Student Application Procedure

last modified January 9, 2012

2012 DEADLINES:
- Spring Quarter: February 1st*
- Summer Sessions: February 1st*
- Autumn Quarter: July 1st* (for the Autumn 2012 Marine Biology Quarter, there will also be one early admission deadline of May 15.)

*Student applications will be accepted beyond the stated deadline if space is available, email Stacy Markman or call 206-616-0753.

Applications are welcome from undergraduates, post-baccalaureates or graduate students from any institution, worldwide. Applicants do not need to be currently enrolled at the University of Washington or any other university or college.

Following the application deadlines listed above, applications will be reviewed all at one time by faculty. Admissions decisions are normally completed in approximately 3-5 weeks and applicants are notified via email. Financial aid requests will be considered after admissions decisions have been completed. This normally requires an additional 1-3 weeks.

Note: Graduate students who wish to conduct independent research should follow the fellowship application procedures .

Required Student Application Documents

All applicants (other than UW-matriculated undergraduates applying for Spring Quarter or Autumn Quarter at FHL, see note below) need to submit the documents listed below.

Note to UW-matriculated undergraduates applying for courses or research apprenticeships in spring or autumn: To apply for spring or autumn at FHL, UW undergrads need to submit ONLY (1) the FHL Web Application Form and (2) unofficial transcripts via email to Stacy Markman. UW-matriculated undergraduates applying for spring or autumn quarters do NOT need to submit a statement or a letter of recommendation.

UW-matriculated undergraduates applying for an FHL research apprenticeship in spring or autumn who wish to be considered for funding from the Mary Gates Endowment for Students must submit ALL of the following documents by the FHL application deadline (Feb 1st for Spring Quarter or July 1st for Autumn Quarter):
1) FHL application form,
2) unofficial transcripts,
3) personal statement, and
4) a letter of recommendation.

Please note that to apply for summer coursework at FHL, all students, including UW-undergraduates, must submit all of the following documents.

Note to students applying for the Zoo-Bot Quarter, Spring 2012: an application for ZooBots will require two steps: 1) submit the web-based FHL application form (link below) selecting "Zoo-Bot Quarter 2012" from the Spring Quarter course list, and then 2) EMAIL your course preferences to Stacy Markman, FHL Student Coordinator, at: fhladmin@uw.edu.
ZooBot course choices are available at:
http://depts.washington.edu/fhl/studentSpring2012.html#zoobot

APPLICATION DOCUMENTS:

Note for Marine Biology Quarter applicants: If you are applying for the Marine Biology Quarter in Autumn, in addition to the documents listed below you will also need to email Stacy Markman with a list of your three course preferences. Please see Marine Biology Quarter course choices and descriptions at: http://depts.washington.edu/fhl/studentAutumn2012.html#MBQ

1) WEB APPLICATION FORM (click this link to complete and submit)

2) TRANSCRIPTS. We strongly encourage electronic submission. Official transcripts are not required. The following are our preferred formats in order of preference. The emailed transcripts should have the student's last name in the subject line.

Adobe PDF format (.pdf) sent as an attachment to email to Stacy Markman. This method is strongly encouraged.
Fax: 206-543-1273.
Plain text copy of your transcript emailed to Stacy Markman.

3) PERSONAL STATEMENT. Not required for UW undergrads in Spring and Autumn Quarters (unless applying for funding from the Mary Gates Endowment for an FHL research apprenticeship - see NOTE below). All students applying for a summer course, and all students in spring and autumn except UW undergraduates, please provide a statement of approximately one page which describes how this course or apprenticeship will help you achieve your career goals. If you are applying for more than one course or apprenticeship, you may choose to submit a customized statement for each.

We strongly encourage electronic submission. The emailed statements should have the student's last name and academic quarter to which they are applying in the email subject line, e.g. "Smith, Aut 2012." The following are our preferred formats in order of preference:

Adobe PDF format (.pdf) sent as an attachment to email to Stacy Markman.
Microsoft WORD document (.doc) sent as an attachment to email.
Plain text copy of your statement emailed to Stacy Markman.

4) LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION. Not required for UW undergrads in Spring and Autumn Quarters (unless applying for funding from the Mary Gates Endowment for an FHL research apprenticeship - see NOTE below). Please provide one or two letters of recommendation from faculty member(s) who are familiar with your work. Letters should be emailed directly from the writer to Stacy Markman. The emailed letters should have the student's last name in the subject line.

5) FINANCIAL AID REQUEST FORM, if applicable. This request form is required if requesting financial aid from Friday Harbor Laboratories.

The Financial Aid Request Form is available in either Excel or .pdf format. We prefer that you download the Financial Aid Request Form (Excel template), fill it in, save it as a .pdf file, and submit it via email to Stacy Markman, FHL Student Coordinator, at Stacy Markman. If you do not have Excel, you can download a pdf version of the form, then fax it to 206-543-1273. Forms submitted by email should include in the subject line the student's last name and the academic quarter at FHL to which they are applying, e.g., "Smith, Summer 2012."

NOTE: UW-matriculated undergraduates participating in an FHL Research Apprenticeship program MAY be eligible for funding from the Mary Gates Endowment (MGE) for Students ($3000 for a 15-credit apprenticeship, $1200 for a 6-credit research apprenticeship). FHL staff will request MGE funds on behalf of eligible students; this does not require additional action from the student. To be considered for MGE funding, students must submit to FHL (by Feb 1st for Spring Quarter or July 1st for Autumn Quarter) all of the following documents, as listed above: FHL Application Form, Personal Statement, transcripts, and a letter of recommendation. If accepted to an FHL research apprenticeship, FHL staff will forward all FHL application documents to MGE. Again, only UW-matriculated undergraduates are eligible to apply for MGE funding; students do not need to submit an FHL Financial Aid Request Form in order to be considered for MGE funding and do not need to address statements or letters of recommendation directly to MGE.

If a Research Apprentice requires additional financial aid, then a Financial Aid Request Form should be prepared, although additional aid for research apprentices will only be considered in exceptional cases.

UW graduate students: please be sure to contact your advisor and department to inquire about support prior submitting your request to FHL for financial aid, and please be sure to include this support in your financial aid request.

How much will this course cost? Check out the Student Costs page.

Scholarship and fellowship funding derives from generous donations from alumni and friends of Friday Harbor Laboratories. Financial aid is awarded on the basis of both financial need and academic merit, and admission decisions are not influenced by financial aid requirements. Support is available to undergraduate students, post-baccalaureates, and graduate students. Additionally, the Libbie Hyman Fellowship supports students on their first trip to a marine research lab.

The financial Aid Statement should be emailed to Stacy Markman. Your statement should be specific in describing and enumerating your financial constraints.

LIST THE FOLLOWING THREE ITEMS IF YOU SUBMIT A FINANCIAL AID REQUEST. Please be as brief and specific as possible:

The type and amount of expenses you anticipate during the time you will be attending FHL. You may list tuition, room and board, airfare, and possibly rent you must pay in another location if, for example, you cannot find someone to sublet (most applicants are able to sublet!).
All sources and amounts of income and other support, including scholarships, fellowships, support from your home department or advisor, and other financial aid you expect to receive during the time you will be at FHL. You should also include the amount available to you from private support, e.g., from family, salary earnings, other income, or from savings.
The amount of financial aid from FHL you are requesting to meet any financial shortfalls. You should specify a minimum amount of financial aid from FHL that you feel is required in order for you to participate in the FHL course or apprenticeship.

Action on admission cannot be taken until the application file is complete.

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS - click here for information regarding student visa applications.

The 5-week courses in summer may be taken sequentially (one in Summer Session A and one in Summer B) but not concurrently.

Admission: Well-qualified undergraduates may be admitted to graduate-level courses with the consent of the Director and the faculty involved.

For additional information, email fhladmin@uw.edu or call 206-616-0753.

The Director of Friday Harbor Laboratories has final authority in accepting persons for the FHL instructional program.