First Year Students

Students who apply Early Decision make a commitment to attend their chosen college if they’re accepted. At Washington College, we recommend Early Decision for students who have done their research, thought it over, and know for sure that WC is their first choice. If this describes you, we encourage you to apply Early Decision by November 15.

You can apply online using the Washington College Application or the Common Application. Please include a signed Early Decision Agreement Form.

Admission notification by December 15

The Early Action deadline at Washington College is December 1. Unlike Early Decision, Early Action application is not binding. There’s no commitment, and no downside to applying early. If you know you love Washington College, why wait?

Admission notification by January 15

We consider all students who apply to WC for merit-based scholarships. Merit scholarships are determined based on your application (i.e. GPA, the rigor of your classes, extracurricular activities, etc.) and the amount can range up to $36,000 per year. If you are a member of National Honors Society at your high school, you receive at least $30,000 guaranteed. You will automatically be considered for merit based scholarships when your application is reviewed for admission, so you do not need to apply for them separately. 

We also offer honors scholarships based on student’s interests. These scholarships can range from $1,500 to $5,000 per semester. Students must apply to these separately, and they must first be admitted to Washington College before they apply for Honors Fellowships.

To maintain all the aid earned, students need to maintain a minimum GPA of 2.5 or higher.

For more information about need-based scholarships please visit Financial Aid.

Like most colleges and universities we look at your application with a holistic approach. We will look at all students the same way regardless of submitting test scores or applying as test-optional.

We do not have a minimum GPA requirement. Last year’s freshman class had an average GPA of 4.0, but that’s not to say you need a 4.0 or higher to be admitted into Washington College. To be competitive for admission, students typically have a 3.0 GPA or higher, are actively involved in extracurricular activities, and take a rigorous coarse load with a mix of regular, honors, AP, IB, or dual enrollment classes.

Top 5 majors at WC

1. Business Management

2. Biology

3. Psychology

4. Political Science

5. Environmental Science & Studies

No! If you’re undecided about a major, it’s totally okay!  As a first-year student you will take multiple classes across different subjects in your first two years, from math, history, business, music, science, and so on. All students do not have to declare a major until the end of their sophomore year.

Yes, first-year students can have a car on campus with a valid parking permit. The cost of a permit is $40 per semester.

For more information please visit Campus Parking.

Yes, first-year students students are required to live on campus. Students will have on campus housing available all four years. Freshmen and sophomore dorms are a standard double room with a common area and bathroom. Towards your junior and senior year, you have the option for a single room. Seniors have the option to live off campus, but most seniors tend to live on campus their last year.

For more information about housing please visit Residential Life.

We have two honors fellowships for incoming first- year students.

Presidential Fellows: an invite-only honors fellowship for high achieving students with strong leadership skills.

Washington Scholars: an invite-only honors fellowship for high achieving students with a high financial need.

For current students, we have several honor societies that students can join.

The average class size is around 10–12 students.  84% of your classes will have less than 20 students giving students the opportunity to have a close, tight-knit relationship with your professors.

Official test scores can be submitted in any of the following ways:

Sent directly from the testing agency (SAT and/or ACT). The Washington College school code is 5888. 

Sent by the student's high school counselor via email to wc_inquiriesFREEwashcoll or fax (410) 778-7287.

Sent by the student's high school counselor via official transcript.