How Risky Is UDub for CS?

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Washington
1

Hi, I recently applied to UDub out-of-state for CS and was admitted as a Pre-Sciences major. I’ve taken 3 years of CS in high school and learned a lot on my own so I’m very confident that CS is the only thing I would want to major in. UDub has a really good program for AI which I’d like to study and good software internships and jobs in Seattle so I really liked the school.

How big of a risk would it be to come as a Pre-Sciences and try to get into CS, and are there any other viable options at the school for me or should I just opt out for another school I’ve been admitted to.

2

Best advice is from the UW:

https://www.cs.washington.edu/academics/ugrad/admissions/freshmen

3

It’s VERY risky if you want CS. Look at Informatics and Computational Math to see if those are of interest - in which case your odds are better.

4

If you didn’t get CS at admissions, you’re likely not getting CS at all, especially out of state, and do not believe anyone who tells you otherwise. In particular, do not listen to students or parents using previous years as a guide.

This is the first year of the ‘majority of slots given at freshman admissions’ system for CS. Last year was the first year for that for the College of Engineering. There are students in my daughter’s class who did not understand the new system and did not realize how low their chances for admissions would be if they tried to get engineering as a sophomore or junior. It’s really sad. Some of the parents of older students on the parents facebook keep trying to encourage these families to “keep trying! my kid got in as a junior!” despite the fact that the system has totally changed. It saddens me and it saddens the students.

If all you want is CS, go elsewhere.

5

^ That’s why students should read the UW website. It could not be clearer on this point.

https://www.cs.washington.edu/academics/ugrad/admissions/freshmen

“Currently, the majority of our majors enter via Direct Admission, and 15-20% of our majors enter via Transfer Admission. While this leaves roughly 30% of our slots for Current UW students, we have significantly more applicants than we have student spaces, so admission to the Computer Science major is not assured. Current Student Admission is primarily intended for students who discover an interest in Computer Science after enrolling at UW.

“Students who are admitted to the University of Washington but not offered Direct Admission to the Computer Science major need to weigh their options. Because the University of Washington is outstanding across-the-board, we encourage such students to consider choosing UW and pursuing a variety of relevant majors: Informatics, Applied & Computational Mathematical Sciences, Geographical Information Systems and others. Students who are 100% certain that they want to major in Computer Science and who are guaranteed a position in the major at a program elsewhere should consider whether that might be a better option for them.

“As noted above, the majority of CS majors enter through Direct Admission, and 15-20% of our majors enter via Transfer Admission. This means that students coming to UW without a Direct Admission offer should design an academic program that prepares you for other majors. One option is to pair any other major with our non-major courses.

“We have worked hard in recent years to increase the number of undergraduates that we are able to accommodate - an effort that has been successful, thanks in large part to investments by the Washington State Legislature and strong support from the University to expand our program. However, even as we grow, we will have to contend with capacity limitations for the foreseeable future. Our Current Student Admission pathway is currently at a 20-25% acceptance rate and that will likely go down again in the future.

“Should I come to UW if I want to study CS and was not Direct Admitted to the Allen School?

“Only if you are willing to pursue a concentration in CS through our non-major courses. There may be rare exceptions to consider (perhaps you have family committments locally, or are tied to medical facilities here). If you feel you have extraordinary reasons for attending UW as a non-DA freshman intending on applying to CS you should speak with an Allen School adviser before committing to UW.”

https://www.cs.washington.edu/academics/ugrad/admissions/dtm

“Beginning with the freshman class of 2019, students not directly admitted into the Computer Science major should be prepared to major in something other than Computer Science if they come to UW.

“What should I do if I am admitted to UW but not to Computer Science via Direct to Major admission?

“Some applicants who select the Computer Science major on their UW application will be admitted to UW but not offered Direct Admission to Computer Science. We encourage students to be open-minded. Many students arrive at UW thinking they want to pursue one major, but develop a passion for another major during freshman year. UW offers more than 180 majors, including a number of technology-related majors other than CS which are popular choices for many students and can be a great fit for your future plans.

“However, if you are absolutely certain that you want to major in CS and you did not receive Direct to Major admission, you may want to consider other universities.”