C A R E E R
G U I D A N C E
W A S H I N G T O N
PREPARING FOR POSTSECONDARY
GR 11-12 ▲ POSTSECONDARY
ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
LESSON GOALS
► Students will describe the admission requirements for admission to a Washington State public or
other four-year college or university.
► Students will summarize their progress toward meeting postsecondary admission requirements.
ALIGNMENT WITH STANDARDS
► Essential Academic Learning Requirements Grade 9/10 Grade Level Expectations: This
lesson is aligned with Writing 2.4.1 and Educational Technology 1.3.1 and 1.3.2. Students will
complete postsecondary research. They will use college web sites to locate and organize
information.
► Common Core State Standards Grade 11-12: This lesson is aligned with English Language Arts
Writing 6, 7, and 8. Students will conduct a short research project, gathering information from one
or more college web site or other online information source.
► American School Counselor Association National Standards: This lesson is aligned with
ASCA Academic C1.6 and Personal & Social A1.2 and B1.9. Students will learn about how school
success and academic achievement enhance future opportunities. They will identify values,
attitudes, and beliefs, and will identify short- and long-term goals.
MATERIALS NEEDED
►
►
►
►
►
Computer, projector, screen for teacher to show Postsecondary Admissions Power Point.
Postsecondary Admissions Power Point file (script can be found in this document).
Internet access for your students (if doing Enrichment Activities)
Postsecondary Timeline Worksheet for students (if doing Enrichment Activities).
Preparing for Postsecondary Family Handout to share with families.
CORE ACTIVITY
Review college admission requirements. Ask for volunteers to share what they hope to do after high
school: get a job right away, attend a community or technical college, enlist in the military, or attend a fouryear college. If you wish, write each of these categories on the board and ask for a show of hands for how
many students plan to pursue each option. Remind students that Washington State has six public four-year
colleges and universities, as well as 34 community and technical colleges. In addition, there are more than
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GRADE 11-12 ▲ POSTSECONDARY ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
3,000 other colleges and universities around the country. If students want to attend a four-year college,
they will have to meet certain admission requirements. (2 minutes)
Show the Postsecondary Admissions presentation. Show the Postsecondary Admissions Power
Point with students, focusing on the things students need to do during junior and senior year to prepare.
Remind students that the College Academic Distribution Requirements (CADRs), which are required for
Washington State’s public four-year colleges and recommended for community or technical colleges, are
just the minimum they should do. (15 minutes)
ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES
Research colleges. Give each student or group a copy of the Postsecondary Timeline Worksheet and
make sure each student has access to a computer. Tell them to select their top choice postsecondary
program using one of the following web sites:
► www.CheckOutACollege.com for Washington State community and technical colleges.
► www.hecb.wa.gov for Washington State four-year public colleges and universities (have students
click on “About Our System” in the upper left of the page, and then “Washington’s Institutions.”
That will lead them to links to the six public colleges, including branch locations).
► www.CollegeBoard.org for information about any college or university in the country (including
community colleges and public colleges). (Click on “College Search.”)
Have students use these web sites to find and then go to the web site for their top choice postsecondary
program. Then ask students answer the questions on the worksheet to set their own personal
postsecondary timeline. (15-20 minutes)
EXPLORATION OPPORTUNITIES
Provide postsecondary course counseling. If possible, have a school counselor meet with your students
and help them review their postsecondary goals and develop a timeline based on those goals. Students
should understand what courses they should take to meet the College Academic Distribution
Requirements, and that if they want to attend a highly selective college they will need to do even more.
For seniors, counselors can ensure that they are taking the steps needed to complete the application
process.
Organize a Postsecondary Information Night for families. If you wish, you might want to welcome
families to your school for an evening about the postsecondary admissions process.
You can introduce the College Academic Distribution Requirements, share information about Washington
State’s two-year and four-year colleges, discuss financial aid, and give parents tips on helping their
students prepare to apply to and succeed in postsecondary.
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GRADE 11-12 ▲ POSTSECONDARY ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
WASHINGTON STATE RESOURCES
► Check Out A College: www.CheckOutACollege.com
Information about Washington State’s community and technical colleges
► Higher Education Coordinating Board: www.hecb.wa.gov
Information about Washington State’s public colleges and universities, as well as college
preparation and financial aid
► TheWashBoard.org: www.thewashboard.org
A scholarship matching service for students in Washington State
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C A R E E R
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POSTSECONDARY ADMISSIONS
POWER POINT SCRIPT
This presentation can be used by a school counselor or teacher to help students in 11th or
12th grade prepare to research and apply to postsecondary programs.
Students must understand the Minimum College Admission Standards, which are
required for Washington State’s public four-year colleges and universities and are
recommended for community and technical colleges. These standards require students to
take specific courses during high school. Students should also understand that many
colleges and universities have admission standards that are even higher. Therefore, if
students think they might like to attend college, they need to be aware of what is required.
Ask your students if they have an idea of where they would like to go for postsecondary
education. Their options include:
► One of Washington State’s six public four-year colleges and universities. They
are: University of Washington, Washington State University, Western
Washington University, The Evergreen State College, Eastern Washington
University, and Central Washington University.
► A community or technical college. There are 34 community and technical (twoyear) colleges in Washington State.
► A private college or a public college in another state. There are more than 3,000
public and private colleges and universities around the country.
► The military, an apprenticeship, or a job training program. These will all have
their own specific application processes and requirements.
Tell students that if they want to attend a two-year or four-year college, they need to start
preparing right away. Students should learn about postsecondary programs based on
their goals and interests.
They should learn which courses are required before they can apply and then make sure
they take those courses. They should document their activities, including sports, clubs,
jobs, or volunteer service, so that they can describe themselves well when they apply.
They should learn about financial aid to ensure they can afford college.
They should work with a counselor to make a timeline for junior and senior years.
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POSTSECONDARY ADMISSIONS POWER POINT SCRIPT, Continued
Students might want to know how they can learn more about college. There are many
ways they can research colleges, majors, and financial aid. A few good resources are:
www.CheckOutACollege.com: This web site includes detailed information about
Washington State’s community and technical colleges, as well as information about
careers and financial aid.
www.hecb.wa.gov: If students visit the web site of the state’s Higher Education
Coordinating Board, they can find links to each of Washington State’s four-year public
colleges.
www.CollegeBoard.org: The College Board has information about colleges and majors
around the country, as well as information about the PSAT, SAT, AP exams, and financial
aid.
In addition to these web sites, students should talk with a school counselor and should
visit colleges if possible. While on campus, they should sit in on classes and talk with
college students.
Tell students that Washington State’s four-year public colleges and universities have set
Minimum College Admission Standards that all students must meet. These standards are
REQUIRED for the state’s public four year colleges and RECOMMENDED for the twoyear community and technical colleges. These standards are the MINIMUM. Many
colleges around the country have even higher requirements.
To meet the minimum admission requirements for a Washington State college, students
must take the courses that are part of the College Academic Distribution Requirements, a
series of courses that are more than required simply to graduate from high school. They
must also maintain a 2.0 minimum grade point average (GPA) out of a 4.0 scale. And
when they are a high school junior or senior they must take a college entrance exam –
either the SAT or ACT – and have their scores sent directly to the college.
Review this list of College Academic Distribution Requirements with students. Remind
them that ALL of Washington State’s public four-year colleges and universities require
these minimum course requirements and that technical and community colleges
recommend them. Remind students that these requirements are HIGHER than the
minimum high school graduation requirements, but that colleges may require them to do
even more than this list.
Tell students that in addition to working hard in their classes, they should also get
involved in extracurricular activities, and they should document those activities with a
resume or activity log. Colleges want to know about their interests and skills. So, students
should join clubs, participate in activities, get a job, play a sport, or volunteer at school or
in the community.
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POSTSECONDARY ADMISSIONS POWER POINT SCRIPT, Continued
Students should learn about financial aid opportunities to help them afford college.
They can find scholarship matches at www.theWashBoard.org: TheWashBoard.org is a
free, web-based scholarship matching service for students in Washington State.
During senior year, students and their families will need to complete the FAFSA (Free
Application for Federal Student Aid) which will determine if they are eligible for grants or
loans. Some colleges also require students to complete the CSS Profile to determine if
students are available for school scholarships and aid.
Graduation is getting closer! To prepare, students should make a timeline for the next few
years. They should research postsecondary programs, take the required entrance exams,
apply to programs, and apply for financial aid. Then they’ll be ready to graduate and
move on to postsecondary.
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C A R E E R
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PREPARING FOR POSTSECONDARY
POSTSECONDARY TIMELINE WORKSHEET (GR 11-12)
Name: _________________________________
What is your top choice for postsecondary education? Select one of the options below:


Find an apprenticeship
Attend a community or technical college
 Join the military
 Attend a four-year college or university
Name and describe your top choice:
Describe the steps you have taken to apply to a postsecondary program:
 Research postsecondary programs. Describe what you have done to learn about postsecondary
programs.
 Take required assessment exams. Visit the web site of your top choice postsecondary program and
learn which exams you must take to be admitted. On the list below, make a check mark by the exams
that program requires. Then circle the exams you have already taken or plan to take.


SAT
ACT


SAT Subject Tests (# _______)
ASVAB (for military)


ACCUPLACER
COMPASS
 Meet course requirements. Visit the web site of your top choice postsecondary program and learn
which courses you must take during high school to be admitted. On the list below, write down the
credits required in each subject area. Then circle the subjects for which you have (or will have)
completed the requirements by graduation.
__ Math
__ Science
__
__
English
Social Studies
__
__
World Language
Arts/Occupational
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POSTSECONDARY TIMELINE WORKSHEET, Continued
 Request recommendations. No matter what postsecondary program you hope to enter, you will need
to have teachers and/or your school counselor submit letters of recommendation for you. To make their
letters of recommendation as powerful as possible, you should ask them during spring of junior year or
at the beginning of senior year. You should include a resume or activity log when you request a letter to
help jog their memory. List below at least three people (at least two teachers and a school counselor)
that you could approach for a letter of recommendation. Next to each name, list what you could say to
remind them about you and your work.
 Make a list of programs to apply. Most experts recommend that you apply to between three and ten
postsecondary programs. The programs you choose should include academic and financial “safeties”
(programs to which you are certain to be admitted and can afford to attend) as well as “reach” schools.
Have you made a list yet? You should make a list by the fall of senior year and learn what you must do
to apply to each one. On the lines below, list any programs to which you are reasonably sure you will
apply.
 Write application essays. Most postsecondary programs ask you to write at least one short essay
about yourself: why you want the particular program, one of your accomplishments, or a lesson you’ve
learned. On the lines below, write down ideas for possible essays to introduce yourself. You might list
your hobbies, your goals, or something else that would be interesting about yourself.
 Keep track of deadlines. Make a calendar with the deadlines for each program’s application clearly
marked. You should also note any special details about each program’s application.
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C A R E E R
G U I D A N C E
W A S H I N G T O N
PREPARING FOR POSTSECONDARY
PREPARING FOR POSTSECONDARY
FAMILY HANDOUT
IT’S TIME TO START THINKING ABOUT POSTSECONDARY!
Washington State has 34 community and technical (two-year) colleges. In addition, we have six public four-year
colleges and universities: University of Washington, Washington State University, Western Washington University,
The Evergreen State College, Eastern Washington University, and Central Washington University. And, there are
more than 3,000 public and private colleges around the country. There’s a program for every interest!
LEARN ABOUT FOUR-YEAR COLLEGE ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
Students who would like to attend a public college must meet certain minimum standards. These are required for the
four-year public colleges and recommended for two-year community or technical colleges:
► College Academic Distribution Requirements, which include specific courses students must take during
high school (see below). Year-long courses in high school results in one annualized credit. To graduate from
high school, students must earn a certain number of credits by taking approximately six courses per year.
► 2.0 Minimum Grade Point Average (GPA) during high school, out of a 4.0 scale.
► Official SAT/ACT scores. Students must take an official college entrance exam, such as the SAT or ACT,
and have their scores sent directly to the college.
FOUR-YEAR COLLEGE ACADEMIC DISTRIBUTION REQUIREMENTS
SUBJECT
REQUIREMENTS (Note that requirements may change)
ENGLISH
4 credits
Including 3 credits of college prep composition or literature
MATH
3 credits
Algebra I & II + Geometry or Integrated Math I, II, III
Must take a math-based quantitative course during senior year
SCIENCE
2 credits
One credit must be in an algebra-based science course
One credit must be in biology, chemistry, or physics
SOCIAL STUDIES
3 credits
WORLD LANGUAGE
2 credits
ARTS
1 credit
History or other social science
Two credits must be earned in the same language
One credit may be earned during middle school
Fine, visual, or performing arts
Learn more about Minimum College Admission Requirements at
www.hecb.wa.gov/research/issues/documents/RevisedMCASOverviewParents-April2011.pdf.
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Preparing for Postsecondary Handout, Continued
RESEARCH POSTSECONDARY PROGRAMS
There are many wonderful resources to help students and families learn more about postsecondary programs. A few
of these include:
► www.CheckOutACollege.com for Washington State community and technical colleges. This web site also
includes information on career exploration and financial aid.
► www.hecb.wa.gov for Washington State four-year public colleges and universities.
► www.navigation101.com for students in schools that have registered for Navigation101. The web site
contains additional resources on the college admissions process.
► www.CollegeBoard.org for information about any college or university in the country. (Click on “College
Search,” which will take you to an alphabetical list with “At A Glance” information.)
Use these resources to explore and learn more. You and your student can search for a college by location, by major,
or by career interest.
LEARN ABOUT FINANCIAL AID
College can be expensive, but there is financial aid available for qualified students. Washington State has a
wonderful resource to help students and their families research scholarship opportunities:
► www.theWashBoard.org is a free, web-based scholarship matching clearinghouse for Washington
students. It is supported by the Washington Scholarship Coalition, a public/private partnership of
foundations, non-profit organizations, and state agencies. TheWashBoard.org makes it easy to find
scholarships for postsecondary education.
GET READY FOR POSTSECONDARY!
High school will be over soon. Help your student identify great opportunities for life after high school.
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