Bethel School District students are starting to follow a new "pathway" to higher education at the University of Washington-Tacoma. Representatives from the university's Tacoma campus recently visited Graham-Kapowsin, Spanaway Lake and Bethel high schools to congratulate 36 students who had applied and been accepted into UW-T through Pathway to Promise, the only program of its kind in Washington that formalizes a link between a four-year institution and a public school district.-á Last fall, UW-T and the Bethel district entered into the Pathway to Promise partnership that gives local students assured admissions to the university if they meet certain criteria. To gain admittance, seniors must meet minimum course requirements, have a 2.7 or higher cumulative grade point average, score 480 or higher on each section of the SAT or 21 or higher on the ACT, and submit an application that includes a personal statement. High school students who are selected for the program are given time to decide if they will attend UW-T or go elsewhere after graduating. For seniors who haven't made a commitment, there is still time to apply. UW-T uses a rolling admissions process, and the deadline for fall quarter is-áJune 30, officials said. "Sometimes people overlook us because we are a small campus. But at the end of the day, we offer a quality education that's closer to home,GÇ¥ said Brandon Moore, a UW-T admissions adviser. UW-T's enrollment is about 4,500 and is expected to grow and become increasingly popular with students, especially in the Puget Sound region, according to Tracy Norton, another of its admissions advisers. "The busiest bus stop in the whole city is ours,GÇ¥ said Norton. "We started as a four-year school in 2006, and so every year we are definitely growing, growing, growing, which is great.GÇ¥ At each reception to celebrate the newly accepted students from Graham-Kapowsin, Bethel and Spanaway Lake, UW-T representatives provided cupcakes and donuts in the university's colors of purple and gold, beanies, and a packet with information about attending the Tacoma campus. The goal was to celebrate student accomplishments and to help them get a better feel for what the university has to offer, officials said. The potential new students asked about campus life, studies, programs and how the university interacts with the main campus in Seattle. They learned about facilities, housing and opportunities such as studying abroad and variety degree programs. Bethel is one of three school districts in Pierce County that are participating in Pathways to Promise. The others are Puyallup and Franklin Pierce. Pathways to Promise prepares students for the college admissions process and strives to make the transition to higher education as seamless as possible, according to UW-T officials. It offers campus visits and college-planning tools, admissions workshops and guidance through the application process.
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