S26 rejected for CS, OOS
GPA: 4.0 UW, FW around 4.6
ELC: yes
Competitive SoCal high school
ECs: avg/good, one state level stem competition award
Essays- average or below - needed work as it was not customized to UW.
Acceptances so far: UCD, UCSB (likely given reception invitation), UMass AMHERST ($18k merit), and others
So frustrating. Definitely hardest from the 206.
If you’re in-state, not in a UW preferred group, and applying to a competitive major - it’s very difficult. Also, if your parents graduated from a university, it is even more challenging. I apologized to my kids for graduating.
Accepted for my D26 Instate Engrud, waiting on Honors Program decision. Her essays were beautiful and unique.
I didn’t get involved until the Summer 2025 as her English teacher was helping the students with Common App and my D26 said she could do the essays but in July she was just stuck. By July 2025, we raced to get a college counselor in place for both college app and essay support. She wrote 5 drafts for common essay ( this many drafts is common), 2 drafts for the UW Honors program . The UC PIQs were in a format she found challenging against the grain of her natural writing style. But it’s ok she got into UCD with the Provost award which gives us hope for UCLA.
Her ECs over past 9 years, focused on 1 instrument, on one sport but branched out after Covid, one volunteer organization, and 2 HS clubs. The application would reflect she found joy in these activities.
Her SAT score lower than what we had envisioned for her. She scored a 1580 on a practice test the night before the exam but life happens people, there are train tracks with trains running during the exam at the only testing site available to us in October 2025.
I don’t think they care at all about SAT score even though there is some mention of its use of >1400.
One of the kids in my daughters class got waitlisted with a 1600.
I think the competitive state schools, at least on the west coast, care mostly about not over-crowding any departments (the highest demand majors), paying the bills with the right mix of out-of-state students, and getting the demographics they way they want to see them. Grades and a reasonable rigor in class selections certainly matter, but beyond that we may be overthinking it.
Do we think Honors will be released Monday?
One more data point for folks to consider. We are OOS in the Bay Area CA. Our son graduated from UW in 2024, had an amazing experience, couldn’t have been happier. Our daughter was waitlisted this year for biochemistry despite having strong academics - 4.0 UW/4.5W (and stronger than our son). It happens, particularly at the competitive state schools, and she already has some attractive admissions so she wasn’t too concerned with the waitlist (although she has stopped wearing the UW gear she got from her brother lol).
What is more interesting are the outcomes for her class. Last year just over 40% of applicants from her HS were admitted. This year the number is currently just under 20% with many of the WL coming from higher stats kids. Very different from years past when academic stats correlated fairly strongly with admissions outcomes. An anomaly? Smaller numbers (~50 kids apply)? Or is UW taking a different approach this year to OOS admissions? Will take a few years to find out it seems.
Congratulations to all accepted, and best wishes for all students!
Our son was accepted (oos), direct admit into Biochem, and he had pretty strong stats (imo), so I’m not sure what you mean by a “different approach.” 3 years ago, his cousin was WL for the same major and was ultimately accepted into pre-science. Their stats were similarly strong; hers was actually a little stronger: a 4.0 UW with an AA and graduated #2 at a highly ranked public school, whereas his was a 3.97. His test scores were higher (1500 vs. 1250’ish) but UW doesn’t care about that. UW does cite volunteer experience as a relatively high priority, and our son has over 800+ hours, plus a couple of gold Presidential Service awards. Hers were solid but I believe, just enough for NHS. Additionally, because she was working on earning her AA at the public school’s DE “college academy,” many of her DE credits weren’t STEM-focused, since an AA requires credits in Phys Ed, etc. As a homeschool student, he was able to focus his DE credits on science, to work at the food bank, and to intern at a research lab.
is it possible that they send notifications tomorrow?
Any more reliable responses in this thread would be appreciated by future readers.
For those willing to share, here’s a quick version of what’s most helpful to know for UW:
accepted / waitlisted / rejected
in-state or out-of-state
first major, requested
unweighted GPA
number of AP (or equivalent) classes taken
any additional information you believe would be helpful
Accepted
Out of State (CA)
Human Centered Design & Engineering
4.0
10 APs
Just to correct this for future - turns out I am misinformed here: University of Florida (Warrington Business - Heavener Undergraduate) does not require a secondary internal application and admission to their business school. You are admitted to UF generally (regardless of major for most programs) - and can switch majors with you advisor at will, in order to progress though you need to complete the appropriate courses with a minimum GPA.
did anyone received decision on honors program?
My D26 said that one of her friends was notified a few days ago that she was admitted to the honors program. (We are OOS, btw)
When my S23 applied, I seem to remember everyone being notified either yes or no in the portal. But my D’s portal still just says that she applied.
portal doesn’t say anything otherthan we get notified between march 15 to april 15th
Nothing yet 
My D26 received her UW Interdisciplinary Honors acceptance yesterday afternoon and accepted. She’s absolutely thrilled! Her older orchestra classmate was also accepted last year. Back to back year acceptance for our Eastside high school is a big deal.
Yes yesterday afternoon around 3 pm , about 24 hours after my D26 committed and submitted her Enrollment deposit. We are in state.
Yes, OOS