transfer personal statement uw

My transfer personal statement (994 words) for University of Washington

<p>Hi all,</p>

<p>Please take a look at my personal statement below for the University of Washington in Seattle. I’m a business undergraduate planning on transferring to UW for the 2012 Fall quarter. </p>

<p>This personal statement is only for general transfer admission; I’ll need to write another separate statement later on in order to get into Foster Business School (UW’s business department) but that’s a story for another day. </p>

<p>You can see the requirements for the personal statement here: [Write</a> Stellar Personal Statement | University of Washington](<a href=“ http://admit.washington.edu/Admission/Transfer/Statement]Write ”> http://admit.washington.edu/Admission/Transfer/Statement )</p>

<p>The suggested length is 750-1000 words and I’m currently clocked in at 994 words. Please let me know your feedback and anything I need to improve. Thanks!</p>

<p>~Kory</p>

<p>The sound of papers flipping filled my cubicle’s high noon atmosphere as I shuffled through a seemingly endless stack of documents. “China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea… Ah, here we go,” I exclaimed, “Vietnamese customs.” Fortunately for me, I spent twelve years growing up in Saigon so reading Vietnamese texts wasn’t too difficult of a task; it was much easier to comprehend than the badly translated English version. Within the next hour, I meticulously analyzed pages upon pages of documents on Vietnam’s export regulations, hoping to find some justification for an odd and unexpected $500 fee that Vietnamese customs had charged my company for an upcoming ocean shipment from Saigon to Seattle. As logistics coordinator, I have overseen many of my company’s international shipments including those coming from Vietnam but this was the very first time I had encountered an unknown fee of this type. When I ended my research in vain, my boss finally gave me approval to protest against paying the suspicious fee.</p>

<p>For the next few days, a series of back and forth emails between me and Vietnamese customs filled up my inbox with no real progress made in resolving the problem. I gradually came to suspect that the fee was completely fabricated by customs officials on the other side since they did not thoroughly explain the fee’s purpose nor cited any specific regulation to justify its existence. In addition, corruption also happens to be a well-known and rampant problem that plagues the bureaucracy system in Vietnam. As the shipping deadline neared, my boss, worrying about further delays, reluctantly directed me to inform Vietnamese customs that we will pay the $500; our shipment couldn’t be laden onboard unless payment was made before the ship date. Although we had to accept this malfeasance, I knew that a similar situation in the future can be avoided if I possess the right knowledge required to deal with it effectively. It was from this moment that my interest in international business began to take form.</p>

<p>I graduated from high school and started my college career not long afterwards. With memory of the customs ordeal still fresh in my mind, I chose to embark on a learning path that will ultimately expand and enhance my knowledge in international business. At Green River Community College, I took classes such as Economics, Accounting, and Business Law in order to fulfill the requirements for a business transfer degree; it was going to be my first step toward an international business major. Asides from this, however, I also desired to learn more about the complexities of global trade and how the issue of corruption can handicap economic growth of a developing country such as my homeland, Vietnam. Much to my original dismay eight years ago, my family and I left the Fatherland to immigrate to the U.S. when I was twelve. To me, it was the heartland of the “imperialists,” as my old Party Ideology teacher liked to call Americans. We settled in Seattle and I soon started to enroll in American schools. My parents were able to find good jobs and we began to assume the ways of the American life as time passed by. Similar to the Berlin Wall, the wall of indoctrination built into me by the Party was eventually torn down by the freedom-loving American culture as well as its unbiased education system. My thoughts can now flow freely to new corners of perspective and understanding. Things are no longer black and white to me; I am able to think for myself. Through naturalization, my family and I obtained U.S. citizenships after five years of living in what I’ve now considered my second home. However, we never discarded our Vietnamese citizenship status since we wanted to retain a sense of identity of where we came from. As a dual-citizen of both Vietnam and America, I feel that it is my duty to help in fostering relations and friendship between two nations whose soldiers had exchanged bullets on the battlefield just 40 years ago. </p>

<p>Since the U.S. lifted its embargo on Vietnam in 1994, commercial trading between the two has grown to enormous proportions in a very short time. I’ve realized from this that mutual economic cooperation is Vietnam and America’s most important key to future friendship as trade is projected to continue growing rapidly in the next decades. Despite the promising outlook, pervasive corruption under a communist regime can still greatly hinder Vietnam’s ability to attract American investors. Case in point: the frivolous $500 fee my company was unfairly charged. In order for them to successfully conduct businesses in Vietnam, it is paramount that American companies understand how the system works there and what the risks involved are. In short, they need consultation from someone who knows the ins and outs of doing business in Vietnam and I yearn to become the person providing that much needed assistance. </p>

<p>Although my job in logistics has provided me with a lot of valuable experience in international business (especially in dealing with Vietnam-related issues), I’m also aware that having a formal education in this field can undoubtedly propel me even closer toward my goals. For this very reason, I’m more than certain that the Certificate of International Studies in Business program offered by the UW’s Foster School of Business, with its focus on international and cross-cultural business practices, will help me obtain the knowledge and develop the expertise necessary to become a future business consultant. Above all, the UW’s student body is known for its diversity and I believe that my cultural understanding, which is crucial in global business, can be tremendously enriched by immersing myself in this environment. After I’ve earned my B.A. and C.I.S.B., I plan to go back and work in Vietnam’s freight-forwarding business in order to gain a better view of how things operate there so that one day I’ll be able to offer sound advice to American investors looking forward to new business opportunities in Vietnam.</p>

<p>univ of washington is a government publically funded university. and your talking about exporting american jobs to vietnam. although your essay is well written and your background is revealed. It has great tone. It relies on chance that the person who picks up your essay is not all like, you aint taking my American jobs outside America. They can be all for diplomacy and direct benefits for both sides conducting the business between the american businessman and vietnamese businessman but in the big picture its still hurts the american economy more than it helps it.</p>

<p>Thank you for taking your time to read my statement and your positive response. However, I do not understand how you got the impression that I’m encouraging American companies to outsource jobs over to Vietnam in my statement. I did not mention anything along that line; I only spoke generally about new business opportunities for American investors in Vietnam and that can mean almost anything, not just outsourcing jobs (like bringing the Burger King franchise or Walmart stores over to Vietnam).</p>

<p>I’m not sure what dcbryan15 is referring to, either. Nonetheless, I found the anecdote VERY engaging. I loved it.</p>

<p>I feel a little mixed about the paragraphs following the anecdote. They feel dense and jam-packed with information. I’m not sure what the stats on the University of Washington are, but I feel like your intellectual curiosity will impress the adcom in spite o the density. Still, reducing the word count may very well be to your advantage.</p>

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Essay Questions For Each Major

Provided below are the personal statement prompts used for each specific engineering major. Students are encouraged to use these prompts to begin drafting their personal statements.

Aeronautics & Astronautics

Aeronautics & astronautics question.

The personal statement (approximately one page, single-spaced) should describe your interest in Aeronautics & Astronautics. Explain why you would like to study in the department, your goals while in the undergraduate program, and some ideas of what you would like to do after graduation. Our department strives to understand prospective students in a holistic manner. Please include any experiences (e.g., work, internship, research, leadership, or extracurricular activities) that will give us a better understanding of your academic interests, professional goals, and personal experiences. If your experiences have given you a unique perspective that you believe will add to our student body you may choose to include that in your statement. Similarly, if you have encountered any unusual or extenuating circumstances that have affected your education, you may wish to include that information as well. The information you provide in your personal statement will help the A&A Undergraduate Admissions Committee learn about you. We look forward to receiving your application.

Bioengineering Question #1

Please write a brief personal statement (approximately one page, single-spaced for all prompts) addressing the following questions:

1. Tell us what aspect of bioengineering you are most interested in pursuing. How have you explored this interest, and how has this led to your decision to apply to the bioengineering major?

Bioengineering question #2, 2. tell us more about your personal and academic journey and how you have grown during your college career. describe the world you come from and how you, as a product of it, have contributed to the social good and a better world and/or will do so in the bioengineering program and in your career., bioengineering question #3, 3. additional materials (optional): applicants may petition the admissions committee for consideration if they are missing one or two prerequisite courses or if they plan to add bioengineering as a second degree. if you have been approved to apply with missing admission requirements or if you are interested in pursuing a double-degree, please provide additional information here., bioresource science and engineering, bioresource science & engineering question.

Personal Statement Write a brief, 1 page personal statement that will give the Bioresource Science and Engineering departmental admissions committee a better understanding of your background. Your statement must include your reasons for choosing Bioresource Science and Engineering, and your career objectives. You may also include other factors such as personal, family, economic and educational circumstances. Honors and Activities Please include a list of school, work or community honors and activities if applicable. Please indicate your most significant contribution, the organization name (if appropriate), and dates of service/award.

Chemical Engineering Question

Write a brief personal statement (approx. 1 single-spaced page). Formatting will be removed, so do not use special characters, italics, or other formatting. Proofread. Be concise.

We suggest you respond to the first question in the list, regarding your interests and goals. You can choose to address any combination of, including none or all of the additional topics in your personal statement - the admission committee uses this statement to better understand you as a person, your academic record, and your interest in chemical engineering:

• Discuss your academic and personal interests and goals.
• Discuss how your personal experiences prepare you to solve problems in diverse teams, and for a diverse world.
• Discuss any activities/extracurriculars you are particularly committed to (ChemE-related or not), why you are involved in these activities, and the skills or insights you gained that you will bring into your future work.
• Describe any challenges or hardships you have overcome in pursuing your education. For example: serious illness; disability; first generation in your family to attend college; significant financial hardship or responsibilities associated with balancing work, family, and school. Include how you persevered, and how the experience(s) impacted yourself or your education.

Additionally, please address the following if they are applicable to you:

• If you have applied to ChemE before, please discuss what has changed or improved since your last application.
• If you plan to complete more than one major, please provide an intellectual or career justification for the double-degree.
• If you will take more than 4 years to graduate, please briefly explain why and discuss your plan for graduating efficiently.

Civil Engineering Question

Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering The purpose of the personal statement is to give the departmental admissions committee a better understanding of your interest in this program. Write a brief statement (approximately one page, single-spaced) telling us about your motivation for majoring in Civil Engineering, the experiences (e.g. work, research, leadership, or extracurricular) that are important to you, and your future goals. If you have faced unusual or extenuating circumstances, you may wish to discuss this in your personal statement. For example, if you have had to overcome significant obstacles (medical, financial, cultural or personal) to reach where you are now, you could describe how these challenges affected your education and impacted your academic record. If you are requesting to apply conditionally with a missing application or enrollment requirement, please review the process for a Conditional Application and complete the request form at your earliest convenience. Applicants who are approved to apply conditionally must address it in their personal statement when and where the outstanding course(s) will be completed.

Environmental Engineering Question

Bachelor of Science in Environmental Engineering The purpose of the personal statement is to give the departmental admissions committee a better understanding of your interest in this program. Write a brief statement (approximately one page, single-spaced) telling us about your motivation for majoring in Environmental Engineering, the experiences (e.g. work, research, leadership, or extracurricular) that are important to you, and your future goals. If you have faced unusual or extenuating circumstances, you may wish to discuss this in your personal statement. For example, if you have had to overcome significant obstacles (medical, financial, cultural or personal) to reach where you are now, you could describe how these challenges affected your education and impacted your academic record. If you are requesting to apply conditionally with a missing application or enrollment requirement, please review the process for a Conditional Application and complete the request form at your earliest convenience. Applicants who are approved to apply conditionally must address in the personal statement when and where the outstanding course(s) will be completed.

Computer Science & Engineering

Computer engineering question #1.

Please address all the required topics below. The response under each heading should be no more than 250 words.

• Tell us about your college career to date, describing your performance, educational path, and academic choices.
• Share what led you to choose to study Computer Science or Computer Engineering.
• Explain any situations that may have had a significant positive or negative impact on your academic progress or curricular choices. What happened, and what was the impact for you?
• Transfer applicants only: What are the specific reasons you wish to leave your most recent college/university or program?

Computer Engineering Question #2

• Tell us about your future academic goals in college and your career and/or post-graduation plans.
• How will the Allen School help you achieve your goals?
• If you plan to pursue more than one major, tell us why both majors are important to you (if applicable).
• If you will take more than 4 years to graduate, please briefly explain why and discuss your plan for graduating efficiently (if applicable).
• Transfer applicants only: Why do you want to transfer to UW?

Computer Engineering Question #3

• Tell us about any significant communities that you are actively involved with or have recently been a part of within the past two years, and your role in them.
• Why are you involved in these communities?
• How did these communities benefit from your involvement? Emphasize in particular any leadership roles or impact you have had in these communities.
• What perspectives, skills, or insights will you bring to the Allen School community or future work as a result of your participation in these communities?

Computer Engineering Question #4

• Tell us about how any of your identities, perspectives, or life experiences would help you contribute to the Allen School community and the computing field. This could include but is not limited to: race, ethnicity, national origin, sex, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation, ability/disability, age, socioeconomic background, academic experience, and veteran status.
• Describe any significant responsibilities you may have in addition to being a student (e.g. parenting responsibilities, work, familial responsibilities). What impact has this had on your college experience?

Computer Science Question #1

(Same as Computer Engineering above)

Computer Science Question #2

Computer science question #3, computer science question #4, electrical & computer engineering question.

Prior to applying to the ECE major, please review the ECE Admissions page. Prospective students are also strongly encouraged to attend an information session prior to applying to the ECE major.

The personal statement (approximately one page, single-spaced) should describe your interest in Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE). Explain why you would like to study in the department, your goals while in the undergraduate program, and some ideas of what you would like to do after graduation.

Please include any experiences (e.g., work, internship, research, leadership, extracurricular activities, community, personal, etc.) that will give us a better understanding of your academic interests, professional goals, and personal journey.

If you would like to address or clarify anything particular in your transcripts/academic record, such as challenges or hardships you have overcome that have impacted your education, you have the option to use the “Additional Comments” section to briefly explain this.

Human Centered Design & Engineering Question

Prior to applying to the HCDE major, please review the HCDE BS admission FAQs . Prospective students are also strongly encouraged to schedule an appointment with an HCDE peer adviser prior to applying to the HCDE major.

Please provide a personal statement that will give the admissions committee an understanding of how you have explored HCDE and determined that majoring in HCDE will be the best fit for your goals. You should number and respond to all 3 prompts separately with a statement of ~250 words per prompt question.

1. Please describe the specific activities you have engaged in to learn more about HCDE, including, but not limited to: involvement in student organizations, research, internships, projects, volunteer work, courses, or personal experiences that have helped you identify HCDE as the best fit for your interests and goals for the future. 2. Share instances from your past academic experiences that best show your ability to learn and succeed. What about these experiences contributed to your success, and how will you build on those experiences in HCDE? Please do not share information of a sensitive, traumatic, or private nature. 3. You should also discuss how your personal experiences prepare you to work successfully in diverse and interdisciplinary teams, and toward a more human-centered world. How will your identities, perspectives, and life experiences help you contribute to the HCDE community and the field?

Juniors/seniors only: Please note that the HCDE curriculum takes a minimum of 2 years to complete. If you will be applying to the HCDE major at the end of your junior year or later, please use the “Additional Comments” box in the application to briefly share why you are deciding to change your major, add another degree, or do not yet have another major in progress. Describe the reasons why you will need to extend your graduation timeline beyond 4 years/12 quarters and why this is the best path for meeting your individual academic and career goals.

Industrial Engineering Question

Write a brief personal statement (approx. 1 page) that will give the departmental admissions committee a better understanding of your interest in this program. You may wish to describe your experiences (e.g., work, research, leadership, or extracurricular) that have been important to you. Also, you may wish to discuss any unusual circumstances that may contribute to a better understanding of your record, or any personal hardship or barriers you have faced, and explain how they affected your education.

Materials Science & Engineering Question

MSE has removed the personal statement requirement for the 2023-24 admissions cycle. Please write, "N/A" in the essay submission box and complete the rest of the application and documentation requirements.

Mechanical Engineering Question

Write a brief personal statement (approximately one page, single-spaced) that will give the departmental admissions committee a better understanding of your interest in this program. You may wish to describe your experiences (e.g. work, research, leadership, or extracurricular) that have been important to you. You may also use the personal statement to discuss any unusual or extenuating circumstances that may contribute to a better understanding of your record. For example, if you have overcome significant obstacles (medical, financial, cultural or personal) to reach where you are now, you may describe them in the essay.

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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

During the academic year, prospective transfer students can schedule a virtual appointment with someone from our transfer team.

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.

In recent years, we have offered a prerequisite exception request process but we do not know yet whether that process will continue next year. You should make every effort to have your prerequisite coursework completed prior to the departmental application deadline for the cycle that you plan to apply. Please check back after November 1 for updates.

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!

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More: Tips on resume and cover letter writing

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University of Washington Transfer Acceptance Rate — 2024

December 14, 2023

The average successful freshman applicant to the University of Washington has a 1370 SAT and a 3.8 GPA. If you fell short of these numbers and weren’t offered a spot at the Seattle campus directly out of high school, you can still become a Husky. While still a competitive process, this school extends offers to thousands of qualified transfer applicants each year. This blog will share the University of Washington transfer acceptance rate as well as other essential pieces of information like the University of Washington transfer deadline, University of Washington transfer application requirements, the UW transfer decision date, and much more.

University of Washington Transfer Acceptance Rate

Below we present the most current available University of Washington transfer acceptance rate as well as historical data.

For entry in the fall of 2022, 4,635 students applied for transfer admission, and 2,140 were successful. This means that the University of Washington transfer acceptance rate is 46.1%. If we break this down by gender, the acceptance rates are as follows:

• Male applicants: 43.8%
• Female applicants: 48.2%

For entry in the fall of 2021, the University of Washington received 4,754 applications and accepted 2,299 members of that group. This means that the University of Washington transfer acceptance rate was 48%.

As with their first-year admissions, the University of Washington favors Washington residents in the process. Between 2020-22, their acceptance rate for applicants from WA-based community colleges was 69%. The admit rate for all other four- and two-year institutions combined was 24%.

When trying to get the complete picture of how difficult it is to transfer into a given school, it is important to look at historical data. Many schools have wild fluctuations in transfer acceptance rates from year to year. Yet this is not the case at the University of Washington, which has been remarkably consistent in recent years.

Historical transfer rates are as follows:

  University of Washington Transfer Application Deadline

The university offers fall, winter, spring, and summer transfer options. The UW transfer application deadline for fall applicants is February 15. Most students will and should apply for this quarter. Spring applicants apply by December 15, but this cycle is only open to applicants for specific departments in engineering and computer science. The deadline for winter applicants is September 1. This cycle is not open to international students.

University of Washington Transfer Requirements

The University of Washington transfer requirements are as follows:

• The University of Washington uses their own application
• Final high school transcripts (if you have less than 40 quarter credits)
• Official college transcripts
• SAT/ACT (optional)
• No letters of recommendation are required or permitted

UW Transfer Acceptance Rate (Continued)

Students who have the best chance to gain admission to the University of Washington have done the following:

• Are in the process of completing at least 40 quarter credit hours. If you have not earned at least 40 quarter credit hours, you must have completed the College Academic Distribution Requirements to be considered.
• Have completed their major’s stated Course Requirements . This can be complex, so we’d recommend a careful review of guidelines .
• Earned stellar grades in their first year at a community college or 4-year university.
• Attended an in-state community college.

UW Transfer GPA

Applicants must have a minimum GPA of 2.5 to be considered for transfer. That said, between 2020 and 2022, the mid-50% GPA for admitted transfer students was 3.24-3.85. For non-residents, a 3.75 or better puts candidates in a much better position. Out-of-state applicants will want to earn as many A’s as possible on their transcripts.

Transfer Writing Supplement

All applicants must write a personal statement and submit it with the transfer application for admission. The personal statement should be a comprehensive narrative essay outlining significant aspects of your academic and personal history, particularly those that provide context for your academic achievements and educational choices. Quality of writing and depth of content contribute toward a meaningful and relevant personal statement.

You should address the following topics in your personal statement. Within each subtopic, such as Academic History, write only about what is meaningful to your life and experience. Do not feel compelled to address each and every question.

Required elements

Academic History

• Tell us about your college career to date, describing your performance, educational path and choices.
• Explain any situations that may have had a significant positive or negative impact on your academic progress or curricular choices. If you transferred multiple times, had a significant break in your education or changed career paths, explain.
• What are the specific reasons you wish to leave your most recent college/university or program of study?

Your major & career goals

• Tell us about your intended major and career aspirations.
• Explain your plans to prepare for the major. What prerequisite courses do you expect to complete before transferring? What led you to choose this major? If you are still undecided, why? What type of career are you most likely to pursue after finishing your education?
• How will the UW help you attain your academic, career and personal goals?
• If you selected a competitive major, you have the option of selecting a second-choice major in the event you are not admitted to your first-choice major. Please address major or career goals for your second-choice major, if applicable.

Cultural Understanding

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.

Optional elements (include if applicable)

Educational challenges/personal hardships

Describe any personal or imposed challenges or hardships you have overcome in pursuing your education. For example: serious illness; disability; first generation in your family to attend college; significant financial hardship or responsibilities associated with balancing work, family and school.

Community or volunteer service

Describe your community or volunteer service, including leadership, awards or increased levels of responsibility.

Experiential learning

Describe your involvement in research, artistic endeavors and work (paid or volunteer) as it has contributed to your academic, career or personal goals.

Additional comments

Do you have a compelling academic or personal need to attend the Seattle campus of the UW at this time? Is there anything else you would like us to know?

Content, as well as form, spelling, grammar and punctuation, will be considered. Suggested length is 750-1000 words.

UW Transfer Decision Date

University of Washington transfer decisions are made between May 1 and June 30 for those seeking to start in the fall. The winter notification period is from November 1 to December 15.

Final Thoughts – University of Washington Transfer Acceptance Rate

The university’s goals and priorities are as follows: “Among transfer students, the highest admission priority is given to Washington community and technical college transfer students with either an academic associate degree or 90 transferable credits taken in preparation for a professional academic major. Applicants with fewer than 90 credits may be admitted when early transfer is advisable, but the number of such transfers will remain small.”

The University of Washington does not offer many spots to applicants who have not yet completed 40 quarter hours. If you are serious about getting into this school, make sure you first complete that number of college credits. Additionally, they prioritize high academic achievement, clear academic goals, and intentional major preparation.

If you are looking for information on how to apply to the University of Washington as a first-year student, you may find the following blogs to be of interest:

• How to Get Into University of Washington
• University of Washington Supplemental Essay Prompt and Tips

Those searching for application info on other institutions may wish to visit our Dataverse pages/blogs:

• Transfer Admissions Deadlines
• Transfer Acceptance Rates

Dave Bergman

Dave has over a decade of professional experience that includes work as a teacher, high school administrator, college professor, and independent educational consultant. He is a co-author of the books The Enlightened College Applicant (Rowman & Littlefield, 2016) and Colleges Worth Your Money (Rowman & Littlefield, 2020).

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• Our data-driven program helps you identify good-fit transfer schools & maximize your admission prospects. AND you’ll have a team of experts by your side every step of the way.
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Transfer applicants.

Autumn 2024

• December 15: UW online application opens
• February 15: Apply by February 15 . All required materials must be submitted or postmarked to be assured of consideration.

Winter 2025

• August 1: UW online application opens
• September 1: Apply by September 1 . All required materials must be submitted or postmarked to be assured of consideration.

Application checklist

• U.S. students application fee: $80. International students application fee: $90. The application fee is nonrefundable and must be submitted each time you apply to the UW.
• Complete minimum courses Freshman and transfer applicants must show a minimum level of preparation in six academic subject areas.
• Personal statement This is your chance to tell us about yourself through a thoughtful, well-written Personal Statement .
• Transcripts Review how to send high school and college transcripts .
• Do not send letters of recommendation We do not consider letters of recommendation or other supplementary materials.

You'll need

Gathering these documents and materials before you start will help the application go more smoothly.

U.S. students:

• Your Social Security Number (SSN)
• If you have ever attended the UW, your UW Student Number
• Other names you have used on school transcripts or test scores
• If you believe you are a Washington resident , information about how long you have lived in the state
• Do you have a visa ? You will need the visa type and that long number.
• Personal information and educational background about one or more of your parents/guardians
• Copies of school records to accurately record dates of attendance
• Paper copy of your high school transcript : You will make an electronic copy to attach to the online application
• A strong desire to tell your story
• If you're paying the application fee: U.S. checking account info or a credit card . (If you're applying for a fee waiver: no problem, you'll get more information later.)

International students:

• Your passport showing your legal name and any variations
• Other legal names you have used on school transcripts or test scores
• Mailing address and permanent foreign address written in English
• If you are already in the U.S. with a visa , the type of visa; for those with an I-20 from a U.S. school, the SEVIS ID number
• Test score results for TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo you have already taken
• Dates of TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo you plan to take
• Class schedule for the academic year
• Credit card or U.S. checking account to pay the application fee

More information

• Plan your transfer
• Applying for financial aid : The priority date is Jan. 15.
• Homeschooled applicants : Let us help you get ready to apply
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Undergraduate Admissions: Application Instructions

Currently enrolled uw students.

To complete the application you will be required to submit a personal statement (500 words, max.) describing your background, your interest in pursuing a degree in Chemistry or Biochemistry, and any life experiences that have influenced your academic interests. If you have received a low grade due to a specific hardship please include this information in your personal statement and we will take this into consideration. The submitted file can be in the form of an Adobe Acrobat (.pdf), Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx) or plain text (.txt) file. 

Note: If you have changed any major prerequisite course grades to S/NS between Spring 2020-Spring 2021, the admissions portal will not recognize your prerequisites as complete. Please follow the instructions to submit your application via the transfer student pathway seen below. 

The application portal will reopen in the first week of March. 

Apply online

Transfer students not yet enrolled at UW

• Download  cover page (PDF) and complete.
• Construct personal statement (500 words, max.)
• Email cover page, copy of unofficial transcripts, and personal statement to advisers at [email protected] .

Applicants will be notified of the admission decision approximately three weeks after the application due date.

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Transferring to the UW

Visit the uw on transfer thursday.

Every week, people who want to transfer to the University of Washington are invited to attend Transfer Thursday. Held in various locations on the Seattle campus, programming for the day includes information about the admission process and other topics such as financial aid and housing. It also includes one-on-one time with general academic advisers.

In addition to these regular sessions, information sessions are offered on Thursdays by different academic programs and departments. These vary from week to week, as do departmental advising drop-in hours. Consult the schedules below to choose a Thursday that's best for you.

We encourage you to register . This will ensure that space is available on the day you want to attend, and allow us to communicate with you.

Transfer Thursday is not held on state holidays .

Because Running Start students use the freshman application, Transfer Thursday is not relevant to them; instead, they should consult directly with the Office of Admissions . Students already offered admission to the UW should sign up for an Advising & Orientation session rather than attending Transfer Thursday.  

Connect with other UW offices

Times and locations vary. See below.

These are other UW offices that offer information sessions and/or drop-in hours on Thursdays.

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Can a Transfer Application personal statement be too long?

I'm currently a student at a WA community college and I am hoping to attend UW in the fall. Right now I'm working on my personal statement, and I'm a little concerned it's getting too long. I know the recommended length is 750-1,000 words, but I am already at 750 and I still have a lot I need to say.

I think part of the issue is that I took a pretty big gap between high school and college, 7 years, and I want to include a lot of detail explaining my experiences during that time since I consider them very formative. I don't know how to slim that down without omitting details that are key to the overall "thesis" I'm going for. Because of this I haven't even really gotten to my college academics yet.

Is it a big problem if my essay goes over the recommended word count by a non-insignificant margin? I appreciate any advice I can get. Thanks.

[Update]: I decided to first write as if there were no limit, just to see how long it would be if I included everything the way I initially wanted. It came out to 1,276 words. I am already spotting ways I can trim it down a bit, but just as a benchmark, does that length seem too long, generally speaking?

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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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Sending transcripts

High school transcripts, college/university transcripts, mailing address, transcript guidelines.

All transfer applicants, U.S. and international, are required to submit official college/university transcripts from each institution attended. Unofficial scanned copies of high school transcripts should be uploaded with your online application.

Additional guidelines:

• A transcript is official when it is in a sealed school envelope and it bears the authorizing school signature and the official seal of the issuing institution.
• Records from schools outside the U.S. must be in English or in the native language, accompanied by official English translations.
• College/university transcripts may be sent electronically. Sending college/university transcripts electronically is preferred. See below for details.

Failure to disclose and submit transcripts from all colleges attended, even if no credit was earned, may result in denial of admission or dismissal from the UW.

One unofficial transcript from the last high school attended must be uploaded with the application if you have less than 40 quarter credits of transferable college coursework . The Office of Admissions uses the high school record to confirm completion of College Academic Distribution Requirements (CADRs) and to learn more about an applicant’s educational background. Completion of an academic associate degree alone does not imply that the CADRs have been met.

• For U.S. students, a high school transcript should be a final transcript, showing all coursework completed, beginning with grade 9 and continuing through grade 12 or the highest grade completed.
• For international students, the high school transcript should include grades 10, 11 and 12 or the equivalent years in your country.
• Preferably, mathematics and foreign language courses completed in the eighth grade should be recorded on the high school transcript, but this is not required.

Applicants are sometimes concerned that poor high school grades will adversely affect their chances of admission.

• If you have fewer than 40 transferable credits, your high school record will play an important part in the admission review.

Request one official transcript from each collegiate institution you have ever attended, regardless of whether you received college credit from that institution. Request transcripts showing coursework through the term most recently completed before the application deadline (current UW students send after course is complete). It is your responsibility to contact each institution to request that transcripts be sent to the Office of Admissions by the appropriate deadline.

• Washington state community college students should have transcripts sent electronically.
• Official transcripts can also be sent through Parchment (formerly Naviance) or Transcript Network/Credential Solutions (formerly eScripSafe). When sending an electronic transcript select the University of Washington as the destination. Do not send electronic transcripts to any email address.
• All other transcripts should be mailed to the Office of Admissions.
• If you have UW coursework, including from UW Bothell or UW Tacoma, you do not need to submit official UW transcripts. However, you are required to submit official transcripts from all other colleges and universities you have attended. We will not request the transfer documents originally sent to other UW offices.
• If your official transcript cannot be sent electronically, or by mail, a school official can email transcripts to   [email protected]   The email address must be associated with the sending institution. Transcripts sent from Hotmail, Gmail, Yahoo, or other generic email provider will not be accepted.

University of Washington Office of Admissions Box 355852 Seattle, WA 98195-5852

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Planning Your Transfer

Main content.

Our Transfer Planning Worksheets are designed to provide prospective transfer students with university admissions and major specific information all in one place. Worksheets include major prerequisites and application details, UW Areas of Inquiry and transfer equivalency tools. 

You are always welcome to reach out to an Admissions Counselor for guidance on these worksheets or your application.

Majors are listed in alphabetical order

Biomedical Sciences (BS)

Business (all majors) (BABA)

Civil Engineering (BS)

Computer Engineering (BS)

Criminal Justice (BA)

Criminal Justice (BA) (online only)

Computer Science & Systems (BA)

Computer Science & Systems (BS)

Education (BA)

Electrical Engineering (BS)

Environmental Science (BS)

Environmental Sustainability (BA)

Healthcare Leadership (BA)

Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences (all majors) (BA)

Information Technology (BS)

Law & Policy (BA)

Mathematics (BS)

Mechanical Engineering (BS)

Nursing (RN to BSN)

Politics, Philosophy & Economics (BA)

Psychology (BA)

Social Welfare (BA)

Spanish Language & Cultures, (BA)

Sustainable Urban Development (BA)

Urban Design (BS)

Urban Studies (BA)

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