Frequently Asked Questions

You are welcome to apply while in your final year of college. You will need to submit your transcript showing your progress. If admitted to the graduate school and you intend to enroll, you will be required to submit an official transcript which shows your complete academic record, the degree earned, and the date it was conferred.

The official transcript must be received by the graduate school before the start of your first semester. If your graduate program starts in the fall semester, we will need the transcript prior to the start of the fall semester. If your graduate program starts in the summer, you will need the transcript prior to the start of the summer session. If that isn’t possible, you will need to submit written confirmation from your college that you have met graduation requirements and will be providing a degree posted transcript after the start of the summer session.

Your application status page allows you to check the status of your application and see which materials have been received. 

NOTE: Application materials are not updated immediately after submission and can take up to 1 week to reflect on your status page. After application deadlines, we usually have many transcripts to process which takes time to scan and upload. We thank you in advance for your patience!

We offer application fee waivers for current students in the College of Arts and Sciences, current Lewis & Clark employees, and alumni of CAS or the graduate school who have successfully completed a degree, license, and/or endorsement program. In addition, applicants who have participated in a national service program (AmeriCorps, City Year, Peace Corps, Gates Millennium Scholars, Teach for America, McNair Scholar, NASPA Undergraduate Fellows Program (NUFP), and/or the U.S. Military) may request a waiver of the application fee. Information regarding eligibility and the fee waiver request process can be found on our Fee Waiver website.

The graduate school uses email as a primary method of communication. You may also contact us by:

• Emailing your questions to gseadmit@lclark.edu.
• Scheduling an appointment with Admissions during regular business hours via phone or Zoom. Schedule an Appointment
• Asking questions using Chat (Monday - Thursday 10am-2pm).
• Calling us during regular business hours: (503) 768-6200.

It depends on the program to which you are applying. Applications completed by the deadline will receive priority consideration for admissions and scholarships.

 

For an estimated total cost of your program, go to the Tuition and Financial Aid page and multiply the number of credits of your program by the cost per credit. To determine the cost of tuition for a current semester, multiply by the number of credits registered by the current cost per credit. Students who take courses off campus may be charged a lesser fee. As a rule, tuition increases each academic year beginning with the summer semester.

The graduate school does not offer teaching assistantships. Faculty may receive grant monies for a research project and will hire current students to assist. Notification is done internally by individual faculty or departments.

Lewis & Clark does offer Graduate Assistant positions for students enrolled in the Student Affairs Administration program. Counseling, Therapy, and School Psychology students are also eligible to apply for some of the positions.

Links to scholarship and financial aid information can be found on the Tuition and Financial Aid web page. Scholarships are awarded to admitted students. Faculty from each program determine scholarships for their program applicants. Applicants are encouraged to explore external scholarship options as well.

If you have reviewed that information and still have questions, you may contact the Financial Aid Office at 503-768-7090 and identify yourself as a graduate student. You will be directed to a counselor who can answer your questions. Financial aid at the graduate level is primarily comprised of non-need-based student loans. You must be admitted to a graduate program in order for the Financial Aid Office to review your FAFSA and prepare an award letter for you.

Yes. We realize some applicants have been out of school while pursuing their careers or raising their families. The letters should be written by individuals who know you and are qualified to evaluate your academic competence, character and/or experience in professional, leadership, or helping roles. In addition to professors, applicants can ask supervisors, professional colleagues, or employers to provide a recommendation. More information can be found on our Letters of Recommendation website.

You can begin your online application and submit the letter of recommendation section prior to completing the remainder of your online application. Submit the names and contact information for your three letter writers. Once you submit that section of the application, your letter writers will receive an email directing them to the online letter of recommendation process. The letters will come directly to the graduate admissions office. You can then go back to your application and complete it at a later time.

When requesting letters of recommendation, we ask whether or not you wish to waive your right to review this letter of recommendation. Applicants can answer “yes” or “no.”

Yes: You waive your right and will not be able to view the letters of recommendation provided in support of your application. The letters do not become a part of your student record if you are admitted and enroll in the graduate school.

No: You do not waive your right. The letters do not become a part of your student record if you enroll. Copies of the letters can be made available to you ONLY if you are admitted and enrolled in the graduate school. Requests to view letters can be made after the semester begins.

Letters of recommendation are property of the graduate school and do not become part of the student record. If you do not enroll, you do not have the right to view the letter.

Please note that your letter writer and program faculty can see whether or not you waived your right.

If you would like to submit a fourth letter, please contact the graduate admissions office at gseadmit@lclark.edu and they will provide you with information about submission. You are limited to submitting four letters of recommendation.

If you are applying to a degree-seeking program you may send us your unofficial transcripts to attach to your application. If you are applying to a certificate or endorsement program you must request official transcripts from all institutions where credit was earned to be sent to us.

Please note that unofficial transcripts serve as a placeholder. If accepted, you are required to have official transcripts sent to us from your institution(s) prior to enrollment of your first semester at the graduate school.

Please have transcripts emailed to gseadmit@lclark.edu

Or mailed to:

Graduate Admissions Office
Lewis & Clark Graduate School of Education & Counseling
615 S Palatine Hill Road MSC 87
Portland, OR 97219

For more information please review the Transcripts website.

The online application does not allow for you to upload a copy of your transcript. The colleges will send your transcripts directly to the graduate school. Be sure you give them the correct address or email address. We will accept digital transcripts directly from your college or university.

We have three admissions offices at Lewis & Clark. Please have transcripts emailed to gseadmit@lclark.edu

Or mailed to:

Graduate Admissions Office
Lewis & Clark Graduate School of Education & Counseling
615 S Palatine Hill Road MSC 87
Portland, OR 97219

We will accept unofficial transcripts for the application review process. Upon admission official transcripts will be required in order to register for classes.

If the transcripts are in a sealed envelope issued by the originating college’s registrar’s office they will be considered official. If the envelope is open the transcripts will be considered unofficial. We can accept unofficial transcripts for the application. Upon admission official transcripts will be required in order to register for classes.

Yes. All transcripts from all colleges where you received credit are required for admission. This includes community college, study abroad programs, and/or professional development credit. This also includes credit earned from a college while in high school. This does not include AP, IB or CLEP college equivalencies.

This requirement may not apply to applicants for the Educational Administration programs, Teacher Education Inservice programs, or certificate programs. Be sure to check your program’s application requirements.

If you are in your final year of college you will need to submit your transcript showing your progress. If admitted to the graduate school and you intend to enroll, you will be required to submit an official transcript which shows your complete academic record, the degree earned, and the date it was conferred.

The official transcript must be received by the graduate school before the start of your first semester. If your graduate program starts in the fall semester, we will need the transcript prior to the start of the fall semester. If your graduate program starts in the summer, you will need the transcript prior to the start of the summer session. If that isn’t possible, you will need to submit written confirmation from your college that you have met graduation requirements and will be providing a degree posted transcript after the start of the summer session.

If your GPA is below the application requirement, we encourage you to contact the Graduate Admissions office before submitting an application. We can advise you whether or not you will need to take additional classes to prove your academic readiness for graduate work.

If it is determined you can apply, you will need to provide a brief statement of explanation regarding your academic performance. The Low GPA Statement can be uploaded AFTER you’ve submitted your application via your application status page. 

If you attended Lewis & Clark’s graduate school, we are able to print out and use an advising copy of your transcript. You do not need to request an official copy be sent to us. Alumni of the graduate school may be eligible for abbreviated application process. Please check out the Alumni Application Information web page.

The current graduate school application now includes a statement for Lewis & Clark undergraduate students to sign that allows the graduate school permission to access their their Lewis & Clark undergraduate transcript.

Please be aware that we do not have access to any other transcripts that were submitted in support of your CAS application. If you transferred credit into your undergraduate program, you will need to contact those colleges and request official transcripts be sent to the graduate school.

Application materials are not updated immediately after submission and can take up to 1 week to reflect on your status page. After application deadlines, we usually have many transcripts to process which takes time to scan and upload. We thank you in advance for your patience!

The Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act requires that all colleges and universities make their annual security report available to prospective students. The annual security report includes campus crime statistics and other security information. You can find our annual report on the Campus Safety webpage at https://www.lclark.edu/about/campus_safety/crime_awareness/ or get a paper copy at the Campus Safety office.