<p>i) I decided to apply to UW because it was my safety as an in-state public school, but a very strong safety since it has some really great programs and research opportunity. I decided to attend because I simply didn’t have the money to go to the out of state schools (Michigan, UCLA) I would have preferred. </p>
<p>ii) This is a tricky one because any out of state public school is going to be very expensive. That said, UW is still relatively cheap compared to other out of state tuition price tags. If you have the money and you like the school, I wouldn’t let that stop you from coming. </p>
<p>iii) Can’t really answer right now because I haven’t spent enough time on campus (I will be an incoming freshman in the fall). </p>
<p>iv) Same as (iii)</p>
<p>v) Definitely. Seattle is a great place with lots of stuff to do. The Ave and the U District are both within walking distance, and then the rest of Seattle is very accessible via bus. Included in the tuition is a U-PASS, which is basically a free pass on any state-run transportation service including the metro buses in addition to some trains I heard. </p>
<p>vi) Lived in a suburb of Seattle my whole life, so I’m used to the weather. It really doesn’t bother me at all, but I don’t have much of an outside perspective I suppose. </p>
<p>I’m attending UW because it’s the best school in state. Financially limited as I was when I made this choice, it made sense. However, there is absolutely no reason to apply if you’re from out of state.</p>
<p>I do like attending a large school. We have many clubs, events, majors, etc., and social groups are more flexible because it’s impossible to know everyone on campus. Classes are a horrific experience that I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy. Expect at least one class that’s over 300 people per quarter your first three years. Almost all tests are scantrons. Professors are only required to have one office ‘hour’ per week (50 minutes). Most of the professors for introductory lecture series are foreigners and cannot clearly express their ideas in English. Grad students “teach” some classes, but from what I’ve picked up, I would say that “teaching” (or, uh, learning) is not really a priority here.</p>
<p>Registering for classes you need is not possible for most freshmen. You have last pick and many classes fill up BEFORE juniors can register. I can’t tell you how many classes I got into the night before the quarter started (when people do last-minute drops). I feel significantly less intelligent than I was before I came here… Perhaps all universities are an institutional mind-f*&ck, but I doubt it.</p>
<p>The U District is a city unto itself. It’s easy (extremely easy) to isolate oneself within it, particularly if you live in the dorms. The Seattle bus system is a nightmare and it’s prohibitively expensive to have a car in Seattle. The UPASS is NOT free. It now costs $100 a quarter and doesn’t pay for itself unless you use it… well, about once a day. It’s cheaper than a car, I guess. The weather is fine. I actually like the rain, so I’m always disappointed by our MANY continuous weeks without it! What is the social life like on campus? It’s what you make of it. Meeting people is easy; forming cohesive groups is more difficult. If you like to party, go greek. If not, good luck. There are plenty of clubs and organizations, but a fair number of them are ethnic or cultural in nature. If you don’t have that going for you, you’ll miss out on a lot.</p>
<p>Basically, if you are out of state… DO NOT COME HERE. I know – dramatic. But it isn’t worth it unless you can obtain residency after your first year.</p>
<p>Although I said I don’t have much perspective since I will be a freshmen in the fall, most of lautia’s comment clashes with all the things I’ve heard from my friends who have attended UW. There are a lot of students from CA who turn down schools in the UC system so they can attend UW. UW is a good school, and VERY strong in several areas (top nursing program in the nation, top 20 engineering school, great business school, etc). </p>
<p>Many introductory classes will have large lecture halls, but you will also meet in a small “quiz” group of about 20 students about once a week so you have more time with an instructor/TA. Also, this is something you’ll run into at almost any big school. Intro classes will always be large unless you attend a small liberal arts institution, but once you get more concentrated within your major, the class sizes come down. </p>
<p>From what I’ve heard and experienced firsthand, UW really isn’t the nightmarish place which Lautia has depicted, but it’s good to remember that even if the majority of people are happy with the school, it might still rub you the wrong way. The best way to get a feel for yourself is to visit if you can. Even if you don’t like the University, Seattle is still a great city, so you’ll get to visit an awesome city out of the deal at the very least.</p>
<p>Oh, sorry. It’s just – quiz sections, really? Hmm.</p>
<p>It’s true that some majors drop in class size over the years, but there are still plenty of very large 300/400 level courses. Many of UW’s programs are well ranked. A recent ranking put the university at #16 internationally; multiple departments are in the top 10 nationally. The graduate nursing program is, I believe, #1. If this is important to you, take note. I’ve just found that the reality is quite different from the statistics. Not nightmarish, exactly, just not really conducive to learning.</p>
<p>My S is going to be a senior at UW. He never had any problems registering for classes, he never had a class with 300 students in it. Some of his classes had 10-15. He never had any problems talking to profs outside of class(if he felt the need). He will be graduating with 2 degrees, in PoliSci and in Econ, plus the Honors, in 4 years. He chose UW because it was the best deal financially. He never regretted the choice.</p>
<p>Good grief, lautia, I have to wonder if you’re really attending my alma mater.</p>
<p>OP, I got my BA from UW. It is, as noted, a world-class university academically. The ginormous classes referred to are things like Hist 101, Psych 101 – general requirement classes in the first 2 years. The lecture parts of those classes are held in Kane Hall, which has several very large auditoriums. Most of those classes also meet several times a week in quiz sections, 30-50 students. As you get to be an upperclassman, virtually all of your classes will be small.</p>
<p>The campus is a jewel in the midst of the larger jewel of Seattle; both are stunningly beautiful. The University District for shopping and entertainment is an easy walk from campus. Downtown and the waterfront are an easy bus ride. Students go off-campus alot.</p>
<p>Seattle weather… well, it actually doesn’t rain as much as people think, but there are alot of gray days during the winter. On the other hand, autumn and spring can be glorious. </p>
<p>The social life is what you make it (that’s true anywhere, lautia ). Will you know every student on campus by name? No. But assuming you’re a reasonably interesting and interested person, you’ll make friends in the dorm, or in class, or both. There’s a virtually unlimited assortment of activities and ways to meet people on campus.</p>
). Will you know every student on campus by name? No. But assuming you’re a reasonably interesting and interested person, you’ll make friends in the dorm, or in class, or both. There’s a virtually unlimited assortment of activities and ways to meet people on campus.</p>