Running Start - Steps to Start

Who is eligible?

To be admitted to Pierce College's Running Start Program, a student must:

  • Be a Junior or Senior.
  • Turn 16 by the start of the first quarter of enrollment and under the age of 21.
  • Students under 16 years of age can participate in Running Start if they have junior or senior high school status.  See a Running Start advisor for more information.
  • Have a High School Cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher.
  • Through the COMPASS assessment, students must place into English 101 to qualify to take college-level courses. To take classes requiring college-level math placement, students must place into college-level math AND reading 101.

Need to Study for the Compass exam? Need to brush up on pre-algebra, algebra or college algebra? Want unlimited Practice for FREE?

Got to www.wamap.org and click on the tab labeled "Placement Review" on the top right side of the blue navigation bar.

Once you are on the WAMAP Placement Review page

  • If you already have a WAMAP account, simply log in
  • If you are New to WAMAP, click on the button to "Create an account and Enroll"

Students attending private schools must be evaluated as juniors and seniors by a public high school official and enroll at that school. It is not mandatory that students are attending classes at the public high school. It is possible to have dual enrollment at both a private and public high school for access to the Running Start Program.

Home-schooled students must file an Intent to Home School and be determined to be at junior or senior status by their local school district. For further information, please contact the appropriate school district.

Running Start New Student Checklist

Download a copy of the New Student Checklist (pdf format)

Running Start Student Advising and Registration (SAR)

For important registration deadlines, see the Running Start Important Dates Calendar:

Valerie Frey
Running Start Manager (PY)
(253) 864-3210

Sarah Hoaglin
Program Specialist (FS)
(253) 964-6755

Terri Carney
Program Specialist (PY)
(253) 840-8339

Fort Steilacoom

Advising: (253) 964-6520
Testing: (253) 964-6521
runningstart@pierce.ctc.edu

Puyallup

Advising: (253) 840-8431
Testing: (253) 840-8343
puyrunningstart@pierce.ctc.edu