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Admission Frequently Asked Questions

Updated August 31, 2005

I am confused. Are the UWCs high schools or colleges?
The UWCs use the term "college" in the British sense of the word, and that means the final two-years of secondary school. So the UWCs are upper-level secondary schools. For some students this means eleventh and twelfth grades and for others it means the equivalent of twelfth and thirteenth grades

If I apply during the 11th grade for entry in my 12th grade, does that mean that I will be repeating a year of high school?
Yes and no. Students who apply during their 11th grade year will not be repeating a year, as the UWC experience, both in and out of the classroom, is completely different from the any other high school experience, but 11th grade applicants will be spending a total of five years in secondary school. The majority of applicants and students in our program enter the UWCs during their 11th grade year and complete their upper secondary school education during a 13th year. Most colleges and universities in the U.S. offer advanced standing for students who successfully complete the IB diploma; most UWC graduates can choose to complete a U.S. college/university education in three years.

Is there any preference given to either tenth grade or eleventh grade applicants?
No. We are looking for well prepared and mature students from either grade.

What if I will have already completed high school or earned a high school diploma?
We only consider applications of students who are currently enrolled in 10th or 11th grade. We do not consider applications of 9th graders, 12th grade students or high school graduates, whether or not they meet our age requirements.

What is the age requirement?
A student must be either 16 or 17 on September 1 of the year they intend to enroll. Applications are due in January for admission for fall entry.

What is the International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma program?
The IB is a two-year advanced secondary school diploma, originally designed for internationally mobile families. Today the diploma is recognized by more than one hundred countries as a university entrance certificate. Depending on your IB exam results, U.S. colleges and universities offer various amount of college credit or advanced standing. For more information, visit the IBO website (www.ibo.org). The IB curriculum is regarded by colleges and universities as one of the best for college preparation.

I'm currently in my first year of an IB program at another school. Can I just attend a UWC for the second year of the IB program and graduate?
The U.S. Selection Committee considers applicants of students who are currently in their first year of the IB. However, those students must still attend a UWC for the full two-years. This does not mean a repeat of the first year of the IB curriculum. Most students who have joined us after having completed the first year of the IB simply take different subjects, more subjects, or more advanced ("Higher Level") subjects, and as previously mentioned, the UWC experience is very different from any other high school experience. UWC-USA hosts students from more than 90 different countries; the faculties and staffs at the UWCs are also immensely diverse.

Where are the UWCs located?
The UWCs are located in the United Kingdom, Canada, Costa Rica, India, Venezuela, Ital , Norwa , Hong Kong, Singapore, Swaziland, and the USA. Davis Scholars are not sent to the Simon Bolivar UWC in Venezuela, as it is an agricultural school taught in Spanish rather than an IB school taught in English like the rest of the UWCs. There is also a new UWC school located in Bosnia-Herzegovina, but the U.S. Selection Committee has not yet selected students for this school.

I want to attend a UWC outside of the USA. How should I proceed?
All U.S. citizens and permanent residents must apply to the UWCs through the U.S. Selection Committee/Davis Scholars Competition, as described on this website. U.S. students may not apply directly to any UWC. On the application, students are asked to rank UWC campus preferences. Applicants who are really only interested in attending one UWC should feel free to note that on the application; applicants who are interested in attending any of the UWCs should feel free to note that as well.

Is there a difference between the Davis Scholars program and the selection of U.S. applicants?
No. All U.S. students apply through UWC-USA, and all U.S. applications are considered by the U.S. Selection Committee. Admitted students are honored with the title "Davis Scholars".

What does the Davis Scholarship cover? What doesn't it cover?
The Davis Scholarship covers full tuition, room, board and mandatory fees for all U.S. students at all UWCs. It does not cover spending money, insurance, or travel expenses, but a family may apply for additional need-based assistance to help with these costs through a need-based assistance program. A more detailed explanation of this need-based assistance program is included with admission packets sent to accepted students.

If I am not selected as a Davis Scholar through the U.S. Selection Committee, may I apply as a fee paying student to UWC-USA or one of the other UWCs?
No. The only way for U.S. students to get admitted to a UWC is through the U.S. Selection Committee/Davis Scholar application process.

Is there a citizenship requirement?
Yes. Applicants for the Davis Scholars competition must be US citizens or US permanent residents.

What if I am not a U.S. citizen or permanent resident?
Non-citizens/non-permanent residents may not apply though the U.S. Selection Committee. Non-American applicants should contact the selection committee of their home country, known as "UWC National Committee", or contact the UWC International Office (see www.uwc.org ). A list of all non-U.S. selection committees can be found at http://www.uwc.org/natcoms_contact.html .

What if I am a dual national?
Please contact the UWC-USA Office of Admission if there are questions regarding dual citizenship.

What if I want to attend a UWC for only one year?
The U.S. Selection Committee only considers applications of students who are fully committed to the two-year program. The UWCs are two-year programs, and students are obligated to complete the entire two-year program. Families of accepted students sign a binding agreement with UWC-USA when they accept an offer of admission.

Can I transfer from one UWC to another UWC?
No. Students are obligated to stay at the UWC to which they were admitted for the full two-year program, though there are many opportunities to meet and work with students at the other UWCs.

What if I am home schooled?
The U.S. Selection Committee considers home schooled students, and it is a special challenge for those students to complete the application in a way that gives the U.S. Selection Committee a complete and thorough understanding of the applicant's program. Please give more information rather than less, and call our office of admission if you have questions.

What if I don't speak the native language of the host countries of the UWCs I am most interested in attending?
This is not a problem. The main language of instruction at every UWC is English and every college offers at least one foreign language from the beginning (ab initio). At all UWCs, English is the main language spoken outside the classroom as well.

I noticed on the application that standardized test scores are required. Are standardized test scores required, even if I'm in the 10th grade?
Yes. We require all applicants to submit results from one or more of the following tests: PLAN, ACT, PSAT, or SAT. Our reporting code for the PLAN/ACT is 5090. Our PSAT/SAT reporting code is 1882. Please speak to your university advisor at your current school about procedures for registering for these tests. Please also take a careful look at the ACT and SAT websites: www.collegeboard.org and www.act.org .

If my standardized tests scores are not high, should I bother applying?
The U.S. Selection Committee does not overestimate the value of standardized tests. The U.S. Selection Committee carefully considers every aspect of a student's application before making a final decision, and standardized tests are just a part of the larger picture.

Are interviews required of all applicants?
If the U.S. Selection Committee believes, after carefully considering an application, that an interview will help it to make a positive admission decision then an interview will be offered. During a typical year, 100-125 students are extended offers for interviews. If a student declines the offer for an interview, then the student will not be considered for admission.

Where do the interviews take place?
Interviews take place throughout the United States on dates to be announced after the U.S. Selection Committee has met and short-listed students it believes might be a good match for UWCs. In 2006 interviews were held in the following locations: Seattle (WA), San Francisco (CA), Montezuma (NM), Missoula (MT), Atlanta (GA), Rockford (IL), Miami (FL), New York (NY), Indianapolis (IN), Houston (TX), Kansas City (MO), Deerfield (MA), Cambridge (MA), and Washington (DC). Offers for interviews are usually announced by the beginning of March.

What if I am a United States citizen or United States Permanent Resident living overseas?
Americans living overseas (e.g. expatriates, study abroad participants) are welcome to apply through the U.S. Selection Committee, as described on this website.  If the U.S. Selection Committee offers an interview to an applicant residing abroad, please note that the interview will occur in the United States.  As for all other U.S. citizen or permanent resident applicants, interviews will be in-person with member(s) of the U.S. Selection Committee.

How can I get an application? When is it due? What is the application fee?
The application for admission will be available on this website October 1 for admission the following fall. It is due in January, and there is no application fee.

What is the U.S. Selection Committee looking for in applicants?
There is no one formula for a successful UWC applicant, as the UWCs thrive on diversity. There are, however, some common characteristics. Successful applicants tend to be very strong students who have shown leadership in activities and community service. They have expressed a true interest in internationalism and promoting global understanding. Many have special talents in such areas as art and music and a keen interest in exploring the outdoors.

I am a very good student and very involved with activities and community service. I should get an interview, right?
Not necessarily. It is the nature of selective schools that not all well-prepared candidates will be successful. In recent years, there have been approximately six applicants for each Davis Scholarship and that has meant that some very good candidates were not offered interviews.

What if I am offered a UWC that wasn't my first choice?
The U.S. Selection Committee bases its decision on where to place admitted students on successful applicants' preferences. The U.S. Selection Committee assigns as many first choices as possible, but not all students will be offered their first choice UWC campus. Admitted students are given approximately two weeks to make their decision. If a student declines an offer, then a student from the waitlist will accept it. During a typical year, two or three students will decline an offer.

Where do students go after the UWC?
Almost all UWC students attend college or university after their UWC experience, though some will take an interim year to travel, work or volunteer. Every UWC has a university advisor, but it is important that Davis Scholars and their families research opportunities in the U.S. as no university advisor can be an expert on all of the college or university opportunities on all continents. See the matriculation list (linked above) for the 50 worldwide U.S. UWC Davis Scholars from the Class 2006.

How can I learn more?
Visit the United World Colleges website www.uwc.org .