August, 2022

Washington State University has six campuses, the largest and the residential campus is located in Pullman. The town of Pullman has a population of 34,800 and 57% of that population is WSU, making it a true college town! There is plenty to do in Pullman and there is a free bus system that is a collaborative effort between the town and university.

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Academics:

On the Pullman campus there are 18,355 undergraduates and 1,545 graduate students. The student to faculty ratio is 16:1, 81% of classes have fewer than 50 students, there are students from all 50 states and from 90+ countries. There are 200+ fields of study (majors, minors, certificates), all lectures are taught by professors, and WSU is a tier 1, R-1, research university. With such a small percentage of graduate students, much of the research is being done with the help of the undergraduates. The WSU Writing Program requires all students to submit a writing portfolio to ensure that students graduate with the ability to write professionally. The submitted writing is not graded, and tutors are available to work with students who need help. There is also a math tutoring center open to all students. The WSU Honors College offers the benefit of small, discussion based classes that are compatible with all majors and meet all general education requirements and additional scholarship opportunities and study abroad options.

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Social and Sports:

WSU participates in the PAC-12 Conference (is it PAC-10 now?), has a Student Entertainment Board, 450+ clubs (60 are cultural clubs), 60+ fraternities and sororities (29% of students are in Greek life), 80+ intramural and club sports, and students give 87,000 hours of community service each year. All freshmen must live on campus and there are 14 residence halls, 3 campus neighborhoods (Northside, Southside, Hillside) and a campus dining center in each neighborhood. One quarter of students live on campus, and campus forms a big circle.  WSU offers 560+ study abroad programs on all 7 continents with a duration of one week to one year. There are also numerous internship opportunities.

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Inside Scoop from the Tour Guide:

Students must buy tickets for all sporting events, but a package is available for access to everything. The art museum is free to all students. There are sky bridges between buildings. At Halloween the physics students do a pumpkin drop off the back of the Webster Physical Science Building, an event that draws students and families for the show. The Launch Program is staffed by psychology students and works with new students to help them acclimate to WSU and learn about all the resources available. WSU is home to one of only seven 360 lecture halls in the country. The Washington Building was originally the Pullman Hospital so there are current students at WSU who were born in the building. It now houses the health center and all students get 10 free clinic visits a semester, 4 free counseling sessions per semester, and access to physical therapy and an athletic trainer. There is also a vision clinic, pharmacy, a mini ER, ibuprofen at the front desk and free vaccines. The tallest indoor tree in Washington is in the Cleveland Education Building. The Edward Murrow College of Communications is ranked 11 in the world and students run talk radio, news programs, music programs, late night programs and podcasts. The architecture building is the worst designed on campus because, despite its location on a hill, the plans used were for a building on flat ground. There is a staircase that ends in a wall as well as a bathroom door that opens to a wall and floors that have a noticeable slant. There is an equestrian center and team. Stevens Hall is an all female residence hall and is the oldest building west of the Mississippi still being used for its original purpose. The rec center has a pool shaped like the state of Washington and students play human battleship on inner tubes. The Bryant Clock Tower chimes on the hour, every hour, and chimes in the notes of G and C for “Go Cougs”, and the tower is lit in school colors at night. And WSU is the only PAC school that lets club and intramural teams use their fields and equipment, even the NCAA game fields.

Applying:

To apply, students submit either the Common App or WSU App, pay a $70 fee and submit their high school transcripts. Admissions is truly test optional and test scores aren’t used for admission or scholarships. The priority application deadline is 3/31/23. Admission is based on the strength of coursework and grade trends. The average gpa of admitted students is 3.49.

To apply to the WSU Honors College, students must first apply to WSU then apply to the Honors College (there is no additional fee) and submit two 500 word essays. The middle 50% gpa range of admitted students is 3.7-3.95.

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Financial Aid:

WSU requires the FAFSA for consideration for financial aid. Scholarships are tied to a student’s application and for out-of-state students there are the WUE and Cougar Scholarships. The Cougar Award is for $7,000, runs for three years, and is given for a 3.0-3.39 gpa. The WUE is open to any out-of-state student, is for $11,000 a year for three years, and is for a gpa of 3.4-4.0.  There are 700+ general scholarships and the application for these is due on 1/31/23.