University of Washington Admittance

Quick question about the University of Washington - is it easier to get admitted into certain programs or majors than others? UW has been my dream school, but I want to strategize my application properly. Any tips?

The University of Washington operates on a "Capacity-Constrained Majors" system. What this means is that some majors have more demand than available spots and therefore have a competitive application process for admittance into those programs. These majors are often ones like Computer Science, Business, Engineering, or Nursing.

In contrast, other majors at UW are "Open," meaning anyone who meets the prerequisites can declare without an extra application process. These tend to be less saturated fields, like some Humanities and Social Sciences programs.

However, keep in mind that your application to UW is initially evaluated without consideration of your intended major. The university first determines if the student is a good fit overall. If you're admitted, and your major is capacity-constrained, there's a separate application process for that specific program.

You might be tempted to strategize and select an open major to increase your admission chances, but that could backfire if you're not genuinely interested in it. Not only would you need to handle the extra steps of transferring majors later, but your lack of genuine interest might show in your application essays.

So, the best strategy often comes back to authenticity. Choose a major you're genuinely interested in, illustrate your passion for that field during the application process, and showcase how you'd contribute to the UW community. But be prepared with a backup plan if your intended major is a capacity-constrained one, as admittance into those programs is not guaranteed, even if you are admitted to the university.