University of Washington

[Anonymous]

Two misconceptions…your kid definitely does not need a car and it’s not difficult to get into for majors other than CS. UW was the #1 choice for my friend’s 4.0 UW, 1480 psych major DD from a decent private school who applied in 2024. Outright rejected, not even waitlisted and got into other schools including Wisconsin, UCLA and Rice.

[Anonymous]

Too close to h3ll hole California

[Anonymous]

We visited and my DS loved it — pretty campus set in a great city, with public transportation making things easily accessible.
He ended up not applying because he is set on being a math major, but UW requires ‘application’ into that major after freshman year, and admittance was very low. He didn’t want to take the chance that he wouldn’t get into the math major. Not sure if other majors are like that, or how your kid feels about a major, but that was what stopped my kid from applying.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We visited and my DS loved it — pretty campus set in a great city, with public transportation making things easily accessible.
He ended up not applying because he is set on being a math major, but UW requires ‘application’ into that major after freshman year, and admittance was very low. He didn’t want to take the chance that he wouldn’t get into the math major. Not sure if other majors are like that, or how your kid feels about a major, but that was what stopped my kid from applying.

I wonder why they have that system. It doesn't benefit anyone and drives a ton of people away.

[Anonymous]

great school, and would also put it on par with UT, Fla, and UVA. Maybe a half step below UNC and Umich, but in the same vicinity. Global ranking #7 is no joke for the DCUM prestige seekers..

[Anonymous]

Colorado seems to get more luv on this site - why? UW is the better school hands down. Just because of skiing?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Colorado seems to get more luv on this site - why? UW is the better school hands down. Just because of skiing?

If I had a choice to be in Colorado or the overly homeless filled streets of overpriced Seattle that has a major drug problem and terrible weather, I would prob pick Colorado too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Colorado seems to get more luv on this site - why? UW is the better school hands down. Just because of skiing?

If I had a choice to be in Colorado or the overly homeless filled streets of overpriced Seattle that has a major drug problem and terrible weather, I would prob pick Colorado too.

Colorado isn’t that great. Denver has a ton of homeless, many of the cities have awful air quality and massive water issues. Colorado is great to visit for a week, terrible to live in

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Two misconceptions…your kid definitely does not need a car and it’s not difficult to get into for majors other than CS. UW was the #1 choice for my friend’s 4.0 UW, 1480 psych major DD from a decent private school who applied in 2024. Outright rejected, not even waitlisted and got into other schools including Wisconsin, UCLA and Rice.

I know an admissions officer and it’s definitely not easy to get in OOS. I hope your kid loves the school he got into and is happy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’ve heard that the culture is horribly competitive because of how major declaration works, so check into that

Seattle local with current ties to UW and many young family friends there: this is quite true for Foster and for CS. Other majors are less cutthroat but admissions have become more challenging and for OOS students it can be a crapshoot. That being said, our favorite babysitter is from the East coast and she applied to UW on a whim and got in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Seattle rentals are very expensive . Low cost areas have high crime.

If you can afford UW oos, you can afford Seattle rentals. Many students also get rentals together for pretty cheap.

I’m the PP with the Uw babysitter. She says she paid $850 last year in a share house of 5 people but got it down to $800 this year in a different house two doors down. She’s ~5 blocks from campus. Some of the houses are pretty decrepit but that seems like a steal to me! It’s what I paid off-campus on the east coast 20 years ago. There are kids paying $2000 for brand new off-campus apartments by university village, but they’re very wealthy and/or international. It’s not the norm for everyone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would visit if you're serious about it. I grew up near Seattle. Western Washington (state) is a different universe from NOVA and DC. The homeless problem in West Coast cities is no joke.

I once lived very near the campus and it has both nice and sketchy parts to it. It felt dangerous just walking down certain streets. I can imagine it's worse now.

Your kid would need a car.

No car needed in the past decade. It’s changed a lot. I live in a nice neighborhood at the far end of campus. Students in recent years have been issued city transit passes and they get a LOT of value out of those things. The bus stops by campus are full of students coming and going, and with the new light rail stops fully operational that’s made things much easier. The only undergrad babysitters we’ve had recently who owned cars are athletes, and that’s mostly because they’re buying them with their scholarship/NIL money and using them to get to 5/6 am practices when it’s too dark to bike safely.

[Anonymous]

4,400 students are from the state of Washington, 566 from California.

Only 11 from Virginia, 9 from MD, 0 from DC.

It is not a college for out of state students.

[Anonymous]

Certain majors are difficult (CS in particular since they only take 5% OOS so like 50 kids)…but overall it isn’t difficult to get accepted.

This is true. CS/engineering are very difficult admits, but a general population admit is much easier, and actually less competitive OOS than for residents. I know kids not accepted to UMD (predictably, based on classes and test scores) who were accepted at UW. In-state, kids are generally in the top 10% or so of their class.

It is a truly spectacular campus in a great city with so much to offer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Certain majors are difficult (CS in particular since they only take 5% OOS so like 50 kids)…but overall it isn’t difficult to get accepted.

This is true. CS/engineering are very difficult admits, but a general population admit is much easier, and actually less competitive OOS than for residents. I know kids not accepted to UMD (predictably, based on classes and test scores) who were accepted at UW. In-state, kids are generally in the top 10% or so of their class.

It is a truly spectacular campus in a great city with so much to offer.

But the oos cost isn’t worth it if it isn’t cs/engineering