By Susan Inman, Adviser, Environmental Health
Notification for autumn transfer admission takes place in June and July. Because we receive thousands of applications every year, the review process is lengthy. The University takes great care in assessing applications and does not rush the selection of future students. While this process requires patience on the part of many applicants, the benefit is that each applicant is reviewed as an individual.
Step 1: The Receipt of Your Application
One to two weeks after your application has arrived in the mail or been downloaded from the online application system, the Office of Admissions sends a letter confirming that we have received your application. This acknowledgement letter contains a private access number and instructions, which together allow applicants to set up their own online account on MyUW.
Step 2: Monitoring Your Application Through MyUW
Through the MyUW account, applicants can verify information on file for them, such as transcripts and test scores. Applicants may use this same process to check their application status while it moves through the process.
(Applicants who are admitted to the University will find that MyUW becomes their homepage portal for the UW. This portal provides personalized University information relating to classes, tuition, housing, athletics, etc. MyUW also provides information about current events and campus news.)
The admissions office does not routinely to notify applicants that required documents are missing from their files. This is why it is important for each applicant to establish a MyUW account to monitor the application process. It is the applicant's responsibility to submit all required materials as described in the application instructions, which are available on the admissions website and in print, primarily Transfer Admissions & Planning.
Step 3: Creating Your Application File
Applications cannot be considered if any required components are missing after the application deadline. The Admissions office staff creates a paper file for each applicant. As supporting documents arrive – and there are thousands of high school and college transcripts – they are carefully matched to each application file. For this reason, it is critical that your name, date of birth, and Social Security are consistent on all documents, and that you indicate on your application any previous names you have used on official documents.
To determine an applicant's eligibility for admission to the University, high school and college transcripts are checked to verify completion of core subject requirements. An applicant's transfer grade-point average (GPA) is calculated using all previously completed college-level academic course work. A Transfer GPA of at least a 2.50 and completion of the core subjects ensures that the application file moves on to the comprehensive review process.
Step 4: The Review of Your Application File
Members of the admissions staff individually review each application at least twice. The comprehensive review is a holistic assessment of an applicant's academic background and performance as well as personal qualities and achievements. Information provided in the application, transcripts and the personal statement plays an integral role in our understanding the applicant and making a fair assessment.
A handful of UW majors are competitive, and students who have completed major prerequisites must apply for those majors by departmental deadlines that range from January through July. Information about application deadlines for individual departments can be found in a variety of places, including the University general course catalog. After departments review major applications, they notify the Office of Admissions of their decision. The admissions committee is then able to incorporate the department's recommendations into the final admission decision. This is an important step for University admission decisions and may affect the notification timeline. Applicants should be aware that, because of departmental deadlines and review processes, not everyone is notified at the same time.
Step 5: The Application Decision
After months of individual reviews, the assessed applications are ready for the toughest part of admissions: final decisions. Taking into consideration application assessment and enrollment priorities, we try to select those applicants who stood out in the assessment and look like the best fit for the University community.
Admitted students display qualities that predict academic success and will enhance the intellectual and cultural vitality of the university. The Office of Admissions tries to build a class that will create a stimulating educational environment and that will have the greatest chance at success in the professions and communities in which they will serve and lead.
In the selection process, the Office of Admissions dedicates thirty percent of the available spaces each year to students transferring directly from Washington community colleges.
Step 6: Notification
As soon as decisions are made, applicants are notified by mail. Applicants who are admitted first receive a letter and then a Welcome booklet with complete instructions on how to confirm their enrollment.
