What are William Paterson University's admission requirements? While there are a lot of pieces that go into a college application, you should focus on only a few critical things:
- GPA requirements
- Testing requirements, including SAT and ACT requirements
- Application requirements
In this guide we'll cover what you need to get into William Paterson University and build a strong application.
School location: Wayne, NJ
If you want to get in, the first thing to look at is the acceptance rate. This tells you how competitive the school is and how serious their requirements are.
The acceptance rate at William Paterson University is 92.4%. For every 100 applicants, 92 are admitted.
This means the school is
a nearly open admissions school. They accept nearly all students, so for the most part, you just need to submit an application to get in. But if you don't meet all their application requirements, you'll be one of the very few people who gets rejected.
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William Paterson University GPA Requirements
Many schools specify a minimum GPA requirement, but this is often just the bare minimum to submit an application without immediately getting rejected.
The GPA requirement that really matters is the GPA you need for a real chance of getting in. For this, we look at the school's average GPA for its current students.
The average GPA at William Paterson University is 3.06.
(Most schools use a weighted GPA out of 4.0, though some report an unweighted GPA.
With a GPA of 3.06, William Paterson University
accepts below-average students. It's OK to be a B-average student, with some A's mixed in. It'd be best to avoid C's and D's, since application readers might doubt whether you can handle the stress of college academics.
SAT and ACT Requirements
Each school has different requirements for standardized testing. Most schools require the SAT or ACT, and many also require SAT subject tests.
You must take either the SAT or ACT to submit an application to William Paterson University. More importantly, you need to do well to have a strong application.
William Paterson University SAT Requirements
Many schools say they have no SAT score cutoff, but the truth is that there is a hidden SAT requirement. This is based on the school's average score.
The average SAT score composite at William Paterson University is a 1030 on the 1600 SAT scale.
This score makes William Paterson University Lightly Competitive for SAT test scores.
William Paterson University SAT Score Analysis (New 1600 SAT)
The 25th percentile SAT score is 930, and the 75th percentile SAT score is 1120. In other words, a 930 on the SAT places you below average, while a 1120 will move you up to above average.
Here's the breakdown of SAT scores by section:
Section | Average | 25th Percentile | 75th Percentile |
Math | 510 | 460 | 550 |
Reading + Writing | 520 | 470 | 570 |
Composite | 1030 | 930 | 1120 |
SAT Score Choice Policy
The Score Choice policy at your school is an important part of your testing strategy.
William Paterson University ACT Requirements
Just like for the SAT, William Paterson University likely doesn't have a hard ACT cutoff, but if you score too low, your application will get tossed in the trash.
The average ACT score at William Paterson University is 21. This score makes William Paterson University Moderately Competitive for ACT scores.
The 25th percentile ACT score is 18, and the 75th percentile ACT score is 24.
ACT Score Sending Policy
If you're taking the ACT as opposed to the SAT, you have a huge advantage in how you send scores, and this dramatically affects your testing strategy.
Here it is: when you send ACT scores to colleges, you have absolute control over which tests you send. You could take 10 tests, and only send your highest one. This is unlike the SAT, where many schools require you to send all your tests ever taken.
This means that you have more chances than you think to improve your ACT score. To try to aim for the school's ACT requirement of 18 and above, you should try to take the ACT as many times as you can. When you have the final score that you're happy with, you can then send only that score to all your schools.
ACT Superscore Policy
By and large, most colleges do not superscore the ACT. (Superscore means that the school takes your best section scores from all the test dates you submit, and then combines them into the best possible composite score). Thus, most schools will just take your highest ACT score from a single sitting.
We weren't able to find the school's exact ACT policy, which most likely means that it does not Superscore. Regardless, you can choose your single best ACT score to send in to William Paterson University, so you should prep until you reach our recommended target ACT score of 18.
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SAT/ACT Writing Section Requirements
Both the SAT and ACT have an optional essay section.
William Paterson University considers the SAT Essay/ACT Writing section optional and may not include it as part of their admissions consideration. You don't need to worry too much about Writing for this school, but other schools you're applying to may require it.
SAT Subject Test Requirements
Schools vary in their SAT subject test requirements. Typically, selective schools tend to require them, while most schools in the country do not.
We did not find information that William Paterson University requires SAT subject tests, and so most likely it does not. At least 6 months before applying, you should still doublecheck just to make sure, so you have enough time to take the test.
What are your chances of admission at William Paterson University?
Chances of admission with these scores:
Here's our custom admissions calculator. Plug in your numbers to see what your chances of getting in are.
Pick your test:
SAT
ACT
Note: Your admission decision relies not only on your GPA and SAT/ACT scores, but also on your coursework difficulty, extracurriculars, letters of recommendation, and personal statements. This tool provides only a simplistic estimate of your chances of admission. Instead of treating this tool as a crystal ball, we recommend you consider the big picture of what your chance means:
- 80-100%: Safety school: Strong chance of getting in
- 50-80%: More likely than not getting in
- 20-50%: Lower but still good chance of getting in
- 5-20%: Reach school: Unlikely to get in, but still have a shot
- 0-5%: Hard reach school: Very difficult to get in
We recommend you apply to schools across a range of chances. Applying to some safety schools will guarantee you have a college to go to, while applying to some reach schools will give you a shot at getting into the school at the top of your range.
How would your chances improve with a better score?
Take your current SAT score and add 160 points (or take your ACT score and add 4 points) to the calculator above. See how much your chances improve?
At PrepScholar, we've created the leading online SAT/ACT prep program. We guarantee an improvement of 160 SAT points or 4 ACT points on your score, or your money back.
Here's a summary of why we're so much more effective than other prep programs:
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Every school requires an application with the bare essentials - high school transcript and GPA, application form, and other core information. Many schools, as explained above, also require SAT and ACT scores, as well as letters of recommendation, application essays, and interviews. We'll cover the exact requirements of William Paterson University here.
Application Requirements Overview
-
Common Application
Accepted
-
Universal Application
Not accepted
-
Electronic Application
Available
-
Essay or Personal Statement
Recommended for all freshmen
-
Letters of Recommendation
1
-
Interview
Not required
-
Application Fee
$50
-
Fee Waiver Available?
Available
-
Other Notes
Portfolio for art, audition for music recommended for some freshmen
Testing Requirements
-
SAT or ACT
Required
-
SAT Essay or ACT Writing
Optional
-
SAT Subject Tests
-
Scores Due in Office
June 1
Coursework Requirements
-
Subject
Required Years
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English
4
-
Math
3
-
Science
2
-
Foreign Language
-
Social Studies
2
-
History
-
Electives
5
Deadlines and Early Admissions
-
-
Offered?
Deadline
Notification
-
Regular Admission
-
Early Action
-
Yes
December 1
January 15
-
Early Decision
Admissions Office Information
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