How Prospective Students Use the William Paterson University Website for Admissions

Updated

William Paterson University's official site (wpunj.edu) is the starting point for applying, checking your application status, arranging a campus visit, and finding funding and program information. It works best if you already know whether you are applying as a freshman, transfer, graduate, or international student, because each group has its own entry point rather than one shared application flow.

Where the admissions paths split

The site separates admissions into two main sections, and each one branches further by applicant type:

  • Undergraduate Admissions — includes Apply Now, Visit Campus, Funding Your Education, Discover the WP Experience, Request Information, Course Catalog, My Application Status, International Students, Accepted Students, School Counselors, and Parents & Family.
  • Graduate Admissions — includes About Us, Graduate Academic Programs, Apply Now, My Application Status, Admitted Students, International Students, Prospective Students, Upcoming Events, and FAQ.

If you land on the wrong section, you will not see the deadlines, requirements, or status tools that apply to you, so pick your path first.

Step-by-step: applying through the site

  1. Choose your applicant type. Freshman, transfer, graduate, and international applicants each have a dedicated page under Admissions. International students appear as a separate entry in both the undergraduate and graduate sections.
  2. Review requirements and deadlines on that page before starting the application.
  3. Select Apply Now to begin the application. The site also links to My Application Status, which is where you return after submitting.
  4. Request Information if you want to be contacted before applying, or if you are still deciding.
  5. Arrange a visit through Visit Campus, which also offers a virtual tour option under Learn About WP.
  6. Check funding options through Funding Your Education (undergraduate) before or alongside your application.
  7. Track your status via My Application Status once your application is in.

The expected result at each stage is a page specific to your applicant type — requirements, then the application itself, then a status view.

What else the site covers for applicants

Beyond the application itself, the site connects to information that affects your decision:

Need Where it lives
Program and course details Academic Programs, Program Search, Course Catalog, Undergraduate/Graduate Catalog
Online study Online Degree Programs
Costs and aid Funding Your Education
Campus experience Visit Campus, Take a Virtual Tour, Housing & Dining, Campus Activities
Support services Career Development, Internships, Center for International Education, Advisement Center
Current student tools Blackboard, Register for Classes, Course Offerings by Semester

The university describes itself as serving nearly 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students on a 407-acre campus in Wayne, NJ, with a range of 100 percent online programs — useful context if you are weighing on-campus versus online study.

Common snags to expect

  • Using the wrong admissions section. Undergraduate and graduate pages carry different requirements and different status tools; a freshman applicant will not find what they need under Graduate Admissions.
  • Skipping the applicant-type page. International and transfer applicants have their own entries, so general admissions content may omit what applies to you.
  • Losing track after submitting. My Application Status is the return point — bookmark it rather than navigating back through the admissions menu.
  • Assuming cost information is on the admissions page. Funding details sit under Funding Your Education, not inside the application flow.

A practical sequence

If you are starting from scratch: confirm your applicant type → read that page's requirements → Request Information or Visit Campus if you are still deciding → Apply Now → return to My Application Status → review Funding Your Education and the relevant catalog before committing. That order keeps you inside the section built for your situation instead of bouncing between undergraduate and graduate content.