford and what everyone expects. None of that is hovering. It's the support the whole search depends on.

Draw the line at the application itself. They need to be the ones to complete and submit the application. Let the essay sound like your student. Let the answers be theirs. Let them talk to their Admissions Counselor directly — students who own that part arrive on campus ready for the independence that comes next.

The financial side, though, is a family project. The FAFSA needs your information. Two sets of eyes comparing aid offers is better than one. Help your student understand the true cost of college in out-of-pocket expenses and in loans. Those conversations go further when your family starts them early rather than in April when the numbers land.

The balance most families settle into: your student drives, you navigate.

Every student is assigned an admissions counselor who works with families in your region, and they're the best first call for anything — application questions, aid questions, or a question you're not sure who to ask. You can also reach the Office of Admissions at 724-946-7100 or admissions@westminster.edu.