Any thoughts on the University of Washington for graduate school?

[Anonymous]

This would be for a STEM Masters (possibly into doctoral studies).

Open to any thoughts on the school, city (Seattle), etc.

It does not get mentioned here often, but I think they are a serious player in the world of research.

[Anonymous]

It is very good

Do you mean paying for a masters though?

[Anonymous]

The University of Washington at Seattle is a very serious player in the world of academic research. Among the Top 5 for annual R&D spending in the US.

Absolutely outstanding grad schools. Seattle is interesting & wealthy, but there is a serious homeless issue near campus.

Great weekend getaways to Vancouver, BC, Canada & to Victoria on Vancouver Island, BC, Canada or to Canadian ski resorts or go South to the Columbia River Gorge or to Portland, Oregon. Washington State wine country tours are also great for weekend trips.

[Anonymous]

In some fields they are very respected. I’d be worried about cost of living.

[Anonymous]

Very good school. RD powerhouse

[Anonymous]

Forgot to mention: When traveling South or East from Seattle, Amtrak is a great option to consider. Sometimes the fares to Portland, Oregon are surprisingly low.

The Seattle Freeze is real, but your student will make many friends through school.

Lots of wealth. Lots of expensive cars.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In some fields they are very respected. I’d be worried about cost of living.

Check out the graduate student housing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is very good

Do you mean paying for a masters though?

No, it would be fully funded by the school. (With no work payback, as a TA or RA, which was a nice surprise.)

The offer came in the form of a fellowship, with some sort of "topoff" bonus!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is very good

Do you mean paying for a masters though?

No, it would be fully funded by the school. (With no work payback, as a TA or RA, which was a nice surprise.)

The offer came in the form of a fellowship, with some sort of "topoff" bonus!

May vary by field, but U Washington at Seattle, UC-Berkeley, & Stanford are the West Coast powerhouses for jobs.

[Anonymous]

I grew up in Western Washington, have siblings who graduated from UW in STEM areas, I lived near campus for a summer doing an internship in my youth (I went to another university), my birth family bleeds Husky Blue. Take my advice for what it is worth to you.

The University of Washington is a solid, D-1 school. It has a medical school with a full hospital, solid engineering programs, etc. The campus is pretty, Husky football is a fun time.

The downsides would be:

1. cost of living (the campus area is insanely expensive);

2. general safety (there are a lot of shall we say very interesting characters around that part of Seattle, and you have to be careful at night);

3. getting around town (Seattle traffic is awful, awful, awful, the freeway infrastructure isn't adapted to the 21st Century);

4. Seattle Freeze is real (you don't talk to people in the story store line bc they will look at you like you're crazy, why are you talking to me? PNW people keep to themselves, it is hard to break the ice);

5. Basic life choices feel politically magnified (if you are not very, very progressive in your lifestyle choices, many people will write you off as a political conservative...I once had someone ask if I was a far-right Republican...I said no, why would you think that...the person said, "Because you take showers and wear makeup". Life long Dem here.)

6. The weather. Your kid will never experience this much rain anywhere else in the US. It can be very hard for non-natives to deal with come April, when it is sunny at 75 everywhere else but Seattle, where it is still 52 and raining until June.

The PNW is just a different place from the rest of the country. It just is.

[Anonymous]

^my birth family bleeds Husky *Purple*

I need lunch...

[Anonymous]

UW is an excellent and well-respected research university. I'm from the PNW; Seattle is a great city, but the vibe is very different from the East Coast. But if you're in a grad program, you make friends with other students, so it's not as big of a deal. Lots to do, both in terms of art/culture and outdoorsy stuff.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I grew up in Western Washington, have siblings who graduated from UW in STEM areas, I lived near campus for a summer doing an internship in my youth (I went to another university), my birth family bleeds Husky Blue. Take my advice for what it is worth to you.

The University of Washington is a solid, D-1 school. It has a medical school with a full hospital, solid engineering programs, etc. The campus is pretty, Husky football is a fun time.

The downsides would be:

1. cost of living (the campus area is insanely expensive);

2. general safety (there are a lot of shall we say very interesting characters around that part of Seattle, and you have to be careful at night);

3. getting around town (Seattle traffic is awful, awful, awful, the freeway infrastructure isn't adapted to the 21st Century);

4. Seattle Freeze is real (you don't talk to people in the story store line bc they will look at you like you're crazy, why are you talking to me? PNW people keep to themselves, it is hard to break the ice);

5. Basic life choices feel politically magnified (if you are not very, very progressive in your lifestyle choices, many people will write you off as a political conservative...I once had someone ask if I was a far-right Republican...I said no, why would you think that...the person said, "Because you take showers and wear makeup". Life long Dem here.)

6. The weather. Your kid will never experience this much rain anywhere else in the US. It can be very hard for non-natives to deal with come April, when it is sunny at 75 everywhere else but Seattle, where it is still 52 and raining until June.

The PNW is just a different place from the rest of the country. It just is.

I'm from Eastern Washington, and this is all correct. That said, there are lots of positive things about Seattle, too, and the social thing is less of an issue if you're a student v. moving there as an adult for work, because you have both your fellow students and university organizations and activities to help you find a social "in."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I grew up in Western Washington, have siblings who graduated from UW in STEM areas, I lived near campus for a summer doing an internship in my youth (I went to another university), my birth family bleeds Husky Blue. Take my advice for what it is worth to you.

The University of Washington is a solid, D-1 school. It has a medical school with a full hospital, solid engineering programs, etc. The campus is pretty, Husky football is a fun time.

The downsides would be:

1. cost of living (the campus area is insanely expensive);

2. general safety (there are a lot of shall we say very interesting characters around that part of Seattle, and you have to be careful at night);

3. getting around town (Seattle traffic is awful, awful, awful, the freeway infrastructure isn't adapted to the 21st Century);

4. Seattle Freeze is real (you don't talk to people in the story store line bc they will look at you like you're crazy, why are you talking to me? PNW people keep to themselves, it is hard to break the ice);

5. Basic life choices feel politically magnified (if you are not very, very progressive in your lifestyle choices, many people will write you off as a political conservative...I once had someone ask if I was a far-right Republican...I said no, why would you think that...the person said, "Because you take showers and wear makeup". Life long Dem here.)

6. The weather. Your kid will never experience this much rain anywhere else in the US. It can be very hard for non-natives to deal with come April, when it is sunny at 75 everywhere else but Seattle, where it is still 52 and raining until June.

The PNW is just a different place from the rest of the country. It just is.

LOL ! "Because you take showers and wear makeup.'

Seattle is liberal, but not quite as extreme as is Portland, Oregon.

[Anonymous]

FWIW Taking showers is not uncommon in Seattle. Maybe the other poster has acquaintances who practice an alternate form of hygiene. But, Seattle is not the South & it is not NYC so dressing to impress is not a thing in the Pacific Northwest.