I toured the University of Washington (U Dub) in late February, just a couple of weeks too early to catch the famed cherry blossoms but in time to see the daffodils blooming. The campus is truly green and lovely, and when the sky is clear, majestic Mount Rainier rises above a large pool and fountain in the midst of a circle of STEM buildings in the Collegiate Gothic style. Admission rates are 48% in state, 36% out of state.

A Campus That Supports Its Students

Washington is a progressive state, and if you think it’s too “woke” to pay homage to the Native Peoples who occupied the land before White settlement, UW is too progressive for you. It’s considered a top 10 college for LGBTQ+, and they offer a new major in Environmental Design and Sustainability. UW has an amazing retention rate of 95% from first year to second (national average: 69.5%), and 74% graduate in four years (national average: 45%). For a school of 40,000 undergraduates, it does a good job of retaining students and seeing them through to graduation. Strong support services and advising leads to strong outcomes.

Housing

Though there’s no requirement to live on campus, about 77% of first-year students live in traditional or suite-style dorms. A number of the dorms on North Campus are modern, and they are committed to sustainability with LEED Gold certification, green roofs, water conservation measures, and the infrastructure to support solar panels once they can be funded.

Student Life

With over a thousand clubs, Huskies can find their niche. I found these to be especially interesting, in addition to the ethnic clubs on campus: Advanced Robotics, Comedy Club, Concrete Canoe, Huskies for Neurodiversity, and Husky Pickleball Club. There’s also an honors college that focuses on global issues, cohort-based learning, extra discussion sections, and producing a portfolio. First-year honors students live together in a residence hall. Honors can be pursued alongside any major. You can also apply for departmental and college honors once enrolled at UW.

Experiential Learning

The UW Center for Experiential Learning & Diversity offers hands-on programs in research, service learning, volunteering, and leadership. All students can engage in research, not just graduate students or STEM majors. Students in all majors have the chance to study abroad.

Applying to University of Washington

UW uses the Common App only. It opens on September 1, and it has one deadline: November 15. Notifications go out the first two weeks of March. Students may also apply for winter quarter entry, provided they have not yet enrolled at another institution (domestic students only). UW is looking for students who are well-rounded; they do not read for fit to major, and the SAT or ACT is optional. Admission representatives offer 20-minute informational calls (not interviews) to prospective students, so call if you have questions.

Considered:

• Academic preparation, performance, and core class requirements
• Overall rigor, grade trend, and a strong senior year
• Personal achievements and characteristics
• Activities (depth over breadth), community service, significant responsibility
• Significant personal adversity, socioeconomic disadvantage, unique perspectives
• UW Writing section and Additional Information section (UW-specific only)
• Self-reported grades for grades 9–11; starting Fall 2027, students will be encouraged to upload unofficial transcripts

Not Considered:

• Letters of recommendation
• Demonstrated interest or legacy
• Interviews
• School-provided profiles
• AP/IB exam scores
• Common App essay or writing section — UW only reads its own writing section (though if your Common App essay fits the UW prompt, you can use it).

Majors and Programs

UW categorizes majors as open majors, majors with minimum requirement, and capacity-constrained majors. Some capacity-constrained majors include aeronautics & astronautics, architecture, biochemistry, bioengineering, biology, business administration, all engineering majors, computer science, nursing, and psychology. Listing a first-choice major on the application is required, and a second-choice major is recommended. Most students enter a major after enrolling; you aren’t locked into a major at admission.

Impacted & Competitive Programs

The Foster School of Business will require direct admission beginning in fall 2027. It will no longer be available as an internal transfer option. A small number of outside transfer students will still be accepted. To be considered for engineering, students must select one specific engineering program or choose Engineering, Undeclared. Students admitted to engineering are placed into engineering undeclared. Pre-major is the recommended pathway. Computer science and computer engineering have a 30% acceptance rate for in-state residents, 02% for out-of-state residents.

Career Connections

UW Seattle has a lot to offer: its own Cherry Blossom Festival, generous acceptance of transfer credits from AP, IB, and dual enrollment, and free public transportation for Husky-card holders throughout Seattle. Its location puts students in the backyard of some of the world’s most valuable and influential tech companies — Microsoft, Amazon, Meta, SpaceX, Starbucks, and UW Medicine among them — with a strong internship pipeline and a clear path to employment after graduation. If you value sustainability, want hands-on experience before you graduate, and like the idea of launching your career in one of the country’s most dynamic cities, the University of Washington at Seattle deserves a serious look.