By Beret Kischner, Academic Counselor, Gateway Center
WHEN: Every Thursday afternoon, 1-4:00 pm
WHERE: Gateway Center, 171 Mary Gates Hall, University of Washington-Seattle
WEBSITE: http://www.admit.washington.edu/TT
What should I major in? How do I choose among all the majors at the UW? How can I prepare at my college for the major I want? Am I competitive? When is the best time to apply? Is foreign study or research a possibility for transfer students? These are common questions we hear every week at Transfer Thursdays.
Transfer Thursdays were started in January 2001 to create a welcoming and accessible place for prospective transfer students to find the information they need to make a smooth transition to the University of Washington. We recognize that people like the opportunity to talk to a real person, to ask those “in the know” about complicated issues. This is the place to make those connections.
We strongly encourage students to search the web to learn about exploring majors, preparing, applying, and transferring to the University of Washington; we hope students will follow up that search with a campus visit on a Transfer Thursday to learn more. Visiting the campus and getting a feel for the place is an added benefit of Transfer Thursdays. Since 2001, over 9,000 students have come to campus to use this service, and we expect that number to climb to 10,000 by the end of 2006.
The schedules on Thursday afternoons vary from week to week, but always include a transfer admission session, drop-in advising, and a variety of information sessions. The schedule looks like this:
• Drop-in advising, between 1-4 p.m. in Undergraduate Advising, Gateway Center. Students should bring copies (unofficial) of all their transcripts so advisers can help them with questions about major exploration and preparation.
• Transfer admission information session at 2:30 p.m. , Gateway Center, 171 Mary Gates Hall. A transfer admission specialist is available after that session to answer specific questions students might have about admission. UW Bothell, UW Tacoma, and Evening Degree representatives regularly participate in those sessions so that students can also learn about programs at those campuses.
• Departmental information sessions on Thursday afternoons. Many departments offer these sessions, some weekly, some monthly or quarterly. Check the schedule for sessions of interest to you. They are a good way to get detailed information about programs here and to connect with an adviser from the department. Check the site below for the schedule:
http://www.washington.edu/students/ugrad/advising/transess.html
• Departmental visits. If the department of interest to you doesn’t offer information sessions, call the department to ask about visiting on a Thursday afternoon. You’ll find the department phone number or email address on the web:
http://www.washington.edu/students/gencat/degree_programsTOC.html
• Transfer Café. Between 1:30-2:30 on Thursdays in the Gateway Center, UW students who transferred here and are members of the transfer honorary society, Tau Sigma, staff an information table to answer questions about student life on campus.
• Office of Minority Affairs information sessions. Advisers offer sessions about their program and services. Check the information schedule above for dates or contact either Leo Pangelinan, obo@u.washington.edu, or Cynthia Masterson, cyna@u.washington.edu.
• International student admission sessions. In the months prior to the international student application deadline on January 15, Transfer Thursdays host a series of admission information sessions for those students. Check the Transfer Thursday schedule for dates in November, December, and early January.
Please take advantage of this opportunity to learn as much as possible about becoming “transfer ready” for the University of Washington. And please send any comments or suggestions for improving this event to the editor of the eNewsletter. Thank you.
