ENROLLMENT
Full-time:
622 men/749 women

FRESHMAN ADMISSION
PROFILE
Number who applied:
2,318
Number accepted:
1,309
Number enrolled:
411
Average SAT scores:
V 680 M 650
Average ACT score:
29
Average GPA:
3.80 unweighted
Freshmen retention rate:
86%

2006-2007 COSTS
Tuition:
$25,720
Room and board:
$8,350
Fees, books, misc.:
$750 approx.

FINANCIAL AID
Freshmen receiving aid:
85%
Average financial aid package:
$13,038

FACULTY
Full-time:
101
Part-time:
78
Ph.D.:
93%
Student/faculty ratio:
10:1

IN ADDITION
Whitman enjoys the highest retention and graduation rates of any college or university in the Pacific Northwest.

Whitman alumni contribute to the College at a rate that places them among the top twenty colleges and universities in the United States.

Whitman recently opened the Francis Geiger Hunter Conservatory. It houses the Writing Center, Whitman's nationally competitive speech and debate program, and video-conferencing and computer technology.

Whitman has a tremendously active Center for Community Service, which logged over 13,000 hours last year.

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College Description
Challenging its students to excel in the sciences, the humanities, the arts, and the social sciences, Whitman College combines the educational values of the best liberal arts colleges of the East with the outdoor frankness and vigor of the Pacific Northwest. Since 1859, men and women have chosen this private, independent college because of its commitment to undergraduate education. Whitman's residential emphasis and location in historic Walla Walla, Washington, create a rigorous community that fosters active participation in the classroom, in the residence hall, and on the athletic field. With just 1,300 students, an average class size of 13, a full-year core curriculum, and major comprehensive examinations, students emerge from Whitman with the skills and abilities necessary to succeed in the changing multicultural world. The mission of Whitman College can be summarized as a college dedicated to learning, scholarship, personal growth, and the education of character and personal responsibility.

Academic Life
As an undergraduate institution, Whitman College offers a B.A. degree in 36 majors. Students also may explore a minor, a combined major, or interdepartmental major programs that are designed with faculty. Whitman also enjoys cooperative programs in engineering, law, international studies, education, computer science, and enviromental science with some of the nation's most prestigious universities. Whitman's primary goal, however, is to provide an atmosphere in which students can learn how to learn. At the heart of Whitman's academic curriculum is the general studies program, through which students learn how to develop intellectual skills, reason, read critically and write effectively, and understand humanity's cultural and historical roots. The required general studies program consists of a freshman core and distribution requirements. The freshman core is an interdisciplinary seminar with extensive reading, writing, and discussion. To satisfy the distribution requirement, students complete at least 6 semester credits in six of the following areas: descriptive science; fine arts; history and literature; language, writing, and rhetoric; philosophy and religion; physical science and mathematics; and social science. Whitman observes a two-semester calendar.

Campus Life
With more than 100 clubs and organizations, four fraternities and five sororities, eleven interest houses, seven honorary societies, and a host of intramural activities, the Whitman community thrives on the active involvement of its students and faculty. From the campus newspaper The Pioneer, to KWCW, Whitman's 24-hour radio station, to Harper Joy Theatre, the opportunity for engagement is abundant. Taking advantage of the beautiful Pacific Northwest setting, Whitman's Outing Program is extraordinarily active, planning hiking, rock climbing, and whitewater rafting trips throughout the year. In addition to the organizations, the residence life program, which includes Whitman's interest houses, takes a central role in creating social outlets for students. Students also have access to a 24-hour health center, student academic advisors who live on each floor of first-year residence halls and provide academic assistance and advice, and a career center with excellent graduate school, job interview, and internship workshops.

Facilities and Resources
To enhance Whitman's learning environment, students have access to exceptional facilities and technological and cultural resources. Penrose Memorial Library, which is open 24 hours a day during the academic year, houses more than 320,000 volumes, 550,000 government documents, and 2,000 subscriptions. Furthermore, the ORBIS network provides access to approximately 3.5 million volumes that can be delivered to Whitman in three or fewer days. Olin Hall of Humanities and Fine Arts features an audiovisual center, foreign language labs, the Donald Sheehan Art Gallery, and the center for the campuswide fiber-optic network. Maxey Hall, the center for the social sciences, includes a natural history museum, a 350-seat auditorium, and animal demonstration labs. The Hall of Science houses a sophisticated physics lecture hall and laboratory and support facilities for two electron microscopes, a seismograph, and a planetarium, in addition to an observatory maintained off-campus. The Hall of Music houses an acoustically perfect performance hall and more than 25 practice rooms. Other major facilities are Harper Joy Theatre, a 315-seat drama center, and Cordiner Hall, a 1,400-seat auditorium.

Athletics/Sports
Whitman currently maintains joint membership in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Division II and the NCAA Division III. Within the two associations, Whitman College offers nine varsity sports for men and nine varsity sports for women. While approximately 25% of Whitman students are varsity athletes, there is an extensive intramural program that attracts 80% of the students to competitive ventures such as flag football, mixed doubles tennis, and ultimate frisbee. Whitman College has boasted the most successful men's lacrosse program in the Northwest over the past decade, an accomplished women's cross-country program, and, for three consecutive years, the combined United States Collegiate Ski Association national title.

Financial Aid
Whitman offers financial aid to motivated, talented students from diverse geographic, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds. This assistance comes in a variety of forms, including merit awards, need-based scholarships and grants, campus employment, and loans. Last year, Whitman awarded a total of $14.3 million. With the greatest endowment and trust funds per student of any college in the Northwest, Whitman strives to assist families in making a Whitman College education possible. In order to apply for need-based financial aid, students are required to submit the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) and the CSS Profile by February 1. Whitman also awards scholarships for talent in art, debate, theater, and music.

Admission Requirements
Whitman is a highly selective college that seeks academic excellence and diversity within its student body. Competition for admission is keen; 60% of entering freshmen rank in the top 10% of their class. The Admission Committee looks for evidence of demonstrated intellectual achievement, motivation, creativity, and responsibility. The median GPA of the class that entered Whitman last year was 3.8; the middle 50% scored in the following ranges on the SAT I: 600-700 verbal and 600-690 math. The minimum TOEFL score for international students is 560. The following curriculum is recommended: 4 years of English, 4 of mathematics, 3 of laboratory science, 2 of history or social science, and 2 of foreign language. Students who have decided early that Whitman is their first choice may apply at one of two Early Decision dates: November 15 or January 1. The deadline for regular admission is February 1. The Whitman application includes a Biographical Sheet, School Report Form, Activities and Honors, Personal Supplement, and Teacher Recommendation, in addition to a secondary school transcript, SAT I or ACT scores, and an application fee of $45. Whitman also accepts the Common Application, but requires students to submit the Personal Supplement as well.

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