Application Process

Members of the Learning Differences Program's professional academic staff are committed to selecting students who can experience academic success across all areas of Westminster College's rigorous liberal arts curriculum. We are invested in the retention of all students enrolled in the Learning Differences Program (LDP) and practice more selective admission practices than students admitted to the college alone.

Step One: Application to Westminster College

Students must receive acceptance to Westminster College by the Office of Admissions prior to receiving consideration for enrollment in the LDP. It should be noted that acceptance to Westminster College does not guarantee acceptance to the LDP. To begin the application process, please follow links at the bottom of this page to complete an application for Westminster College. At the same time, complete the LD Application Supplement.

An application to the LDP will not progress to Step Two until all requested materials are submitted in Step One.

Step Two: Submission of Secondary Application Materials

In addition to completing an application to Westminster and the LD Application Supplement, students must submit the following materials to the Office of Admissions:

A current diagnosis of a neurodevelopmental disorder by a licensed professional evaluator (within the past three years). Documentation must include raw subtest and index scores and discussion of statistically significant discrepancies on an adult-level WAIS-III or WAIS-IV and on an achievement test such as the Woodcock Johnson or WAIS. The evaluation must include a summary of past evaluations and diagnoses, history of other disorders, and recommendations for reasonable accommodations, including housing, with justifications for each.
Four teacher recommendations.
LDP Supplemental Information Sheet.
Any additional documentation relevant to assisting the student such as an Individual Education Plan (IEP), Summary of Performance (SOP), and Response-to-Intervention (RTI) Report.

Step Three: Review of Documentation

Members of the LDP's professional academic staff will review the secondary application materials to determine the student's candidacy for enrollment in the LDP. Minimum criteria for candidacy include:

A minimum FSIQ of 95 on the WAIS-III or WAIS-IV,
A minimum high school GPA of 2.5,
Four credits of high school math,
Three credits of high school science, and
Three or more years of foreign language preferred.

These criteria are established based on historical evidence of academic success at Westminster College by students enrolled in the LDP.

Please note that review of student applications to the LDP may take up to two weeks. Applicants will be notified of their candidacy under separate cover.

Step Four: On-Campus Interview

Students who meet the LDP's minimum criteria and look like a good fit for LDP's services will be invited to an on-campus interview. The interview process will give each the members of the LDP's professional academic staff an opportunity to interact with the student. The interview process includes an assessment of the student's understanding of his or her needs and the ability of the LDP's professional academic staff to meet those needs. It also includes assessments of the student's background knowledge, proficiency in reading and writing, and understanding of mathematical and scientific processes.

Step Five: Acceptance to the LDP

Members of the LDP's professional academic staff discuss the student's application to the LDP following the student's interview and submission of a writing sample. The student is notified about their acceptance into the LDP by a letter from the Director of the Learning Opportunities Center. Please note that students are assessed a fee for each semester they enroll in the LDP in addition to regular tuition, housing, and board charges. For more information on the current fee schedule, contact the Office of Admissions and Student Financial Planning at 1-800-475-3361.

If a student is not invited to enroll in the LDP but is still accepted by Westminster College, the student is still eligible to receive reasonable accommodation through the Americans with Disabilities Act such as extended time testing provided in the Learning Opportunities Center. A decision not to invite a student to interview for enrollment in the LDP or not to accept a student for enrollment in the LDP following an interview is based on historical evidence of student success at Westminster College and/or the LDP's current staffing and resources relative to the student's needs.

Additional Separate forms if needed: