Hi everyone! I’m a senior from Texas, and the University of Washington is my clear top choice. I’ve heard that it’s really tough to get in as an out-of-state applicant, and I’m hoping for some perspective and advice.
Here’s a quick rundown:
GPA: 105.42 weighted (my school does GPA on a 100-point scale)
Rank: 106/600 at a fairly competitive Austin-area high school
Activities: Student Body VP, class historian, NHS, theater, DEI-focused internship, and a few awards/recognitions
Essays: I feel confident that they reflect my voice and perspective
Intended majors: Sociology (first choice), Communication (second choice)
I know UW is competitive for OOS, so I’d love insight on two things:
How realistic is UW admission for someone with my profile?
Any tips on what I can emphasize in my application to give myself the best chance?
I’m applying broadly (19 other schools) but UW is the dream. Any advice would mean a lot!
There is no dream. All schools have issues. Bad profs, roomies, food, and more.
That said, I don’t think UW is necessarily hard to get into - short of CS. I’d imagine it’s easier than getting into UT in state but not top 5%
For sociology or communication, if you’re over qualified and that will depend on your application outside of grades (rigor, ECs, etc), you’re likely in good shape. There is no LORs and while you can submit an SAT/ACT, they are highly unlikely to use it.
I assume you can afford to go there ? It’s not cheap.
As an OOS student, it is very tough to be admitted to certain programs at UW (especially CS), but since you are not applying to these highly competitive programs you should have a decent chance. (Of course, you’ll also want to make sure you have great safety schools on your list that you will be happy to attend!)
Neither of your intended majors at UW require direct admission to the major. You simply need to be admitted to the university as a whole.
Sociology is a “minimum requirements” major. All UW students who meet the minimum requirements are admitted to the major.
My daughter also likes UW, and I’ll tell you the same thing I told her: UW has a specific essay prompt (they don’t use Common App’s personal statement), so I think it would be a good idea to make sure you submit an essay that answers their question, rather than using your generic Common App personal statement (if it doesn’t answer this question directly).
Tell a story from your life, describing an experience that either demonstrates your character or helped to shape it.
Also for any university, as you are composing your application, you’ll want to look over how they describe their own holistic process. Here is UW’s page talking about what they want to see: Holistic review – Office of Admissions
Can you afford to pay for U.Washington without taking on any debt at all? If graduate school is likely, then can you also afford to pay for graduate school without taking on debt?
You have excellent in-state options in Texas.
UT Austin is an excellent university. The University of Washington is an excellent university. As someone who lives elsewhere in the US, but who has worked with a few people from both schools, without looking at some arbitrary university ranking I would have a tough idea knowing which school is higher ranked or better overall or for any particular major.
However, attending university out of state is very highly likely to cost more.
I am also a bit amazed that a GPA of 105.42 does not put you in the top 10% of your class. To me this makes it a bit difficult to predict your chances.
Why is UW your dream? It is a very good university, but there are a lot of very good universities.
This is a good point… be prepared to pay the full OOS price, which is listed at $66,972 for the current school year. UW does award some merit scholarships to OOS students, but even if you are lucky enough to be awarded one, the dollar amount is relatively small (judging from past years, $2k-9k max).
Thank you for the insight! I really appreciate it. To answer your questions/concerns
My family is moving from Texas, so I would eventually lose in state tuition at UT Austin.
Udub has always been the dream… As a openly gay man I faced a lot of diversity in Texas and i’ve always worked hard in school to ensure that I would one day live in a more accepting area. After touring the school and the city I knew it was my top choice and i’ve been in awe ever since.
Yes, I am grateful to not let the price of the school weigh my decision.
Thank you for your insight I really appreciate it! While yes, there is no “dream”— I see Udub, seattle in general, as a light at the end of the tunnel. Something to look forward to, something to work towards.
Also yes, the GPA game at my high school is intense. and frankly, unrealistic. In all Texas high schools the battle for UT auto admit is real. Students take multiple AP courses over the summer just for the GPA boost it may give them… Crazy!!
What state will they move to? Note that there is typically a waiting period before in state tuition can be gotten.
University of Washington is not the only more accepting area. If you are “grateful to not let the price of the school weigh my decision”, then you have lots of other choices that will meet this criterion.
You can take a look at this page to see which states have laws and policies that are more friendly. Of course, this is not the only factor in acceptance, since general attitudes on campus and in the local community, as well as campus administrative policies, also matter.
Correct! My family is important to me and I am wanting to be close to them. That’s why there is no Texas schools on my list, and why Udub makes the most sense for me.
Make sure to have a back up. You have other UW campuses nearby (Bothell, Tacoma), some LACs and WWU not too far.
Of course, you’re going away to college. If not, meaning you plan to be home most of the off time like weekends and not on campus, you might also consider community college.
Ok but none of those align with what you just said - why UW.
“My family is important to me and I am wanting to be close to them.”
All are fine schools but if you know you’d choose Oregon over the rest due to distance, as an example, then you don’t need the rest. It’s a safety.
If you like Jesuit, Seattle U would be a closer sub to Gonzaga. U Portland would be closer as well assuming the new home is in the Seattle area.
I’m surprised KU made the list. Like many, it’s a liberal school but in a conservative bastion even though the governor is a democrat and abortion rights are secure.
I guess in that realm it’d be similar to in-state U Houston, UNT, Trinity and even UT.
Thank you for your input i super appreciate it! The reason for this post was to get some information on the likely hood of my admission to my top school. I have a list of 20 schools with needs based on my life, and i’m super confident with it!
