<p>I plan on applying to transfer to UW-seattle this summer for winter quarter. Im just about to finish up my DTA degree at a Washington community college. My GPA is pretty low at a 3.2 but has had significant improvement the last 4 quarters. I have a ton of community service and cultural experience since I've spent almost 6 years now in the USMC reserve. Ever since I started school I have worked full-time and been in the Marines. My main concern is that with my GPA not being anything special, is my personal statement going to have to be a homerun for me to have a realistic chance at being accepted? Also what else if anything can I do from now until applying in August? Any advice or words of wisdom are very welcome, thanks</p>
<p>Your GPA is lower than average, but not by much. As well as having a good personal statement, it would be important for you to have good grades in your major prerequisites. If you tell us your intended major and how well you’ve done in the prerequisites, that would help us evaluate your chances better. </p>
<p>My intended major is history, for the prerequisites I think I have a little over 3.5</p>
<p>Make sure you have a really strong personal statement, but as far as your intended major GPA, you should be fine. History is an open major, so as long as you have a 2.5 or better, and have completed their requirements to declare the major its not an issue. Make sure you discuss all of your challenges, time in the military etc. They like diverse students who have been able to further their education in spite of adversity. Just to add, the History department is fantastic here. I am a dual major in American Indian Studies and Anthropology, but just switched the Anthro to History because their program is more in line with what I intend to do. They are really helpful; their classes and content are really diverse, and they really value their students. Good Luck!</p>
<p>No matter what, you need to have a great personal statement. Give 100% to every aspect of your transfer application. Also, it looks like some departments at UW only consider your GPA for the last three quarters (<a href=“https://admit.washington.edu/Admission/Transfer/TransferGPA”>https://admit.washington.edu/Admission/Transfer/TransferGPA</a>). That could help.</p>
<p>You also will need a backup plan, in case UW does not accept you. I hope that you also apply to Washington State, plus Western Washington University too; maybe even some others.</p>
<p>Your GPA is perfectly respectable, but UW is very hard to get into for everybody. This is why you need a backup plan. Also, did you know that every Thursday you can simply drop by and get transfer advice at the UW? It is called “Transfer Thursday.” See this webpage:
<a href=“http://www.washington.edu/uaa/advising/at-the-uw/for-transfer-students/”>http://www.washington.edu/uaa/advising/at-the-uw/for-transfer-students/</a>
Also see this webpage for general advice on transferring:
<a href=“Transfer | Office of Admissions”>https://admit.washington.edu/Admission/Transfer</a></p>
<p>I also am former Military. Before I enlisted, I had a very below average GPA (Like 1.8…I knew I was enlisting, so I just stopped going to classes. Yes, I was an idiot). When I got my discharge, I enrolled at a WA CC to start my degree. Since then, I have nearly a 4.0 average (3.98), and wrote a killer personal statement too (I spent a ton of time on it). Last week, I received my acceptance letter to UW-Seattle/Foster.</p>
<p>I had a 2.9 cumulative GPA, but a 4.0 Pre-App and a 5.25 on the WSA.
It is very possible that you can get in with a below average overall GPA, if you show improvement since your poor grades, as well as writing a great statement.
Good luck!</p>
<p>@SeattleSleuth </p>
<p>Congratulations!
You have very high WSA scores.
Can you give me some tips to prepare for WSA?</p>
<p>Sure!
To me, the WSA is much like the SAT essay test, where you have to compose ideas in limited time. I choose a quick direction, spent a bit of time thinking of an excellent thesis, and then expanded on it using the known formats. I always spend longer than most on my thesis, as it sets the direction and focus of my essay. When I have a strong thesis statement, it allows the rest of my paper to flow/connect, so by spending more time there, It allows me to write the rest of my paper with limited interruptions.</p>
<p>I also studied several business examples before taking the test, such as: Apple’s stock price over time, how certain companies became successful, the behavior of the stock market, etc. This allowed me to relate some of those to my papers, depending on which was applicable. If you can relate business examples to your paper/subject, it makes it that much stronger.</p>