@speedsolver Iwas admitted to admission for Fall 2015! 
I’m a full time RS student, I’ll have 90 credits, and my AA. I’ve taken all my English, I’ve done Stats, Calculus, and for Science, I’m doing Chem now. One thing I wished I didn’t take was Bio, I regret not having the opportunity to take Physic in replace of Bio. My overall GPA is 3.86, College 3.9. Here’s the thing, in my application I didn’t put Computer Science as my major, is it possible to still apply for direct admit? If not, when would I apply for Computer Science? Thanks for your help!
@phillipiscool123 It’s likely too late to apply for direct admit. Usually the entire admissions committee would meet for several days straight just to go through all freshman applications.
You can learn more about applying while at UW here: https://www.cs.washington.edu/prospective_students/undergrad/admissions/upper_division
@speedsolver
since it looks like i will have to go to UW as pre-science major, but i got accepted into Georgia Tech’s CS program.
do you think it will be worth it to try my luck at UW? cuz i think the job market in seattle will better
Thanks for the offer to help, much appreciated! My son just got into UW with a Purple and Gold Scholarship and we are waiting for the info packet with the specifics, including whether he got DA to CS. I see all the posts and your info on DA and wanted to get your thoughts on - he is currently also admitted to UW-Madison and Purdue (the latter with a scholarship), both for CS. If he does not get a DA into CS, what are your thoughts about these other two schools for a DA to CS? Thanks in advance for your feedback!
I was browsing the CSE Facebook page, and I read through some of the posts including a somewhat controversial one about a drawing of a penis on a whiteboard which had some mentions of girls feeling uncomfortable in the department due to harassment. I also noticed a general lack of participation on the FB page for girls. My unofficial transcript loads as Computer Science, so I would be really excited to attend UW for CS, but as a female, some of these comments concern me. I know there will always be some form of inequality everywhere for a minority in the field, but does UW do an okay job creating an open, friendly environment? Also, is there any sort of hate towards freshman direct admits for getting directly into the major without having to do go through the competitive general process?
@jamesxxd Congrats on Georgia Tech! Please check out the other threads on this – it’s really a chance you’ll have to take if you join UW. Instead of checking the job market near each school, see what companies visit the schools’ career fairs. Just because UW is next to, say, Microsoft, doesn’t mean that it automatically gives student a leg up when applying.
The following doesn’t just apply to women as minorities in CSE, but also LGBTQ, racial and ethnic minorities, etc.
@student197 Please feel free to PM me if you have any other questions if you prefer talking in private.
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does UW do an okay job creating an open, friendly environment?
As a female who just graduated last year, I do want to emphasize that UW (especially at UW CSE) creates a nurturing and welcoming environment. Yes, there are some people who can be immature, both inside and outside of CSE. We do actively call out these these things, not to paint the environment negatively, but to make sure people understand that this is NOT ok.
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A couple of things to note about the FB group – The whiteboard incident could have been anyone; it wasn’t located in a CSE only area. It’s also open to all students, not just to CSE students. Some students leave a distasteful feeling when I read their comments/debates, but vast majority of the department is, in short, pretty amazing. These people are some of the most open minded individuals who are invested in making the environment welcome to all.
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general lack of participation on the FB page for girls
I was not aware of such a FB page, to be honest. I admin a couple of groups on women in tech discussions and local events, but other than that, we don’t have a specific CSE women page. I personally talk about more sensitive topics with some close friends in person, but others will post on FB for others to jump in on the conversation.
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There are multiple student organizations centered around CSE or other engineering, such as ACM-W (CSE specific), Society of Women Engineers, UW Women’s Initiative (K12 engineering outreach), and Women in Informatics (Informatics specific). There’s also an engineering sorority, if you’re interested.
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is there any sort of hate towards freshman direct admits
In general, no. There’s always a couple of people who are annoyed they can’t get into the department (e.g. if they had terrible grades) who complain that DAs take up spots, but the one and only time I heard that comment was when I was a freshman and someone had just failed their CSE 142 midterm. It’s also worth noting that the department has increased by about twice the size per graduating class (since I was a student), but the direct admit class is still about the same size.
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Hey @speedsolver
I created a different thread for my question, but I realize I should’ve just asked here.
I’m an international student. I applied to UW and got admitted. My intended major was Computer Science. This morning, I received an email that said I have been given ‘Pre-sciences’ as my major until I take the pre-requisite courses, which include some chemistry, physics and mathematics courses.
Here’s the thing: I’ve got A levels in my country. For those who are unfamiliar, the A level is a 2 year course after high school that allows you to take advanced level classes. They’re equivalent, to AP, I guess. I’ve got chemistry, physics, mathematics and English as my A level subjects, which means that I’ve already got most of the pre-requisite courses.
What I want to know is whether or not I’ll be able to complete the rest of the pre-requisites (CSE 142, CSE 143) in the first quarter or semester and then apply for Computer Science in the spring.
I’m really REALLY confused since I’m quite unfamiliar with the US college system.
What are the chances of me getting accepted into Computer Science in spring? I want to become a software engineer, so if I don’t get Computer Science, what else can I apply for to achieve my goal?
Secondly, UW is my first choice and I’ve gotten rejected from most other unis. Do you think I should go to UW? Is it a risk to go as a pre-sciences student?
Thirdly, how long does it take to graduate? I understand that the US uses a credit system and I need 180 credits to graduate. Can I complete my major in 3 years (including the pre-sciences thing)? What if I stay in school for a summer or two?
I apologize if the questions are too vague. As I said, I’m quite unfamiliar with the US college system.
@speedsolver, I’ve been looking through the threads from previous years and someone said that the cs department does a second round of direct admissions during spring break (the first week of april). Is this true or should I stop being in denial? Also any insight as to how difficult it is to get into cs from a pre-science major would be helpful, thank you.
I think this sight can give you an idea of the difficulty of gaining admission to cs as a pre-science major
http://data.engr.washington.edu/pls/portal30/STUDENT_APPL.RPT_APPLICANT_STATISTICS_YEAR.SHOW_PARMS
@speedsolver my son has been admitted to UW as a pre-physical sciences major, although he had applied for CS. He has a GPA of 3.7 with a weighted GPA of about 4.2. He did receive a Purple and Gold Scholarship from UW as well, but has also been admitted to U Wisc-Mad for General Engineering and Purdue (with a scholarship) for CS. How hard is it to maintain a 3.7+ GPA in the Freshman Year and besides the Personal Statement, what else (ECs) does he need to keep working on to meet the expectations for getting into CS through the Reg Adm? Is it worth the risk or should he pick one of these other schools? Any insights appreciated!
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complete the rest of pre-reqs
Are you done with all of those prereqs except CSE 142 and 143? I’m not sure if you need to be done with everything before Winter (when you apply for Spring), but there’s also a 143X (142+143 in one quarter) course that guarantees you’d be done with the prereqs.
chances of being accepted
This depends on your grades and personal statement. Talk to an advisor about this.
what else can I apply for to achieve my goal?
Honestly, if you’re proactive, you can major in anything. A friend of mine majored in British Literature (by choice), but learned programming and the CS concepts on his own time and ended up interning at the major companies as a software engineer. He’s doing well now that he’s graduated!
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If you want an easier path to becoming a software engineer, a few other majors include: electrical engineering, informatics, and applied and computational math sciences (acms). They all have career fairs that tech (and non-tech) companies go to recruit from.
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Do you think I should go to UW?
I can’t speak for you; I don’t know your current situation (financial situation, how you take exams under pressure, how you handle time management, etc).
Is it a risk to go as a pre-science student?
Yes. Anyone going to a university without a declared major and who are interested in programs that require another application process is taking a risk.
how long does it take to graduate
You can complete your major in 3 years if you take summer quarters. However, if you plan on being a software engineer, I highly recommend doing internships or research. It’ll be a lot harder to get a full time offer if you don’t do internships.
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Pre-Sciences (and pre-anything) is a placeholder for a major. There is no specific program called “pre-sciences”. Being “pre-sciences” or “pre-engineering” or “pre-arts” is the same thing.
@dontturn
I don’t believe they do that anymore; there’s too much demand for direct admit now. In the past, sometimes the 30-35 person freshman direct admit class is not filled because the admits opt for other universities.
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how difficult it is to get into cs from a pre-science major
This depends on your grades, personal statement, and how that compares to other people applying. Talk to one of the CSE advisors about this; they’re all on the admissions committee and have a much better idea of what a very competitive applicant is like now.
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how hard is it to maintain a 3.7+ GPA
It really depends on the classes he takes at the same time and how he manages his time/studies, so I can’t give an answer here.
what else does he need to do to get into CSE
The application only includes the GPA and personal statement, but it’s always a plus to get involved in something tech related to write about. For example, there’s a number of student organizations, tutoring/TAing opportunities, and hackathons/programming competitions to join. There is no “resume” section of the application process, so the best way to show you’re passionate about CSE is to work on personal projects (self teaching), get involved with research (yes, freshmen can do research!), etc.
worth the risk, or pick UW Mad/Purdue?
I’m not very familiar with UW Mad or Purdue, to be honest. I suggest your family talk about the pros/cons and what type of risk you’re open to taking.
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First, I’d check what companies/opportunities are available at both UW Mad and Purdue. This includes companies that historically recruit heavily from there, research opportunities, and where alumnae end up (networks are important!).
I’d then take more factors into account when discussing about UW - financial situation, back up majors, community opportunities - and then decide if the time/money that could potentially draw out is worth it.
Hope this helps, good luck!
@speedsolver
I’m just wondering whether AP/IB test scores can be used to satisfy Computer science prerequisite?, and if those can be used, is it possible to apply for CS major after a semester?
@speedsolver
anyone have an answer to @jamesxxd 's question? if i have ap credit for ap cs, i have ap credit for calc 1, and have taken calc 2 at a community college, could i use those to get out of those pre reqs and then apply for cs spring of my freshman year? I think if i had all those credits i would only have to take a science, cse 143, and english.
CS will not likely accept first year students who rush pre-reqs in one quarter to apply. I am a current freshman who applied and got rejected with a 3.8+ GPA. No first years students were accepted for 2015 Spring. I would instead take the time to do well in the pre-reqs (not rushing 143, 126 during autumn), as one bad grade (<3.5 in a class) will be enough to keep you out.
@halcyoncxd96
How about AP credits? is it a good idea to use those to get out of prereqs. I did AP Calc BC and got a 5. and have a 4 on APCS.
Take your time and do well. All that matters at the end is the grades you get, so retaking some of the classes can be a good idea to ace them through.
@halcyoncxd96 I was admitted into CSE for Spring 2015 and among the few admits that are currently freshmen. But, I completely agree with your point. Unless you can write an amazing essay and have a 3.8-4.0, waiting until the following autumn and doing well in the prereqs is preferable.