General Admission Requirements
First Time Students
Students admitted as freshmen must either have a 3.0 high school GPA, or have both 18 ACT composite or 870 SAT (combined Critical Reading and Math scores taken prior to March 2016) or a 960 SAT composite (combined evidence based Reading/Writing and Math scores taken March 2016 and after) and a high school GPA of 2.0. In addition, students admitted as freshmen must have taken specified high school courses:
- 4 units of English (including grammar, composition and literature)
- 3 units of college preparatory mathematics (units must be Algebra I or higher, Math I or higher and include Algebra II; Transitional Math for High School Seniors will also be accepted)
- 4 units of social studies/fine arts (any combination of social studies, fine arts or humanities will fulfill the requirement; combination must include U.S.studies/history)
- 3 units of science (recommended units include biology, chemistry, physics, anatomy and environmental science)
- 2 units of the same world language (American Sign Language is acceptable)
In addition to the general requirements for admission, applicants to engineering, chemistry and mathematics programs must also obtain an ACT math score of at least 19 or a SAT math score of 460 taken prior to March 2016 or a 510 SAT score taken March 2016 and after.
NOTE: WVU Tech considers each applicant as an individual, with no limit on the number of students admitted from any given background, secondary school, state or region of the country. Meeting the minimum curriculum requirements does not guarantee admission.
Students Not Meeting the Academic Core Requirements
Freshman applicants who meet the general admission requirements, but have not met all of the academic core requirements may have the academic core requirements waived for admission.
Transfer Students
Students seeking transfer admission must be academically eligible to return to the institution from which they wish to transfer. In addition, WVU Tech requires a minimum GPA of 2.0 for all transfer work.
Students with twenty-four (24) or fewer transferable semester credit hours, excluding developmental courses, must meet the first-time admission standards outlined previously, as well as the 2.0 minimum GPA guideline for transfer work.
Transfer students who are not eligible to enroll at their previous institution for disciplinary reasons (suspension or expulsion) are not eligible for admission. Students who have received any other form of disciplinary sanction from their previous institution may be admitted only after review of the conduct and circumstances that gave rise to the disciplinary sanction.
Non-traditional Students
First-time students who graduated from high school more than five years prior to applying for admission are considered to be non-traditional students. Students in this category are not required to provide ACT or SAT scores and are not required to satisfy the Academic Core Requirements.
Conditional Admission
Students who do not meet the normal admission requirements may be admitted with the approval of the Campus Provost and the dean of the college in which they wish to enroll. Students may submit a personal statement or other supporting documentation with their application to support a case for conditional admission.
TASC, GED, or HiSET Students
Students that have completed a Test Assessing Secondary Completion (TASC) with a score of 500 on each of the five subtest categories or a General Equivalency Degree (GED) with an average standard score of 2250 (450) or above, or a ;High School Equivalency Test (HiSET) with a minimum score of 45, must request that the State Department of Education mail copies of your scores to the Office of Admissions.
SAT and ACT Requirements for TASC, GED, or HiSET Admits
The standards for ACT and SAT scores will be the same as for regular admissions. Any TASC, GED, or HiSET students not meeting these standards require the approval of the academic Dean and Associate Provost for admission.
Test-Optional Admissions Requirements
What is Test-Optional?
West Virginia University has adopted a test optional application; students can submit their application without an ACT or SAT score. In addition, our admissions application and merit awarding both include a no-harm policy – students will not be penalized whether applying with scores or test optional. We also welcome changes to your test optional status once applied, and applicants may submit scores through May 1 if electing to qualify for score sender merit awards.
Select academic programs will require a test score, math assessment, or a minimum GPA for direct admission. This is due to their competitive nature or limited space. However, WVU Tech will automatically evaluate all applicants regardless of major. If a student has applied for one of these select academic programs of study, the student may be admitted into General Education until adequate test or placement scores have been provided. This ensures that students receive an admissions decision if awaiting a test date or choose to submit scores later. Scores will still need to be submitted at a later date to ensure correct course placement even when applying test-optional.
No Harm Policy
Test-optional applicants that send their ACT/SAT scores following their application or admission are encouraged to do so.
That said, we maintain a “No Harm Policy” when reviewing applications. What this means is that your test score will not count against you, even if your test score and GPA combination would fall below our traditional admissions requirements. The same applies to terms of potential scholarships of distinction as it is our goal to help you qualify for the best potential award available to you.
Keep in mind though, the better high school GPA and test score combination you have, the better chance you have at qualifying for a high scholarship of distinction.
Traditional Applicants Disclaimer
Students applying under traditional standards are required to send not only their high school transcripts, but also their ACT/SAT scores to 410 Neville St. Beckley, WV 25801 before their application can be reviewed. Traditional applicant will continue having their applications reviewed based on our traditional admissions requirements.
For questions about test-optional or traditional application processes, please contact your admissions counselor.