Admission Appeals

Individuals who have been denied admission to Washington State University are eligible to request an appeal except in the following circumstances.

First Year Applicants:

• Did not meet the priority admission application date by submission of a complete package of admission application materials.
• Exceeded three high school core deficiencies as outlined in the College Academic Distribution Requirements (CADRs).
• High school grade point average (GPA) is below 2.0 (unweighted) using 4.0 scale

Transfer Students:

• Completed fewer than 40 quarter or 27 semester hours of academic college-level transferable credit.
• College or high school grade point average is below 2.0.

Note: Students who have previously made an appeal are not eligible to make an additional appeal until they have met all conditions set forth in a previous appeal by the Faculty Admissions Subcommittee.

Due to a record number of applications and record number of students admitted, we’ve been forced to say no to many students. While you are able to submit an appeal, you should know that there will be very few, if any, spaces available.

The number of appeals considered in a given year or term will be affected by several factors, and there is no guarantee that appeals will be considered. Priority consideration in the appeal process may be influenced by (a) the total space available in the incoming class, (b) the nature of the extenuating circumstances, and (c) the date that complete admission materials are received.

The Admissions Subcommittee may not be able to consider all requests. Individuals with questions are encouraged to talk with an admission counselor before filing an appeal request. Requesting an appeal does not ensure that your file will be re-evaluated.

Applicants who have been denied admission may appeal by submitting an appeal application through this website if they believe there are extenuating circumstances which, when documented and/or explained, constitute a compelling reason that indicates that they are now ready to be successful at the university level. Appeal applications can only be submitted once.

Application process:

1. Click “Where do I submit my appeals?” and select link.
2. Sign into your account using your application log in.
3. Review and confirm all information is correct at the top of the application.
   • If any information is incorrect, please select no and provide what information is incorrect in the text box that appears.
4. Please identify if an extenuating circumstance has been experienced in the past 5 years.
5. Complete the answer section.
6. Upload any additional documents prepared.
   • Note: If additional documents are not uploaded at the time of submission, please email them before the deadline to admissions.appeal@wsu.edu
7. Review the information and submit.

On the appeal application, there are five short answer questions for all students to answer. We recommend that all answers are typed in Word first to ensure all answers are saved. These questions include:

• Please explain why you would like your admission decision to be reconsidered.
• What circumstances do you believe impacted your academic performance? What steps have you taken to address the challenges you experienced?
• Why do you want to attend Washington State University? How would attending Washington State University help you achieve your long-term goals?
• If admitted, how do you plan to ensure academic success? Additionally, please explain your understanding of both the admission and graduation requirements for your anticipated major.
• Is there any additional information you would like the committee to consider when reviewing your appeal?

First-year students will need to confirm if they have completed these major courses:

• English
  • Did you complete four years of English courses?
    • Examples: Standard English, Honors English, AP English, or Running Start/College English.
• Math
  • Did you complete three years of math courses including Algebra II or equivalent?
    • Examples: Integrated math III, calculus, trigonometry, advanced algebra, etc.
• Science
  • Did you complete three years of science courses including one algebra-based science?
    • Examples: Biology, chemistry, physics, oceanography, environmental science, geological science, genetics, or marine science.
    • Examples of algebra-based science: chemistry, astronomy, physics, integrated physical science.

For additional information on these course requirements, please review the College Academic Distribution Requirements (CADRs).

The written appeal answers should state clearly and concisely the reason for requesting special consideration. Appeals are based on extenuating circumstances and should include new and compelling information that was not initially presented in the application. The quality of the writing organization, content, spelling, punctuation, and grammar is important in presenting the strongest possible case.

• The request for an appeal must represent your own work.
  • You cannot have someone else write your appeal for you.
  • Answers that are created or edited by generative AI will not be considered.
• You may include supplemental materials to strengthen your appeal.

Individuals who request an appeal of an admission decision may submit letters of recommendation, as well as other documents from teachers, employers, or WSU faculty if those documents offer specific evidence of your academic potential.

• Letters of recommendation may be submitted with the appeal request or separately through the admissions.appeal@wsu.edu email.
• Be sure to include a copy of your most recent transcripts.

Note: The Admissions Subcommittee may postpone review of the appeal upon request for a short time if additional documents are in transit. However, appellants should be aware that a postponement does not guarantee a subsequent review, as space limitations may preclude it.

Fall appeals are reviewed monthly between March and June while Spring appeals are reviewed monthly between October and December. No Fall term appeals will be accepted after June 11th and no Spring term appeals will be accepted after November 11th. Completed packets must be submitted by the following deadlines to be considered in that month.

Visit the appeal application website, click “Appeal Application” and sign in through OKTA verification to begin the appeal process.

Applications may be submitted prior to the deadline listed on this website. However, appeals are reviewed and considered once per month up until the start of the semester for which the appeal has been requested (typically June for fall semester and December for spring semester).

Once the Appeals Subcommittee has met and made final decisions, the Appeals Coordinator will contact you with the final decision within 48 business hours after the scheduled meeting.

All appeal outcomes are delivered via the primary email listed on the student’s account. Appeal decisions are final.

An individual who is admitted by the Admissions Subcommittee will be expected to comply with all requirements stipulated at the time of the decision. Should a freshman appellant be denied admission, the only recourse for future admissibility is to accumulate a full year of transferable college-level work and then be reviewed under the current semester’s transfer admission requirements.

If you have questions regarding the appeal process, please contact the Admissions Subcommittee appeals coordinator at admissions.appeal@wsu.edu.