University News

Western Revises Admissions Criteria

October 14, 2019

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Editor's Note: Effective April 28, 2020, Western Illinois University has adjusted the Admissions requirements for automatically admitted students a 2.75 (on a 4.0 scale) or higher high school GPA to support current high school seniors who are unable to take or retake a Spring 2020 SAT/ACT, and current high school juniors who may be unable to take an ACT/SAT test at this time due to the pandemic.


MACOMB/MOLINE, IL – With the various choices available, searching for the right college can be a daunting process for high schoolers. However, Western Illinois University has made changes to its admissions process to help prospective students – and their families – take the guesswork out of the college application process.

Western has revised its admissions criteria for students applying to Western for 2020. Students with a high school diploma and a 3.3 or higher high school grade point average (on a 4.0 scale) will be automatically admitted to WIU. Western is one of just two public institutions in the state that are test-optional in regard to college admissions.

"We are committed to admitting students whose academic records indicate a high potential for success," said Director of Undergraduate Admissions Doug Freed. "We are emphasizing a student's high school grade point average as a highly important factor for their success."

Students with a GPA less than 3.3, but at least 2.0, will be requested to submit SAT/ACT scores for admissions consideration.

"Standardized tests are not necessarily a reflection of how successful a student is, or can be," added Interim President Martin Abraham. "We feel that the grade point average is a good indicator of a student's academic ability as the GPA encompasses not just grades achieved on exams, but for projects, homework and more. It's a reflection of the work a student puts into his/her overall schoolwork in order to be successful. I'm pleased that we're able to make the Western Illinois University experience a more open and viable option for prospective students."

Another change for incoming freshmen is an enhanced Western Commitment (WC) Scholarship program, which automatically awards $3,000-8,000 each year to incoming freshmen with excellent academic ability and achievement in high school. In addition, Western has revised the transfer scholarship program, increasing the award to $2,500 and making the scholarship available for part-time students.

Western has also launched several new scholarships, which will be announced Wednesday. Prospective freshmen interested in being considered for the automatic scholarships available at WIU can apply at wiu.edu/apply. More information on WIU scholarships (automatic and donor designated application-based scholarships) can be found at wiu.edu/scholarships.

Posted By: University Communications (U-Communications@wiu.edu)
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