2013-2014 Catalog - Virginia Wesleyan College

32ADMISSION ADMISSION 33Virginia Wesleyan College seeks to enrollqualified students from diverse social,religious, racial, economic, and geographicbackgrounds. Admission is based solely on theapplicant’s academic and personal qualifications. Thecollege does not discriminate on the basis of race,religion, handicap, sex, nationality, or ethnic origin.Admissions CalendarHigh school students are encouraged to apply inthe fall of their senior year for admission thefollowing fall. Transfer students may apply duringeither the fall or spring semesters for admission thefollowing semester. Although the college employs arolling admissions process, March 1 is the preferredapplication deadline for fall admission. December 1 isthe preferred deadline for spring admission. Thecollege continues to accept applications after thosedeadlines if space is available.The Admissions Committee begins to reviewcompleted applications from high school students inOctober. All applicants can expect to receiveadmissions notification within three weeks after alltheir required materials have been received. All highschool applicants accepted for admission are expectedto complete their senior year of high school worksatisfactorily. All new students are required to submita completed medical form to the Health ServicesOffice before registering for classes.Application materials are available from theAdmissions Office. Prospective students may visit thecollege’s home page at www.vwc.edu, e-mail the officeat admissions@vwc.edu, call the office at 1-800-737-8684 or 757-455-3208, or write to the AdmissionsOffice, Virginia Wesleyan College, 1584 WesleyanDrive, Norfolk/Virginia Beach, VA 23502-5599. Theoffice is open from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. onweekdays during the academic year and until 4 p.m.in the summer.Campus VisitsAlthough a personal interview is not specificallyrequired, interested students are encouraged to visitthe campus for a tour and presentation and to talkwith an admissions counselor. Interested studentsshould contact the Admissions Office to schedule atime that is convenient to meet with an admissionscounselor. Tours are regularly scheduled Mondaythrough Friday at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., and onSaturdays at 11 a.m. Prospective students may sign upfor a campus visit online or simply by calling theAdmissions Office at one of the numbers above.Individual tours may be scheduled throughout theyear as well. The college website provides currentADMISSIONinformation on Saturday open houses and otherspecial events for prospective students.Admission Requirementsfor FreshmenPublic and Private High School StudentsThe Admissions Committee believes that highschool students who have taken a strong academicprogram of at least 16 solid academic units are mostlikely to succeed in meeting the requirements ofVirginia Wesleyan’s curriculum. The program shouldinclude at least four academic courses each year.Because course offerings vary among high schools, thecommittee does not attempt to specify all courses, butrecommends that the following 12 units be includedas a minimum:English 4Foreign Language 2 (in one language)Algebra 2Geometry 1History 1Science 2Additional units should be chosen from areas ofstudy similar to those above. The committee lookswith favor on Virginia’s advanced studies diploma andon comparable programs offered in other states.Applicants whose high school program is somewhatirregular may be considered for admission; however,their records should demonstrate high achievementand aptitude. Such students may be admittedprovisionally at the discretion of the AdmissionsCommittee.Homeschooled StudentsVirginia Wesleyan welcomes qualified homeschooled students who have completed a four-yearsecondary school program with strong preparation inEnglish, foreign language, algebra, geometry, history,and science. Additional coursework should be chosenfrom areas of study similar to these. In some cases, theAdmissions Committee may request a syllabus as partof a student transcript to aid in its decisions.Application Materials Requiredfor All Freshman Applicants1. A completed application and a $40 nonrefundableapplication fee.2. An official high school transcript or comparablehome school documentation.3. A recommendation from a guidance counseloror other school official.4. An official record of scores on the ScholasticAssessment Test (SAT) or the American CollegeTesting Program (ACT). Applicants areresponsible for arranging to take these tests andfor requesting that results be sent to VirginiaWesleyan. The CEEB code for VirginiaWesleyan is 5867. The ACT code is 4429.5. Students with a high school grade point averageof 3.5 or above or an especially strong collegepreparatory curriculum may apply withoutsubmitting standardized test scores. Thesestudents must indicate on the application formthat they wish to be considered “test optional.”6. Students whose first language is not Englishshould submit scores for the Test of English as aForeign Language (TOEFL) (see section oninternational students below).Admission Requirementsfor Transfer StudentsFor admission by transfer from another regionallyaccredited institution, students must submit thefollowing materials:1. A completed application form and a $40 nonrefundableapplication fee.2. Applicants who have not yet completed 12semester hours of college work must submit anofficial high school transcript and an officialcollege transcript, including SAT or ACT scores.Generally, students transferring to VirginiaWesleyan present a cumulative GPA of 2.0 orhigher.3. Applicants who have successfully completed 12or more semester hours of college work mustsubmit a high school diploma or GED(necessary for receipt of federal financialassistance) and an official college transcript.4. Students whose first language is not Englishshould submit scores for the Test of English as aForeign Language (TOEFL) (see section oninternational students below).Two-year degrees earned from the VirginiaCommunity College System are accepted infulfillment of a significant portion of VirginiaWesleyan’s general studies requirements. Communitycollege courses that fit Virginia Wesleyan’s generalstudies and other graduation requirements arecarefully evaluated to provide maximum transfercredit.A student’s transcript of coursework taken atanother college should demonstrate a high quality ofwork. Credit awarded must be equivalent to coursesoffered at Virginia Wesleyan or logical extensions ofsuch courses. No credit is transferable for work belowa grade of C (2.0) or for failing grades earned under asystem of evaluation equivalent to the pass/failconcept. Students may not transfer more than 64semester hours from two-year institutions. A 2.5cumulative grade point average is required foradmission to the Professional Education Program forteacher preparation and certification.International StudentsVirginia Wesleyan encourages freshman andtransfer applications from qualified internationalstudents. Applicants who are not residents of theUnited States are considered on the basis of theirperformance in their country’s educational system inhigh school and at any colleges or universities theyhave attended. International students should submittheir applications by June 1 for fall semester and byNovember 1 for spring semester. Applications shouldinclude all of the materials listed above for otherfreshmen or transfer students. International studentswhose first language is not English must also submitthe following:1. A TOEFL score of at least 550 on the writtentest or 80 on the Internet-based exam. (Pastscores of 213 for the computer-based test are stillaccepted.)2. A transcript of grades from high school reportedin English.3. A recommendation from a high school official,written in English.Immigration laws require that all internationalstudents be prepared to assume financial