<p>According to wikipedia, U. Washington is a very respectable public ivy. The low SAT scores doesn't seem to correspond to its supposed level of prestige though, and none of my friends (I live in VA) know where or what UW is... They all think it's in podunk Virginia.</p>
<p>Thats just a common man perception. Plenty of people who follow sports know who the Huskies are. UW is a VERY respectable school.</p>
<p>Depending on your perception of "prestigious", it might or might not be prestigious. UW is a very good school. Sure it's no Michigan or Virginia, but it's a very good school no matter what people say.</p>
<p>Yes, the U of Washington in Seattle has many strengths, but don't expect your friends and relations on the east coast to readily know abut its quality. It's nearly a three-day drive from Chicago. LOL.</p>
<p>UW is a very well respected research institution. Undergrads are the price the faculty has to pay in order to do research. The school is famous for turning its undergrads into mere numbers on a list. It would be hard to find a more impersonal school.</p>
<p>I would look at it as being prestigious. Not at the same level a Berkeley or UVA but still as one of the top public unis.</p>
<p>Perhaps your friends ought to be less quick to label other parts of the Old Dominion as "podunk" if they themselves couldn't figure out which state the University of Washington is in.</p>
<p>Dont get it confused with Washington University (WUSTL)</p>
<p>The UW is a very large school on the water in Seattle. It is a good school with above average sports programs. Currently it boasts black head coaches in both basketball and football. I don't think there is another D1 university that has this. Alot of the kids in the state don't really apply anywhere else. They are weak in financial aid, I think because they assume everybody wants to be a husky so they are a bit tight compared to other regional schools. They kind of came off to us and big impersonal U.. </p>
<p>My kids are going elsewhere for various reasons related to scholarship dollars, location and size of campus/student body. However, they both may be back to spend postgrad dollars there.</p>