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Salem, Oregon

Turn Knowledge Into Action

A group of students enjoying time in The Bistro cafe at Salem Campus
A Willamette student walks on campus on a fall day.

Why Wait?

When you already know where you belong, waiting just wastes time. Willamette’s Early Action and Early Decision deadlines are coming up fast. Apply by Saturday, November 1 and get your answer before your friends.

Apply Early

Apply by November 1 and Hear Back by Mid-December

Willamette’s early deadlines give you peace of mind and come with perks. Your admission decision will arrive with an offer of merit scholarship and need-based aid (with FAFSA submitted). Plus, you’ll automatically receive our Leaders Award, an extra $1,000 annual, renewable scholarship on top of your merit award. The choice is yours.

Apply to Willamette
Maximize Your Aid
A view of Willamette's Salem campus on a fall day.
A Willamette student sitting and reading a book in a classroom.

Attention High School Seniors

At Willamette, we don’t do passive tours and cookie-cutter info sessions. Cardinal & Gold Day is your backstage pass to a university built to help you lead boldly, launch big ideas, and level up faster. Come see how our students turn knowledge into action, and why they graduate faster, lead sooner, and make bigger moves than their peers.

Not Your Average College Visit

No matter your interests, Cardinal & Gold Day puts you in the driver’s seat. Get the scoop on admissions, financial aid, and how to build a great application. Then, take it up a notch with a tour of our high-impact health labs or sit down for an admissions interview. You’ll leave knowing what your future could actually look like here.

October 17
November 14
Prospective students and families attend Cardinal and Gold day at Willamette University in Salem, Oregon
Willamette's clock tower at Hatfield Library

Your Journey to a Great Degree Starts Right Where You Are

First Chemeketa. Now Clackamas. Willamette’s Bearcat Pathway is expanding so more community college students have a clear, supported path to a four year degree. No lost credits, no confusion, no extra hoops. Just a straight shot to a university where knowledge turns into action.

Credits That Count

And a University That Has Your Back

Why settle for a maze of transfer headaches when you could get a clear runway instead? Willamette and Clackamas Community College are cutting the red tape so you can stop worrying about lost credits and start planning your next big move. With mapped out majors, real face-to-face advising (not a call center), and a direct line to Willamette’s top programs, this pathway isn’t a detour. It’s the fast lane.

Read the Full Story of Our Clackamas Partnership
See How the Bearcat Pathway Works
An interior view of Ford Hall at Willamette University's Salem Campus
A Willamette student rides a bike on campus. There's a banner in the background welcoming new Bearcats
Fewer detours, fewer dollars wasted. That’s the Bearcat Pathway.

Learning and Leading since 1842

For almost 200 years, Willamette has helped students turn their knowledge into action — right here in the heart of the Pacific Northwest.

heart of the pnw

Explore Willamette

Discover how you can turn knowledge into action through our undergraduate and graduate programs, or take a closer look at what it’s like to live and learn in the Pacific Northwest.
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