How to Get Into the University of Washington

Washington University
April 7, 2023
Contents

”Mary

Reviewed by:

Mary Banks

Former Admissions Committee Member, Columbia University

Reviewed: 5/4/22

If you’d like to join one of the world’s most preeminent universities, read on to learn more about how to get into the University of Washington.

Post-secondary institutions were created to provide students with advanced education and facilitate their pursuit of knowledge and discovery.

The University of Washington is dedicated to this pursuit and even takes it a step further by promising its students an education guided by a hunger for progress, involving undaunted scholarship and research. Using these resources, UW hopes to launch its students into a boundless future!

With an unshakable optimism and staunch commitment to its students’ success, UW is a popular option for students embarking upon the next chapter of their academic and professional journey.

If you’re considering attending this established school, this guide will go over how to get into the University of Washington, its acceptance rate, application process, tuition fees, and more!

The University of Washington Acceptance Rate

Considering these promises and the extensive resources this school offers its students, you might be wondering, “how hard is it to get into the University of Washington?” 

To answer this question, let’s consider the University of Washington acceptance rate! Since this school accepts 53% of its applicants, gaining admission into it won’t be too difficult! 

But, don’t let this high acceptance rate fool you into thinking you can submit a weaker application! Do your best to still submit the best application you can. Doing so can increase your chances of receiving significant scholarships and merit-based aid!

University of Washington Admissions Requirements

Here are the admission materials you’ll need to submit to apply to the University of Washington:

University of Washington GPA Requirements

The first and most important application requirement the admissions committee will consider in the selection process are your high school grades. While many undergraduate institutions require official high school transcripts, UW asks students to self-report all of their courses instead.

There are several College Admission Distribution Requirements (CARDs) that you must complete in high school to be eligible for enrolment: 

  • Four English credits
  • Three Math credits
  • Three Social Science or Social Studies credits
  • Two World Language Credits
  • Three Science credits, including two years of lab science
  • One senior year Math-based quantitative credit
  • Half a credit of Visual, Fine, or Performing Arts
  • Half a credit of any academic elective

For your science credits, at least one must be a biology, chemistry, or physics course. Another credit must be completed through an algebra-based science course.

To be considered a competitive applicant, you should maintain a GPA in the range of 3.6-4.0

University of Washington SAT/ACT Requirements

Your SAT or ACT scores are usually important academic factors in the application process. These scores give committees more insight into your performance, potential, and ultimately prove you can handle the demands of college.

Previous accepted UW students had SAT scores between 1220 and 1470 and ACT scores between 29 and 34. However, UW made the recent decision to no longer require standardized test scores as part of their admissions process.

In an attempt to place less emphasis on test performance and more on holistic review, UW has become a test-optional college. This means that even if you do submit low SAT or ACT scores, it will not put you at a disadvantage. In fact, reviewers won’t even have access to your scores when determining your candidacy!

The Writing Section

Strong writing skills are essential to excel in any major. To ensure students have already begun honing this necessary skill, UW has a writing section on their application. This section will involve several essays.

The University of Washington Essays

One key factor to consider when discussing how to get into the University of Washington is the importance of clear and polished writing in your application essays. The best way to assure your essays meet UW’s standards are to begin early and dedicate enough time to revising your responses.

To help you begin the essay writing process, here are the prompts you can expect to see on your application:

1. Tell a story from your life, describing an experience that either demonstrates your character or helped to shape it. (650 words)

2. 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 UW. (300 words)

3. Optional essay about your life and circumstances

This final essay is optional and should only be written if you feel you have significant circumstances or experiences that should be shared with the admissions committee. 

Typical responses to this essay involve:

  • Personal hardships in attaining education
  • Work or family obligations that limited your activities
  • Unusual limitations or opportunities unique to the schools you attended

This essay should not exceed 200 words.

University of Washington Application Process and Deadlines

The process to apply to UW is simple; UW offers two application platforms, ApplyWeb and the Common App. Students must select one app to submit their application.

As you begin preparing your WU application, there are several deadlines you should keep in mind to avoid any delays:

University of Washington application process
Source:The University of Washington

Most students choose to begin their program during the autumn quarter, but UW offers start-periods in the winter and summer terms. Applying for admission to these quarters may involve additional application steps. There are no early-decision applications at UW.

UW also does not accept students on a rolling basis. They do not make any admission decisions until they have reviewed all applications, meaning you won’t have to worry about submitting your application early. As long as you submit it before the deadline, you will have an equal chance of getting into UW.

University of Washington Tuition and Fees

UW is considered to be a low-cost school, with annual tuition rates of only $12,242 for resident students. Non-residents can expect to pay around $40,740 for tuition.  

Of course, your tuition isn’t the only expense to crunch into your undergrad budget. As a first-year student, you’ll have several other expenses, including transportation, board, and textbooks. Factoring all of these expenses in, residents typically spend around $32,000 for their first year at UW and non-residents spend around $60,000

UW offers its students various scholarships, grants, and awards to help cover tuition costs. You may also consider looking into external scholarships to cover the full cost of tuition!

Tips for Getting Into the University of Washington 

Understanding the admissions requirements and deadlines involved in the application process will ensure you meet the minimum expectations to be considered for enrolment. 

However, to give yourself an edge and increase your chances of getting into the University of Washington, there are four main tips you should follow:

Carefully Consider Writing the SAT or ACT 

Your SAT and ACT scores are not mandatory admission materials. While writing either exam will not harm your chances of admission, they can increase them if you have an otherwise weak application. 

For instance, if your GPA is lower than anticipated, you have little extracurricular experience, or essays aren’t your strong points, writing the SAT or ACT can help you get into UW. However, you’ll need high scores to sway the committee to accept you into their school. 

If you already have a strong application, it’s best to just skip the SAT or ACT, unless it’s required for other schools you’re applying to.

The application process and starting college will already be stressful as is! Limit your stress by working smarter not harder. If you know these standardized test scores will have no influence on your chances of acceptance, spend the time you would use to prepare for your exam perfecting the other parts of your application!

Focus on Maintaining a High GPA

While your SAT and ACT scores will essentially play no role in the selection process, your GPA will play a major one. The grades you receive in your prerequisites in particular will be used to assess your academic performance.

As such, you want to put in the effort and hard work to maintain high grades to impress the admissions committee! You should also prove your academic performance through other achievements such as awards, honors, or projects. 

Participate in Useful Extracurriculars

UW prides itself on looking at candidates as a whole, rather than just as students. A large part of this is learning how they spend their time outside the classroom. 

UW looks for students that have demonstrated a clear commitment to community and service, exercise significant responsibility to others, and demonstrate cultural awareness or unique experiences. Prove you have these qualities throughout your application. 

Write Compelling Essays

The final tip to keep in mind as you gather your admission materials is to ensure you don’t overlook the essays. While these essays play a smaller role in the admission decisions than your grades, they can still make or break your application.

Your essays give the admission committee direct insight into who you are, what you value, and what your goals are. Take the time to create impressive responses and proofread your work several times before submission. 

While UW gives little guidelines on the content of these essays, they encourage students to follow these suggestions:

  • Pay close attention to your spelling, grammar, and punctuation
  • Complete your responses well in advance of the deadline
  • Focus on creating a casual yet formal tone
  • Write like it matters, not like you’re texting
  • Don’t overthink it—small moments can still lead to great essays
  • Use language you can manage
  • Keep it simple but real

Pay close attention to word counts and avoid overused topics. Bring new approaches to your essays so your application is more memorable!

FAQs: Getting Into the University of Washington

For any remaining questions about how to get into the University of Washington, read on to find your answers.

1. How Hard Is It to Get Into the University of Washington?

It is not particularly difficult to get into the University of Washington. More than half of all applicants are granted acceptance into this school.

2. What GPA Do You Need to Get Into the University of Washington?

Students should aim to maintain GPAs between 3.6-4.0 to have the best chance of getting into the University of Washington.

3. Why Is the UW Acceptance Rate So High?

The main reason the UW acceptance rate is so high is because this university values inclusion, opportunity, and accessibility. With a commitment to providing as many students with the tools needed to create real change in the world and reach their full potential, they accept over 54,000 students into their programs annually. 

4. Is UW a Public Ivy School?

Yes, UW is considered to be a public Ivy school, meaning it offers an equivalent quality of education as the actual Ivy League schools.

5. What Majors Is the University of Washington Known For?

The most popular majors pursued at the University of Washington are those involving Social Sciences, Computer Science, and Biological or Biomedical Science.

6. What Is UW’s Ranking?

UW ranks 55th overall, but 19th as the best public university in the nation.

Final Thoughts

The University of Washington facilitates an ideal environment for curiosity, intellectual challenge, and unbridled discovery. By joining this law school, you’re guaranteed to receive a high quality education that can help you surpass all of your personal and professional goals!

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The University of Washington Acceptance RateUniversity of Washington Admissions RequirementsThe University of Washington EssaysUniversity of Washington Application Process and DeadlinesUniversity of Washington Tuition and FeesTips for Getting Into the University of Washington FAQs: Getting Into the University of Washington

”Mary

Reviewed by:

Mary Banks

Former Admissions Committee Member, Columbia University

Reviewed: 5/4/22

If you’d like to join one of the world’s most preeminent universities, read on to learn more about how to get into the University of Washington.

Post-secondary institutions were created to provide students with advanced education and facilitate their pursuit of knowledge and discovery.

The University of Washington is dedicated to this pursuit and even takes it a step further by promising its students an education guided by a hunger for progress, involving undaunted scholarship and research. Using these resources, UW hopes to launch its students into a boundless future!

With an unshakable optimism and staunch commitment to its students’ success, UW is a popular option for students embarking upon the next chapter of their academic and professional journey.

If you’re considering attending this established school, this guide will go over how to get into the University of Washington, its acceptance rate, application process, tuition fees, and more!

Book a Free 30 min Call

The University of Washington Acceptance Rate

Considering these promises and the extensive resources this school offers its students, you might be wondering, “how hard is it to get into the University of Washington?” 

To answer this question, let’s consider the University of Washington acceptance rate! Since this school accepts 53% of its applicants, gaining admission into it won’t be too difficult! 

But, don’t let this high acceptance rate fool you into thinking you can submit a weaker application! Do your best to still submit the best application you can. Doing so can increase your chances of receiving significant scholarships and merit-based aid!

University of Washington Admissions Requirements

Here are the admission materials you’ll need to submit to apply to the University of Washington:

University of Washington GPA Requirements

The first and most important application requirement the admissions committee will consider in the selection process are your high school grades. While many undergraduate institutions require official high school transcripts, UW asks students to self-report all of their courses instead.

There are several College Admission Distribution Requirements (CARDs) that you must complete in high school to be eligible for enrolment: 

For your science credits, at least one must be a biology, chemistry, or physics course. Another credit must be completed through an algebra-based science course.

To be considered a competitive applicant, you should maintain a GPA in the range of 3.6-4.0

University of Washington SAT/ACT Requirements

Your SAT or ACT scores are usually important academic factors in the application process. These scores give committees more insight into your performance, potential, and ultimately prove you can handle the demands of college.

Previous accepted UW students had SAT scores between 1220 and 1470 and ACT scores between 29 and 34. However, UW made the recent decision to no longer require standardized test scores as part of their admissions process.

In an attempt to place less emphasis on test performance and more on holistic review, UW has become a test-optional college. This means that even if you do submit low SAT or ACT scores, it will not put you at a disadvantage. In fact, reviewers won’t even have access to your scores when determining your candidacy!

The Writing Section

Strong writing skills are essential to excel in any major. To ensure students have already begun honing this necessary skill, UW has a writing section on their application. This section will involve several essays.

The University of Washington Essays

One key factor to consider when discussing how to get into the University of Washington is the importance of clear and polished writing in your application essays. The best way to assure your essays meet UW’s standards are to begin early and dedicate enough time to revising your responses.

To help you begin the essay writing process, here are the prompts you can expect to see on your application:

1. Tell a story from your life, describing an experience that either demonstrates your character or helped to shape it. (650 words)

2. 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 UW. (300 words)

3. Optional essay about your life and circumstances

This final essay is optional and should only be written if you feel you have significant circumstances or experiences that should be shared with the admissions committee. 

Typical responses to this essay involve:

This essay should not exceed 200 words.

University of Washington Application Process and Deadlines

The process to apply to UW is simple; UW offers two application platforms, ApplyWeb and the Common App. Students must select one app to submit their application.

As you begin preparing your WU application, there are several deadlines you should keep in mind to avoid any delays:

University of Washington application process
Source:The University of Washington

Most students choose to begin their program during the autumn quarter, but UW offers start-periods in the winter and summer terms. Applying for admission to these quarters may involve additional application steps. There are no early-decision applications at UW.

UW also does not accept students on a rolling basis. They do not make any admission decisions until they have reviewed all applications, meaning you won’t have to worry about submitting your application early. As long as you submit it before the deadline, you will have an equal chance of getting into UW.

University of Washington Tuition and Fees

UW is considered to be a low-cost school, with annual tuition rates of only $12,242 for resident students. Non-residents can expect to pay around $40,740 for tuition.  

Of course, your tuition isn’t the only expense to crunch into your undergrad budget. As a first-year student, you’ll have several other expenses, including transportation, board, and textbooks. Factoring all of these expenses in, residents typically spend around $32,000 for their first year at UW and non-residents spend around $60,000

UW offers its students various scholarships, grants, and awards to help cover tuition costs. You may also consider looking into external scholarships to cover the full cost of tuition!

Tips for Getting Into the University of Washington 

Understanding the admissions requirements and deadlines involved in the application process will ensure you meet the minimum expectations to be considered for enrolment. 

However, to give yourself an edge and increase your chances of getting into the University of Washington, there are four main tips you should follow:

Carefully Consider Writing the SAT or ACT 

Your SAT and ACT scores are not mandatory admission materials. While writing either exam will not harm your chances of admission, they can increase them if you have an otherwise weak application. 

For instance, if your GPA is lower than anticipated, you have little extracurricular experience, or essays aren’t your strong points, writing the SAT or ACT can help you get into UW. However, you’ll need high scores to sway the committee to accept you into their school. 

If you already have a strong application, it’s best to just skip the SAT or ACT, unless it’s required for other schools you’re applying to.

The application process and starting college will already be stressful as is! Limit your stress by working smarter not harder. If you know these standardized test scores will have no influence on your chances of acceptance, spend the time you would use to prepare for your exam perfecting the other parts of your application!

Focus on Maintaining a High GPA

While your SAT and ACT scores will essentially play no role in the selection process, your GPA will play a major one. The grades you receive in your prerequisites in particular will be used to assess your academic performance.

As such, you want to put in the effort and hard work to maintain high grades to impress the admissions committee! You should also prove your academic performance through other achievements such as awards, honors, or projects. 

Participate in Useful Extracurriculars

UW prides itself on looking at candidates as a whole, rather than just as students. A large part of this is learning how they spend their time outside the classroom. 

UW looks for students that have demonstrated a clear commitment to community and service, exercise significant responsibility to others, and demonstrate cultural awareness or unique experiences. Prove you have these qualities throughout your application. 

Write Compelling Essays

The final tip to keep in mind as you gather your admission materials is to ensure you don’t overlook the essays. While these essays play a smaller role in the admission decisions than your grades, they can still make or break your application.

Your essays give the admission committee direct insight into who you are, what you value, and what your goals are. Take the time to create impressive responses and proofread your work several times before submission. 

While UW gives little guidelines on the content of these essays, they encourage students to follow these suggestions:

Pay close attention to word counts and avoid overused topics. Bring new approaches to your essays so your application is more memorable!

FAQs: Getting Into the University of Washington

For any remaining questions about how to get into the University of Washington, read on to find your answers.

1. How Hard Is It to Get Into the University of Washington?

It is not particularly difficult to get into the University of Washington. More than half of all applicants are granted acceptance into this school.

2. What GPA Do You Need to Get Into the University of Washington?

Students should aim to maintain GPAs between 3.6-4.0 to have the best chance of getting into the University of Washington.

3. Why Is the UW Acceptance Rate So High?

The main reason the UW acceptance rate is so high is because this university values inclusion, opportunity, and accessibility. With a commitment to providing as many students with the tools needed to create real change in the world and reach their full potential, they accept over 54,000 students into their programs annually. 

4. Is UW a Public Ivy School?

Yes, UW is considered to be a public Ivy school, meaning it offers an equivalent quality of education as the actual Ivy League schools.

5. What Majors Is the University of Washington Known For?

The most popular majors pursued at the University of Washington are those involving Social Sciences, Computer Science, and Biological or Biomedical Science.

6. What Is UW’s Ranking?

UW ranks 55th overall, but 19th as the best public university in the nation.

Final Thoughts

The University of Washington facilitates an ideal environment for curiosity, intellectual challenge, and unbridled discovery. By joining this law school, you’re guaranteed to receive a high quality education that can help you surpass all of your personal and professional goals!

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