How to Apply to Mathematics at Whitman College: Apply to the College Rather Than the Major, Test-Optional, with a Senior Written Exam, Oral Exam and Senior Project, for Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

Whitman College is a liberal arts college in Walla Walla, Washington; mathematics is taught by the Department of Mathematics & Statistics. Students apply to the College through the Office of Admission, not to a department. This guide, based on Whitman’s website, is organised for US domestic applicants, international applicants and applicants from China, followed by transfer students. Computer science is not covered here, apart from the data science minor.

1. Degrees and areas of study

• What the department offers: the department describes a mathematics major immersing students in foundational concepts of mathematics and statistics. The College also offers combined majors in mathematics-physics, mathematics-statistics and economics-mathematics, a data science minor offered with the Department of Computer Science, and students can design their own combined major. The pages read do not name the degree (B.A. and so on).
• Course requirements: the department page points to the College catalog (catalog.whitman.edu) for courses and requirements. That catalog is on a separate subdomain that was neither scanned nor read, so see Whitman’s website for the required course list. The related-programs page gives summaries: economics-mathematics includes Mathematics 225, 240, 244, 247, 248 and 349 plus three more credits in mathematics and statistics numbered above 200; mathematics-physics includes Mathematics 225, 240, 244, 367 or 368 and six more credits in mathematics and statistics numbered above 200. The data science minor needs at least 19 credits, including Computer Science 167 and Mathematics 240 and 247; combined with the mathematics major, Mathematics 240 counts for both and the student completes at least 51 credits in total.
• Learning goals: the department says graduates will be able to write correct and coherent mathematical arguments, understand formal logic, number theory, sets, functions and relations, understand core ideas of abstract algebra (groups, rings, fields) and real analysis (continuity, differentiation, integration), and independently investigate an advanced topic and report on it orally and in writing.
• Senior assessment: the department says all seniors in mathematics, math-physics and econ-math take a written exam, typically on the third weekend of the fall semester of senior year; an oral exam of about one hour on the first weekend of the spring semester; and enrol in Math 497 in spring, which requires research under close faculty supervision, a written senior project and an oral defense. The College’s graduation requirements also list passing the senior assessment in the major.
• Research and community: the department mentions wide-ranging research opportunities, co-authoring papers with faculty, peer assistance in the mathematics computer lab and an annual banquet for majors.

2. How admission works: apply to the College, then major

• At application: the admission pages read do not ask applicants to choose a major and do not describe a separate admission line or quota for mathematics.
• Declaring the major: the pages read do not say when students declare, or give any grade threshold or cap; ask the Office of Admission or the Registrar. The graduation requirements page says a major GPA of at least 2.00 is required, and for combined majors each part must reach 2.00.
• Moving into mathematics from another major: the pages read do not give specific conditions.

3. Prerequisites and placement

• High school mathematics: the application FAQ says Whitman has no specific admission requirements but strongly recommends four years of English, four years of mathematics, three years of laboratory science, two or three years of social studies and two years of a foreign language; there is no minimum GPA or SAT/ACT score.
• Choosing a calculus course: the department’s placement page says that students with a strong high school background but no precalculus should take Mathematics 124 (Introduction to Calculus, equivalent to Calculus I but meeting more often so pre-calculus skills are learned alongside); those with a strong background but no calculus take Mathematics 125 (Calculus I); those who took high school calculus without an AP test should take the advisory placement exam.
• Placement exam: 18 questions, 9 on Calculus I and 9 on Calculus II; 7 of 9 indicates readiness for the next course. Two Calculus II questions concern infinite series; students who have never seen them should probably take Calculus II. The exam is advisory, and students can consult mathematics faculty on arrival.
• AP Calculus: a 4 or 5 on BC counts as Mathematics 125 and 126 (six credits) and students should register for Calculus III (Mathematics 225); a 4 or 5 on AB (or the AB subscore of BC) counts as Mathematics 125 (three credits) and students should take the placement exam to choose between Calculus II and III. The application FAQ says AP scores of 4 or 5 earn credit, and lists the subjects that need a 5 (calculus is not among them).
• IB: the FAQ says credit may be given for scores of 5, 6 or 7 on selected higher-level IB exams, up to one year (30 semester hours). Which mathematics exams earn how much credit is not stated on the pages read; see the credit section of the College catalog.
• Honors sequence: the pages read do not mention an honors mathematics sequence.
• Mathematics competitions: the pages read do not say how they are viewed in admission.

4. Timeline and materials (first-year)

• Rounds and deadlines: Early Decision 1 (binding) 15 November, notification mid-December, enrol by 15 January; Early Action (non-binding) 1 December, notification early February, enrol by 1 May; Early Decision 2 5 January, notification late January (the FAQ says mid-January), enrol by 1 March; Regular Decision 15 January, notification early March, enrol by 1 May. The pages show no year, so check that they apply to fall 2027 entry.
• How to apply: the Common Application or the Coalition Application. Application fee: the international checklist says $60, waived for all applicants who apply before 1 December; the pages read do not give a separate figure for domestic applicants.
• Essay and review: the personal essay goes through the Common or Coalition Application. Whitman says review is holistic, considering unweighted GPA, rigor of coursework, writing, recommendations, activities and, optionally, test scores.
• Recommendations: the FAQ says more than one letter can be sent but two are usually sufficient, from teachers and/or counselors; the website does not say one must be a mathematics teacher.
• Testing: Whitman is test-optional; if submitted, ACT and SAT are both superscored; not submitting does not affect scholarship or aid consideration. Codes: CEEB 4951, ACT 4492. Homeschooled applicants and applicants from schools that give written evaluations instead of grades are strongly encouraged to submit scores.
• Interview: optional for seniors, during a campus visit, virtually, or when admission officers travel; not offered to international students, though InitialView interviews are accepted.
• Decision and aid: Whitman says admitted students learn their scholarship and aid amounts together with the admission decision.

5. US domestic applicants

• Costs (2026–27): the cost page lists one tuition figure of $68,692 and an ASWC (student association) fee of $576; on-campus food and housing $15,952 (double room, meal plan 2); books, supplies and incidentals $1,332; loan fees $68; estimated total cost of attendance, less travel, $86,620. It does not distinguish in-state from out-of-state tuition.
• Aid: Whitman says it meets 100 percent of demonstrated need of admitted students, and nearly 97% of students receive scholarships and aid. Under the 10% Promise, submitting the FAFSA is enough and tuition will not exceed 10% of family income, guaranteed for four years and subject to continued eligibility; students who also submit the CSS Profile get a full analysis comparing both approaches. The Early Financial Aid Guarantee gives high school seniors a personalised offer before they apply (details are on a page not read here).
• Scholarships: all applicants are automatically considered for four-year renewable merit scholarships of up to $35,000, with no separate application; Garrett-Sherwood Scholarships go to applicants with outstanding achievement, leadership and contributions. Talent and passion scholarships (fine arts, debate, music, theater and dance, outdoor recreation) are applied for in the applicant portal after submitting the admission application; recipients need not major in the area.
• Washington residents: the Washington students page says special scholarship funds let Whitman meet the full financial need of Washington students; it does not describe in-state priority or guaranteed admission.

6. International applicants

• English: international applicants whose first language is not English submit official TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo scores (institution code 4951). Minimums: TOEFL iBT 4.5 (85 for tests before January 2026), IELTS 6.5, Duolingo 110. Self-reported scores are accepted and confirmed with official scores at enrolment. Waivers: the international page says the test can be waived if your first language is English or the primary language of instruction at your high school has been English; the checklist says if English is your first language, you are currently at a high school taught primarily in English, or you have spent at least two years at one. Other exceptions are “rare”.
• Documents: Common Application; English scores (or waiver); the Whitman International Student Financial Aid Application (WISFAA) for need-based aid, completed in the applicant portal (Whitman does not use the CSS Profile for international aid); application fee; secondary school report; counselor recommendation (a second teacher evaluation may replace it if there is no counselor); official transcript; midyear report; teacher evaluation. All materials must be in English. SAT or ACT is optional but strongly encouraged for international applicants.
• Aid and admission: the international financial aid page says Whitman meets 100% of the demonstrated need of international students who are admitted, and adds that Whitman is “highly need-aware” for international students and that fewer than two percent of international applicants who need full support and have no additional source of funding (such as the Davis UWC scholarship) are offered admission. Merit scholarships may go to international students without financial need, with no extra materials. International students may work on campus up to 15 hours a week in term and 40 in breaks.
• Davis UWC scholarship: UWC graduates enrolling at Whitman receive $40,000 a year for four years; the application fee is waived, and Whitman will pay on request for a one-way trip and the SEVIS fee.
• Interview: not required; international students can choose a recorded video interview through InitialView or Vericant (not live).
• Contact: international@whitman.edu; send attachments to application@whitman.edu.

7. Applicants from China

• Gaokao: the admission pages read do not say whether the gaokao is considered or how. This is not published on the pages read; contact international@whitman.edu.
• Transcripts and exam materials: no China-specific requirements are published on the pages read; the general international requirements are in section 6.
• International curricula: students taking AP or IB can see the mathematics credit rules in section 3; credit rules for other curricula are not stated on the pages read.

8. Costs, scholarships and outcomes

• Costs: see section 5.
• Department scholarships and research: department-specific scholarships are not described on the pages read; the department mentions research opportunities, co-authoring with faculty and a Senior Project Archive.
• Outcomes: the department says mathematics majors go on to graduate school or the job market with the skills to construct powerful arguments and create solutions across disciplines. The page prints no specific employment figures.

9. Transfer students

• Deadlines (the page shows no year; check it): fall transfer 1 March, notification early April, reply by 20 May; spring transfer 1 November, notification late November, reply by 10 December. Whitman says it continues accepting applications and aid materials after the posted deadlines until 15 June. Apply through the Transfer Common Application.
• Materials: transcripts from all colleges attended (unofficial versions accepted when applying, official at enrolment); the final high school transcript (a GED certificate is accepted); one academic evaluation from a recent teacher or professor, with up to two optional additional letters; the College Report; SAT/ACT and AP/IB scores are optional.
• Credit: up to 70 advanced-standing credits (including AP, IB, dual-enrollment and some military credit); credits earned exclusively at most two-year colleges are limited to 62 semester credits; courses are generally accepted if they are taught or similar to courses taught at Whitman with a grade of C- (1.7) or above; the Washington Direct Transfer Agreement associate degree can bring 90 or more credits and junior standing. The graduation requirements page says no more than one-third of the credits for any major may be transfer credits unless the department’s limit is lower. Department-specific mathematics transfer rules are not on the pages read.
• International transfer students: Whitman welcomes transfer applicants from accredited institutions in the US and abroad; international transfer applicants also use the WISFAA for aid.

Application checklist

US domestic applicants:

• ED 1 15 November; EA 1 December; ED 2 5 January; RD 15 January; test-optional; four years of high school mathematics recommended
• FAFSA for the 10% Promise, optional CSS Profile

International applicants (including China):

• TOEFL 4.5 (new scale), IELTS 6.5 or Duolingo 110, waived for English-medium high schools; WISFAA; $60 fee (waived before 1 December)
• How the gaokao is used is not published

After entry:

• Choose Mathematics 124/125/126/225 using AP scores and the placement exam; senior written exam, oral exam and Math 497 project

Transfer students:

• Fall 1 March; spring 1 November; up to 70 credits; ask the Registrar for a preliminary evaluation

Sources: Whitman College, Mathematics & Statistics; Learning goals; Senior assessment; Related programs; Calculus placement; Graduation requirements; Applying to Whitman; First-year students; Testing policy; Application FAQ; International students; International checklist; International financial aid; Washington students; Transfer application details; Cost; Scholarships; The 10% Promise. The application pages show no year on their dates, so check that they apply to fall 2027 entry; the cost page covers 2026–27. See Whitman’s website for the latest.