Ram to Wildcat

West Valley School District is partnering with six Washington four-year colleges and universities to increase access and the ability to meet the career and college goals of students.

The partner institutions are Central Washington University, Eastern Washington University, Pacific Lutheran University, The Evergreen State College, Washington State University, and Western Washington University.

These partners are offering guaranteed admission for students who meet set criteria.

To be eligible for the Guaranteed Admissions programs, students must:

• Have a minimum GPA as listed below
• Complete the College Academic Distribution Requirements

GPA requirements:

• CWU - GPA 3.0 and CADRs completion
• WSU - GPA 3.0 and CADRs completion
• EWU - GPA 3.0 and CADRs completion
• WWU - GPA 3.0 and CADRs completion
• Evergreen - GPA 2.5 and CADRs completion
• PLU - GPA 3.3, no CADRs requirement

If a student meets the criteria or is on track to meet the criteria by high school completion, they are guaranteed admission to the institution.

Eligible senior students will receive information from the participating colleges and universities via mail and/or email at the beginning of their senior year, or as they are becoming eligible through their first-semester schoolwork after first semester grades have been finalized.

This program allows students to skip applying to all these colleges and universities individually and waiting to see if they are accepted.

Once a student hears from the colleges and universities saying they are accepted based upon their GPA and CADRs completion, they should talk with their counselor to determine which institution best meets their needs and interests and will best prepare them for their career goals.

Students eligible for guaranteed admission must maintain eligibility throughout their senior year, complete an admissions application, and additional requirements by the institution.

Being eligible for guaranteed admission and being contacted by the colleges and universities does not mean that the student is obligated to attend one of them.

And not being eligible for guaranteed admission does not mean that a student can’t go to any of the colleges or universities. It just means that they did not meet the guaranteed admission qualifications based on their GPA and/or CADRs. They can still apply in the traditional way for admission by filling out college applications.

In order for the colleges and universities to know which students meet the GPA and CADRs requirements, WVSD, shares senior student information with them two times a year. This information includes the students first name, last name, date of birth, parent or guardian contact information, mailing address, phone numbers on record, emails on record, unweighted GPA, and transcripts. Only students who meet the GPA requirements have their information shared with the colleges and universities. Students and families may opt-out of WVSD sharing their information by completing an opt-out form.

The Climbing Higher: Expedition CWU series was created through a partnership between the South Central STEM Network Team at ESD105 and Central Washington University (CWU). This cohort-based model will provide students with the opportunity to meet other high school students from across the region who are interested in attending CWU, meet university staff who can help support the transition from high school to college, and receive much-needed resources and guidance. This is especially important for our low-income and first-generation college students. Through the three-part series of events, organizers will address barriers that prevent students from getting to and through a college degree and provide parents with the opportunity to hear from the parents of current university students to answer any questions they might have.

Contact Shelly O'Neill, CTE/Career Connected Learning Coordinator at ESD105, for more information.

• Parents or caregivers must complete and sign the college registration form, and students must submit this form to their teacher.
• The District pays the student's tuition and registration fees to the college.
• If a student exceeds 20 credits in a year, the District will invoice the student’s parents for the cost of those courses.
• If a student earns a D or F grade, or withdraws from a college course, the parent will be required to reimburse the District for the course's cost.
• Reimbursements from parents are due immediately after the conclusion of the school year, and unpaid reimbursements will be applied as a student fine, which will restrict participation in activities and future college courses.

Yes, most of the CHS classes take place during a traditional WVHS class period. When taking CHS classes, you are still a WVHS student and may participate in school activities.

While you’re not a fully registered traditional on-campus, you are a college student! You will have a college ID, a college transcript, and may participate in some college activities as an enrolled student.

Many college credits are transferable to other colleges. We recommended you check with the college or university you are interested in to learn more about their requirements.

See CWU’s Transfer Credit Policies and Information and Washington Student Achievement Council’s Transfers page for more information.

Please check with your CHS teacher with questions and click here to learn more about withdrawing from a CWU course.

No, you may take as many or as few as you like. If you want to try a few courses, we recommend you complete the first year academic writing and quantitative reasoning requirements since those will best prepare you for college.

See the Ram to Wildcat course planner for more information.

The college credits you earn stay on your college transcript and stay with your records. So, if you decide later that you want to go to college, you can request your transcript from the college where you earned your credits and be able to show that you’ve taken some classes. Keep in mind, though, that sometimes credits have a set number of years in which you need to use them toward a degree.

Students may choose to take any CHS course without registering for the college credit. You may take the course, earn a high school grade and credit, and since you’ve not registered for college credit it will not earn you a college grade or credit.

CHS courses get you closer to a degree without having to pay for the credit when you take 20 or fewer credits a year. This reduces your need for financial aid, but not your ability to get it.

Please note, high school students cannot qualify for financial aid until they earn a high school diploma.

Taking and successfully completing CHS courses at WVHS will not impact your financial aid. When it comes to state aid, there is no "cut off." Students have a total of 12 quarters of college-bound eligibility and 15 quarters of college grant eligibility so it is not an issue for state aid.

Federal aid is cut off at 270 quarter/180 semester attempted credits regardless of when those credits were earned so in terms of federal aid, it may impact your overall eligibility, but only when you reach the 270 quarter or 180 semester attempted credits.

Most CWU and other college programs average 120 semester credits to complete a degree.

Issues arise when a student makes a habit of withdrawing, dropping courses, or taking numerous credits (over 180 semester credits) without earning a degree. For more information, or to address specific questions about your situation, it is always best to contact the university or college you are interested in attending.