So I recently finished my 2 year degree at Green River Community College in Auburn. I was never the best student to begin with but now I am starting to see how important education is especially in the job market. I didn’t have the best grades in high school, graduated with a 2.4 and I went straight to community college for the fear that no university would consider accepting me. When I first started I wasn’t sure exactly what I wanted to major in and my first few quarters weren’t very good in terms of academics. I managed to finish my AA in arts with a gpa of 2.96 and I attained the 90 credit benchmark. I have been involved in a few clubs at the school while I was there and I managed to get a leadership award as well. Not only that but I have worked on campus for 2 different jobs throughout my time at the school and I have volunteered and helped out with a few events as well. Do you think I should try to apply? Uw has always been my dream school to go to but I know that alot of schools like these look at grades harshly.
There’s no harm in applying and I’d say you have a chance. Despite your overall GPA being considerably lower than what is usually accepted, you’ve still completed your AA (and hopefully the prerequisites to your intended major), and are a Washington community college student. That already boosts your chances considerably, and puts you ahead of those applying from 4-year colleges and with few credits completed. Also, since you’ve stated that you had a rough few quarters, that sounds as if you’ve had an upward performance trend in terms of grades, which will be looked at positively under the UW’s “holistically reviewed application process.” For the personal statement, try to tie in your extracurriculars as well as possible and make references to any struggles that could’ve affected your marks. Remember to apply for Fall, as that quarter is when the acceptance rate for transfers is highest.