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The community and technical colleges
have "open door" admissions and welcome any adult student.
An Open Door to Education
"Open door" simply means the colleges offer classes and services for people at many levels of
education. The colleges accept you where you are and help you get to where you want to be.
It does not mean a student can take any class he chooses. And it does not mean the college-level
classes are easier than at a university.
You might be ready for basic math. Or you might be ready for advanced calculus. A placement test
will help you know which classes you are ready to take.
Apply for Admissions
Because of our open door, you do not have to compete with others to be accepted. The community
and technical colleges do not require SAT or ACT scores or essays.
Each college has a slightly different admissions process
[
335KB].
Some want everyone to fill out an application; others do not.
Academic year calendar
The community and technical colleges are on a quarter (not semester) calendar. Be sure to look at
the instructional calendar
[60KB]
for the quarter start and end dates at the college of your choice.
Special programs admissions
Being accepted into the college does not always mean you are accepted into the specific program or
classes of your choice.
Certain programs have different admissions requirements, additional steps or forms: Running Start,
International Students, high school programs, and healthcare programs such as nursing, corrections/law enforcement, to name just a few.
Apply online
Apply online now.
Most Washington community and technical colleges accept the state online application. A few do not (Bellevue College, Bellingham Technical College, Columbia Basin College, Seattle Vocational Institute).
The online application is not for everyone. Before you apply online, check with the college of your choice if you are:
- Attending while still in high school
- A non-immigrant, international student (in the U.S. on a student visa)
- Taking adult basic education, GED high school completion courses
- Interested in healthcare programs like CNA, LPN, RN
- Taking English as a second language (ESL) classes
- Taking non-credit courses
- Eligible for worker retraining funds