YOUR STORY BEGINS HERE. A PAC-12 UNIVERSITY IN A PRIVATE COLLEGE SETTING. Washington State University Tri-Cities offers a high-quality yet affordable education in a supportive atmosphere. You’ll find personalized instruction within a close-knit campus community where faculty, staff and fellow students actually know each other. WSU Tri-Cities was founded in 1989 and is one of four urban campuses in the WSU system. That puts us in the same company as some of the West’s finest universities. We offer opportunities for dynamic student engagement, research experiences, and community involvement. Our campus values quality. We seek innovation, experiential learning, collaboration and a community rich in diversity. We offer personalized undergraduate and graduate education with our faculty, staff and students all active in research, outreach and community service. You will gain an edge in our unique learning environment as you work in small-size classes with world-class faculty, and make strong connections with instructors and peers while pursuing your degree. __ A DIVERSE CULTURE __ Ethnic diversity is a priority because it prepares students for career success in a global society. It enhances social development, broadens perspective and increases self-awareness. WSU Tri-Cities is the most diverse campus in the WSU system, with more than 30% students of color. We value our culture of inclusiveness. WSU students can also join or start clubs, such as the Hispanic Culture Club or World Researchers Club. DOUG GAST professor / Digital Technology & Culture “WSU Tri-Cities is like a private school offering a public school degree with a public school price tag. Our students receive one-on-one individual attention in class. The professors know who they are. We spend an inordinate amount of time with our students here. The students have their own close-knit community and we become a part of that.” JOSEPH TRAVERSO junior / Cleveland, Ohio Attracted by the smaller campus and true affordability, Joseph found everything he needs at WSU Tri-Cities. During his freshman year, he got to know his professors pretty well. He built a strong network of mentors, and that has really helped. This led to the opportunity to do guided research with one of his professors, Dr. Voulgarakis. That position exposed him to new things, including learning an entire computer language used for mathematical modeling of biological systems. A mechanical engineering major, Joseph is considering graduate school, further research, and an eventual career in medicine, academia or bio-mechanics. He’s a member of the wrestling club at WSU Pullman. Last year he won regionals and advanced to nationals in Texas. • BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION • CIVIL ENGINEERING • COMPUTER SCIENCE • DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY & CULTURE • ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING • ELEMENTARY EDUCATION • ENGLISH – Literature – Rhetoric & Professional Writing • ENVIRONMENTAL AND ECOSYSTEM SCIENCE • HISTORY • HUMANITIES • MECHANICAL ENGINEERING • NURSING • PRE-HEALTH SCIENCES – Pre-Dentistry – Pre-Medicine – Pre-Pharmacy – Pre-Veterinary Medicine • PSYCHOLOGY • SCIENCES – Biological Sciences – Physical Sciences – General Mathematics • SOCIAL SCIENCES • VITICULTURE & ENOLOGY (Wine Science) Still deciding? We’ll help you explore your options! KRISTEN MEYERS graduate / Tri-Cities, Washington Kristen transferred to WSU Tri-Cities so she could be close to family and to get involved in exciting opportunities for scientific research as an undergraduate. Now she’s working towards an MD-PhD degree at Baylor College of Medicine. The mentorship she received here was a real difference maker. Her instructors saw potential and “called it out of her.” She loved the small class sizes and the relationships. Many of her instructors were also researchers and that allowed them to bring a perspective of “applied science” to the classroom. UP-CLOSE INSTRUCTION. SUCCESSFUL OUTCOMES. VANESSA ALVAREZ-SANCHEZ junior / Basin City, Washington Majoring in civil engineering and minoring in business, Vanessa might eventually get two degrees because for her, it’s all about achieving her dreams. Coming from a small-town high school, WSU Tri-Cities was a perfect fit. The first year away from home was a challenge, but one of her professors, Dr. Allena, reached out and helped her get adjusted. She really likes that about WSU Tri-Cities. She finds it easy to build networks and find partners for projects or fun activities. Through the Career Development Center, she landed a paid internship at LIGO Hanford Observatory. Someday she hopes to have her own company that builds houses for low-income families. KATHLEEN McATEER, Ph.D. professor / Biology “At one point I was teaching chemistry at the University of Washington to a class of 250 students. Now a typical majors class for me at WSU is 30-40 students, and never more than about 70 in a non-major class. For me, it’s that I know the students and I know their stories. So mentoring them is often a very personal experience. To know that I play a role in helping them reach their goals is very important to me.“ The true academic distinction that stands out here is the relational, mentoring focus of our faculty. One professor puts it this way - “The reason that most of us love working here is the people we get to be involved with. We’re in it for student success, not for personal gain or research grants or academic honors.” In the classroom, that translates into professors who know where you’re trying to go and tailoring their teaching __ CAREER FOCUSED __ The Career Development Center at WSU Tri-Cities provides services and resources to help you make important career decisions while you’re still a student and to launch your job search before graduation. Start building your résumé, get hands-on experience, prepare for the job market or graduate school. The annual career fair connects you with prospective employers. efforts in a way that connects with your goals. That sounds more like custom education, not mass-production. With student success as the benchmark, we help you begin planning and developing essential skills that will be required in your career or graduate studies. Your future begins right now. That means internships and training. And at WSU Tri-Cities, that means you hit the ground running. THOMAS SPOTTECK senior / veteran / Long Island, NY What we can do best is equip our students to know and understand their chosen career fields. Connecting with relevant jobs and internships can play a significant role in building both résumés and knowledge. We don’t have to invent very many internships and job opportunities for our students. The Tri-Cities area is rich with potential for real-world opportunity. But we do go hunting for them. And we help make those connections happen more readily. Here are some recent internship examples : •Pacific Northwest National Laboratory •Advanced Technologies and Laboratories •Bechtel National, Inc. •CH2M HILL •Ciel du Cheval Vineyard •Mission Support Alliance •Washington Closure Hanford •Washington River Protection Solutions •Department of Energy •Department of Ecology •Areva •Lockheed Martin •Kadlec Regional Medical Center •Trios Health •Cadwell Laboratories •SIGN Fracture Care International •LIGO Hanford Observatory And many more! A veteran of two tours of duty to Afghanistan, Thomas decided to pursue a degree in viticulture and enology. Finding one of the world’s great wine regions in Eastern Washington, he chose WSU Tri-Cities. He loves both plant science and wine science. He gets to do both here. With a BS in viticulture and enology and minors in business and horticulture, he’ll be well-prepared to launch his career as a winemaker. Thomas has already had some great internships. Last year he worked six days a week with the winemaker at Bookwalter, a WSU graduate. This year he’ll be doing a project with Hedges at Red Mountain. WSU Tri-Cities has a great reputation in the wine industry, both locally and internationally. The new Wine Science Center on campus will become the Pacific Northwest’s headquarters for wine education and research. It’s one of the reasons Thomas decided to come here. He loves the small class sizes and that his professors are all wine professionals. Someday, he’d even like to be that winemaker who hosts an internship for a future student from WSU Tri-Cities. • Great weather – 300 sun-filled days. • Three local professional sports teams. The Dust Devils (Single-A baseball), The Fever (AFL arena football), The Americans (WHL hockey). • Pac-12 sports competition just up the road in Pullman. • The confluence of the Snake, Yakima and Columbia Rivers has produced an aquatic playground second to none. Enjoy sailing, boating, waterskiing, swimming, fishing, and more. • Seven riverfront parks and 67 miles of paved pedestrian and bike trails. • The “Heart of Washington’s Wine Country.” More than 160 wineries within a 50-mile radius, producing some of the finest wines in the country. • The new Hanford Reach Interpretive ALFREDO RAMIREZ Center, known locally as The Reach. The museum and visitor center celebrates the natural and cultural history of the Hanford Reach and the greater Columbia Basin. • National touring concerts, plays and events at the Toyota Center. • Great food happens all around town from authentic taco trucks to every kind of ethnic cuisine to salmon and syrah with a river view. Opportunity for leadership and activity surround you here. Get involved with student government through ASWSUTC or join the Student Entertainment Board to organize performances and events. Club sports in soccer and rugby are open to everyone. Many students make friends and get connected through student clubs and organizations. You can even start one yourself. Not many college campuses can equal our beautiful setting on the banks of the Columbia River. Bike trails run along the river from campus right into town or out into the country. Outdoor recreation is part of our community’s DNA and you’ll find our students hiking, kayaking, rafting and wake boarding whenever they have a free afternoon. 300 annual days of sunshine doesn’t hurt either. It’s simply the best weather in the state. For weekend road trips, Seattle, Portland, and Spokane are all within an easy drive. __ YOU BE THE LEADER __ We offer all students the opportunity to take part in our Chancellor’s Leadership Certificate Program, designed to encourage them to get involved with leadership opportunities on campus and in the local community. We connect students with out-of-class leadership experiences that match their personal interests and career ambitions for meaningful leadership development. A RIVERFRONT CAMPUS IN A VIBRANT SMALL CITY. GABRIELLA RODRIGUEZ senior / Toppenish, Washington As transfer student, Gabby started at Columbia Basin College and completed her Associate of Arts and Science degree. She planned on going to WSU Pullman, but it just seemed too big. She found out about WSU Tri-Cities through the CBC Bridges Program. Majoring in psychology, she is heading toward a master’s degree in educational leadership. She wants to work in promoting higher education for low-income, first generation students. She’s involved in work-study tutoring with GEAR UP. Dr. Paul Strand, a close mentor, opened a door for Gabby to get a job as an ABA tutor for an autistic child, which allows her to earn college credit for that real-world experience. sophomore / Pasco, Washington Alfredo is involved in student government, and was recently elected student body vice-president. That means he gets to be involved in the planning and development of the new student union building. He is very busy with activities, both inside and outside of school. He prefers it that way. He loves how many opportunities there are for everyone to get involved. At a bigger university that’s harder to do. He wants the close community. He’s majoring in mechanical engineering, but is also drawn toward business and leadership, so who knows where his path may lead. He says, “This small university is going to surprise some people. It surprised me. It makes you feel that you’re a big part of something.” ERICK FLIEGER COURTESY OF TRIDEC graduate / veteran / entrepreneur Erick always knew he’d go to WSU. An Army veteran, he now holds a mechanical engineering degree from WSU Tri-Cities. He worked on campus for the Department of Veterans Affairs which allowed him to support his family and go to school at the same time. As a student, he interned with a civil engineering firm in Pasco, and he just completed an internship with the Department of Energy that led to a full-time job with them. He’s also launched an exciting startup called Sun Spirits, a craft distillery. WE HAVE A PLACE FOR YOU! So you want to be a Coug … congrats! That’s the first step. From your first day of class at WSU Tri‑Cities to when your name is called at graduation, you’ll be part of a campus community that cares about you—your academic success, your personal achievements, your daily challenges, and your goals for the future. Now, welcome to the application process. Since our admission application fees are nonrefundable, it’s a good idea to contact us before you apply if you’re unsure about which semester or application form to use. We prefer online applications, but if you need to mail an application, PDFs are available for downloading and printing. WSU Tri-Cities BACK COVER tricities.wsu.edu/admission/apply ADMISSION APPLICATION PRIORITY DATES – Total Enrollment : 1,336 Students of color : 59.3% Average class size : 21 Areas of interest : Business Administration, Nursing, Pre-Health Sciences, Education, Engineering Estimated Annual Tuition, Books and Fees : $12,858 First Generation: 50% Low Income: 40% Veterans: 8% FRESHMAN CLASS FALL 2013 – Number of students : 135 Average unweighted GPA: 3.23 SAT mid-range: 930 – 1090 63% Female / 37% Male TRANSFER CLASS FALL 2013 – Number of students: 176 Average college GPA: 3.03 Average age: 26 52% Female / 48% Male Students of color: 35.2% Areas of interest: Business Administration, Nursing, Psychology, Engineering, Computer Science __ FINANCIAL AID __ __ SCHOLARSHIPS __ We offer grants, work-study, and/ or loans to qualified financial aid applicants. To receive all the assistance you are eligible for, complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) between January 1 and February 15 of the year you plan to enroll - even if you haven’t been admitted. WSU Tri-Cities, community partners, and generous donors awarded more than $400,000 in scholarships to 154 students last year. We offer scholarship awards at every level, from single semester to four years of full tuition. We offer automatic academic achievement awards for students who qualify. Complete the online scholarship application every year. tricities.wsu.edu/finaid/ fafsa.gov (WSU code: 003800) applyweb.com/apply/wsunivss • Fall semester : January 31 • Spring semester : November 15 Applicants are strongly encouraged to send in all application materials postmarked by the priority admission dates. Complete applications with supporting documents that are postmarked after the priority dates will be reviewed for admission on a space-available basis. Be sure to check the box for the Tri-Cities campus! Washington State University Tri-Cities • 2710 Crimson Way • Richland, WA 99354-1671 Phone 509.372.7250 • [email protected] • tricities.wsu.edu