Our Student Body
Outer Coast students are intellectually curious, community-minded, and driven to create positive change in their lives and communities.
Outer Coast seeks to serve a student body that is national and international in breadth and diverse in many ways, including racial, ethnic, cultural, and gender identities, and socioeconomic status. Outer Coast emphasizes reaching students from across Alaska, particularly Alaska Natives and rural Alaskans, as well as other high-potential students from backgrounds underrepresented and underserved in American higher education.
Admissions at Outer Coast are need-blind.
Eligibility
High school seniors and graduates (or GED holders) who have not yet completed a postsecondary degree are eligible to apply for admission into the Outer Coast two-year undergraduate cohort.
Current high school sophomores and juniors are eligible to apply for the Summer Seminar, as well as graduating seniors from Alaska.
We are currently not able to sponsor visas or enroll international students at Outer Coast, but we are working towards being able to do so soon. If you’re interested in learning more about our progress, please be in touch at info@outercoast.org.
A College Chat with Reyn: deciding what’s next and how to pay for it!
Explore your options after high school. Learn how to get all the scholarships you need for your next step. And after our conversation, become eligible for an all-expenses-paid college visit to Sitka.
In a quick, 30-minute chat with me (Reyn Hutten, Outer Coast Outreach Lead), we could talk about:
- How to decide what’s next after high school
- Finding scholarships specific to Alaskans and your community and keeping organized to meet deadlines
- How to write a scholarship application
- Any other questions you have for me!
About Reyn: Going to high school in Wrangell, I remember the challenges of navigating through the college application and scholarship process as an Alaskan student. I graduated from Dartmouth College loan-free with a bachelor’s degree in Ecology. I now work with Outer Coast to help make higher education more relevant and accessible for Alaskans.
Application Process
Undergraduate Program
We have opened the application for acceptance into the first two year undergraduate cohort at Outer Coast. Applications are read on a rolling basis and those submitted by January 31, 2024 will be included in our first round of review.
Feel free to reach out to appcomm@outercoast.org if you have any questions about Outer Coast or your application.
2024 Summer Seminar
The Summer Seminar application process consists of a written application and an interview. All applications are reviewed thoroughly and holistically by the joint student-staffulty Applications Committee (AppComm).
The written application includes a number of short-answer questions and one essay question. We also ask for a high school transcript and at least one recommendation from a teacher. The written application is intended to give applicants the opportunity to demonstrate their interest in Outer Coast, their preparedness academically and socially for the Outer Coast community, and their ability to persevere through challenges.
Within two weeks of submitting the written application, applicants may be invited to an interview with 2-3 members of AppComm. AppComm aims to create a welcoming environment during the interview, in which the main goal is to learn more about the applicant and their interest in joining the Outer Coast community. Applicants may bring any and all questions they have about Outer Coast to the interview in addition to the questions AppComm members will have for applicants.
The application cycle for the 2024 Summer Seminar is open until March 1, 2024 at 11:59 pm AKST.
Mail-in Application
In addition to the online application, Outer Coast offers the option for applicants to mail in their application.
If you would like to apply to Outer Coast by mail, you may request a printed application by emailing info@outercoast.org. Applications should be mailed to Outer Coast at PO Box 6573, Sitka, AK 99835.
Plan a Visit
Interested in visiting us in Sitka? Learn more about planning a visit by clicking the link below.