university of washington transfer application essay

Transfer Students

Transfer applicants are students who are currently or were previously enrolled at a college other than the University of Washington - Seattle after high school. Running Start students who are currently in high school and/or did not continue with college after high school graduation are not considered transfer students and should apply as direct-to-major applicants . Students who are already enrolled at UW can apply to the Allen School using our current UW student pathway. The Allen School does not accept undergraduate applications from post-baccalaureate students . This page focuses on the transfer application process. You can learn more about our undergraduate majors here !

Information for Prospective Transfer Students

Info Sessions

The Allen School offers an information session for prospective transfers on the second Thursday of every month from 3:30PM - 4:30PM PT.

Transfer Thursday Drop-Ins

Meet with an ambassador.

If you are interested in learning more about the student experience at the Allen School, you can schedule an appointment to chat with a current student from our ambassador team!

Schedule an Appointment

Prospective transfer students can schedule a virtual appointment via Zoom with someone from our transfer team. Please note that advisers cannot read your application!

How to Apply

Key dates & deadlines.

The Allen School accepts applications for students to start in both Autumn and Spring quarters, we do not have Winter or Summer admission cycles. Please note: the Allen School departmental application is typically open for about 2 weeks prior to the application deadlines.

Transfer Application Process

Below is a step-by-step outline of the process for applying to the Allen School as a transfer student. For more details, check out our Guide for Transfer Students (PDF).

The UW Transfer Application

• The first step in applying to the Allen School is to submit the UW Transfer Application for Autumn or Spring quarter.
• You should list either Computer Science or Computer Engineering as your first choice major.
• If there is another major on campus that interests you, you have the option to list it as your second choice major. If you are listing a second choice major, please make sure you learn about their admission process since admission to majors varies by major. Since Allen School applicants are considered in one pool, you should not list an Allen School major as your second choice major.

If you miss the UW application deadline, you will not be able to apply to the Allen School as a transfer applicant. The links below may help you in planning for your UW Transfer Application.

• UW Office of Admissions - Transfer Students
• Spring Quarter UW applications

The Allen School Departmental Supplemental Application

• The next step for transfer applicants who want to be considered for direct admission to the Allen School is to fill out an Allen School Departmental Supplemental Application (departmental application).
• In order to be eligible, students must have their prerequisites completed by the departmental application deadline (see the preparing to apply section for more details).
• Please note that the departmental application is completely separate from the UW Transfer Application and will generally be open for about two weeks before it is due.

You are welcome to begin working on your departmental application essay before the application opens. The departmental application essay prompt can be found here . If you are having trouble completing the application, there is a “help” tool that can be very useful for answering your questions. If you cannot find the answer using the “help” tool, you can email our transfer recruitment team at [email protected]

Preparing to Apply

Academic requirements.

All academic requirements must be met by the departmental application deadline for the quarter that you are applying. If any academic requirements are not satisfied, the applicant is not yet eligible for transfer admission.

• Transfer applicants must complete a minimum of 30 graded credits prior to applying. Credit by exam programs like AP and IB, while transferable, are not considered graded credit and cannot be counted toward this requirement.
• Transfer applicants must meet the Allen School's prerequisite courses for admission (listed below). These courses must be completed and graded prior to the departmental application deadline.

Determining Course Equivalency▼

If you are attending a Washington State community or technical college, you can also use our online Equivalency Guide to determine the transferability of your coursework. If your coursework is from another college or university, you can use our online UW course catalog to determine which courses at your institution are most closely related to our prerequisites at UW. It is important to note, though, that the UW is unable to make evaluations for transfer credit until after an applicant has been admitted.

Please note that taking two semesters of Calculus is considered equivalent to taking three quarters of Calculus.

Credit By Exam▼

If you have completed exams for credit such as Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), or A Level & AS Level exams, please refer to the UW Office of Admissions for information on how your credits would transfer to UW. Please note that English Language & Composition credit from the AP exam is not equivalent to the English Composition prerequisite for admission and does not meet the UW composition requirement.

Prerequisite Exception Requests▼

All applicants to the Allen School are required to complete the Allen School prerequisite courses (shown above) by the departmental supplemental application deadline for the quarter that they are applying.

The Allen School’s transfer pathway is designed to be completed within two years of full-time study. Prerequisite coursework is essential to ensure that applicants are prepared for upper division coursework upon entering our program so that they are able to graduate on time. Similarly, prerequisite coursework is necessary to ensure that our academic application review is fair to all applicants.

However, our admission process is not intended to cause large gaps in a student’s academic experience and we will consider requests to apply with one prerequisite in progress. Students can only be considered for a prerequisite exception if they:

• Will have 90 quarter credits completed by the time of enrollment at the University of Washington
• Meet all other academic requirements including a minimum of 30 graded credits
• Have the final prerequisite course in-progress at the departmental application deadline

Please note: if a prerequisite course is not offered at your current institution, you are still expected to have the course in-progress at the time of application. This does not apply to applicants studying at foreign universities who do not have access to an English Composition course. For students studying in the US, many WA Community Colleges offer online equivalents to the prerequisite coursework.

To submit a prerequisite exception request, applicants must fill out this form by 5:00 pm PT on January 11, 2024 for Spring applicants or April 3, 2024 for Fall applicants. Please do not submit the form until you are able to demonstrate proof of enrollment in your final prerequisite course.

Allen School Departmental Supplemental Application Checklist

• Review the information on the Transfer Students Webpage
• Use the Determining Course Equivalency section (above) to find out the best way to identify equivalent courses at your current institution and the University of Washington. Then, make a plan to complete all Allen School prerequisite courses before the Allen School Departmental Supplemental Application deadline (January 16 for Spring; April 5 for Autumn)
• Apply to the UW - Seattle using the UW Transfer Application (by December 15 for Spring or February 15 for Autumn) and list CS or CE as your first choice major. Learn about how to apply to the UW as a transfer student. You are not done applying, the Allen School requires a departmental application
• Begin reviewing the departmental application essay prompt (always available); please note that the rubric is closely based on the prompt so you should plan to answer all questions and follow the formatting guidelines . Check to make sure you included relevant information from your UW application in your departmental application. The Allen School does not have access to your UW application when reviewing the departmental application
• Create a list of all post high-school employment, research, volunteer work, extracurricular activities and clubs that you’ve been involved in since high school; you will put these in the activities section of your departmental application
• Complete and submit your departmental application . Please note that the application is only open for about 2 weeks so you should plan to prepare in advance. If you will have additional comments not included elsewhere, you may add them to the “Additional Comments” section of the departmental application. This application requires unofficial copies of your transcripts from all higher education institutions that you attended including grades from your most recent quarter
• Wait for your admission decisions from the Allen School and the UW! Ensure that you are checking the email address that you provided on your application in case we need to contact you!

Download the Transfer Application Checklist

Download the cs transfer planning worksheet, download the ce transfer planning worksheet.

Application Review

Holistic review process.

The Allen School admission uses a holistic review process, which considers academic background, personal statement quality, experiences and activities, higher education institution(s) attended, and residency. Priority is given to students who are transferring from a Washington State Community or Technical College (WA CTC) with about two years of coursework (90 quarter credits). We recognize that transfer students often have complex academic histories so upward grade trends are looked at positively, with most recent grades and grades in prerequisite subject areas being weighted most heavily in the academic review. Applicants are encouraged to give context to any academic inconsistencies on their transcript by explaining any circumstances that may have affected their academic performance in their application essay. Most students in our program are transferring from WA CTC and have a GPA of a 3.75 or better. Domestic non-resident (out-of-state) students, international students, and students transferring from a school that is not a Washington State Community or Technical College typically have a GPA of 3.9 or better.

For additional resources at the UW, please visit our Apply page!

Allen School Transfer Applicant FAQ

Program eligibility questions.

What are the Allen School’s transfer admission statistics? ▼

Admit rate for all transfer applicants: 20% (69/334)

• Washington residents: 33% (59/177)
• Non-resident: 2% (1/56)
• International: 9% (9/101)

91% (63/69) of admits are transferring from a Washington State Community or Technical College

Is there a minimum GPA required for admission to the Allen School? ▼

No. Due to the Allen School’s holistic admission review process, there is no minimum GPA required for admission. However, it is important to note that admission to the Allen School is competitive. The average incoming GPA for Washington state resident transfer admits is 3.75 or higher. The average incoming GPA for domestic non-resident and international transfer admits is 3.9 or higher. We understand that each transfer applicant has a unique story behind their transcript, and encourage students to share their academic journey in the departmental application’s personal statement.

Does the Allen School offer undergraduate evening or weekend classes? Does the Allen School offer a remote bachelor’s degree program? ▼

No. The Allen School does not offer undergraduate evening or weekend classes or a remote bachelor’s degree program. Transfer students admitted to the Allen School can expect to attend a full-time undergraduate program that offers a wide variety of classes that use theory, exploratory labs, and course projects to teach computing concepts.

Do I need to complete an associate’s degree before transferring? ▼

No. The completion of an associate’s degree is not required for admission to the University of Washington or the Allen School. However, applicants are encouraged to review UW’s transfer credit policies regarding the Washington community and technical college Direct Transfer Agreement (DTA) for additional information about how an associate’s degree may impact your transfer credit if accepted - https://admit.washington.edu/apply/transfer/policies/#wa-ctct .

Can I apply before I’ve completed two years at a community college or university? ▼

Yes. If you have met the Allen School's academic requirements for transfer admission, you are welcome to before you have completed two years of coursework. However, please keep in mind that the Allen School gives priority admission to applicants who have about two years of coursework (90 quarter credits) completed.

Do AP or IB Courses count toward the 30 graded quarter credit minimum to apply? ▼

Unfortunately, no. Exams for credit do not count toward as graded credits.

Can I apply if I have more than two years of community college or university coursework completed? ▼

Yes. As long as you do not have a prior bachelor’s degree and have met UW’s minimum admission requirements and will fulfill the Allen School’s prerequisite requirements in time, you are welcome to apply for transfer admission. Please note that the University of Washington has transfer credit policies that determine how prior transfer credit can apply towards an undergraduate degree at UW - https://admit.washington.edu/apply/transfer/policies/#restrictions .

If I have a prior bachelor’s degree, can I still apply as a transfer applicant? ▼

No. Due to extremely high demand for our program from first-time bachelor's students, the Allen School is not currently accepting applications from students looking for a second bachelor's degree (i.e., post-baccalaureate applications for a bachelor's degree) - https://www.cs.washington.edu/academics/ugrad/admissions/postbac .

Can I reapply to the Allen School as a transfer applicant if I have been denied before? ▼

Yes. The Allen School does not have a limit on the number of times a transfer applicant can apply for admission. However, we strongly encourage all applicants denied admission to the Allen School to consider alternative undergraduate computing programs at other institutions or alternative computing-related majors at UW given how competitive admission is to the Allen School.

Applicant Questions

Can someone review my transcript to see what classes will transfer to UW-Seattle? How will I know if my credits will transfer? ▼

With that said, our recruitment team is happy to connect with you via email ( [email protected] ) if you have remaining questions about whether or not you are eligible to apply. Please note that receiving permission to apply is not a guarantee that all of your prerequisite coursework will transfer as expected through the transfer credit review. Please keep in mind that our Allen School transfer team is unable to provide individualized academic plans for transfer applicants.

Can someone at the Allen School review my personal statement for the departmental application? ▼

No. The Allen School is unable to provide personal statement review for transfer applicants seeking admission. For support in writing your personal statement, please use writing and transfer resources at your current institution. All transfer applicants can make an appointment with someone on our transfer recruitment team to speak broadly about the application process but we are unable to read your personal statement as we serve on the admission committee. Historically underrepresented students of color (African American, Latino, American Indian/Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander and Southeast Asian) can reach out to the UW’s Multicultural Outreach and Recruitment team for additional support.

Can I have the Allen School’s prerequisites for admission in-progress or planned at the time of application as a transfer student? ▼

Prerequisite courses may be in progress when you apply to the UW, but they should be completed by the departmental application deadline. For example, if you are applying for Spring quarter, they must be completed by January 16. They can still be in progress when you apply to the UW before December 15. At most institutions, this means that Autumn is the last quarter that they can take a prerequisite course for Spring admission.

Do I need to provide all college/university transcripts if it's been years since I last attended or if I no longer want the transfer credit? Do academic credits expire? ▼

All transfer applicants, U.S. and international, are required to submit unofficial college/university transcripts from each institution attended for their Allen School departmental transfer application. Academic credits do not expire and an applicant’s entire academic record will be considered in the transfer departmental application admission review process. The University of Washington does not practice grade forgiveness. Failure to disclose and submit unofficial transcripts from all colleges/universities attended, even if no credit was earned, may result in denial of admission or dismissal from the UW. The Allen School transfer admission committee recognizes that students may have academic inconsistencies in their academic record. Since the Allen School practices a holistic admission review process, transfer applicants are encouraged to discuss any academic inconsistencies or provide additional context to their academic history in their personal statement.

Can I use the same personal statement for both the UW transfer admission application and the departmental application? ▼

No. Transfer applicants should write their essay answering the specific questions in the departmental application personal statement prompt. Keep in mind that the Allen School transfer admission committee will not be reviewing your UW transfer admission personal statement, so please repeat any relevant information you would like to have considered.

Does the Allen School accept supplementary materials for the transfer departmental application such as letters of recommendation? ▼

No, the Allen School does not accept supplementary materials such as letters of recommendation, applicant portfolios, or interviews from transfer applicants in the departmental application review process.

Admission Questions

How is the departmental application reviewed? ▼

Allen School applications are reviewed by a committee of Allen School faculty and staff. We have a rubric that our faculty and staff are trained to follow to ensure that we are reviewing all applications consistently. Generally speaking, we evaluate two pieces of an application: the academic record (grades in prerequisite subject areas and overall grade trends) and the answers to the essay questions. While the rubric provides general guidelines for reviewers, we do have a method for flagging applications that don’t fit the rubric or have other information that needs to be captured during our discussion.

We know that students are curious about how we evaluate applications. Therefore we provide the rubric here for past cycles. You should, however, take note that using this to prepare for an upcoming cycle may not be in your best interest as this rubric is changed and updated every year. The new essay questions or evaluation materials are posted by Nov 15th each year.

Although we post the rubric publicly, please note that we do not conduct any pre-evaluations of a student's application. The best way to prepare an upcoming application is to (1) address all the essay questions thoughtfully, carefully, and substantively and (2) do your best academically in all your coursework. We also highly recommend that all prospective students attend an information session to learn more about the Allen School and our evaluation process. These information sessions are free and open to the public. You can find more about our information sessions online.

Does the Allen School transfer admission committee review my UW transfer admission application and personal statement? ▼

No. The UW transfer admission application process is separate from the Allen School’s transfer departmental application process. Applicants should include any relevant information from the UW transfer admission application in the departmental application that they would like to have considered by the Allen School’s transfer admission committee.

Where can I find my admission decision? ▼

Your admission decision will be sent to the email address that you provided in your application.

When will I find out my admission decision from the Allen School? ▼

Transfer applicants that submit a departmental application to the Allen School are notified of their admission decision via the email address provided in their application. For spring applicants, departmental admission decisions are sent in early February. For Autumn applicants, departmental admission decisions are sent in mid-May. The Allen School does not send hard copy letters for admission decisions.

If I am accepted to the Allen School as a transfer applicant, can I defer my offer of admission? ▼

No. You may not defer your offer of admission to another entry term. The offer of admission is valid only for the quarter indicated on your offer letter. If you are unable to attend the UW at this time but wish to enroll for a future quarter, you will need to file a new application to UW and submit a new Allen School departmental application and meet all requirements and deadlines.

What if I am admitted to UW but not admitted as a transfer student to the Allen School for Autumn admission? ▼

Transfer students who are admitted to UW as pre-majors should consider whether or not there is another major on campus that they are interested in. Students who enroll at UW as pre-majors and want to apply to the Allen School will need to apply through our Current UW student pathway. This pathway is highly competitive and there is no guarantee of admission for students who pursue this option. It is only recommended that students enroll at UW as a pre-major if they have other interests outside of the Allen School. Additionally, coming to UW as a pre-major transfer student often extends the amount of time until a student can graduate. For this reason, we highly recommend that students that are not offered direct transfer admission to the Allen School plan for another major at UW or consider similar computing programs at other institutions. For assistance with academic planning as a pre-major student, please connect with an academic adviser in Undergraduate Academic Advising at UW to discuss your options - https://www.washington.edu/uaa/advising/ . It is not possible to be admitted to UW as a pre-major student for spring admission.

Can I appeal my Allen School transfer admission decision? ▼

The Allen School does not offer admission decision appeals. If you were not admitted to the Allen School, you would need to reapply to be considered for admission into the Allen School again.

Are transfer students eligible for UW scholarships and financial aid? ▼

Transfer students that are accepted to the University of Washington and accept the offer of admission are eligible for scholarships and financial aid. The Allen School offers departmental scholarships for undergraduate students including incoming transfer students - https://www.cs.washington.edu/academics/ugrad/current-students/resources . For questions about financial aid, please refer to the UW Office of Student Financial Aid’s website - https://www.washington.edu/financialaid/ .

Other Computing Related Degree Programs

Related Majors ▼

Some students intending to study Computer Science or Computer Engineering may not ultimately gain admission to the Allen School, while others may discover another major that is better for their strategies and goals. Students in other majors enjoy access to our non-majors courses , can serve as Allen School teaching assistants, and can participate in Allen School research.

Below is a sampling of other majors on the UW Seattle campus you may want to explore, based on your interest in our program. Please note that most of these majors are also competitive so it is important to reach out to them and discuss their application procedures.

• Applied & Computational Mathematical Sciences
• Electrical Engineering (particularly the embedded systems track)
• Geography (particularly the geographic information systems track)
• Human Centered Design & Engineering
• Informatics
• Linguistics
• Mathematics

Other Programs in Washington State ▼

There are similar programs in the area which take transfer students, and we highly recommend that you apply to multiple programs if you're sure you want to study Computer Science or Computer Engineering. You should consider:

• University of Washington Bothell
• University of Washington Tacoma
• Bellevue College - Bachelor of Science in Computer Science
• Cascadia College - Bachelors of Applied Science in Mobile Application Development
• Central Washington University
• Central Washington University @ Des Moines
• Eastern Washington University
• Evergreen State College
• Green River College - Bachelor of Applied Science in Software Development
• Gonzaga University
• Lake Washington Institute of Technology - Bachelor of Applied Science in Software Development
• North Seattle College - Applied Bachelor’s in Application Development
• North Seattle College - Computer Science Bachelor of Applied Science (B.S.) Degree
• Pacific Lutheran University
• Renton Technical College - Bachelor of Applied Science in Application Development
• Saint Martin’s University
• Seattle Pacific University
• Seattle University
• University of Puget Sound
• Walla Walla University
• Washington State University
• Washington State University @ TriCities
• Washington State University @ Vancouver
• Western Washington University
• Whitman College
• Whitworth University
• Complete list of all WA State Colleges and Universities

Please email the Allen School transfer recruitment team at [email protected] . We encourage all prospective transfer applicants to the Allen School to attend an information session. We are happy to answer your questions!

Academic Support Programs

• Applications & personal statements

Application materials like personal statements, resumes, and cover letters are an integral part of packaging your experience, academics, and interests in a meaningful way. The UW Career and Internship Center is a great resource to support you through the brainstorming, writing, and completion processes of your application materials. Here are some additional tips for telling your story for programs at UW and beyond!

Personal Statements

Since most majors at the UW require an application, many students are required to turn in personal statement essays and/or short answer responses to get into their major. For example, every application for the College of Engineering requires a short answer question that asks them to share the unique perspective that they can bring to the engineering classroom. 

Applications are not restricted to UW though — they are required for scholarship essays, internships, and jobs! That being said, here is an overview about how to organize an application like this:

• Section 1: What do I want to do and why? E.g. Why is this your field of interest, and what led you to explore this major?
• Internships, coursework, and special projects that contribute to the student’s learning
• Highlight specific things about the university/place/program in question
• Section 4: What will I do with this in the future?

The personal statement is a place to describe motivations and provide insight about the perspective you'll bring to the program, which could be related to your academic interests, identity, or past research/internship experience.

Although resumes can be personalized or designed based on the student’s area of study/conventions of the discipline, there are some tips that will apply to every resume:

• Keep it short and relevant to the job : Resumes should (typically) fit on one page, and the top part should include your name and contact information (at least your phone number and email address). Feel free to add links to your portfolio, LinkedIn, GitHub, or other outlets that are relevant to your discipline of interest.
• Break it up : Choose relevant section headings to break up your experience (e.g. Education/ Projects Leadership Experience / Working Experience / Skills). Try to incorporate buzzwords from job description into the resume.
• Keep is consistent : The headings should be in the same font size and style to improve readability for a recruiter. Leave some white space above headlines to improve readability.
• Use action verbs : Instead of saying “Helped organize event for office party,” try, “Proactively organized an annual donor event and interacted with professional staff, caterers, and attendees.”

Cover Letters

Typically, cover letters include information about how you found out about the job (this is a good place to name drop references/job fair recruiters/etc.), the extent of and reasons for your interest in the job, and a few examples of experiences that have prepared you for the job. Here are two great videos from the UW Career and Internship Center that can help you structure your cover letter and guide you through what to include in your cover letter .

Cover letters are not a reiteration of the resume. Instead, hey are meant to highlight relevant experiences that convey how you’d be an asset to the company, project, or internship you want to join.

Here are a few general tips for cover letters:

• Include your contact information : Your resume and cover letter might get separated during the recruiting process, and you want to make it easy for them to reach you!
• Provide signposts for reader:  e.g. “I’ve had X, Y, and Z experiences that will prepare me for this job/internship”
• Switch passive voice to active voice:  Don’t give the project so much credit – take ownership/agency of the skills you develop”
• Address a specific person:  e.g. “Dear (recruiter name)” vs. “To whom it may concern”
• Explain how your current skills translate in the context of the job (these are often called transferable skills)
• End by thanking the person for their time.
• Include a signature.

Things to Remember

Writing about yourself can be difficult, especially if you are more accustomed to the conventions of academic writing. Use the application as an opportunity to discuss your skills, motivations, and experiences.

• If you've applied to a program of opportunity before, see if you can get feedback about what could be improved about your past application.
• Keep the prompt in mind – it might be helpful to paste the guiding questions at the top of the document and check in about if you're answering every part of the prompt.
• Keep application deadlines in mind!

Icons by phatplus and Freepik from www.flaticon.com .

Study Strategies

• Helpful Videos
• Study skills workshops
• Academic writing
• Effective reading
• Math & science courses
• Online learning
• Preparing for tests
• Tips for success at the UW
• Time management
• Writing resources
• For graduate students

Additional Resources

• UW Career and Internship Center
• List of Majors and Minors at UW
• Tips for writing a personal statement

More: Tips on resume and cover letter writing

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Transferring to the UW

Plan your application.

Are you considering attending the University of Washington as the next step on your educational journey?

Identify application timeline

Explore majors, make an academic plan, research tuition and associated cost, connect with the uw.

The UW has a lot to offer. To get started visit the tabs on the left to learn about the application timeline, understand the cost, and begin to prepare your academic plan.

All prospective transfer students are invited to attend Transfer Thursday prior to applying to the UW. The afternoon includes an admission presentation, followed by information sessions or drop-in advising by different academic programs and departments. These vary from week to week. Consult the schedules to choose a Thursday that’s best for you.   

Identify which quarter you want to transfer to the UW

Make sure your intended major offers admission for the quarter you intend to begin attending the UW by consulting Choosing a Major Page , an interactive tool for transfer students provided by the Office of Admissions. Then consult this list of application dates and deadlines .

Know UW application deadlines

The Office of Admissions provides a guide for transfer students to ensure you have all of the appropriate materials to apply. When you're ready, file the application .

Know UW major application deadline

You can use Choosing a Major Page , an interactive tool for transfer students, to check the admission policy, curricular options and quarters of application for every UW major.

Connect with your UW Admissions counselor

Stay informed by connecting with your counselor if you have any questions about the application process.

List of Majors

Start by reviewing the List of Undergraduate Majors at the UW. Some majors admit students in good academic standing at any time (open), while others have requirements before admission (minimum) or limited capacity for applicants (capacity-constrained).

List of Undergraduate Majors

Exploring Major Alternatives

Some UW majors are capacity-constrained, meaning not all students interested in that major can end up studying it. Many must find an alternative. This tool is designed to help you explore related majors with similar coursework, career opportunities, and topics of interest.

Exploring Majors Tool

Meet regularly with an academic adviser at your current institution

Share your goals of transferring with your academic adviser early on. Work together to identify how you can reach your goals and what will need to be accomplished at your current institution to do so. Download the Transfer Roadmap Worksheet and make sure you don't miss any steps.

Attend a Transfer Thursday and Transfer Student Preview Day at the UW

Transfer Student Preview Day is a program that happens each year in December for those interested in transferring to the UW. Registration will open in November, learn more on the admissions website.

Every prospective transfer student should attend a Transfer Thursday session before applying for admission. Find out about the admission process, meet with an adviser, and learn more about the UW's academic areas of study, as well as other topics such as financial aid and housing. Transfer Thursday is also available as a webinar for those unable to attend in person.

Review UW Admissions' website and departmental websites

Browse the UW's various academic programs . Most departments offer regular information sessions introducing the major and its required courses. Get in touch with departmental advisers to find out when sessions will be offered and to learn more about the program. UAA Advising also has some great general suggestions on how to choose a major .

Identify pre-requisite courses for intended majors and alternative majors

Read about holistic review , minimum subject requirements , the transfer GPA , AP and IB , guidelines for veterans and homeschooled students , and other essential policies affecting transfer admission .

Review information on choosing majors and the transfer equivalency guide

As you are considering major(s), you'll find them organized on the choosing majors  page according to admission type (open, minimum requirement and capacity-constrained). Understand how your credits will transfer to the UW. Also check to see how your credits will transfer if you are currently enrolled at a Washington State Community and Technology College using the equivalency guide . For Washington State Community and Technology College students (CTC), use MyPlan to track how your CTC credits will transfer to the UW as well as measure your progress towards a UW degree.

Know the UW FAFSA/WASFA priority date (January 15th)

The UW’s priority date for filing the FAFSA is now January 15, rather than February 28. Your FAFSA should be received at the federal processor by January 15  for priority consideration of all of our aid programs. It is not too late to submit your FAFSA. If your application is submitted after January 15, you will still be considered for federal aid, including Pell Grant and student loans.

Review UW Financial Aid net price calculator and expected family contribution (EFC) estimater

UW undergraduates receive about $400 million in financial aid per year. Over 60% of our undergraduate students receive some form of financial aid. We know that many families are concerned about their ability to pay for college. This estimator service will give you an estimate of the type and amount of aid undergraduate students in similar financial situations as yours have received to attend the UW.

Sign-up to receive important email reminders through UW Admissions

When you sign up for our email list, you'll get connected to the UW and stay informed about how to submit the strongest application, deadline reminders, majors and academic programs, campus tours and information sessions, and UW visits to your area. 

Visit campus and experience student life

Take an in-person campus tour or engage in the virtual options. Attend a Husky Hangout to learn more about the student life experience while connecting with current students. 

Attend Transfer Student Preview

Interested in transferring to the UW? Transfer Student Preview is a program for students (and their families) to learn more about UW programs and services and connect with departments.

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What are your chances of acceptance?

Calculate for all schools, your chance of acceptance.

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Extracurriculars.

5 University of Washington Essay Examples by Accepted Students

What’s covered:, essay example #1 – diversity, cripplepunks, essay example #2 – diversity, community in difference, essay example #3 – diversity, food, essay example #4 – diversity, dinnertime conversations, essay example #5 – interdisciplinary studies, where to get your university of washington essays edited.

The University of Washington is a selective school, so it’s important to write strong essays to help your application stand out. In this post, we’ll share essays real students have submitted to the University of Washington. (Names and identifying information have been changed, but all other details are preserved).

Read our University of Washington es say breakdown to get a comprehensive overview of this year’s supplemental prompts.

Please note: Looking at examples of real essays students have submitted to colleges can be very beneficial to get inspiration for your essays. You should never copy or plagiarize from these examples when writing your own essays. Colleges can tell when an essay isn’t genuine and will not view students favorably if they plagiarized. 

Prompt: Our families and communities often define us and our individual worlds. Community might refer to your cultural group, extended family, religious group, neighborhood or school, sports team or club, co-workers, etc. Describe the world you come from and how you, as a product of it, might add to the diversity of the University of Washington. (300 words)

The first time I looked up the term cripplepunk I was in ninth grade, almost bedbound with severe hip pain. It took half a second for the page to load, and another half a second for me to process what I was seeing. There before me, against the muted grey of my phone’s dark mode, is the community I thought I would never have. I could have scrolled for hours, absorbing the images of models in powerchairs wearing ornate gowns, snarky patches on guide dog vests, and decorated canes. I kept coming back to the page, enchanted with the movement. Although the term cripplepunk wasn’t used until 2014, the spirit of the movement is present in most disabled people, from Frida Kahlo to the participants in the Capitol Crawl. The cripplepunk movement is intentionally subversive, fighting against the ableism and pity that disabled people encounter at every turn. Cripplepunks take a “so what if I am?” approach to ableism, refusing to be ashamed of symptoms, accommodations, or mobility aids. It’s a diverse movement too, where a 60-something veteran dealing with decades-old injuries can guide me through the process of buying and decorating my first cane. In cripplepunk circles, a deafblind Black woman can teach the world that disabled people can have dreams for their futures. The cripplepunk movement is a movement where I can offer sympathy, advice, and support to the same people who helped me through otherwise isolating moments and new cripples alike. That work doesn’t just happen online though. My work as a cripplepunk happens everywhere, classrooms and grocery stores alike, by being visibly and unashamedly disabled, vocally confronting ableists, and campaigning for greater accessibility.

What the Essay Did Well

One of the primary strengths of this “Diversity” essay is its writer’s enthusiasm about the cripplepunk movement, which helps readers feel connected to them. At the very beginning of this response, we are introduced to the term ‘cripplepunk,’ but just like the student, we are not exactly sure what it means. We go through the process of learning about the movement with the student as they bring to our minds “images of models in powerchairs wearing ornate gowns, snarky patches on guide dog vests, and decorated canes.” By bringing us along to their first introduction to cripplepunk, this student forms a connection between themself and the reader. We get “enchanted” alongside them.

At the same time, we get enchanted by the student, who positions themself as mature and insightful. As they describe how the cripplepunk movement wasn’t labeled until 2014 but “the spirit of the movement” existed long before, they address the ways that community doesn’t need to have a name to exist. They position community as anything that makes individuals not feel alone, then follow that description up with a definition of community as “people who help others through otherwise isolating moments.” This deeper reflection displays this student’s insightful-nature and maturity.

Finally, this essay’s structure works very nicely. It is simultaneously anecdotal and reflective, and, to top it all off, the student provides an image of them in “classrooms and grocery stores alike” showing off their diversity and their pride. The anecdote draws the reader in, while the reflection reveals this student’s personality and perspectives. Combined, the reader gets a good idea of who this student is and how they would fit into the campus community.

What Could Be Improved

The one thing this essay didn’t address was how this student will add to the diversity of the University of Washington. Although we get a good sense of the unique community this student came from and how it shaped them, we still want to know how they will contribute to their campus community. This student could have easily revised the last few sentences to say something along the lines of this:

“I intend to bring the cripplepunk movement with me to the University of Washington. I’ll proudly display myself on campus so I can teach my fellow classmates about disabilities and encourage other disabled students to be unashamed of who they are.”

Reworking the conclusion to discuss how they will take the lessons they have learned from being part of the cripplepunk community and share those lessons with a new community would show admissions officers exactly what this student would bring to campus. It doesn’t have to be an extensive response, but the essay should include some reference of University of Washington. 

In my youth, I found solace in communities of my peers who shared portions of my identity; from speaking the same second languages to sharing similar tastes, I was quick to bond with those I was similar to. 

When I moved to Oregon, I found myself miles away from these connections. My fragmented identity found little to attach to my peers. Inkling connections uprooted as I attended three different middle schools throughout my years. “Community” felt like a bubble I was floating upon, inherently a part of yet never fully immersed. 

At the end of math class towards the middle of eighth grade, I felt a tap on my shoulder. A tall girl with glasses and a tooth gap stood behind.

“Do you want to sit with us at lunch today?”

Stemming from this small invitation, I found myself part of a community of peers with whom I never thought I could relate. Our interests diverged and collided in all regards; we were of different gender identities, sexual orientations, and ethnic backgrounds. While I was the only person of color in our friend group, I cherished the different experiences we brought to the table. I recounted my struggles accepting my culture while I heard the stories of my friends who were dealing with gender dysphoria. 

In the following years, I wholeheartedly applied this multifaceted outlook to my sense of community. I engaged with peers both different and similar to me; I found community at Indian festivals with my fellow South Asian peers and community with my closest friends with whom I can form strong emotional connections, despite our dissimilar backgrounds. 

This ever-growing sense of community has helped me thrive and will better help me engage within the student body at the University of Washington

As this student explores the struggle of finding community, their essay not only reads like a Diversity essay but also like an Overcoming Challenges essay . 

The main strength of this essay is the arc it presents. We learn about their background (moving around a lot) and we learn that community didn’t always come easy for them. The sentence “‘ Community’ felt like a bubble I was floating upon, inherently a part of yet never fully immersed” articulates their isolation particularly well. At the same time, this sentence shows their profound awareness of the true meaning of community. They understand that being a part of a formal group like a school organization, an ethnic group, or a sport does not necessarily mean one feels community.

As the essay progresses, the student comes to understand that community does not have to exist within any formal bounds at all. You can find community with people completely different from you. Through their reflection, this student clearly shows an understanding of the importance of diversity. Not only is this essay able to demonstrate the meaning of community to this student, but it also displays how diversity is an integral part of community, which is exactly what admissions officers want to see.  

The beginning of this essay is a little slow, so the whole essay would benefit from reordering it and changing the structure a bit. Essays tend to start off with an anecdote to hook the reader and then go into more elaboration. However, it takes a few sentences before this student gets to their anecdote. We learn about this student’s experience feeling part of (or isolated from) a community prior to middle school, but the essay isn’t overly engaging before the anecdote.

The anecdote livens up the essay and brings a renewed sense of excitement and engagement to the reader, so opening the essay with the story of getting invited to lunch would spur that interest from the beginning. After the quick anecdote, the student could explain why it was so meaningful to be invited to lunch and find a community at that table because they had felt that they were missing a community throughout middle school. Restructuring the essay like this would mean it wouldn’t be told chronologically, but a deeper emotional connection with the student, and interest in their story, would be established off the bat.

“Beta, food is ready,” Amma yells as I quickly traverse her words.  She made dosas and aloo curry, my favorite. I followed the strong, flavorful scent to the kitchen, the same place where I subsequently got serenaded by hymns sung by Amma.  I helped set up the table, decorated with a box of misplaced cheerios and a bowl of Gulab jamun Appa set out for us before he left for work.   I watched my brother go into the garden to collect one of our banana leaves, acting as plates for the eight guests arriving soon for lunch. The natural grassy smell that emanated from the leaves signaled Amma that guests would be coming soon. She laid out the dosas on the table and aloo in a bowl, exerting an ounce of pride from the squint of her eyes.  The aroma of dosas and aloo curry has followed my family for generations. Every generation that was taught the art of making a dosa assimilated a new idea, evolving my family’s South Indian cuisine. My appreciation of my community lies within its versatility for the continuation of traditions and beliefs, passing them down for generations to come.   Guests started coming in for lunch, holding their food, seasoned with the stories of their lives. Despite the incredible array of foods on the table, the box of cheerios remained in sight to the public. Like me, it didn’t align with the norms of its environment, but remained firm. Its bright yellow color pervaded, attracting many. However, it had its own stories and journey that couldn’t hold comparison to others. This “ambiguity” represents diversity within culture. Its multidimensional perspective allows for cuisine and culture to bring a multitude of stories together, creating a home for all, including me.

This essay exemplifies how to respond to the Diversity prompt, an essay archetype used by many colleges. Effective responses do just what this essay does, by describing both a culture and the applicant’s place within it. Especially successful essays convey important, relevant aspects of the community with quick yet evocative descriptions, like of the aloo curry and hymns, that also help readers get to know the applicant better. In this essay, we see their thoughtfulness, keen eye for detail, involvement with their family and community, and appreciation for their heritage. 

One more especially powerful aspect of this essay is the vivid, descriptive language. There’s the smell of curry, the sound of singing, and the visual of the bright yellow Cheerios box, all of which draw us into this student’s world with all five senses. In particular, the metaphor of the Cheerios box standing out in the midst of the home-cooked, traditional South Indian meal is unexpected and heartwarming, and helps ensure that this rich essay will make a strong impression on UW admissions officers.

Even in a strong essay like this one, there’s still room for improvement. One thing that would make this supplement more effective would be a bit more detail on the central metaphor of the Cheerios box. Why does the author align themselves with the American breakfast cereal, instead of the food being cooked by their grandmother? 

The description of the box as “not aligning with the norms of the environment” is compelling, but not supported by details about the applicant’s personality, or reflections on their identity. While metaphors are a crucial part of many college essays, you always want to be as explicit as possible about what a metaphor is saying about you, to ensure the admissions officer reading your essay fully understands your point.

Additionally, on a structural level, this essay would benefit from being split into two or even three paragraphs, for a couple of reasons. Firstly, because one big block of text is a little rough on the eyes. Secondly, because breaking up your ideas ensures each one gets your reader’s full attention–at the end of each paragraph, they can reflect on the point you’ve just made before continuing on to the next one.

At my dining table, a silent war was being waged. Each side wielded glances, smirks, and snide remarks concealed under composed postures. The discomfort was palpable. Yet, newly eight-year-old me moved obliviously between my grandmas. To me, they were nearly the same person wh o loved me and, on this delightful occasion, had provided me with considerable compensation for lasting another year. 

My first call to battle came sitting in the passenger seat of my grandma, Judy’s Toyota. As we rolled through the hills of Idaho, she spoke to me about a recent election and her opinions on various healthcare issues. Moved from a place of deep sorrow, she described my Aunt’s struggle to obtain insurance due to a pre-existing condition. She suggested her solutions, and I listened attentively, curious about her ideas since I had yet to form my own.  

Months later, I found myself in a hammock under a sweeping eucalyptus, engaged in a similar discussion with my other grandma, Teresa. As a healthcare worker, she was very involved with the issue, yet her ideas fell completely opposite Judy’s. 

This was when I discovered the origin of the hushed hostility afflicting my family. 

The family I come from may seem divided with their vastly different views, but together, these women taught me the importance of being a listener. I learned that to understand an issue truly, you must first consider all thoughts and opinions, no matter how much you may disagree. The animosity I observed resulted from closed minds and echo chambers; from their discomfort, I’ve learned that progress can only be made through compromise and communication. At UW, I hope to contribute my distinct perspective on problem-solving alongside my engineering knowledge to collaborate with others through programs like Engineers Without Borders to create impactful solutions to universal problems. 

In this essay, which is another strong response to the “Diversity” prompt , the student does a great job of explaining how being around different opinions has shaped their own perspective, as well as capturing the role they play within their family. The response highlights what the student has learned not just about their grandmothers’ opinions, but about listening in general and forming opinions of their own.

This essay is also a good reminder that writing a strong response to this kind of prompt doesn’t require you to focus on a distinct culture–you can write effectively about aspects of your identity, like the conversations at your family dinner table, that aren’t typically associated with diversity. So long as your growth and character are at the center of the story, like they are for this student, the essay will do a great job of demonstrating who you are to the admissions committee. 

The other especially effective part of this essay is the end, where the author connects their theme to a specific program and future at UW. This detail goes above and beyond what the prompt asks for, to show admissions officers exactly how this student plans to participate in the University of Washington community. Although quick, this line drives home the relevance of this student’s skills and experience to UW’s values as an institution, which helps admissions officers picture them on campus.

While this kind of concrete connection to the school can take your essay to the next level, you want to be sure that you make the connection in a way that feels natural. The majority of your essay should focus on some aspect of your identity and what it reflects about your broader character–only mention something specific about the school if you have extra space, and it’s directly connected to what you’ve discussed. It’s always nice to have a cherry on top of an already strong essay, but ultimately the most important thing is always to answer what the prompt is actually asking.

What Could Be Improved 

Overall, this is a super strong essay, with very little to improve. The only thing that we would consider changing is the time periods the student chooses their examples from. While the anecdotes are strong and paint a vivid picture of a conflict that goes back years, stories from when the author was eight may seem less relevant to an admissions committee that is looking to admit that student ten years later. 

If you have a story that dates back to your childhood, you should weigh the benefits of starting at the very beginning of the story against the benefits of including anecdotes that show how you behave in that community now. There isn’t a one-size-fits-all rule here: simply be conscious about the choices you make with your essay, to ensure you communicate your key points as effectively as possible.

Prompt: Consider two very different subjects you have previously studied; tell us how you imagine bringing those together at UW to engage with a pressing societal concern. This could be a local, national, or global concern.

In my youth, my mother helped instill a curiosity about the natural world in me. Her work in consulting regarding climate change and environmental systems made me question my direct and indirect impact. I delved into these interests further in high school by taking broad coursework in the sciences. In AP Biology, I was baffled by the reactions and transformation that occurred with simple manipulation. In AP Environmental Science, I was able to apply these biological processes to environmental concepts I noticed on the daily.

In my junior year, I took AP Economics, a class on the polar opposite spectrum from biological and environmental sciences. However, while studying economics, I was able to establish connections between economic and environmental concepts. My father, who has a grounded education in economics, helped me understand the links between these seemingly disparate subjects. The subjects were foundationally interlinked; simple ideas coincided, such as the tragedy of the commons and its relation to marginal analysis. 

As I noticed these intersectional ties, I saw that addressing the impending climate crisis through an economic lens was necessary for implementable, impactful change. There were opportunities for the government to impact climate action— these included economic incentives and regulations to influence the market price, changing producer and consumer behavior to be environmentally friendly. These policies helped protect the welfare of not only the environment but also of individuals who are disproportionately affected by the climate crisis. 

My interest in communication studies links to this; I hope to thoroughly understand these subjects in an interdisciplinary context to provide the means for others to do the same.

  At UW, particularly in the Interdisciplinary Honors Program, I hope to conjoin my interests in economic policy, science, and communications to gain the leverage and sound academic foundation necessary to address these concerns.

One of the best things this essay did was make use of a simple structure. This prompt asks for a lot from students: discuss two interests, identify the relationship between the two interests, show that the relationship relates to a pressing societal concern , and describe how you will engage with that concern at UW. While it is possible to answer all of these questions with a creative structure, this student’s use of a simple structure helped keep all of the parts of the essay organized. The essay followed the same format as the prompt: two paragraphs about their interests and relationship between them, a paragraph on a societal concern, and two final paragraphs on how they will tie everything together at UW.

Utilizing this structure allowed the student to fully establish both of their interests as unique entities before combining them. Going into detail on what excited them about environmental science and economics in the first place made their genuine love for the topics shine through. Also, including specific concepts like biological reactions and tragedy of the commons shows this student’s knowledge in these respective fields, in addition to their passion.

This student also does a good job of explaining the relationship they see between environmental sciences and economics. Explaining how they were “foundationally interlinked; simple ideas coincided” gives some insight into how this student thinks. We learn that they used logic to connect seemingly different topics that share common ideas. Establishing this logic-based link helps us understand how they devised solutions to address the pressing issue of the climate crisis in the third paragraph. The reader is left with the impression this student is genuinely fascinated by these two topics and has an interest in continuing to combine them in the future.

This student struggles with the transition to discussing their future goals. Since they devoted a large portion of their allotted word count to their interests in science and economics, they were left with very few words to discuss their interest in communication and how all three fields can be tied together. This leaves the essay feeling rushed and less genuine at the end.  

If they cut down on some words earlier in the essay—perhaps only mention their interest sparked from their coursework or their parents, rather than delving into detail on both—they could devote more space to their interest in communication studies later on. Then, this student could add more depth to the sentence “ My interest in communication studies links to this,”  by replacing it with something like:

“As I have seen the importance of science and economics for saving our planet, I have realized that interdisciplinarity is what will save the world. Disparate fields must join together for change to occur. I plan to join the inherently interdisciplinary communication studies program to show the world the importance of communication between disciplines.”

Do you want feedback on your University of Washington essays? After rereading your essays countless times, it can be difficult to evaluate your writing objectively. That’s why we created our free Peer Essay Review tool , where you can get a free review of your essay from another student. You can also improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays. 

If you want a college admissions expert to review your essay, advisors on CollegeVine have helped students refine their writing and submit successful applications to top schools. Find the right advisor for you to improve your chances of getting into your dream school!

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• Faculty & Staff

Students admitted to the UW now have until June 1 to commit, a result of FAFSA delays. We anticipate that financial aid offers will be sent in late April or early May.

How to apply

Follow this checklist to make sure you have everything you need to submit a complete application for admission.

The applications

Self-report your courses and complete cadrs, choose your program, the writing section, additional information about yourself or your circumstances, the application fee, send test scores, send transcripts.

Make sure you also know what’s not considered .

The UW application for freshman autumn admission opens September 1 each year. (See dates and deadlines for additional information.) You may apply to the UW using one of two applications — ApplyWeb or the Common App. Please apply with only one application . The UW does not have a preference of application platform. The deadline for both is November 15, and decisions will be released March 1–15.

Ready to get started?

• Apply using ApplyWeb
• Apply using the Common App

Questions about the applications?

• Instructions for ApplyWeb
• Instructions for the Common App
• Join us for a webinar about applying with the Common App.

NOTE : The UW will not accept the Coalition application for the autumn 2023 – 24 application cycle.

All freshman applicants will self-report their courses on the application. A minimum level of preparation in six subject areas must be met for admission. (Learn more about satisfying CADRs .) You are required to provide complete and accurate information when self-reporting. Although official transcripts are not required at the time of application, you will be required to provide a final official high school transcript if you are admitted and plan to enroll at the UW.

If your first-choice major participates in Direct to Major or Direct to College admission, be sure to select it as your first choice on the application to be automatically considered. Second-choice majors are not considered for direct admission programs.

The writing section is a required and important part of your application. Learn more about the essays , including prompts and word count. Please note that the UW essay questions must be answered within our application. For the Common App, that means within our UW questions. We do not consider the Common App essay.

Maximum length : 200 words

You are not required to write anything in this section, but you may include additional information here if something has particular significance to you. For example, you may use this space if:

• You have experienced personal hardships in attaining your education
• Your activities have been limited because of work or family obligations
• You have experienced unusual limitations or opportunities unique to the schools you attended

U.S. freshman students

The application fee is nonrefundable and must be submitted each time you apply for admission. It cannot be transferred to another quarter, campus of the UW or to another student.

• Application fee: $80
• Fee waivers available
• Spring: freshman applications not accepted

Learn more about the application fee .

International freshman students

The application fee is nonrefundable, and must be submitted each time you apply for admission. It cannot be transferred to another quarter, campus of the UW or to another student.

• Application fee: $90
• Fee waivers not available
• Winter/Spring: international freshman applications not accepted

The UW no longer requires SAT or ACT scores for most applicants. Homeschooled applicants and applicants who come from schools with non-standard grading practices that do not have letter or numeric grades are still required to submit SAT or ACT scores. Learn more about SAT/ACT scores .

International freshman students — English proficiency

International students must submit English proficiency test scores that meet the minimum requirement for admission. Learn more about English proficiency .

U.S. schools and international schools that follow a U.S.-style curriculum

Do not send high school or college transcripts unless you receive a request from the Office of Admissions. The application asks you to provide a detailed account of your academic coursework, and that’s all we need to review your application.

Schools outside the U.S. that follow a national/local curriculum

Regardless of whether you are applying as a U.S. or international student, if you have attended a school outside of the U.S. that follows a national compulsory curriculum, you are required to upload a scanned, unofficial copy of your transcript for grade levels 9 and higher as part of your application.

Do not mail high school transcripts or mid-year school reports to the Office of Admissions.

Things we do not consider

No interviews/demonstrated interest.

The UW does not conduct formal interviews or consider demonstrated interest in the admission decision.

No letters of recommendation

We ask that you not send letters of recommendation or other supplemental materials such as drawings, CDs, DVDs, books or other portfolio-type items. We will learn everything we need to know about you through your essay responses.

No Common App personal essay

The Common App personal essay will not be reviewed as part of your application to the UW. Be sure to complete the UW writing section to tell us everything you want us to know.

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CSSE Admissions

This page contains information for applying to the CSSE (Computer Science & Software Engineering) undergraduate major.

Application timeline

How to apply.

• Required UW Bothell skills labs

Accepted courses

Covid-19 and pass/fail grading, personal statement, review process, related majors and minors.

The CSSE major admits students for entry in autumn, winter, and spring quarters.  Visit the UW Bothell  Application Dates & Deadlines  page for information on application deadlines.

Submit an internal application if you are:

• A pre-major student at UW Bothell campus
• Already in a major at UW Bothell and you want to switch majors or double major

Submit a transfer application if you are:

• A current student at UW Seattle or UW Tacoma campus
• Transferring from another college or university outside of the UW system

If you are a post-baccalaureate student :

• We prioritize first-time degree seekers for our undergraduate degrees. Because of the high demand for these majors, students who have already earned an undergraduate degree generally cannot be considered for admission.
• Instead, we encourage post-baccalaureate students to join our Graduate Certificate in Software Design & Development , which covers the same core concepts as our undergraduate majors.

Materials needed

When you apply, you will need to submit the following:

• Unofficial transcripts from UW and/or from any other colleges or universities you have attended.
• Personal statement. Read below for more information.
• (optional) Resume or CV

Prerequisite courses

All prerequisite courses must be complete before you apply. Applicants with incomplete or in-progress prerequisites will not be considered for admission and are encouraged to apply for a later quarter of entry instead.

You must earn a minimum grade of 2.0 or higher in all prerequisite courses.

*Required UW Bothell skills labs

If taking the Computer Programming I and II (CSS 142 and 143) lectures at UW Bothell, then you must take the corequisite skills labs (CSSSKL 142 and 143) at the same time as the lectures.

CSSSKL 142 and 143 are not themselves prerequisites for entry into the CSS majors, but they are still very important for your learning and will be considered by the admissions committee along with the rest of the coursework on your academic record.

English Composition

If you have questions about if a course will count as an English composition then please connect with your UWB Admission Transfer Advisor if you are wanting to transfer to UW-B. If you are an internal student then connect with the CSS program.

Please note that if you use ENGL& 230 (at a Washington state college) or HCDE 231 (at UW Seattle) you may need to take 2 more credits of writing later on to satisfy our Additional Writing general education requirement.

Computer Programming

Any programming language is acceptable for the Computer Programming I and II prerequisites, but both courses must be taught in the same language. Commonly taught languages include object-oriented, class-based languages such as Java, C++, other C family languages, and Python.

Washington colleges vary widely in their course numbering for introductory Computer Programming courses. Many use the Common Course Numbering (CCN) system for the first course, noted with an ampersand (&), and then use their own numbering system for the second course. Other colleges use their own numbering system for both courses.

The University of Washington recognizes the difficulties of the Covid-19 pandemic. For courses taken during Extraordinary Circumstances Quarters (ECQ) , we will consider pass/fail grading options for the purposes of admissions and graduation requirements.

• If taken at a UW campus during an ECQ, a grade of ‘S’ (Satisfactory) will be considered. A grade of ‘NS’ (Not Satisfactory) will not be accepted.
• If taken elsewhere during an ECQ, a “Satisfactory”, “Credit”, “Pass”, or similar grade will be considered if the definition of these grades indicate they would have been at least a 2.0 if the class had been numerically graded.

Your personal statement is your opportunity to tell your story to the admissions committee. This is where you can go beyond grades and explain how this major is the right fit for your goals. It is also an opportunity to put academic challenges you have faced in perspective and demonstrate how much you have grown.

Most colleges and universities have writing centers or similar resources that can help you. The UW Bothell Writing & Communication Center (WACC) works with UW Bothell students to help with their personal statements.

Writing guidelines

We recommend the following for your statement:

• Do not underestimate the need for a well-crafted personal statement. It is a sample of your written communication skills, which are critically important for all computing professionals.
• Be specific about which degree program(s) you are applying for and tailor your statement accordingly.
• Make sure that your writing flows logically, and that every sentence serves a purpose.
• Avoid unnecessary wordiness and overuse of adjectives. Write simply.
• Be as detailed as possible about the activities you have engaged in, the skills they helped you develop, and how those skills prepare you for your major and long-term goals.
• Check the formatting for font, font size, line spacing, and paragraph breaks. We recommend you use 12-point Times New Roman font and double-spaced lines .
• The statement should not be too short (less than one page) or too long (more than two pages).
• Have another person check your writing for correct grammar, punctuation, and readability.
• Read the prompt several times.
• Take notes as you come up with ideas and use them to decide how to build the best narrative.
• Take breaks as you work and return later for a fresh read.
• Double check your work. After writing your statement, re-read the prompt and compare. Did you answer the full prompt? Does your story describe your experiences in the best positive light?

Writing prompt

Write a one-to-two page personal statement. Please write the statement as a cohesive essay, and not as a series of short answers. At minimum, your essay should answer the following questions:

• What specifically interests you about UW Bothell’s CSSE major, and what long-term goals will your chosen major(s) help you achieve?
• Do you have any experience in software or hardware development outside of the classroom? If yes, please describe.
• The computing field relies on communication and collaboration, and we believe diverse collaborations create better solutions. How do you plan to work with a diverse group of students, and what diverse perspectives will you bring?
• If you have applied before, what has changed since your previous application? If you have repeated courses or overcome significant obstacles, please explain.

Applications are reviewed by a committee of CSS division faculty. The review is holistic, so although your prerequisite grades are important, we also consider other factors such as:

• Grades in other courses (especially mathematics, programming, and other quantitative work)
• Improvement in grades over time
• Courses you have retaken and number of retakes
• How well thought-out your long-term plans are, and what steps you have already taken to achieve them
• How well you can detail your learning experiences (both in school and outside of school) and skills acquired, and connect them to your long-term goals
• Any challenges or hardships you have faced, and hopefully have also overcome and learned from

If you want to explore other ways of gaining computing-related knowledge and skills at UW Bothell, consider these programs as well!

Major programs

• B.A. in Applied Computing
• B.A. in Business Administration, Management Information Systems (MIS) concentration
• B.A. in Mathematical Thinking and Visualization (MTV)
• B.A. in Physics
• B.A. in Science, Technology, and Society (STS)
• B.S. in Earth System Science (ESS)
• B.S. in Mathematics
• B.S. in Physics
• B.S.C.E. in Computer Engineering
• B.S.E.E. in Electrical Engineering

Minor programs

• Minor in Mathematics
• Minor in Physics & Astronomy
• Minor in Computer Science & Software Engineering (CSSE)
• Minor in Information Technology (IT)
• Minor in Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
• Minor in Science, Technology, and Society (STS)

Graduate programs

• Graduate Certificate in Software Design & Development
• Graduate Certificate in Electrical Engineering Foundations
• Master of Business Administration, Technology
• M.S. in Accounting
• M.S. in Computer Science & Software Engineering
• M.S. in Cybersecurity Engineering
• M.S. in Electrical Engineering

Premajor applicants

Start by visiting the premajor advising website or contacting the First Year & Premajor Programs (FYPP) team at [email protected] .

Transfer applicants

Start by visiting the transfer admissions website or contacting the admissions advising team at [email protected] .

Other applicants / further questions

Contact us directly at [email protected] .

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Transfer Student Admissions

If you are not currently enrolled at the University of Washington on the Seattle campus but are planning to transfer in for autumn or winter quarter, you must first apply to the UW as a transfer student . You'll then need to apply separately to the Informatics program. You'll hear back about each separately. 

Informatics has two admissions cycles per year:

• The application to start the program in Winter 2025 will open in September 2024, with a deadline in early October 2024.
• The application to start the program in Autumn 2024 will open in March 2025, with a deadline in early April 2025.

Note, if you are enrolled at the UW Seattle campus during the application process, you are not considered a transfer student, though you may have transferred in for a previous quarter. 

Application requirements

To apply to the Informatics program as a transfer student, UW Bothell student or UW Tacoma student, you must:

• Submit a UW transfer application by the specified deadline. Learn more about the transfer process . *Note: International applications are only accepted for the Autumn Quarter.
• Complete all three  prerequisite courses by the end of the quarter prior to submitting your application.
• Online application
• Schools and transcripts
• Prerequisite courses
• Application essay

See the Application Materials page for detailed information on each of the above items.

More information

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• See our Advising & Support page for current drop-in advising hours
• Join the UW iSchool prospective student email list

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Transfer Student Admissions

Direct-to-major transfer admission pathway.

Students who currently attend another college or university, and who plan to apply to transfer to the University of Washington to pursue Economics as their major staring in the 2024 Autumn Quarter can be considered through the direct-to-major (i.e., transfer-direct) admissions pathway. Prospective transfer students wil l be eligible to apply to the UW and the Department of Economics at the same time.   When  submitting the transfer application to the UW ,   students  will be asked about   their  intended major as part of the application process.   Applicants   will be prompted to select   an intended  major -- either the Economics Bachelor of Arts (BA) or Bachelor of Science (BS) -- and then will complete an  application for consideration to the Department of Economics .  

Admission to both the BA and BS majors in Economics is capacity-constrained based on the following criteria:  

• Prospective transfer students will need to submit syllabi for each prerequisite course taken at their current non-UW institution so equivalency to UW courses can be assessed
• Transfer direct applications are still required to meet all department prerequisites. If transfer credits do not satisfy all requirements, the student will need to wait to apply as a UW student in a later quarter once the prerequisite coursework is completed
• The RTW Exam
• Personal Statement
• Department of Economics Application (see below for link!) 

-Our Application Requirements, including the application form and personal statement prompt can be found on our website .   -Meeting the criteria does not guarantee admission.

**Since equivalents to STAT 311   are   un common in WA State community and technical colleges, it can sometimes be a challenge to take the course prior to applying to UW.  At this time, we know that Shoreline Community College , North Seattle College , Seattle Central College , and South Seattle College all offer the equivalent of STAT 311, listed as MATH 211.  Tacoma Community College offers the equivalent of Q SCI 381 (which we accept in place of STAT 311), listed as MATH& 146. 

***English Composition courses must be taken at a U.S. institution. Courses taken in countries where the primary language spoken is not English will not satisfy this requirement, even if the course is taught in English.

Application and RTW Registration Forms

The deadline for Autumn  2024 admission consideration is Friday, April 5th, 2024 . The RTW Exam should also be completed in Spring 2024. The exam will be held online (synchronously) on  Friday, March 29th, 2024.  Register for the online Transfer Direct RTW Exam . The major application is not yet open, but will be available by Friday, March 22nd.

Timeline for Autumn 2024 Direct-to-Major Admission Pathway

December 15, 2023 - UW Transfer Application opens February 16, 2024 - UW Transfer Application deadline March 29th, 2024 - Take the Economics RTW Exam  April 5, 2024 - Department of Economics Transfer-Direct Application deadline Mid- to late April - Review of Department f Economics Transfer-Direct Application occurs Early May - Department of Economics notifies UW Office of Admissions of Transfer-Direct Application decision May 1 - June 30, 2024 - UW Office of Admissions notifies applicants of admission to both the UW and to the Department of Economics Summer 2024 - New admits attend UW Advising & Orientation session and register for 2024 Autumn Quarter courses

General Transfer Admission Pathway

For students who are unable to meet the specific requirements for the Direct-to-Major Pathway, it is still possible to pursue Economics as a major, but only admission to the UW. Prospective transfer students can follow the instructions and timeline for UW's general transfer admission process. When offered admission and enrolled at the UW, the student can work to complete any missing requirements, and then aim to apply to the Department of Economics through its general admission process for UW students.

A common scenario that leads to pursuing the General Transfer Admission Pathway:  A student's current school does not offer an equivalent course to UW's ECON 200/ 201, STAT 311, MATH 124-126, and/or English Composition. This student can still pursue the UW's General Transfer Admission process, gain admission, enroll at the UW, and then plan to apply to the Department of Economics during a future cycle.

Applying to the University of Washington

The   University of Washington Admissions   website has answers to most questions about application to the university. When you fill out an application to UW you will be asked about your intended major as part of the application process. You should list Economics as your intended major, but keep in mind that you will be applying to the major separately, after starting at the University of Washington as a student. It is also a good idea to talk in your UW application essay about the topics and ideas you want to study at UW and particularly in the Economics major. The strongest applicants to the UW are those who not only show evidence of previous academic success, but those who have also made the case in their personal statement for their interest in specific academic fields of study offered by UW.

Transcripts are evaluated officially by the UW Admissions Office only when a student applies to the university. If you are transferring from a Washington State community or technical college, you can check how your classes transfer to UW by using the Admission Office’s   Transfer Equivalency Guide .

Information Sessions

We generally host Prospective Student Information Sessions on the 1st and 3rd Thursdays of each month from 3:00-4:00pm.  These sessions are led by an adviser and we cover topics such as the difference between the BA and BS programs, application requirements, the RTW exam, our holistic review of applications, course planning, and any other questions you may have regarding our admissions process. These sessions coincide with UW's Transfer Thursday sessions.    

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Transfer Admissions Requirements

Main content.

Transfer students who hold more than 40 transferable college credits at the time of application, meeting these criteria will qualify for review:

Minimum requirements for consideration:

• Hold a minimum 2.0 transferable college GPA
• Submit all official college transcripts
• Proof of English proficiency , in some cases. Please review link for more information.

To be considered a more competitive applicant:

• Adhere to the above requirements
• Apply by posted deadlines
• Present a transferable GPA that is greater than the minimum. A 2.5 is considered more competitive. A 2.75 may qualify you for assured admission.

Additional requirements if you have earned fewer than 40 transferable academic college credits after leaving high school (except in the case where the college credits were all earned the summer immediately after high school):

• Fulfill the College Academic Distribution Requirements (CADRs)
• Submit your high school transcript
• Submit your SAT/ACT test scores  (optional)

Application Process

• Complete the UW Tacoma Transfer Application*
• Pay the $60 application fee ($75 for international applicants) when you submit your application
• Write your personal statement
• Submit standardized test scores (optional)
• Submit your transcripts

*A complete application includes all supplemental materials, essays and transcripts.

Major, pre-major, or undeclared?

Transfer applicants can apply to be admitted directly to a major, or can apply as a pre-major or an undeclared student. Read more about transfer admission options.

Admission to a degree program

If you have met the minimum number of credits and fulfilled the prerequisites, you can apply to a degree program at the same time you apply for admission. If you are admitted to the university and have indicated you wish to apply for an academic program, your application will be forwarded to the requested academic program for review.

If you have completed 75 or more credits already, you are strongly encouraged to do this.

• Review specific degree-program admission requirements

Application Dates

Autumn Quarter

• March 15  Priority application date & priority scholarship deadline
• July 31  Final application deadline

Winter Quarter

• October 15  Priority application date
• November 15  Final application deadline

Spring Quarter

• January 15  Priority application date
• February 15  Final application deadline                                     ​​​​

If an application deadline falls on a weekend or holiday, the effective deadline is the next business day. All materials must be received by the application deadline.

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Transferring into LSJ

Autumn 2024 Direct-to-Major Transfer Admissions  

If you are at another college or university and wish to transfer to the University of Washington’s Law, Societies, and Justice undergraduate major for Autumn 2024 we are piloting a third round of direct-to-major admissions program . With this opportunity, students wil l be eligible to apply to the UW and LSJ major at the same time.   When   fill ing   out an application to UW ,   students  will be asked about   their  intended major as part of the application process.   Applicants   will be prompted to list   an  intention to major in LSJ and then complete the   addition al   LSJ application .  

Upcoming Direct-to-Major Information Sessions

• Thursday, February 1, 2024 | 2:30PM-3:30PM PST via Zoom
• Thursday, February 8, 2024 | 11:00AM-12:00PM PST via Zoom

Admission is capacity-constrained based on the following criteria:  

• Evidence of general social sciences coursework**
• Minimum 2.5 Cumulative College GPA   

Preamble:   Although we wish we could accept all interested students into our major, LSJ is a capacity-constrained department. In this context, we want to identify students we can best serve and who will flourish in LSJ. In order to do this, we need to learn about you and why you want to be an LSJ major.

Prompt:   In a single essay of no more than 750 words, please explain why you want to major in LSJ. Be sure that your essay addresses each of the topics listed below. Please note that some of these questions may overlap and you do not need to repeat yourself or address them in any particular order.

• What makes LSJ a good fit for you given your interests?
• What do you hope to learn and/or experience as an LSJ major?
• How have your prior experiences (classes and/or personal experiences) helped you prepare to be an LSJ major and to participate in LSJ discussions and activities?
• If accepted to the major, how would you apply what you learned as an LSJ major after graduation? (This could be done in your work/career, your family, your community, your activism, or elsewhere).
• Other evidence of interest in and commitment to the major (e.g., work experience, internships, volunteer work, etc.)  

*Meeting the above criteria does not guarantee admission*  

**Since equivalents to LSJ   coursework   are   un common, students who have transferred or will transfer to the UW can apply to the program with evidence of social science   coursework .  

Admittance is conditional :    Accepted students must register for LSJ 200 in Autumn quarter and earn at least a 2.5  in order to  continue in the major.  

Admission for incoming transfer students pursuing the pilot program begins prior to the admitted quarter.

The deadline for A utumn 2024 is April 5, 2024. Direct-to-Major Admission decisions will be sent out on Friday, April 26, 2024.

LSJ Direct-to-Major Transfer Application  

LSJ Direct-to-Major Pilot Program - FAQs

Regular Admissions

If you are at another college or university and wish to transfer to the University of Washington’s Law, Societies, and Justice undergraduate major, the first step is to apply to the university itself.  After you are admitted to UW, you can finish any of your remaining LSJ major   prerequisites   and then apply to the major. Students are not admitted to this major at the point of admission to the UW  (unless pursuing the pilot program listed above) . Most transfer students apply to this major in their second or third quarter after admission to UW.  

Applying to the University of Washington

The University of Washington Admissions website has answers to most questions about application to the university. When you fill out an application to UW you will be asked about your intended major as part of the application process. Please select your intention to major in LSJ, but keep in mind that you will be applying to the major separately, after starting at the University of Washington as a student (if following the regular admissions pathway). It is also a good idea to talk in your UW application essay about the topics and ideas you want to study at UW and in the Law, Societies, and Justice major. The strongest applicants to the UW are those who not only show evidence of previous academic success, but those who have also made the case in their personal statement for their interest in specific academic fields of study offered by UW.

LSJ advisers cannot evaluate  transcripts to determine how courses may transfer to UW. Transcripts are evaluated officially by the UW Admissions Office only when a student applies to the university. If you are transferring from a Washington area community college, you can determine the way your classes transfer to UW by using the Admission Office’s Transfer Equivalency Guide .

LSJ major classes are only offered at UW. It is not advised to try to take “major” coursework before you get to UW.

Vocational/ Technical Courses

There are a lot of students interested in this major as a stepping-stone to a very specific career (for instance: law enforcement officer, legal assistant, lawyer, or policy advocate), but it is important to realize what the goals of the LSJ major are and how they will be of a benefit to specific jobs and careers. LSJ is not a vocational training degree for one particular job category. Rather, it is a means to train students to think, communicate, adapt, learn, and otherwise develop skills that can be used in a broad range of careers. Our classes use the study of law, societies, and justice to train skills like: logical thinking, analysis, critical thinking, writing, research, verbal communication, and understanding of the social/political world around us. Whereas a student who focuses on education in a single vocational area will be well trained for that area, a student who focuses on a breadth of the most important skills needed in any part of the workforce will be better prepared for a wide range of employment opportunities. For students transferring from universities or colleges with heavily vocational degrees, it is important to note that transfer credits completed in administration of justice, law enforcement, and paralegal programs are accepted on a limited basis at the UW.

LSJ Major Prerequisites

For a full list of prerequisites that must be satisfied prior to applying to the LSJ major, see the “Applying to LSJ” page.

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Undergraduate Admissions

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All you have to do is start

We have all the components of the application process outlined below.

To apply, use either the Common Application or Coalition Application. Both applications open on August 1 and must be completed by the appropriate application deadline.

Common Application

Students who apply via the Common Application will complete both the basic application and the Washington University-specific questions while logged in to their Common Application account. If a student plans on applying to the Signature Scholars Programs or the Howard Nemerov Writing Scholars Program, they will need to complete the optional Writing Supplement portion of the Common App as well.

Coalition Application

Students who apply via the Coalition Application will complete their profile while logged in to their Scoir account. Upon submitting their profile, students will be taken into the WashU Pathway to complete the Washington University-specific questions. After submitting both parts of the application, students will be able to apply for our Signature Scholar Programs and the Howard Nemerov Writing Scholars Program via the WashU Pathway.

What you need to know for the WashU-specific questions:

• What term do you intend to enroll?
• Which WashU school or interdisciplinary program are you applying to?
• What are you interested in studying in college and why?
• Are you applying Early Decision I, Early Decision II, or Regular Decision?
• Are you applying for need-based financial assistance?
• Are you applying for any of WashU’s Signature Scholar programs?

Within a few days of submitting your application for admission, you will receive login instructions for the WashU Pathway.

In the WashU Pathway, you will see: • A checklist showing the status of each piece of your application • A link to your financial assistance account • Instructions for submitting an optional 90-second video Admission decisions will be posted in the Pathway as soon as they are released.

WashU meets 100 percent of demonstrated need for admitted students.

When filling out your application for admission, indicate your intent to apply for need-based financial assistance. Once you submit your application—we will create an account for you with Student Financial Services, and your application for assistance begins!

Your WashU Pathway will include a current checklist of your support materials:

• School Report and Official Transcript
• Teacher Evaluation
• Counselor Recommendation
• Optional – Self-reported or official SAT or ACT scores.
• TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo English Test for students whose first language is not English
• Portfolio (required for students applying to the College of Art, strongly encouraged for students applying to the College of Architecture.) The portfolio should be submitted using SlideRoom. 

This optional question allows you to add another dimension to your application – something that the admissions committee might not learn by reading your transcript or your personal statement.

If you like, you may focus your optional 90-second video submitted through the WashU Pathway on addressing one of these three questions. (Students who choose to submit a written response to one of these questions may still opt in to sharing an optional video).

WashU is a place that values diversity of perspectives. We believe those perspectives come from a variety of experiences and identities. Respond to one of the following prompts to help us understand “Who are you?”:

• Discuss a fresh perspective or opinion you brought to a collaborative setting or project.
• Describe a community you are a part of and your place within it.
• Tell us how your life experiences have impacted the way you view or interact with your community.

If you’re submitting via the Coalition Application, you may submit the optional Writing Supplement through the WashU Pathway after you’ve submitted both your profile and the Washington University-specific questions.

Optional supplements are due January 10, 2024, for EDII and RD applicants.

If you don’t want to submit a supplement, that’s OK. Applicants will not be penalized for opting out of submitting a supplement. It is truly optional .

The scholarship committee(s) will review the required Counselor and Teacher letters of recommendation submitted with your Common or Coalition Application. To better understand you, the scholarship committee(s) also requires a third letter of recommendation.

The optional Scholarship Writing Supplement serves as our application for our Signature Scholar Programs – the Danforth, Ervin, and Rodriguez Scholars Programs – as well as the Howard Nemerov Writing Scholars Program for applicants to the College of Arts & Sciences.

If you’re submitting via the Coalition Application, you will apply for our Signature Scholar Programs and/or Nemerov Writing Scholars Program through the WashU Pathway after you’ve submitted both your profile and the Washington University-specific questions.

Transfer applicants should use the Common Application. The application must be completed by the application deadline.

Complete the general application questions and the section that is specific to WashU. Your support materials can be completed at a later date.

What you need to know for the WashU section of the Common Application:

• Which WashU school are you applying to?

Within a few days of submitting your Common Application, you will receive login instructions for the WashU Pathway.

In the Pathway, you will see: • A checklist showing the status of each piece of your application • A link to your financial assistance account

Admission decisions will be posted in Pathway as soon as they are released.

When filling out your application for admission, indicate your intent to apply for need-based financial assistance. Once you submit your application—we will automatically create an account for you with Student Financial Services, and your application for assistance begins!

International applicants for transfer admission are not eligible to apply for financial aid from Washington University.

Your Pathway will include a current checklist of your support materials:

• College Transcript
• High School Transcript
• College Instructor Evaluation
• College Report
• Mid-Term Report for Spring 2024 applicants who are in their first semester of college
• Optional – Self-reported or official SAT or ACT scores
• Portfolio (required for students applying to the College of Art or College of Architecture.) The portfolio should be submitted using SlideRoom. 

Visit WashU

In an effort to share the WashU experience first-hand, we send our admissions officers all of the country to meet students at schools and in other settings. We also love to welcome students to our beautiful campus and introduce them to our diverse and supportive community. We hope you’ll make the choice to visit us in person.

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Pair of Husky Walk-Ons Enter Transfer Portal

Camdyn Stiegeler and Habib Bello have left the UW program.

• Author: Dan Raley

In this story:

Quarterback Camdyn Stiegeler gave it two years, defensive tackle Habib Bello just one, but on Tuesday this pair of University of Washington football non-scholarship players, or walk-ons, left the program and joined the growing horde in the transfer portal.

They became the second and third UW players to go this route once the portal reopened, joining scholarship safety Vincent Holmes who earlier in the day was reported to be on the move, as well.

The 6-foot-3, 210-pound Stiegeler from Oregon City, Oregon, signed on with the Huskies in 2022 after Kalen DeBoer became the coach, ever hopeful against long odds.

DeBoer had brought in then-Indiana transfer Michael Penix Jr. to compete with returning Husky starter Dylan Morris and touted redshirt freshman Sam Huard, leaving not much room for another quarterback to do anything except serve as practice fodder, often just throwing in drills and never getting into scrimmage situations.

Penix is preparing for next week's NFL draft, possibly as a first-round pick, while Morris transferred down to James Madison and Huard did the same by joining Cal Poly. Stiegeler should be advised to drop down a level or two of college football and find a place he can play.

Habib Bello (93) waits his turn to hit the blocking sled.

Skylar Lin Visuals

Stiegeler brought good size to the Huskies, but hadn't shown he was a proven winner, with Oregon City High School team in the Portland suburbs finishing 2-8 when he was a senior. He has three seasons of eligibility remaining.

The 6-foot-2, 310-pound Bello came to the Huskies last year from Sehome High School in Bellingham, Washington, where he was a second-team, all-conference pick. However in Montlake, the defensive tackle largely was injured last year, never suiting up for games.

Bello came to the UW thinking his quickness might give him a chance, but he apparently realized that wasn't going to happen after going through the early spring practices, so he's in the portal. He has four seasons of eligibility remaining.

For the latest UW football and basketball news, go to si.com/college/washington

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Update to Enrollment Confirmation Deadline

Due to the shifted FAFSA 2024-2025 timeline; 

1. We have extended our 2024-25 FAFSA filing priority deadline   to April 1, 2024 .

2. We have extended our freshmen Fall 2024 enrollment confirmation deadline   to May 15, 2024

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Date & time, location: on-campus.

Academic Programs, School of Public Health (SPH)

Admitted/Enrolled Students

The School of Public Health (SPH) invites admitted students to an Admitted Student Visit. This session is designed to complement the Next Stop Maryland visits offered by the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. During the visit, you will tour the SPH building and speak with current students. This is your opportunity to learn more about our four undergraduate degree programs, opportunities beyond the classroom and life as a public health Terp. Registration is required. For disability accommodations, please contact [email protected] or (301) 405-0992.

Upcoming Events

Engr tour engr tour on monday, apr 29, cmns information session cmns information session on monday, apr 29, next stop maryland next stop maryland on wednesday, may 1, engr tour engr tour on friday, may 3, engr information session engr information session on saturday, may 4, bmgt information session: smith friday bmgt information session: smith friday on friday, may 17.

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Washington students could forfeit thousands dollars if they don’t submit application

Rollout of new fafsa — a streamlined form with fewer questions and restrictions — has been calamitous.

Requesting college financial aid has not been easy this year because of technical glitches and processing backlogs with the new Free Application for Federal Student Aid.

But Washington state college experts urge applicants to not lose sight of the benefit: getting more money to attain a higher education.

Ruben Flores, executive director of the Washington State Council of Presidents, said the calamitous rollout of the new FAFSA — a streamlined form with fewer questions and restrictions — has added more worry to a state already wringing its hands over an overall decline in the number of college-bound students. (The council represents the state’s five public universities and one public college.)

Application rates nationwide are down this year. As of April 5, only about 28 percent of the nation’s high school seniors completed a FAFSA, according to the National College Attainment Network’s tracking tool. Only about 22 percent of Washington seniors have submitted a completed form.

The Evergreen State ranks 44th in completions among the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Historically, Washington has had some of the lowest tallies of FAFSA completion rates in the nation.

But state officials say that when the forms go through, the applications could lead to aid that will offset student debt down the road.

“Awards will come through eventually, so please don’t give up!” Katie Tallman, a spokesperson for the Washington Student Achievement Council, wrote via email. “About half of families in Washington qualify for aid, and for many students, tuition could even be free with WA Grant,” the state’s college aid program.

More people eligible for aid

Expansion of the federal Pell Grant fund made nearly 15,000 Washington students eligible to receive federal money this year. The form also unlocks opportunities for state funding. But many applicants may have to wait longer than anticipated for confirmation of this and other federal financial awards — like other grants, work-study funds and loans.

Colleges face a continuing lag and some discrepancies in data coming from the federal government that helps financial aid officers make award determinations. To meet admissions deadlines, officers must process more applications in a shorter period of time.

In a typical financial aid cycle, many students have financial aid offers in hand by April so they can make decisions by May 1, a common college decision deadline. But students and families should continue to expect delays in receiving award letters, Tallman said.

To accommodate for these changes, all of Washington’s public institutions extended their admissions decision deadline to June 1, as did many private colleges, including Gonzaga, Pacific Lutheran, Saint Martin’s, Seattle Pacific University, Seattle and Whitworth universities, as well as the University of Puget Sound.

Heritage University is accepting enrollment decisions on a rolling basis until late summer. Whitman College is awarding financial aid packages based on information collected without the FAFSA.

As part of the U.S. Senate’s Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., strongly advocated for FAFSA reform and worked on the FAFSA rewrite.

But as the rollout faltered, she joined her legislative colleagues in calling on the U.S. Department of Education for swift resolutions. In February, Murray co-signed a letter to Education Secretary Miguel Cardona requesting an updated timeline for resolutions and details about how the department is communicating with prospective students and campuses about these issues. The letter also asks whether these implementation challenges have been caused by a lack of resources.

The Department of Education deployed personnel, funding, resources and technology to support the rollout and processing of what the department calls “Better FAFSA.” The department said in a February news release that these resources are focused on “lower-resourced schools that may have a smaller number of administrative staff and may utilize older software systems.”

In an emailed response last week, Murray called the overhaul “no small feat” but said she understands the frustrations felt by the delays. “It’s imperative they are addressed as soon as possible so that students across Washington state and the country get the full aid they are due — and have the information they need to make big decisions about their futures,” Murray wrote.

Take action, despite delays

While families wait for official offers, they can go to the Washington Student Achievement Council website to calculate a potential financial aid award for the 2024-25 school year for the Washington College Grant, a generous state program that could pay for tuition. The tool is available in multiple languages and asks users to enter family size and income information. That information is not collected by WSAC, according to the website, portal.wsac.wa.gov/a/aid-calculator.

Grants, unlike loans, do not have to be repaid. That means there are thousands of dollars to help students pay for tuition and fees at four-year colleges and universities, most two-year community colleges, and many career, trade and online schools. This year, about 24,000 Washington students will be eligible to receive the maximum Pell Grant amount of $7,395.

Getting that money in hand, however, depends on a FAFSA being filed and processed correctly.

Under the new law that led to FAFSA changes, IRS income-verification information is now automatically provided to the Department of Education instead of students having to request tax records themselves. But Flores, the Washington State Council of Presidents leader, said he’s heard of local students encountering technical issues with how IRS data is fed into the new form.

“The student didn’t put it in wrong, but the information is wrong the way we received it. So, they have to redo those applications,” he said.

Flores said colleges are also experiencing delays in receiving data from resubmitted applications, adding more work and pressure on financial aid office staff to meet deadlines.

It’s been a monthslong wait for students and families to be able to file corrections in the FAFSA system. But the corrections feature is now updated at StudentAid.gov and appears to be functioning. Once a student submits a correction, it should be received by schools and states within one to three days. Last Monday, the U.S. Department of Education announced that it has “successfully processed more than 100,000 corrections.”

Of the some 7 million FAFSA forms submitted, the department said last week, as many as 16 percent require a student correction. For the 20 percent of forms requiring a tax information correction, the department aims to reprocess and return the results to schools by May 1.

The department also launched its “National FAFSA Week of Action” last Monday to mobilize schools, athletic and extracurricular programs, and other youth-oriented organizations to get high school seniors in particular to file a FAFSA.

For the record, there’s no age limit on receiving federal college aid. But, as Flores noted, the majority of Washington’s college students are between high school age and 24 years old.

While students have a lot of time to submit a FAFSA — June 30, 2025, is the federal deadline for the 2024-25 school year — Flores and other college experts advise people to submit their forms as soon as possible and to check with their prospective schools and colleges about decision deadlines.

“We want students to be aware that we are going to continue to be flexible throughout this process,” he said.

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