Admission

Policy

Decisions on admission to any undergraduate school or college of the University are made after a careful review of an applicant’s academic achievement, scholastic aptitude, and personal characteristics which may predict success at the University. High school or college grades, course rigor, optional test scores, essays, extra-curricular activities and character play an important role in the admission process. All applicants are reviewed according to these criteria without discrimination on the basis of race, age, color, creed, national or ethnic origins, marital or financial status, disability, gender, or sexual orientation.

Prerequisites 

Applicants for regular admission are expected, prior to enrollment, to have graduated from an accredited high school in a college preparatory curriculum while showing evidence of ability to complete the University’s requirements for graduation.

The following pattern of coursework is recommended, but not required, for admission to Gonzaga University:

For first-year applicants seeking admission to nursing, Gonzaga recommends natural/physical laboratory science and math all four years of high school, including in the senior year.

As of fall 2020, Gonzaga does not require an SAT or ACT to be submitted as part of an application; students may apply with or without ACT or SAT scores and there is no penalty or preference for either. Candidates submitting SAT or ACT scores to the University are urged to take their tests no later than the first semester of their senior year in high school.  Scores must be submitted through the testing agency or be posted on the high school transcript to be considered official. Please note that students who are homeschooled may have additional testing requirements. Please refer to the How to Apply for Admission section for First-Year students below for more information listed in item #6. 

Review admission requirements at www.gonzaga.edu/admissionreqs.

An application for undergraduate admission will not be considered until all required documents are received by the Office of Admission.

How to Apply for Admission: 

Application for First-Year Students:

1. Students applying to Gonzaga University must submit the Common Application. Applications can be accessed online at the Common Application website www.commonapp.org.
2. Students must complete all parts of the Common Application including the Gonzaga Questions.
3. Submit the non-refundable application fee. The application fee may be submitted via the Common Application website.
4. Forward an official high school transcript to the Office of Admission. The application may be completed after the student has finished six semesters (or nine trimesters) of work in a college preparatory program.
5. Optional: Have ACT or SAT scores forwarded to the Office of Admission if they do not already appear on the high school transcript.
6. Home-schooled students are a significant part of Gonzaga University’s applicant pool. Students may choose home schooling for a variety of reasons and may implement a variety of styles. Therefore, home-school applications receive highly individualized attention. The Office of Admission requests the following information:
   1. The Common Application
   2. Any transcript(s) of academic work
   3. ACT and/or SAT if the student has completed less than 30 semester or 45 quarter college credits by application deadline. 
   4. One letter of recommendation, by someone other than a parent, addressing academic accomplishments
   5. The Common Application School Report, which can be filled out by a parent/guardian
7. Gonzaga's Nursing Program accepts first-year applications only. Applicants interested in the Nursing Program must choose "Nursing" on their application as their Primary Academic Interest to be considered. Students not admitted into the Nursing Program through the application process will not be permitted to change their major to nursing. Applicants must apply by the Early Action deadline of November 15 and choose "Nursing" on their application to be considered. Nursing applications that are received after November 15 will be considered for the nursing waitlist.

Application for Transfer Students:

1. Submit the Transfer Application for Admission at www.gonzaga.edu/transfer. 
2. Request one Academic Evaluation and/or a letter of recommendation from a college advisor or professor.
3. Request completion of the Gonzaga Transfer College Report from an official at your current or most recent institution and forward it to the Office of Admission.
4. Submit an official college transcript for each institution attended.
5. Submit a final high school transcript if you have not yet earned 30 or more transferrable semester credits (or 45 quarter credits) by the time of application. ACT and/or SAT scores are not required, but applicants with less than 30 transferable semester credits (or 45 quarter credits) may choose to submit them for consideration. Students who have been out of high school for four or more years or have not graduated from high school would be encouraged to complete a minimum of 30 transferable semester credits (or 45 quarter credits). For questions on exceptional circumstances, please contact the Office of Admission.
6. Submit the non-refundable application fee.

Application for International Students

Gonzaga welcomes applications from international students, who make up a valued part of the University’s student body. Since 1969, Gonzaga has been authorized by the Federal government to issue both I-20s and DS-2019s so that international students can secure visas and enroll in our programs. To be considered for undergraduate admission, international applicants are required to submit the following:

1. A completed application:
   1. First-year applicants must complete the Common Application at www.commonapp.org.
   2. Transfer applicants must complete the Transfer Application at www.gonzaga.edu/transfer. 
2. Transcripts: 
   1. First-year applicants must provide proof of academic preparation through the submission of official academic transcripts, demonstrating satisfactory achievement in the completion of a secondary education equivalent to that offered in the United States.
   2. Transfer applicants must submit official transcripts from any post-secondary institutions attended. Please submit transcripts in both your native language and in English. If admitted, a professional course-by-course evaluation will be required.
3. School Report or College Report:
   1. First-year applicants must provide a completed Common Application School Report (completed by the high school counselor).
   2. Transfer applicants must provide a completed Transfer College Report (completed by a school official at your current or most recent institution).
4. A letter of recommendation:
   
   1. First Year applicants please submit an Academic Evaluation and/or a letter of recommendation from an instructor, to be sent directly to Gonzaga University.
   2. Transfer applicants please submit an Academic Evaluation and/or a letter of recommendation from a college advisor or professor, to be sent directly to Gonzaga University.
5. A copy of your current passport.
6. Proof of English language proficiency adequate for undergraduate study at Gonzaga, which may be demonstrated by any of the following:    
   1. Test Scores. Official test scores must be received directly from a testing agency or reported on the official high school transcript. Test scores must be dated within two years of the application
      1. A TOEFL score of at least 550 written or /80 iBT. "My Best Score" and "TOEFL Home Edition" accepted. 
      2. An IELTS score of 6.5 or higher. 
      3. An official ACT composite of 23 or higher.
      4. A SAT Evidence Based Reading and Writing score of 550 or higher.
      5. Duolingo score of 120 or higher.
      6. An iTEP Academic Plus score of 4.5 or higher.
      7. A PTE (Pearson Test of English) score of 56 or higher.
      8. A TOEIC score of 695 or higher.
      9. An IB English A (Higher or Standard) predicted score of 6+ or higher.
      10. GCSE/IGCSE/GCE O-Level in one of the following courses with a B or higher: English, English Language, English Literature or First Language English.
   2. Successful completion of the course of study offered by Gonzaga University’s ESL Program with faculty recommendation.
   3. Completion of 2+ years of post-secondary coursework at an accredited U.S. institution of higher education with a B or better (3.0+ on a 4.0 scale) in a combination of English composition and/or speech classes.
   4. Applicants from the following countries are exempt from providing proof of English proficiency: Australia, Belize, Botswana, Canada (except Quebec), Ghana, Ireland, Kenya, New Zealand, Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda, United Kingdom, and any English-speaking Caribbean country (Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Grenada, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago).

Application fee note: Gonzaga offers an application fee waiver for international students. To receive the waiver, please select the International Student Fee Waiver on the Common Application or on the Transfer Application.

Once admission has been granted and students pay their confirmation deposits, Gonzaga University requests international applicants to provide documentation of sufficient funds for academic and living costs while studying in the United States for at least the academic year (two consecutive full-time semesters) so that immigration documents can be issued.

When to Apply for Admission

All new students may apply for admission to either the fall or spring semesters. Please visit the Office of Admission Dates and Deadlines webpage for a comprehensive list of timelines and dates associated with an application for undergraduate admission to Gonzaga University. 

Enrollment in a summer session does not imply admission for the regular academic year. Summer session students who desire regular admission to the University should submit an application to the Office of Admission.

All applicants seeking financial aid should also complete and submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA is available starting October 1 of the year prior to the year for which admission is sought, and families are encouraged to submit the FAFSA as soon as possible. The FAFSA priority deadline for first-year students is February 1 and for transfer students, March 1. This form can be accessed online at https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa. Gonzaga's FAFSA code is 003778. Undocumented Washington state families are encouraged to complete the WASFA, which can be accessed at https://wsac.wa.gov/. Undocumented out-of-state families are encouraged to submit the Needs Analysis Form, found here.

Credit Earned Elsewhere

Transfer of Credit

Applicants who have earned college credit at other post-secondary institutions must submit official college transcripts to the Office of Admission for transfer credit evaluation. Eligible institutions must be recognized by a U.S. regional accreditation organization as defined by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (www.chea.org). College coursework must have a grade of at least 2.00 (on a 4.00-point scale), must represent college-level course work, and must be academic in nature for transfer credit eligibility at the University.

Transfer credit from a two-year institution (community or junior college) is limited to a maximum of 64 semester credits (96 quarter credits) that can be applied to a baccalaureate degree at Gonzaga. Students transferring with a maximum of 64 semester credits from a community or junior college are not permitted to further enroll at a two-year institution for additional transfer credit.

All students must complete a minimum of 30 semester credits at Gonzaga immediately preceding their graduation from the University. For further information on transfer credit policies, applicants should consult the Academic Policies and Degree Requirement sections of this catalog.

Advanced Placement/International Baccalaureate Credit

The University welcomes requests for special placement evaluation for incoming students who have taken the Advanced Placement (AP) Examinations of the College Board or International Baccalaureate Examinations. Examination results should be forwarded to the Office of Admission. Applicants may be granted credit, advanced standing, or a waiver of requirements depending on the field of study, the scores achieved, and the general regulations of the University. AP and IB Examination policies at Gonzaga University are available on the Office of Admission website, www.gonzaga.edu/creditbyexam.

Cambridge International A and AS Level Exams

Cambridge International A Level is a two-year course, and Cambridge International AS Level is a one-year course offering advanced curriculum to students preparing for colleges worldwide. The Cambridge International A and AS level curriculum is recognized as a rigorous college preparatory curriculum. Based on the results of Cambridge International Exams, students may receive 3 to 6 credits per advanced level exam. Review Gonzaga’s policy for granting credit based on the advanced level exam or certificates online at www.gonzaga.edu/creditbyexam. 

German Abitur (Zeugnis der Allgemeinen Hochschulreife)

The Abitur is certification that a student has successfully completed the German college-preparatory educational program and has scored passing grades on the Abitur examinations administered during the final year of secondary school. Based on the results of the Abitur exam, students may receive up to 6 semester credits per Leistungsfach subject area with a minimum grade of 10.  Review Gonzaga’s policy for granting credit based on the advanced level exam online at www.gonzaga.edu/creditbyexam.

Honors Program

Gonzaga University has long challenged exceptional students through its Honors Program. This interdisciplinary, competitive program seeks academically gifted and intellectually curious students who are willing to put their talents to work for the service of others.

The four-year Honors curriculum allows a student to choose any major or minor course of study. In addition to team-taught, interdisciplinary classes and close personal advising, a scholarship, an optional Honors Living Learning Community residence hall, flexible scheduling, unique study abroad opportunities and pride of place at graduation are provided.

Admission to the Honors Program is highly competitive: eighty to one hundred places are open each year. Candidates must complete a separate Honors application to be considered for admission. Acceptance is based on independent intellectual achievement and commitment, creativity, skill in effective expression, strength of curriculum, resilience through challenge, and the Honors portfolio on the Honors application form. If candidates submit test scores for their Gonzaga application for admission, they will also be considered in the Honors evaluation.  If candidates don’t submit test scores, strength of curriculum, GPA, and writing will be given more weight in the evaluation. Potential applicants are encouraged to visit the campus and to meet with the Honors Director or an Admission Counselor or to schedule a video or phone call to learn more about the Program.

Campus Visit

The Office of Undergraduate Admissions offers an extensive visit program for those interested in attending Gonzaga. Pending availability, an individualized visit may include an overnight stay, class visit, faculty meeting, admission interview, information session, and campus tour. In addition to individualized visits, several Preview Days (larger open-house days), Saturday Visits, Nursing Fridays, Engineering Days, and virtual programs are offered throughout the year. To schedule a visit, contact the Visit Office at visit@gonzaga.edu or ­­­­­­­­www.gonzaga.edu/admission/visit. A notice of at least two weeks is recommended in order to arrange and plan for a successful visit. 

Dual Enrollment

High school students who have not yet completed their graduation requirements may enroll (with certain restrictions and on a space-available basis) in a maximum of two courses per semester while still enrolled in high school. This program is reserved for juniors and seniors who present a minimum cumulative grade-point average of 3.50 (4.00 scale) and a letter of recommendation from their principal or counselor. A special tuition rate is available for all students taking Dual Enrollment courses. For more information on this program, students may visit the dual enrollment webpage or contact the Office of Undergraduate Admission.

Non-Degree Seeking 

Students not seeking an undergraduate degree may enroll in courses at Gonzaga as a non-matriculating student. Further information can be found through the University Registrar’s Office at https://www.gonzaga.edu/academics/academic-resources/registrars-office/non-degree-seeking-student-registration.