The Next Big Step – College

The Reach Higher Access Summit provides a start to your college journey.

The+Next+Big+Step+-+College

Believe it or not, high school is almost over — yes, even for you sophomores. In the grand scheme, the three or so years you spend in high school is only a very small portion of your life. And what’s next? For many, it’s college. About this time of the year seniors are realizing how little time they have left to prepare for college. Early decision applications are coming to a close, Gonzaga University’s application deadline is Dec. 1! Other colleges such as Western Washington University have a later date, WWU being Jan. 31. National decision day is May 1, only a few months away. But don’t let that scare you. No matter how unprepared you are so far, it’s not too late. Reading this article, you’re already one step ahead.

At Rogers High School, we have an advisor, Colleen Pancake, who’s always willing to help students get on the right track for all things college related. Her email and room number can be found below.

“Going to any kind of college fair would be helpful for students looking at colleges and universities,” she said. “Find ways to expose yourself to opportunities your sophomore and junior year so that when you get to your senior year you have prior knowledge”

One way she’s advised students looking for support for college is through organizing college events such as the Reach Higher Access Summit that was held at RHS on Nov. 3. At this event students and guardians were able to talk to financial aid advisors in the library to help them fill out the FAFSA form and financial aid packets to get grants and loans to help pay for college. In state, out of state and international (UK and Canada) colleges, job force, apprenticeships and military that had tables set up with reps to talk to the students about opportunities and options available.

Another important factor that students should be thinking about is financial aid. College is undeniably expensive and oftentimes people are overwhelmed by the amount of zero’s. However, you shouldn’t let cost hinder your desire to go to college. If you haven’t already, filling out the FAFSA form is going to help a ton with financial aid.

Another way students can receive financial aid is through applying for scholarships. During the middle of February a list of over 50 different local scholarship opportunities will be available for students that are interested, the applications being due around the middle of March (some of these opportunities are only available to RHS students).

Even if you think you have your finances covered for college it’s still highly recommended to apply for scholarships. Finding scholarships is really just an internet search away, there is tons of research that will list different opportunities for students to earn scholarships such as the college board, fastweb and washboard. Every month, counselor Javan Chow also fills out a scholarship bulletin on Schoology that lists scholarship opportunities that are available to students. These scholarships mostly relate to seniors, but juniors have plenty of opportunities listed as well. It’s never too early to start looking for scholarships.

Another financial aid source to look into is merit scholarships. Oftentimes when applying to colleges the school will look at your GPA and if it’s above a certain point, they’ll give you a merit scholarship that will help you with paying for your tuition, books and other necessities.

So, RHS students, what factors are you taking into account when searching for the perfect college for you? Distance? Tuition? Acceptance rate? SAT Scores? Well below is a list of all 4 year universities in Washington complete with location, average tuition, application deadline for Fall 2023 quarter, acceptance rate, and whether or not they require SAT/ACT scores and teacher recommendations. Most of these schools can be done through the Common App, which will also be linked below and state whether or not each college uses the common App or not.

 

Collen Pancake:

Scholarship information and links :

FAFSA:

Common App:

 

Bastyr University

  • Location: Kenmore, WA
  • Tuition: 28k
  • Deadline: Feb 1 2023
  • Acceptance rate:
  • SAT/ACT: Not required
  • Recommendation: No
  • Common App: No. https://bastyr.edu/

 

Central Washington University

  • Location: Ellensburg, WA
  • Tuition: 8k
  • Deadline: July 29 2023
  • Acceptance rate: 86%
  • SAT/ACT: Flexible
  • Recommendation: No
  • Common App: Yes

 

Cornish College of the Arts

  • Location: Seattle, WA
  • Tuition: 39k
  • Deadline: Feb. 15 2023
  • Acceptance rate: 79%
  • SAT/ACT: Required without essay
  • Recommendation: 1 required
  • Common App: Yes

 

Eastern Washington University

  • Location: Cheney, WA
  • Tuition: 8k
  • Deadline: Feb. 01 2023
  • Acceptance rate: 79%
  • SAT/ACT: Never required
  • Recommendation: No
  • Common App: Yes

 

Gonzaga University

  • Location: Spokane WA
  • Tuition: 48k
  • Deadline: Dec. 1 2022
  • Acceptance rate: 73%
  • SAT/ACT:  Never required
  • Recommendation: 1 required
  • Common App: Yes

 

Northwest University

  • Location: Kirkland, WA
  • Tuition: 33k
  • Deadline: July 31 2023
  • Acceptance rate: 93%
  • SAT/ACT: Never required
  • Recommendation: No
  • Common App: Yes

 

Pacific Lutheran University

  • Location: Tacoma, WA
  • Tuition: 48k
  • Deadline: July 21 2023
  • Acceptance rate: 86%
  • SAT/ACT: Flexible
  • Recommendation: 1 required
  • Common App: Yes

 

Saint Martin’s University

  • Location: Lacey, WA
  • Tuition: 40k
  • Deadline: June 17 2023
  • Acceptance rate: 94%
  • SAT/ACT: Never required
  • Recommendation: 1 required
  • Common App: Yes

 

Seattle Pacific University

  • Location: Seattle, WA
  • Tuition: 35k
  • Deadline: Jan. 15 2023
  • Acceptance rate: 91%
  • SAT/ACT: Required without essay
  • Recommendation: No
  • Common App: Yes

 

Seattle University

  • Location: Seattle, WA
  • Tuition: 49k
  • Deadline: January 15 2023
  • Acceptance rate: 83%
  • SAT/ACT: Never required
  • Recommendation: 1 required
  • Common App: Yes

 

The Evergreen State College

  • Location: Olympia, WA
  • Tuition: 8k
  • Deadline: July 20 2023
  • Acceptance rate:
  • SAT/ACT: Sometimes required
  • Recommendation: No
  • Common App: Yes

 

University of Puget Sound

  • Location: Tacoma, WA
  • Tuition: 55k
  • Deadline: January 15 2023
  • Acceptance rate: 87%
  • SAT/ACT: Required without essay
  • Recommendation: 1 required
  • Common App: Yes

 

University of Washington

  • Location: Seattle WA
  • Tuition:12k
  • Deadline: Nov. 15 2022
  • Acceptance rate: 56%
  • SAT/ACT: Never required
  • Recommendation: No
  • Common App: Yes

 

University of Washington Bothell

  • Location: Bothell, WA
  • Tuition: 12k
  • Deadline: Jan. 15 2023
  • Acceptance rate: 88%
  • SAT/ACT: Never required
  • Recommendation: No
  • Common App: Yes

 

University of Washington Tacoma

  • Location: Tacoma, Wa
  • Tuition: 12k
  • Deadline: Jan. 15 2023
  • Acceptance rate: 86%
  • SAT/ACT: Never required
  • Recommendation: No
  • Common App: Yes

 

Walla Walla University

  • Location: College Place, WA
  • Tuition: 30k
  • Deadline: Feb, 14 2023
  • Acceptance rate: N/A
  • SAT/ACT: Sometimes required
  • Recommendation: 1 required
  • Common App: No. https://www.wallawalla.edu/

 

Washington State University

  • Location: Pullman, Vancouver, Tri-cities and online
  • Tuition: 12k
  • Deadline: July 29 2023
  • Acceptance rate: 80%
  • SAT/ACT: Ignored
  • Recommendation: No
  • Common App: Yes

 

Western Washington University

  • Location: Bellingham, WA
  • Tuition: 8k
  • Deadline: Jan. 31 2023
  • Acceptance rate: 94%
  • SAT/ACT: Never required
  • Recommendation: No
  • Common App: Yes

 

Whitman College

  • Location: Walla Walla, WA
  • Tuition: 55k
  • Deadline: Jan. 15 2023
  • Acceptance rate: 54%
  • SAT/ACT: Never required
  • Recommendation: 1 required
  • Common App: Yes

 

Whitworth University

  • Location: Spokane, WA
  • Tuition: 47k
  • Deadline: March 1 2023
  • Acceptance rate: 91%
  • SAT/ACT: Required without essay
  • Recommendation: No
  • Common App: Yes