uw application personal statement

• Faculty & Staff

Students admitted to the UW now have until June 1 to commit, a result of FAFSA delays. We anticipate that financial aid offers will be sent in late April or early May.

Transfer application

Follow this checklist to make sure you have everything you need to submit a complete application for transfer admission.

• Review major requirements
• Personal statement
• Send transcripts
• Application fee
• Sending test scores

Are you interested in applying as a transfer applicant for spring quarter? Be sure to review these guidelines .

Make sure you also know what’s not considered .

1. Review major requirements

The process of applying to a major can be complex. Some UW programs require that you enroll at the UW before applying to the major, while others require a separate application in addition to the UW application. Use the MyMajor tool to determine what your major requires.

2. Personal statement

Your personal statement should be a comprehensive narrative essay outlining significant aspects of your academic and personal history, particularly those that provide context for your academic achievements and educational choices. Learn more about format, required and optional elements and tips for writing your personal statement .

3. Send transcripts

A high school transcript (if less than 40 quarter credits of transferable coursework) and official college transcripts are required components of your application file. Learn more about sending your transcripts , including what makes them official .

4. Application fee

U.s. transfer students.

The application fee is nonrefundable, and must be submitted each time you apply. It cannot be transferred to another quarter, to another campus of the UW or to another student.

• Application fee: $80
• Fee waivers are available for U.S. applicants (including undocumented students) with confirmed financial hardship. 

Learn more about the application fee and applying for a fee waiver .

International transfer students

• Application fee: $90
• Fee waivers are not granted to international applicants.

Learn more about the application fee .

5. Sending test scores

U.s. transfer students — sat/act.

The UW no longer requires SAT or ACT scores (read the  June 11, 2020 announcement for more information) for transfer applicants. Students who have taken the exams are welcome to send their scores, however, there is absolutely no advantage or disadvantage in doing so . Learn more about test scores and how to request them .

International transfer students — English proficiency

International students must submit English proficiency test scores that meet the minimum requirement for admission to the Seattle campus of the UW. SAT and ACT exams are not required for international students. Learn more about English proficiency .

The online application is closed.

Things we do not consider

No interviews/demonstrated interest.

The UW does not conduct formal interviews or consider demonstrated interest in the admission decision.

No letters of recommendation

We ask that you not to send letters of recommendation or other supplemental materials such as drawings, CDs, DVDs, books or other portfolio type items. We will learn everything we need to know about you through your application and essay responses.

Quick links

• Make a Gift
• Directories

Apply to the Economics Major

On this page:.

Updates & Announcements Application Requirements When to Apply Admissions: By the Numbers The Personal Statement The Holistic Review Tutoring Resources Frequently Asked Questions Information Sessions

Updates & Announcements

Spring 2024 Admission Cycle (for 2024 Autumn Quarter Admission to ECON) Updates: The Undergraduate Programs Application for the Spring 2024 cycle is now closed. Application results were sent to each applicant, via email, on May 6th, 2024.

Autumn 2024 Admission Cycle (for 2025 Winter Quarter Admission to ECON) Updates:

The Undergraduate Application and the RTW Registration for the Autumn 2024 Admission Cycle are not yet open. As soon as updates are available, we can notify you via email --   Sign up to be notified!   (@uw.edu login required)

Application Requirements

The following materials and criteria are required for a complete application to the Department of Economics:

• Eligible applicants must be accepted and be currently-enrolled UW students with 45 credits completed. For more information about admission to the UW as a first-year student or transfer student, see here .
• Prospective Transfer Students : Please see our website detailing the Direct-to-Major Transfer Admission Pathway . Keep in mind that a numerical grade in each prerequisite course is required before applying to the Economics major. In addition, general resources regarding transferring to the UW can be found at the university's Transfer Planning Resources page. 
• Bachelor of Arts
• Bachelor of Science
• These courses must be completed with a standard/numerical grade. Credits earned through  Advanced Placement (AP) , International Baccalaureate (IB) , or Advanced Level (A-Level) exam scores are acceptable.
• Prerequisite courses may not be in-progress. Courses must be completed before applying.
• Each course may only be repeated one time each. Applicants may enter the higher of the two grades earned in a repeated course for consideration.

"Extraordinary Circumstances Quarters" Note: As UW students have been uniquely impacted by the current global pandemic, certain academic quarters have been deemed “Extraordinary Circumstances Quarters” by the Office of the University Registrar. As a result, UW students have the option to change their original/numerical grade to the “S/NS Grading Option” for these quarters, and “S” grade designations can be counted toward degree requirements. Applicants to the Department of Economics may enter-in “S” as their grade for the “prerequisite” courses, when prompted on the application form. For details on this updated policy, see here .

• Incomplete forms will not be considered.
• Link to Application
• Unofficial Transcripts may be saved as a PDF from the Academics tab of your MyUW. ( See an example! )
• Official Transcripts are not required.
• Cumulative UW GPA must be above 2.5 to be eligible for application
• If you need additional help accessing your UW Unofficial Transcript, click here for detailed instructions.
• Please include a transcript from your other institution(s) in PDF format. Unofficial Transcripts are acceptable. Official transcripts are not required.
• See the personal statement prompt below.  
• Please see  RTW Exam website  for details.
• We advise students to take the RTW in the same admission cycle that they are applying.
• Students applying to switch from the Bachelor of Arts to the Bachelor of Science do not need to retake the RTW, and may have their previous RTW score considered, if preferred.
• RTW scores will be reported directly to the Department of Economics. Students do not need to supply their RTW score on their applications.
• Students  receiving  scores below 3 will not be admitted except in very rare/unique situations.  
• For those planning to pursue a double major or double degree, please submit a PDF of your MyPlan, showing your quarterly plans from the quarter you are applying through graduation as accurately as possible. We understand that plans are not permanent and can change, but we want all applicants to be well-aware of their academic plans, especially in regard to the UW's  Satisfactory Progress Policies .

See here for instructions on how to create a PDF of your MyPlan.

When to Apply?

Applications are due no later than 11:59 p.m. on the second Friday of the quarter.

Applicants will be notified of their results by the end of the 6th week of that quarter/cycle, in time to register for the subsequent quarter.

You may refer to the UW Academic Calendar to identify when each quarter begins and when each "Second Friday" application deadline will be.

Admissions: By the Numbers

The Department of Economics is a  capacity-constrained  major. Meeting the basic criteria does not guarantee admission to the major.

(These GPAs are averages, not cutoffs; roughly half of the students accepted to the major in Spring 2024, for example, had prerequisite and overall GPAs lower than 3.58 and 3.67, respectively. The admissions considerations are holistic. Please be aware that the admissions committee considers many factors when making its decisions, including cumulative GPA, prerequisite GPA, RTW score, the overall strength of the applicant’s academic background/transcript, and the quality of the applicant’s personal statement.)

*Prerequisite coursework included in this average are ECON 200, ECON 201, Statistics, and MATH 124 coursework. English Composition is omitted from this average.

**Average Overall GPA included in this average is a combined calculation of student applicants' UW GPA and any GPAs from transferred coursework.

The Personal Statement

Please submit a personal statement with your completed application. You may discuss some or all of the following that pertains to you:

• Describe an experience where your background, identity, or interests have helped to shape your educational goals.
• If you have faced a hardship, setback, or challenge, how did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience? If the causes for the recent “extraordinary circumstances” quarters (Winter 2020, Spring 2020, Summer 2020, Autumn 2020, & Winter 2021) impacted your ability to succeed, please briefly describe.
• If you are pursuing a double major or double degree, why are both academic programs important to you?
• If you have previously applied to this program, what has improved since your previous application?

Maximum parameters: 

• 1 single-sided page
• typed & double-spaced
• 12pt. Times New Roman font
• 0.5” margins

See an example!

There is no word limit, but the above parameters are required. Applicants will be prompted to upload a PDF file of their Personal Statement in the Undergraduate Application Form.

The Personal Statement is an important piece of your application. Please be sure to address the prompt(s), and adhere to the parameters.

UW has plenty of resources that can help you write a great personal statement:

• Odegaard Writing & Research Center
• The Writing Center at The Center for Learning & Undergraduate Enrichment (CLUE)
• The Writing Center at the Office of Minority Affairs & Diversity Instructional Center (OMA/D IC)
• Applications & Personal Statements resource page by UW Academic Support Programs

The Holistic Review (i.e. How will my application be considered?)

In reviewing each application, a broad range of factors are taken into consideration. All aspects of the application are highly-considered -- Prerequisite course grades, overall academic performance, RTW exam results, and the personal statement. Each component of the application should complement each other, and showcase a student's interests and abilities toward studying economics as they earn their UW degree. For example, if a student mentions high enthusiasm in learning economics, then that enthusiasm should also be reflected in the student's grades in economics-related coursework, as well as their result on their RTW exam, etc.

For students with credits and transcripts from other institutions, it's important for us to see a student's progress through each academic term. This is why we request for each applicant to submit a transcript for each college-level institution attended. We are aware that a "transfer credits summary" typically appears on your UW transcript. However, this does not provide us with complete information about the transfer courses taken.

This holistic approach in reviewing applications to the Department of Economics allows our program to focus beyond just a few factors, and consider the applicant as a whole.

Tutoring Resources

There are a number a tutoring resources available at the UW for courses such as ECON 200, ECON 201, introductory statistics and calculus.

• Economics Tutoring Resources
• Math Study Center
• Statistics Tutor & Study Center

Frequently Asked Questions

Still have some questions? Please be sure to check out Frequently Asked Questions page.

Information Sessions

Interested students are also highly-encouraged to attend a Prospective Student Information Session  for an in-depth look at the application & admissions process.

The University of Washington, as a standing policy, does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, disability, or status as a disabled veteran or Vietnam era veteran. Any discriminatory action can be a cause for disciplinary action. This policy applies to all University programs and facilities including, but not limited to, admissions, educational programs, and employment. Such discrimination is prohibited by Titles VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Sections 503 and 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Age discrimination in Employment Act Amendments of 1978, Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974, other federal and state statutes and regulations, and university policy. Inquiries regarding the application of these laws and regulations to the University may be directed to the University’s Equal Employment Officer; to the director; Seattle Regional Office, Office for Civil Rights, US. Department of Education; or to the director, Seattle Area Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, Department of Labor.

•   Facebook
•   Twitter
•   LinkedIn
•   Instagram
•   Newsletter

Our lobby is open 9:00-5:00. We also offer virtual appointments.

Our lobby will be closed all day May 31st.

• Undergraduate Students
• Graduate Students
• Recent Graduates & Alumni
• Staff & Faculty
• Managers of On-Campus Student Employees
• Career Fairs
• Online Resume Review
• Drop In Coaching
• Career Coaching Appointments
• Workshops and Events
• Career Courses
• Connect with Employers
• Connect with Alumni & Mentors
• Free Subscriptions for Huskies
• Private Space for Virtual Interviews
• Husky Career Closet
• Professional Headshots
• Find Purpose
• Build Skills
• Get Experience (internships)
• Build Relationships (networking)
• Tell Your Story (profiles, resumes, cover letters, interviews)
• Find Success (jobs, service programs, grad school)
• Arts / Media / Marketing
• Consulting / Business
• Non-profit / Social Justice / Education
• Law / Government / Policy
• Physical & Life Sciences
• Sustainability / Conservation / Energy
• Tech / Data / Gaming
• First Generation Students
• International Students
• LGBTQ+ Students
• Students of Color
• Transfer Students
• Undocumented/DACA Students
• Student Veterans
• Students with Disabilities
• Featured Jobs & Internships
• Handshake Access Details
• Internship Advice
• On-Campus Employment
• Job Search Tips
• For Employers
• Peace Corps
• Diplomat in Residence
• Baldasty Internship Project
• Get Involved

Crafting a Personal Statement

• Share This: Share Crafting a Personal Statement on Facebook Share Crafting a Personal Statement on LinkedIn Share Crafting a Personal Statement on X

A Personal Statement is a written component of a student’s application to a graduate or professional degree program that allows a student to explain their reasons for applying, and usually serves as the answer to a specific prompt that is given, such as “How will completing the _____ program at _____ college help you achieve your professional goals?” When no prompt is provided, the goal is to tell your story which creates a more holistic view of who you are and your candidacy.

Connect with us:

Contact us: 9a-5p, M-F | 134 Mary Gates Hall | Seattle, WA 98195 | (206) 543-0535 tel | [email protected]

The Division of Student Life acknowledges the Coast Salish people of this land, the land which touches the shared waters of all tribes and bands within the Suquamish, Tulalip, and Muckleshoot Nations. Student Life is committed to developing and maintaining an inclusive climate that honors the diverse array of students, faculty, and staff. We strive to provide pathways for success and to purposefully confront and dismantle existing physical, social, and psychological barriers for minoritized students and communities. We engage in this work while learning and demonstrating cultural humility.

• > undergraduate
• > prospective-students
• > admissions

The Psychology Department is committed to building a learning environment that promotes well-being, solution-based thinking, diversity of thought, social responsibility, and an understanding that identity, personal values, views, and social and political context influence how one understands the world. In the review of all applications, we will be looking for students who are committed to furthering these values.

Admissions Overview

This video reviews the application process and personal responce.

Admission Video

Application Decision

The Psychology Department Admissions Committee's review of students applications is informed by the University of Washington's approach to admitting first year students through their holistic review process. Academic achievement in gateway Psychology courses (PSYCH 101, 202, and 209), is an important factor when it comes to holistic review, but we want to know more about our students than what is reflected in their grades and coursework. Your entire application is important in our holistic review. We encourage you to use the required personal essay to share who you are and what is important to you. Where are you headed? What do you care about? We are excited to learn what you will bring to the UW Psychology community and to the field of psychology in general.

Preparing Your Application

Transcripts:  Before starting your application, please have PDF versions of your unofficial transcripts from any college or university you attended other than UW . As a part of the application, you will upload unofficial copies of your non-UW transcripts only (we have access to your UW transcripts).

Minimum Admission Requirements:  Before you are eligible to apply for admission to the major, you must complete and have a minimum grade of 2.0 for each of the prerequisite courses and a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.50 in the three courses (PSYCH 101, 202, and 209):

•  PSYCH 101 Introduction to Psychology, or equivalent transfer course
•  PSYCH 202 Biopsychology, or equivalent transfer course
•  PSYCH 209* Fundamentals of Psychological Research, or equivalent transfer course
•  MATH 111, or 120, or 124, or equivalent transfer course 
• An applicant must be a matriculated student at the UW Seattle campus at the time of application - if you are a newly admitted UW Seattle student you must wait until your first quarter to apply to the psychology major

*a minimum grade of 2.5 is needed in PSYCH 209 for the BS program

Application Deadline

We accept applications during the autumn, winter, and spring quarters --admission is not available for the summer. The application cycle for fall quarter will open in late September , and applications must be submitted in the system by 10:00 pm (PDT) on October 4, 2024 . You will have the option to save and continue your application. However, after after applying, you will no longer be able to edit or access the application. Late applications will not be accepted under any circumstances.

Personal Response

In responding to the question below, we encourage you to answer honestly and in your own voice. Please share relevant examples and details. We will not consider grammar or language proficiency in our evaluation of your responses. Written responses must be submitted in 500 words or less , and will be evaluated along the following criteria:

•  Relevance to the prompt
•  Depth of thought and insight
•  Discussion of personal and professional experiences
•  Discussion of how studying in the Psychology Department's major is a good fit for your educational and career goals

If you require assistance with the writing response portion of your application, please visit the Odegaard Writing and Research Center or the UW Instructional Center . In order to protect the integrity of the process and to avoid potential conflict of interest, the Psychology Writing Center and the Psychology Advising Office are unable to assist with the writing of your responses.  

Important note: All employees of the University of Washington are required by Washington State law to report child abuse and neglect in all circumstances by either calling Child Protective Services or the police. In situations involving a UW program, employee, student, volunteer, or facility, UW employees must also contact SafeCampus, the University's violence prevention and response program. Employees may also consult with SafeCampus around concerns for the safety and well-being of students for the purpose of receiving advice about how to best provide resources and support.

Personal Response Question:

Tell us why are you interested in studying psychology?

• Tell us about your personal, educational, work, and/or volunteer experiences, as well as your personal values, background, experiences with diversity, and any challenges that have shaped your academic journey. How have these influenced your educational and career goals?
• As you reflect on the wide range of potential applications of psychology, tell us how being a psychology major will contribute to achieving those goals.

The Application

Applications are due by 10:00 pm PDT on Friday of the second week of the quarter. The 2024 spring quarter submission deadline will be on October 4 , 2024 . We are not able to accept late applications under any circumstance.

Decision Notification

Students will receive a decision email during the fifth week of the application quarter. Registration starts during the seventh week of the quarter, providing enough time to consider class planning. If you have not heard about your status, please contact Carrie Perrin, at [email protected] .

Questions About the Process? 

A departmental Admissions Committee reviews the psychology major application. If you have questions about the application process, please contact Carrie Perrin,  [email protected],  with the subject line "Psychology Application."

Frequently Asked Questions

Departmental policy for "s" grades and repeating .

This impacts "S" Grades Earned in Spring/Summer/Fall Quarters 2020, in Winter/Spring/Summer Quarters 2021, and in Winter Quarter 2022 only.

The Office of the University Registrar initially contacted students on June 3, 2020, explaining the addition of a grading option change that will allow students to request conversion of a numeric grade to a Satisfactory/Not Satisfactory grade. The change that was in effect for spring 2020, summer 2020, fall 2020, for winter 2021, spring 2021, and summer 2021, and for winter 2022 is that an S grade can be used to satisfy a degree and/or graduation requirement (normally, S grades can be used only for elective courses). Please note that S grades earned prior to spring 2020, as well as in fall 2021 can not be used to satisfy specific degree or graduation requirements.

With respect to admission to the Psychology major, grades of S earned for PSYCH 101, 202, or 209 in spring, summer, and fall quarters 2020, in winter, spring, and summer quarters 2021, and in winter quarter 2022 (but not in any other quarter), will be accepted toward admission to the major; however, an applicant's admission GPA (which is the cumulative GPA for PSYCH 101/202/209), will be based solely on numeric grades earned in those classes . For example, if a student has a numeric grade for PSYCH 101 and 209 and an S grade for PSYCH 202 (from spring, summer, or fall quarters 2020, from winter, spring, or summer quarters 2021, and for winter quarter 2022 only), that student's admission GPA will be based solely on the cumulative GPA for PSYCH 101/209. Note that the math course required for admission is not part of that calculation so a grade of S for MATH 111, 120, or higher earned in spring, summer, or fall quarters 2020, for winter, spring, and summer quarters 2021, and for winter quarter 2022 will suffice for admission to the major.

Please note that S grades earned in any quarter prior to spring 2020 and in fall 2021 are not impacted by this policy change and will not be accepted toward admission to the Psychology major. For updates and information regarding University level policies please visit the Office of the University Registrar's website.

Departmental policy regarding repeating admission courses:

• Students may repeat each class required for admission only once.
• If a student repeats one (and only one) of the three Psychology courses required for admission (Psych 101 and 202 and 209), we will accept the better of the two grades for that course. If a student repeats more than one of the three courses, we will accept the better grade for ONE course and we will average the grades for the two attempts for other repeated courses.
• Psych 101, taken twice, 0.0 and 3.0
• Psych 202, taken twice, 1.5 and 2.5
• Psych 209, taken once, 2.5
• Psych 101, 3.0
• Psych 202, 2.0 (average of 1.5 and 2.5 is 2.0)
• Psych 209, 2.5
• Please note that the above are Psychology Department policies with regard to admission to the major. Grades in repeated courses that are "dropped" for the purpose of calculating our admission GPA are not dropped from the student's UW record, and will continue to be calculated in the cumulative UW GPA.

Current UW psychology students admissions data

The data below represents current University of Washington students enrolled at the Seattle Campus.  

Subscribe to our updates

• School of Law

J.D. Admissions

J.d. admissions first year applicants.

To be considered for admissions, applicants must follow the application instructions, register with the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) and Credential Assembly Service (CAS), take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) and demonstrate that they have earned a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited U.S. or Canadian university or the foreign equivalent whose program has been deemed comparable to that of a four-year baccalaureate degree, prior to registering for the first academic quarter at UW Law.

Application Deadlines

• October 1 - Applications open for incoming first-year students
• November 15 - Early Decision Program application deadline
• January 15 — Application deadline for the  Gates Public Service Law Scholarship , which includes both the JD application and the Gates Public Service Law Scholarship application. Please note that you must have an LSAT score on file in order to proceed with the selection process. The last LSAT accepted for consideration is the January 2024 administration.
• March 15 - Priority application deadline for incoming first-year students 

These deadlines are non-negotiable.

Admissions Policy

The law school faculty has adopted the following policy regarding admission to UW Law:

The primary goal of the University of Washington School of Law admissions process is to enroll students who demonstrate outstanding academic and professional promise and whose background and experience will contribute beneficially to the learning environment of the law school. As the state’s public law school, we have a responsibility to educate lawyers who will serve the legal needs of all members of society, through the practice of law, the formulation of public policy and other law-related activities. Our admissions policy is designed to identify individuals who will help fulfill this responsibility.

In measuring academic potential, we evaluate candidates holistically, balancing multiple considerations in selecting a cohort of students for each incoming class. No single factor is dispositive for admission, including GPA and standardized test scores. Factors we consider include but are not limited to: the rigor of the applicant’s undergraduate curriculum; the nature and attainment of an advanced degree; the applicant’s pre- and post-college experience as it relates to the applicant’s academic and professional potential; the quality and strength of recommendations which address the applicant’s academic and professional potential; variations in the level of academic achievement over time; any other indicators that may aid in the determination of academic and professional potential. Additionally, we encourage law students to identify any aspects of their backgrounds that would benefit the diversity of the law school community and the legal field as a whole.

Nondiscrimination Policy

UW Law provides for a selective admission process with the objective of attracting students who demonstrate the strongest prospects for high quality academic work. This selective admission process shall assure that the University's educational opportunities shall be open to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, citizenship, sex, pregnancy, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, disability or veteran status. The process of admission shall be mindful of the need for diversity in the student body and for highly-trained individuals from all segments of the population. For more information, please visit here .

Applicant Responsibility and Accuracy of Information

Applicants are under a continued obligation to notify the law school immediately of any and all circumstances and events that may occur from the date an application is submitted to the first day of enrollment that may change any of the responses to their application. UW Law reserves the right to rescind an offer of admission if the candidate fails to maintain satisfactory scholastic standing for work in progress, if final records fail to show completion of courses and/or degrees required for admission or if the admission decision was based on incomplete, inaccurate or misleading information furnished by the applicant. In addition, the law school may also report its findings to LSAC's Misconduct and Irregularities Committee.

Character and Moral Fitness

Applicants who have been convicted of a felony or other serious crime are eligible for admission into the law school; however, because state bar associations often prohibit persons with criminal records from being admitted to the bar regardless of their degrees or training, it may be impossible for such individuals to practice in some states. In addition to the bar examination, there are character, fitness and other qualifications for admission to the bar in every U.S. jurisdiction. Applicants are encouraged to determine the requirements for any jurisdiction in which they intend to seek admission by contacting the jurisdiction. Addresses for all relevant agencies are available through the National Conference of Bar Examiners .

Application Instructions

An application is complete and ready for evaluation when the following items are received:

• Application - Applicants may submit the application through the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) .
• $60 Application Fee - The application fee will be collected through LSAC.
• Personal Statement - The University of Washington School of Law aspires to be the best public law school in the nation and one of the world's most respected centers for interdisciplinary legal studies. Advancing access to justice, facilitating a fair and thriving global marketplace and fostering an environment of inclusivity and equity is integral to who we are. The primary goal of the admissions process is to enroll students who strive to be leaders; demonstrate outstanding academic, professional and leadership promise; are committed to generous public service and ethical advocacy; and who have background and experiences that will enhance the diversity of the student body, thereby enriching the law school educational environment. As such, applicants are invited to write a personal statement that describes their potential contributions to our vibrant community. Please limit your response to 700 words . Applicants may include the following factors in their personal statement or the optional supplemental statement: perseverance against substantial obstacles; social or economic disadvantage; family or personal adversity; social hardships; disability; prejudice or discrimination; leadership potential; studying or living abroad; foreign language skills; special talents; unique life experiences; or geographic diversity.
• (Optional) Supplemental Statement - Applicants may supplement their personal statement by including a response to one (1) of the following optional questions: (a) why are you interested in pursuing a legal education at the University of Washington; (b) what life events or experiences have had the greatest influence in shaping your character and why; or (c) if you were asked to create a non profit organization, what would be the organization, its mission and its purpose? Please limit your response to 500 words .
• Résumé   - Please provide a résumé detailing any significant vocational, non-vocational, extracurricular or community activities, volunteer work, honors, awards, any service in the Armed Forces, job descriptions and major areas of responsibility along with dates of employment (mm/yyyy) and the number of hours per week devoted to such activities, publications or other information that you believe the University of Washington School of Law should consider in evaluating your application. Also please include details as to any foreign language proficiencies you possess, including the level of ability with regard to speaking, comprehension, reading and writing. Your résumé may not exceed three (3) typewritten pages .
• Credential Assembly Service Report - The Credential Assembly Service (CAS) report will include: (1) the applicant's transcript(s) from each institution of higher education prior to obtaining your bachelor's degree; (2) Law School Admission Test (LSAT) score(s): and (3) any letter(s) of recommendation. It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure that LSAC has received all necessary materials to complete the CAS file. You are advised to confirm that your CAS file is complete; LSAC will not send the law school a CAS report until then.
• Letters of Recommendation - Two (2) Letters of Recommendation are required and must be submitted through LSAC's Letter of Recommendation Service. The strongest recommendations are those submitted by a professor who knows an applicant's work well and can give a well-substantiated assessment of their academic potential. For applicants who have been out of school for some time, professional recommendations are appropriate.

Please note : all records become part of the official file. They will not be returned or duplicated.

• Meet the J.D. Team
• Class Profile
• UW Law Viewbook (PDF)
• Connect with JD Admissions
• JD Application
• Application Status

Office Hours Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. lawadm@ uw .edu (206) 543-4078

Address 231 William H. Gates Hall 4293 Memorial Way NE Seattle, WA 98195 

Related Links

• Gates Public Service Law Scholarship

Standard Admission

Foster is consistently ranked as the best public business school in the Northwest and admission to the undergraduate program of the Foster School of Business is capacity-constrained. We encourage all who meet the minimum application requirements to apply. We accept applications for autumn and winter quarters. Students admitted for the autumn quarter have the option to enroll for summer quarter. We only count credits from non-UW institutions that are transferable to UW.

The Foster School is currently not accepting post-baccalaureate applications.

Before You Apply

Important deadlines.

All other applicants must submit two applications: one to Foster and one to the UW Office of Admissions . Check the UW Admissions website for application deadlines and requirements.

UW-Bothell and UW-Tacoma students are considered transfer applicants. Please see the “Transfer & Running Start Freshman Applicants” section below.

Please note that UW Admissions operates on a different timeline than Foster.

Eligibility

• a total of at least 60 numerically graded college credits from UW and/or other accredited colleges and universities. (Examples of credits that are not numerically graded include AP, IB, and A-Level credits)
• a minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA for all college credits , including transfer credits. Because UW does not allow forgiveness for repeated courses, GPAs are recalculated with repeated courses included.
• all business course credits, including transfer credits
• all UW credits
• all UW business course (prefix courses include: ACCTG, BA, BCMU, MGMT, MKTG, QMETH, etc.) credits
• Minimum score to have application considered: 3
• Highest valid score is automatically paired to your application.
• Completed the required prerequisite courses.

Reporting your Grade Point Average Convert letter grades to numeric grades using the following chart (For AP, A-Level, or IB courses, do not submit a grade):

COVID-19 Admissions Notice

COVID-19 Notice / S Grades

Due to the impact on COVID-19 on higher education institutions, UW has designated the following Extraordinary Circumstances Quarters (ECQ): Spring 2020, Summer 2020, Autumn 2020, Winter 2021, Spring 2021, Summer 2021, and Winter 2022.

The Foster School of Business has adapted its undergraduate admissions policy for pre-application and pre-admission courses where an S grade was earned at the University of Washington during an EQC. The list of pre-application and pre-admission courses is available in the “Prerequisite Courses & Admission Criteria” dropdown section below.

Pre-application courses: At least two (2) of your pre-application courses must have a numerical grade (4.0 scale). Other pre-application courses that were taken during an ECQ with S grades will not negatively affect an applicant’s admission to Foster.

Pre-admission courses: Pre-admission courses that were taken during an ECQ with S grades are acceptable for admission to Foster. Any pre-admission courses that are taken during an ECQ with S grades will not negatively affect an applicant’s admission to Foster.

Non-ECQ quarters: NS grades will not be sufficient for admission to Foster. S grades from non-ECQ quarters will not be accepted for pre-application, pre-admission or BA degree requirements.

Transfer students who have questions about a course’s grade during a similar designation at their institution should contact [email protected] .

If you have any other questions, please email [email protected] .

Application Requirements

Apply online.

To create your online application profile, click the “Apply to the Undergraduate Program” button at the bottom of this page.

Current UW-Seattle, UW-Bothell, UW-Tacoma students, and Returning Applicants: Log in with your UW NetID authentication.

All other applicants must submit two applications: one to Foster and one to the UW Office of Admissions. Check the UW Admissions website for application deadlines and requirements. If you do not already have a UW NetID, you will be able to create one after completing your UW-Seattle Admissions application.

UW-Bothell and UW-Tacoma students are considered transfer applicants. Transfer and Running Start applicants must submit two applications. Please see the “Transfer & Running Start Freshman Applicants” section below for more info.

*You will receive communication via the UW email system. Make sure emails from [email protected] will not get sent to your spam/junkmail folder.

Prerequisite Courses & Admission Criteria

Completion deadlines for prerequisite courses.

The chart below presents a quick picture of the courses required before application and, if admitted, those required before entering the program. Course numbers are for courses offered at UW Seattle, but equivalent courses will be considered.

Pre-application courses must be completed and graded before the application deadline. (April 5 for autumn/summer or October 5 for winter.)

Pre-admission courses can be in progress while you’re applying, but must be completed by the last day of spring quarter for autumn admission and by the last day of the autumn quarter for winter admission.

• We will also accept MATH 125, MATH 126, MATH 134, or Q SCI 291 for calculus.
• We will accept any UW designated “C” course. The UW does not accept AP credit to satisfy the English Composition requirement, even if your transfer institution did.
• If transferring from a college where the fundamentals of accounting are taught in a 3-part series, you must complete the first two courses before the application deadline and the third course by the pre-admission deadline.
• Applicants may take either micro- or macroeconomics before applying, but they must complete both by the pre-admission deadline.
• If you attend a school where an equivalent course is not taught, contact our office for advice.
• We will also accept STAT 311, STAT 390, PSYCH 317 & PSYCH 318, Q SCI 381, MATH 390, IND E 315. Statistics courses from other institutions with a pre-calculus pre-requisite will be evaluated on a case by case basis at the time of application. Note: STAT 220 (or other previously accepted statistics course that does not meet the above requirements) no longer accepted for admission unless course was completed prior to winter 2018. Transfer applicants please see the “Notes for Transfer and Freshman Applicants” section below.

Application Review Criteria

Our goal is to admit a student body that is diverse, contains multiple perspectives and experiences, and is academically rigorous. Consideration is given to such factors as cultural experiences, significantly higher recent grades, exceptional extracurricular activities or leadership experience and the effect of personal disadvantage on earlier education.

Each year, approximately 30-50% of applicants—between 550 and 650—are admitted. For all applicants, index scores are created from three admissions factors: Combined GPA, Pre-application GPA, and Writing Skills Assessment. These factors are standardized and assigned the following weights.

We review all applicants together (current and returning UW, transfer, international transfer, and running start) and only use current standing for post-admission demographic data.

Writing Skills Assessment (WSA)

All standard admissions applicants to the Foster School must take the Writing Skills Assessment (WSA) administered through the Foster School.

In the assessment session, students are given 90 minutes to plan and respond to two prompts. One prompt is based on a short workplace scenario (the persuasion task) and one is based on an assertion (the position task). The WSA must be completed prior to the application deadline and we only allow one assessment per cycle.

A University of Washington NetID is required to register for the WSA. You should only have a single UW NetID.

If you don’t already have a UW NetID and…

• You’re taking the WSA soon (one quarter or less before applying to Foster): You will be able to create a NetID after completing your UW-Seattle Admissions application.
• You’re taking the WSA early (multiple quarters before applying to UW/Foster): You can request a sponsored NetID to take the assessment. The same NetID will be used for your UW-Seattle Admissions application.

Register for the WSA Information about the WSA

Personal Statement

Your personal statement provides you the opportunity to discuss aspects of your life that may not be apparent in the rest of your application materials. You’ll have three boxes and space for 6,000 total characters, including spaces. A common misconception is that you must answer all three prompts. You are not required to answer all prompts; you may choose to focus on the prompts you have the most to talk about or you could choose to answer all three prompts. The most important thing to understand about the personal statement prompts is that they cannot hurt you in any way, they can only help.

Prompt Tips:

• Be specific; when providing examples of when, how long, and what you learned/gained from your experience.
• Be concise, direct and truthful.
• Avoid broad statements such as “I’ve always wanted to attend the Foster School because I want a business degree.” It is a legitimate comment but does not tell us anything distinctive about you.
• When describing your experiences, don’t assume the reader has had your same experiences or shares your perspective. Keep in mind that what you write in the application is used for admission purposes only.
• Be thoughtful about your response.
• Give yourself ample time to write and rewrite your responses. Ensure you are properly using the word limit to effectively express what you are trying to convey.
• It is not necessary to have two spaces after each period, since extra spacing counts towards your allotted word count. Copying and pasting from a Word document can detract from your total word count. We recommend writing directly into the application itself, however it is wise to save a copy of each essay before hitting submit.

Essay 1: The Foster School’s goal is to admit students who are prepared to be academically successful. We understand that students sometimes face challenges in achieving their academic goals. Please describe any extenuating circumstances that have impacted your higher education experience.

• Please only address time periods in which you received college credit – this may include times in which you received college credit while in high school (i.e., dual enrollment, running start).
• This is your opportunity to explain why you didn’t do well in a particular class or over a particular period of time.
• Examples could include but are not limited to being a first generation student*, health issues, financial challenges, cultural barriers, and/or community resistance to education.

Essay 2: The Purpose of the Foster School is to develop leaders who strive to better humanity through business. How do you plan to leverage your experiences to advance Foster’s Purpose?

• Include how your own cultural awareness has shaped your desire to have an impact as a future business leader.
• Please focus on your own experiences and perspective.

Essay 3: Please describe any significant additional responsibilities you have had (or continue to have) outside the classroom. Explain what you learned about yourself as a result of the responsibilities.

• Please do not use examples from high school unless you have completed high school within the past 18 months or your responsibilities from high school continue today.
• Significant additional responsibilities might include, but are not limited to: employment, substantial volunteer roles, community engagement, student organization leadership, significant family responsibilities.

Transcripts

• You must submit a separate unofficial transcript from each college-level institution; even if you took college-level courses in high school and/or the courses appear on your UW transcript.
• If you have had grade changes, they must be reflected on the transcripts you submit with your application. We will not accept grade changes after the application deadline.
• In order for transfer credits to be added to your UW record, you must also request official transcripts be sent to the Office of Admissions.

Required Format for All Transcripts The online application will require that you submit PDF copies of your unofficial transcripts from all collegiate institutions you have attended. In most cases, the easiest way to access a PDF version is to print to PDF. In some cases, you may need to get hard copies and scan them as a PDF. This may take extra time. So again, don’t wait until the last minute. Transfer Students: Please wait to submit your transcripts until grades for winter (for April 5 deadline) or spring/ summer (for October 5 deadline) are posted, unless grades post after the deadline

The following information must be on all transcripts:

• Full name of applicant (former names are acceptable if indicated on application)
• Name of degree-granting institution
• Dates of enrollment
• Names of individual courses
• Grades, marks, or ratings of individual courses
• International transcripts must include official English translations
• Both marks sheets and degree statements are required, if applicable

Please note:  While official transcripts sent directly from institutions to the Office of Admission are required for the general admissions application, unofficial copies are still required for the Foster application.

Degree Plan

Applicants who have over 150 quarter credits, are planning to pursue a double degree, or Certificate of International Studies in Business (CISB) are required to submit a degree plan along with the application. The degree plan the degree planning sheet is a fillable PDF available to download below. Once completed, you will upload the degree plan directly to your application.

For those planning on a double degree, you must have your degree plan signed by the departmental adviser in the second major. The signature from the Foster School of Business adviser is not required.

Download degree plan here.

Transfer & Running Start Freshman Applicants

Important information.

Admission to the Foster School is contingent upon admission to the UW. We recommend applying to the UW and the Foster School simultaneously. Check the UW Admissions website for application deadlines, requirements, and instructions. Please note that UW Admissions operates on a different timeline than Foster:

Application Deadlines

*Students admitted for the autumn quarter have the option to enroll for summer quarter.

**Winter quarter is open to U.S. transfer students only. International transfer applicants (those who require an F-1 visa to study in the United States) can only apply to the UW for summer/autumn quarter enrollment.

Online Application & WSA Access

Read the “Apply Online” and “Writing Skills Assessment (WSA)” sections above for more information about registering with your UW NetID, starting your applications, and preparing for the WSA.

Foster Prerequisite Requirements

• Accounting: If transferring from a college where the fundamentals of accounting are taught in a 3-part series, you must complete the first two courses before the application deadline and the third course by the pre-admission deadline.
• English Composition: The UW does not accept AP credit to satisfy the English Composition requirement, even if your transfer institution did. And, for international applicants, the 3-5 credit course must be completed in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, or the United States, or taken at an international school where English is the language of instruction.
• Statistics: Only QMETH 201 or STAT 311 equivalents will be accepted. STAT 220 equivalents will no longer be accepted for admission after the winter 2020 admission cycle (i.e. after completion of autumn quarter 2019). If you are at a college outside of Washington State and wish to have your course evaluated prior to applying to Foster, please submit syllabi to the Foster School early.
• Law: If you attend a school where an equivalent course to MGMT 200 is not taught, contact our office for advice. Please note, our MGMT 200 course covers the American legal system and most international law courses are not equivalent.

Course Reporting

You will need to provide PDF copies of syllabi or proof of AP/IB/A-Level scores for ALL pre-admission and pre-application coursework, unless the course appears on the UW/Community College Transfer Equivalency Guide or you have already had the course evaluated by UW and it appears on your UW transcript as the appropriate course.

• AP/IB/A-Level Scores: If your AP/IB/A-Level courses are not articulated on your UW transcript, you must upload your AP/IB/A-Level scores for review. Scores must contain your legal name.
• Syllabi: Submitted syllabi must include the name of the institution, weekly/daily breakdown of topics covered, and list of all course materials (e.g. textbooks and course readers) used. Failure to submit a complete and accurate syllabus may result in denial of admission to the Foster School of Business.

Credit Restrictions and UW Residence Requirement

We only count credits from non-UW institutions that are transferable to UW. If you have questions, please consult with an academic adviser at the Foster School.

The UW Foster School of Business honors the Associate Degree Agreement for those students who have an approved associate degree from a Washington community college.

Courses taught at the freshman and sophomore levels at other colleges usually cannot be used to satisfy the School’s upper-division business requirements for graduation.

A transfer student is allowed a maximum of 90 transferable community college credit hours toward the 180 credits needed for the UW bachelor’s degree. Up to 90 credit hours of correspondence or other extension coursework may also apply to the bachelor’s degree.

• Every student must complete 45 of the final 60 credit hours in residence at the UW. To meet the upper-division requirement for a BABA, a student must complete six of the nine upper-division core classes (including a capstone course), and 40 of the 53 required upper-division business credit hours at UW Seattle.
• Students who have taken more than three of the nine upper-division core business courses at another institution, including UW Bothell and UW Tacoma, are generally not admitted to the UW Foster School of Business. Contact a business adviser if you have questions.

Transfer Resources

Visit the Transfer Student Information and Resources page for more about transferring, applying to Foster, resources specifically for transfer students, and how to connect with the Foster community.

Useful Tools

• UW Transfer Equivalency Guide: Find out how courses taken at Washington state community or technical colleges will transfer to the UW.
• MyPlan: Washington Community College students can use MyPlan to create and manage your academic plan. After signing into MyPlan, use your community college student ID number and date of birth to pull your community college courses into MyPlan.
• UW Transfer Credit Policies: For courses offered by any other institution, read UW’s transfer credit policies.

Apply to the Undergraduate Program

Online Bachelor of Arts in Integrated Social Sciences

Personal statement.

All applicants to the UW Online Bachelor of Arts in Integrated Social Sciences program need to submit a personal statement, which should address the four topics listed below.

Your ISS personal statement performs a number of important functions. It gives us an opportunity to become acquainted with your goals, influential learning experiences in your life and your reasons for choosing the ISS program. The personal statement also helps us assess your preparation in the social sciences and your readiness for bachelor’s degree completion. 

Your personal statement is a sample of your college-level writing, and we'll assess it on the following criteria:

• Clarity: The essay is clear at the level of the individual sentence or statement so that the reader understands what you are saying
• Depth: The level of development of your ideas and use of concrete details
• Originality: The grounding of your essay in your individual knowledge and experience, rather than reliance on generalizations

Please do not use AI writing tools such as ChatGPT to generate your statement since it invariably produces writing that is notably unoriginal.

If you're admitted to ISS, your personal statement will be the first step on your path to reflective, integrated learning. It will become the first artifact in your e-portfolio. You’ll be asked to return to this statement in your senior capstone course, ISS 401 , to assess your learning and to better understand your development in the program.

Preparing Your Personal Statement

Your statement should address the following topics and questions in an essay of 750 to 1,000 words:

• Write a brief introduction to your individual story.  That is, create a brief sketch or snapshot of who you are and how you came to be. What facts or events do you believe were most formative? What do you consider essential to a good understanding of your identity? What has your life journey looked like, and how did it bring you to this moment of application to ISS?
• What are your expectations of the ISS program?  What has your educational journey looked like? What do you hope to learn? What life goals — intellectual, personal and professional — will this degree help you accomplish?
• Discuss one significant question, issue or problem in human society that you find meaningful or compelling. Think of the types of stories that grab your attention when you follow the news or interact with social media. Why do you think this social phenomenon or problem is important both to you and others? What aspects of it do you find intriguing, promising or alarming? Use concrete detail in your discussion.
• Describe a memorable or impactful learning experience, something that has stayed with you and remained meaningful.  This could be a particular college-level course, assignment or project you completed. However, you may also describe learning that has happened in other contexts, such as work, a volunteer experience, sport or hobby, etc. The point is to describe what you learned and how you learned it. Again, be as concrete and detailed as possible.

Submitting Your Personal Statement

Instructions for submitting your statement vary depending on your applicant type. Please click the relevant link below for additional application instructions, including how to submit your ISS personal statement.

• New Students : Students from UW Evening Degree, UW Bothell and UW Tacoma, along with transfer students from other institutions
• Returning UW Seattle Students : Former UW Seattle students who have not been enrolled for at least two consecutive quarters
• Continuing UW Seattle Students : Currently enrolled UW Seattle students who want to change their major to ISS

In This Section

• Info Sessions & Events
• New Students
• Returning UW Seattle Students
• Continuing UW Seattle Students
• Postbaccalaureate UW Students

Be boundless

Brought to you in partnership with UW Continuum College

© 2024 University of Washington | Seattle, WA

What are your chances of acceptance?

Calculate for all schools, your chance of acceptance.

Your chancing factors

Extracurriculars.

5 University of Washington Essay Examples by Accepted Students

What’s covered:, essay example #1 – diversity, cripplepunks, essay example #2 – diversity, community in difference, essay example #3 – diversity, food, essay example #4 – diversity, dinnertime conversations, essay example #5 – interdisciplinary studies, where to get your university of washington essays edited.

The University of Washington is a selective school, so it’s important to write strong essays to help your application stand out. In this post, we’ll share essays real students have submitted to the University of Washington. (Names and identifying information have been changed, but all other details are preserved).

Read our University of Washington es say breakdown to get a comprehensive overview of this year’s supplemental prompts.

Please note: Looking at examples of real essays students have submitted to colleges can be very beneficial to get inspiration for your essays. You should never copy or plagiarize from these examples when writing your own essays. Colleges can tell when an essay isn’t genuine and will not view students favorably if they plagiarized. 

Prompt: Our families and communities often define us and our individual worlds. Community might refer to your cultural group, extended family, religious group, neighborhood or school, sports team or club, co-workers, etc. Describe the world you come from and how you, as a product of it, might add to the diversity of the University of Washington. (300 words)

The first time I looked up the term cripplepunk I was in ninth grade, almost bedbound with severe hip pain. It took half a second for the page to load, and another half a second for me to process what I was seeing. There before me, against the muted grey of my phone’s dark mode, is the community I thought I would never have. I could have scrolled for hours, absorbing the images of models in powerchairs wearing ornate gowns, snarky patches on guide dog vests, and decorated canes. I kept coming back to the page, enchanted with the movement. Although the term cripplepunk wasn’t used until 2014, the spirit of the movement is present in most disabled people, from Frida Kahlo to the participants in the Capitol Crawl. The cripplepunk movement is intentionally subversive, fighting against the ableism and pity that disabled people encounter at every turn. Cripplepunks take a “so what if I am?” approach to ableism, refusing to be ashamed of symptoms, accommodations, or mobility aids. It’s a diverse movement too, where a 60-something veteran dealing with decades-old injuries can guide me through the process of buying and decorating my first cane. In cripplepunk circles, a deafblind Black woman can teach the world that disabled people can have dreams for their futures. The cripplepunk movement is a movement where I can offer sympathy, advice, and support to the same people who helped me through otherwise isolating moments and new cripples alike. That work doesn’t just happen online though. My work as a cripplepunk happens everywhere, classrooms and grocery stores alike, by being visibly and unashamedly disabled, vocally confronting ableists, and campaigning for greater accessibility.

What the Essay Did Well

One of the primary strengths of this “Diversity” essay is its writer’s enthusiasm about the cripplepunk movement, which helps readers feel connected to them. At the very beginning of this response, we are introduced to the term ‘cripplepunk,’ but just like the student, we are not exactly sure what it means. We go through the process of learning about the movement with the student as they bring to our minds “images of models in powerchairs wearing ornate gowns, snarky patches on guide dog vests, and decorated canes.” By bringing us along to their first introduction to cripplepunk, this student forms a connection between themself and the reader. We get “enchanted” alongside them.

At the same time, we get enchanted by the student, who positions themself as mature and insightful. As they describe how the cripplepunk movement wasn’t labeled until 2014 but “the spirit of the movement” existed long before, they address the ways that community doesn’t need to have a name to exist. They position community as anything that makes individuals not feel alone, then follow that description up with a definition of community as “people who help others through otherwise isolating moments.” This deeper reflection displays this student’s insightful-nature and maturity.

Finally, this essay’s structure works very nicely. It is simultaneously anecdotal and reflective, and, to top it all off, the student provides an image of them in “classrooms and grocery stores alike” showing off their diversity and their pride. The anecdote draws the reader in, while the reflection reveals this student’s personality and perspectives. Combined, the reader gets a good idea of who this student is and how they would fit into the campus community.

What Could Be Improved

The one thing this essay didn’t address was how this student will add to the diversity of the University of Washington. Although we get a good sense of the unique community this student came from and how it shaped them, we still want to know how they will contribute to their campus community. This student could have easily revised the last few sentences to say something along the lines of this:

“I intend to bring the cripplepunk movement with me to the University of Washington. I’ll proudly display myself on campus so I can teach my fellow classmates about disabilities and encourage other disabled students to be unashamed of who they are.”

Reworking the conclusion to discuss how they will take the lessons they have learned from being part of the cripplepunk community and share those lessons with a new community would show admissions officers exactly what this student would bring to campus. It doesn’t have to be an extensive response, but the essay should include some reference of University of Washington. 

In my youth, I found solace in communities of my peers who shared portions of my identity; from speaking the same second languages to sharing similar tastes, I was quick to bond with those I was similar to. 

When I moved to Oregon, I found myself miles away from these connections. My fragmented identity found little to attach to my peers. Inkling connections uprooted as I attended three different middle schools throughout my years. “Community” felt like a bubble I was floating upon, inherently a part of yet never fully immersed. 

At the end of math class towards the middle of eighth grade, I felt a tap on my shoulder. A tall girl with glasses and a tooth gap stood behind.

“Do you want to sit with us at lunch today?”

Stemming from this small invitation, I found myself part of a community of peers with whom I never thought I could relate. Our interests diverged and collided in all regards; we were of different gender identities, sexual orientations, and ethnic backgrounds. While I was the only person of color in our friend group, I cherished the different experiences we brought to the table. I recounted my struggles accepting my culture while I heard the stories of my friends who were dealing with gender dysphoria. 

In the following years, I wholeheartedly applied this multifaceted outlook to my sense of community. I engaged with peers both different and similar to me; I found community at Indian festivals with my fellow South Asian peers and community with my closest friends with whom I can form strong emotional connections, despite our dissimilar backgrounds. 

This ever-growing sense of community has helped me thrive and will better help me engage within the student body at the University of Washington

As this student explores the struggle of finding community, their essay not only reads like a Diversity essay but also like an Overcoming Challenges essay . 

The main strength of this essay is the arc it presents. We learn about their background (moving around a lot) and we learn that community didn’t always come easy for them. The sentence “‘ Community’ felt like a bubble I was floating upon, inherently a part of yet never fully immersed” articulates their isolation particularly well. At the same time, this sentence shows their profound awareness of the true meaning of community. They understand that being a part of a formal group like a school organization, an ethnic group, or a sport does not necessarily mean one feels community.

As the essay progresses, the student comes to understand that community does not have to exist within any formal bounds at all. You can find community with people completely different from you. Through their reflection, this student clearly shows an understanding of the importance of diversity. Not only is this essay able to demonstrate the meaning of community to this student, but it also displays how diversity is an integral part of community, which is exactly what admissions officers want to see.  

The beginning of this essay is a little slow, so the whole essay would benefit from reordering it and changing the structure a bit. Essays tend to start off with an anecdote to hook the reader and then go into more elaboration. However, it takes a few sentences before this student gets to their anecdote. We learn about this student’s experience feeling part of (or isolated from) a community prior to middle school, but the essay isn’t overly engaging before the anecdote.

The anecdote livens up the essay and brings a renewed sense of excitement and engagement to the reader, so opening the essay with the story of getting invited to lunch would spur that interest from the beginning. After the quick anecdote, the student could explain why it was so meaningful to be invited to lunch and find a community at that table because they had felt that they were missing a community throughout middle school. Restructuring the essay like this would mean it wouldn’t be told chronologically, but a deeper emotional connection with the student, and interest in their story, would be established off the bat.

“Beta, food is ready,” Amma yells as I quickly traverse her words.  She made dosas and aloo curry, my favorite. I followed the strong, flavorful scent to the kitchen, the same place where I subsequently got serenaded by hymns sung by Amma.  I helped set up the table, decorated with a box of misplaced cheerios and a bowl of Gulab jamun Appa set out for us before he left for work.   I watched my brother go into the garden to collect one of our banana leaves, acting as plates for the eight guests arriving soon for lunch. The natural grassy smell that emanated from the leaves signaled Amma that guests would be coming soon. She laid out the dosas on the table and aloo in a bowl, exerting an ounce of pride from the squint of her eyes.  The aroma of dosas and aloo curry has followed my family for generations. Every generation that was taught the art of making a dosa assimilated a new idea, evolving my family’s South Indian cuisine. My appreciation of my community lies within its versatility for the continuation of traditions and beliefs, passing them down for generations to come.   Guests started coming in for lunch, holding their food, seasoned with the stories of their lives. Despite the incredible array of foods on the table, the box of cheerios remained in sight to the public. Like me, it didn’t align with the norms of its environment, but remained firm. Its bright yellow color pervaded, attracting many. However, it had its own stories and journey that couldn’t hold comparison to others. This “ambiguity” represents diversity within culture. Its multidimensional perspective allows for cuisine and culture to bring a multitude of stories together, creating a home for all, including me.

This essay exemplifies how to respond to the Diversity prompt, an essay archetype used by many colleges. Effective responses do just what this essay does, by describing both a culture and the applicant’s place within it. Especially successful essays convey important, relevant aspects of the community with quick yet evocative descriptions, like of the aloo curry and hymns, that also help readers get to know the applicant better. In this essay, we see their thoughtfulness, keen eye for detail, involvement with their family and community, and appreciation for their heritage. 

One more especially powerful aspect of this essay is the vivid, descriptive language. There’s the smell of curry, the sound of singing, and the visual of the bright yellow Cheerios box, all of which draw us into this student’s world with all five senses. In particular, the metaphor of the Cheerios box standing out in the midst of the home-cooked, traditional South Indian meal is unexpected and heartwarming, and helps ensure that this rich essay will make a strong impression on UW admissions officers.

Even in a strong essay like this one, there’s still room for improvement. One thing that would make this supplement more effective would be a bit more detail on the central metaphor of the Cheerios box. Why does the author align themselves with the American breakfast cereal, instead of the food being cooked by their grandmother? 

The description of the box as “not aligning with the norms of the environment” is compelling, but not supported by details about the applicant’s personality, or reflections on their identity. While metaphors are a crucial part of many college essays, you always want to be as explicit as possible about what a metaphor is saying about you, to ensure the admissions officer reading your essay fully understands your point.

Additionally, on a structural level, this essay would benefit from being split into two or even three paragraphs, for a couple of reasons. Firstly, because one big block of text is a little rough on the eyes. Secondly, because breaking up your ideas ensures each one gets your reader’s full attention–at the end of each paragraph, they can reflect on the point you’ve just made before continuing on to the next one.

At my dining table, a silent war was being waged. Each side wielded glances, smirks, and snide remarks concealed under composed postures. The discomfort was palpable. Yet, newly eight-year-old me moved obliviously between my grandmas. To me, they were nearly the same person wh o loved me and, on this delightful occasion, had provided me with considerable compensation for lasting another year. 

My first call to battle came sitting in the passenger seat of my grandma, Judy’s Toyota. As we rolled through the hills of Idaho, she spoke to me about a recent election and her opinions on various healthcare issues. Moved from a place of deep sorrow, she described my Aunt’s struggle to obtain insurance due to a pre-existing condition. She suggested her solutions, and I listened attentively, curious about her ideas since I had yet to form my own.  

Months later, I found myself in a hammock under a sweeping eucalyptus, engaged in a similar discussion with my other grandma, Teresa. As a healthcare worker, she was very involved with the issue, yet her ideas fell completely opposite Judy’s. 

This was when I discovered the origin of the hushed hostility afflicting my family. 

The family I come from may seem divided with their vastly different views, but together, these women taught me the importance of being a listener. I learned that to understand an issue truly, you must first consider all thoughts and opinions, no matter how much you may disagree. The animosity I observed resulted from closed minds and echo chambers; from their discomfort, I’ve learned that progress can only be made through compromise and communication. At UW, I hope to contribute my distinct perspective on problem-solving alongside my engineering knowledge to collaborate with others through programs like Engineers Without Borders to create impactful solutions to universal problems. 

In this essay, which is another strong response to the “Diversity” prompt , the student does a great job of explaining how being around different opinions has shaped their own perspective, as well as capturing the role they play within their family. The response highlights what the student has learned not just about their grandmothers’ opinions, but about listening in general and forming opinions of their own.

This essay is also a good reminder that writing a strong response to this kind of prompt doesn’t require you to focus on a distinct culture–you can write effectively about aspects of your identity, like the conversations at your family dinner table, that aren’t typically associated with diversity. So long as your growth and character are at the center of the story, like they are for this student, the essay will do a great job of demonstrating who you are to the admissions committee. 

The other especially effective part of this essay is the end, where the author connects their theme to a specific program and future at UW. This detail goes above and beyond what the prompt asks for, to show admissions officers exactly how this student plans to participate in the University of Washington community. Although quick, this line drives home the relevance of this student’s skills and experience to UW’s values as an institution, which helps admissions officers picture them on campus.

While this kind of concrete connection to the school can take your essay to the next level, you want to be sure that you make the connection in a way that feels natural. The majority of your essay should focus on some aspect of your identity and what it reflects about your broader character–only mention something specific about the school if you have extra space, and it’s directly connected to what you’ve discussed. It’s always nice to have a cherry on top of an already strong essay, but ultimately the most important thing is always to answer what the prompt is actually asking.

What Could Be Improved 

Overall, this is a super strong essay, with very little to improve. The only thing that we would consider changing is the time periods the student chooses their examples from. While the anecdotes are strong and paint a vivid picture of a conflict that goes back years, stories from when the author was eight may seem less relevant to an admissions committee that is looking to admit that student ten years later. 

If you have a story that dates back to your childhood, you should weigh the benefits of starting at the very beginning of the story against the benefits of including anecdotes that show how you behave in that community now. There isn’t a one-size-fits-all rule here: simply be conscious about the choices you make with your essay, to ensure you communicate your key points as effectively as possible.

Prompt: Consider two very different subjects you have previously studied; tell us how you imagine bringing those together at UW to engage with a pressing societal concern. This could be a local, national, or global concern.

In my youth, my mother helped instill a curiosity about the natural world in me. Her work in consulting regarding climate change and environmental systems made me question my direct and indirect impact. I delved into these interests further in high school by taking broad coursework in the sciences. In AP Biology, I was baffled by the reactions and transformation that occurred with simple manipulation. In AP Environmental Science, I was able to apply these biological processes to environmental concepts I noticed on the daily.

In my junior year, I took AP Economics, a class on the polar opposite spectrum from biological and environmental sciences. However, while studying economics, I was able to establish connections between economic and environmental concepts. My father, who has a grounded education in economics, helped me understand the links between these seemingly disparate subjects. The subjects were foundationally interlinked; simple ideas coincided, such as the tragedy of the commons and its relation to marginal analysis. 

As I noticed these intersectional ties, I saw that addressing the impending climate crisis through an economic lens was necessary for implementable, impactful change. There were opportunities for the government to impact climate action— these included economic incentives and regulations to influence the market price, changing producer and consumer behavior to be environmentally friendly. These policies helped protect the welfare of not only the environment but also of individuals who are disproportionately affected by the climate crisis. 

My interest in communication studies links to this; I hope to thoroughly understand these subjects in an interdisciplinary context to provide the means for others to do the same.

  At UW, particularly in the Interdisciplinary Honors Program, I hope to conjoin my interests in economic policy, science, and communications to gain the leverage and sound academic foundation necessary to address these concerns.

One of the best things this essay did was make use of a simple structure. This prompt asks for a lot from students: discuss two interests, identify the relationship between the two interests, show that the relationship relates to a pressing societal concern , and describe how you will engage with that concern at UW. While it is possible to answer all of these questions with a creative structure, this student’s use of a simple structure helped keep all of the parts of the essay organized. The essay followed the same format as the prompt: two paragraphs about their interests and relationship between them, a paragraph on a societal concern, and two final paragraphs on how they will tie everything together at UW.

Utilizing this structure allowed the student to fully establish both of their interests as unique entities before combining them. Going into detail on what excited them about environmental science and economics in the first place made their genuine love for the topics shine through. Also, including specific concepts like biological reactions and tragedy of the commons shows this student’s knowledge in these respective fields, in addition to their passion.

This student also does a good job of explaining the relationship they see between environmental sciences and economics. Explaining how they were “foundationally interlinked; simple ideas coincided” gives some insight into how this student thinks. We learn that they used logic to connect seemingly different topics that share common ideas. Establishing this logic-based link helps us understand how they devised solutions to address the pressing issue of the climate crisis in the third paragraph. The reader is left with the impression this student is genuinely fascinated by these two topics and has an interest in continuing to combine them in the future.

This student struggles with the transition to discussing their future goals. Since they devoted a large portion of their allotted word count to their interests in science and economics, they were left with very few words to discuss their interest in communication and how all three fields can be tied together. This leaves the essay feeling rushed and less genuine at the end.  

If they cut down on some words earlier in the essay—perhaps only mention their interest sparked from their coursework or their parents, rather than delving into detail on both—they could devote more space to their interest in communication studies later on. Then, this student could add more depth to the sentence “ My interest in communication studies links to this,”  by replacing it with something like:

“As I have seen the importance of science and economics for saving our planet, I have realized that interdisciplinarity is what will save the world. Disparate fields must join together for change to occur. I plan to join the inherently interdisciplinary communication studies program to show the world the importance of communication between disciplines.”

Do you want feedback on your University of Washington essays? After rereading your essays countless times, it can be difficult to evaluate your writing objectively. That’s why we created our free Peer Essay Review tool , where you can get a free review of your essay from another student. You can also improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays. 

If you want a college admissions expert to review your essay, advisors on CollegeVine have helped students refine their writing and submit successful applications to top schools. Find the right advisor for you to improve your chances of getting into your dream school!

Related CollegeVine Blog Posts

Application Information

Application procedures and deadlines depend on the program:

Degree Programs

Master of science degree.

Step one : take a thorough look at the information about the degree program in the MS degree section of the CFRM website.

Step two : review and gather the complete set of required materials listed on the UW Graduate School website.

Step three :  complete the application process at the UW Graduate School website.

Step four : if you are offered admission, you will be given guidance on how to complete additional steps, F-1 visa applications if required, and make arrangements to enroll at UW as a graduate student.

Bachelor of Science Degree

Step one : review program information on the undergraduate program page of the CFRM website.

Step two : gather required materials (personal statement, UW transcript) in preparation of application submission.

Step three : complete the online application form .

Step four : If you are offered admission, you will be given guidance via email on next steps.   If admitted and you do not accept the offer by the deadline stated in the email, you will not be admitted to the major and will need to reapply in a future admission cycle. 

Single Course Enrollment

Individual courses are available for single course enrollment (SCE).  Please pay special attention to the course prerequisites before applying for a single course, as these courses are designed to be taken in series. Please note that the online (PCE) sections of CFRM 405, 410, 415, 420, and 425 course series will not be offered for SCE during the 2022-2023 academic year. To apply for SCE:

Step one :  review the course descriptions and prerequisites

Step two : prepare your one-page personal statement, an up-to-date professional resume, and gather information on your academic background (unofficial transcripts, old course syllabi, or course descriptions from your university may be helpful in completing some of the requested information).

• Community Advisory Board
• Faculty Advisory Board
• Annual Report
• Current and Past Fellows
• 2021-2022 Schedule
• Pre-Law Workshop Series
• Law-related courses on campus
• Law School Basics
• Is Law School Right For You?
• Financial Considerations
• Deciding Where to Apply
• Application Components
• Preparing for the LSAT
• After You Apply
• After You are Accepted
• If You Want to Defer
• If You are Rejected
• If You are Waitlisted
• Pre-Law Diversity Pipeline Programs
• Disability Resources
• Scholarship Opportunities for Underrepresented Students
• Additional Resources
• UW Tacoma Law School Outcomes
• Law-Related Careers
• Get Involved!

Personal Statement

Main content.

Every law school application requires a personal statement and it is an important part of the application. Since the majority of law schools don’t have interviews, committees rely on this statement as an interview-in-an-essay. It is also a sample of your writing ability. With many applicants with similar qualifications (high GPA and LSAT scores, strong professional or extracurricular experiences, etc), the personal statement is the chance for you to help the admissions committee distinguish you from all the rest. Your personal statement can be what tips you from the waitlist or decline list to the admit list, so make sure to take it seriously!

Steps to Writing a Strong Personal Statement:

• Brainstorm:  The goal of this stage is to find a core idea or theme around which your statement will center. Most schools are interested in learning what unique qualities and experiences you will contribute to their incoming class. Take time to brainstorm about what experiences have shaped you, what skills or traits are unique to you, or what personal accomplishments set you apart. 
• Free Write: Pick three of the topics, themes, or ideas from  your brainstorming session.  This is the stage where you sit down and just start to write. If you have several different themes or topics in mind, start one draft for each. Spend 10-15 minutes on each free writing draft. Don’t edit yourself, try to stay within a word limit, or attempt to edit while you write. The goal is to get as much down on paper as  you can.
• Review: Review your “free write” drafts. Does one stand out or particularly resonate with you? If none of the topics feel right, go back, pick three more ideas from your brainstorming session, and repeat the free write exercise until you find something that you want to move to the next stage with;
• Draft:  Start drafting your personal statement. Some people find drafting an outline first assists them in thinking through the structure and flow of the statement, while other prefer to just start writing and organize as they go.
• Edit:  Have at least one objective person, ideally someone familiar with the law school application process, review your personal statement. Be prepared for feedback. A good reviewer will send your personal statement back to you with comments and suggestions. If you get your statement back with a simple “looks great!”, find a new reviewer! Remember that many law school applicants go through several rounds of revision before submitting their application! Legal Pathways offers personal statement review, but please make sure to allow enough time to go through the editing process -- if you email asking for feedback by the next day, we won’t be able to help! 
• Finalize: Once you are done making any substantive edits, proofread carefully. Additionally, make sure you have followed the directions provided (which may vary from school to school) about word count or page limit and any formatting requirements. Ensure you have used the right law school name for each statement.  

Personal Statement Tips:

• “Show, Don’t Tell” :  Show, don’t tell: conclusions should be self-evident. Well written statements use stories that illustrate your good qualities. You should not have to explicitly state them.
• Be the Main Character and Grow :  Tell a story where you are the main character and you changed, grew, or shifted your perspective.
• Write a concise narrative with one or two points . Personal statements are relatively short and you can’t fit it all in -- tell one story very well not ten stories poorly!  over quantity.
• Keep the focus on yourself , not your family members, friends, or other people in your life (even if they are very interesting or important to you!)
• Be authentic and honest . This is your chance for the law school admissions committee to get to know you. Use it! 

Avoid Common Pitfalls:

• Don’t rush the process . Many students need to write 3-6 drafts to craft a strong, concise and memorable personal statement.
• Don’t skip the review process . Have at least one person familiar with the law school application process review your personal statement and provide feedback. At the University of Washington Tacoma, both the Writing Center and Legal Pathways provide this service! 
• Don’t use your personal statement to repeat what is already in your resume . You only get to submit a handful of things in your law school application, so make each one count and don’t duplicate information! If they will read about it somewhere else, don’t repeat it.
• Don’t try to write like a legal scholar or explain the law . No Latin phrases. No teaching. This is an essay about you (and don’t worry, you will have lots of opportunities to use that Latin once you are in law school!)
• Personal Statement Do’s and Don’ts
• Writing Personal Statements for Law School
• Personal Statement Packet (Pre-Law Guru)
• Sample Personal Statements (The University of Chicago Law School)
• Personal Statement Brainstorming Exercises (University of Wisconsin-Madison)
• Nine Important Personal Statement Tips for Law School Applicants (New England Law)
• Academic advising
• Academic calendar
• Schools and programs
• Study Abroad
• Teaching and Learning Center
• Campus Safety
• Equity & Inclusion
• Financial Aid
• Information Technology
• Student Life
• University YMCA Student Center
• Administration
• Institutional Research
• Parking & transportation

Application

This page outlines general requirements and provides a specific checklist of required materials that must be included with your application.

Optional Pre-Application Review Service

For the 2023-24 academic year, we are launching a pre-application review service (PARS) initiative to provide support and mentorship to PhD applicants from historically marginalized groups, including but not limited to racial and ethnic minorities, women, first-generation students, indigenous students, LGBTQIA+ students, students with disabilities, and students from low-income families. Learn more

General Requirements

We must receive all application materials by the deadline to consider you.

Applications for the MS Thesis and PhD programs are due December 1. MS Capstone applications are due January 15. We admit for Autumn quarter only. All required materials, including official test scores and minimum three recommendation letters, must be received by the deadline in order for the application to be considered. Please begin your application early, allowing for enough time for your test scores and letters to be received. We begin reviewing applications immediately after the deadline. Note an $85 application fee is required to submit your application. A limited number of financial need-based fee waivers are available for U.S. citizens and Permanent Residents only. See details at the  UW Graduate School website .

Submit Finalized Documents, and Track Receipt of Test Scores and Letters

You may submit your application after you have uploaded all required finalized documents, and before or after official test scores and recommendation letters are received. Once you submit the application, you cannot make any updates to your application materials except for your Applicant Profile and designated recommenders. Make sure that your statement of purpose, personal statement, CV, and transcripts are final versions. We cannot make changes to these documents.

After submitting your application, you are responsible for checking your application status page to track receipt of test scores and recommendation letters. It will take several business days for the system to link your official test scores with your submitted application.

Note, the UW is closed on the U.S. holiday Thanksgiving Day and the day after Thanksgiving (Thursday and Friday in late November). If you submit your application during this time, you may not see a status update until the following Wednesday. In addition, if you need assistance with your online application, the UW Graduate School is busy assisting many applicants near the December 1 deadline for MS Thesis and PhD applications. Please plan your submission date accordingly.

Submit Your Application Online

Apply through the UW Graduate School website . The online application will ask you to select a program to apply to, and allow you to save your progress and complete the application over multiple sessions. Do not mail application materials to the department. Please disregard any instructions stating otherwise in the UW application. Please upload PDF files only.

Only Apply to One Biostatistics Program

As an applicant to the UW Graduate School, you may apply to multiple department programs at the University of Washington. However, for the Department of Biostatistics programs, you must choose a single program - either the MS Capstone, MS Thesis, or PhD. Please choose the one best suited to your goals.

There are two pathways for the PhD degree (standard pathway or statistical genetics pathway), but the admissions application is the same for all applicants. Applicants who opt for the statistical genetics pathway may declare their selection of the pathway after they are enrolled.

Applicants to our PhD program are not automatically considered for the MS. On occasion when we have many highly qualified PhD applicants, a few of these applicants may be offered admission to the MS due to limited space and funding, but this is rare. Please note that we are unable to accept petitions from denied PhD applicants to be reconsidered for the MS program.

Applicants to our MS program who designate "doctoral” as the ultimate degree goal may be considered for both programs, but will be considered primarily for admission to the MS program.

Only Submit Required Materials

We do not accept supplemental materials such as publications, certificates, or other similar types of documents. You may wish to mention them in your CV, but these materials should not be included in your application. Applicants are evaluated equally based on the same required materials and selection criteria.

Required Materials

Submit the following required materials with your application. Carefully review instructions for each item as you complete your application. 

Unofficial transcripts

Statement of purpose

Personal statement (optional)

Curriculum Vitae (CV) / resume

Test scores*

Three letters of recommendation

Application fee

Unofficial Transcripts

Include all prior institutions attended and upload unofficial transcripts onto the online application. Applicants will be required to submit official transcripts once admitted; do not mail them until requested.

For information on GPA calculations for the reported GPA, see the Graduate School website . However, you may estimate your GPA and it does not need to be precise; we will look closely at your course grades on your transcripts instead and view your institution's grading scale.

Verify that all uploaded transcripts are legible (course titles and grades can be read). If you have trouble uploading a large file, try the following:

• In Adobe Acrobat, Save as Other, and save the file as a Reduced Size PDF.
• Use a PDF compressor tool available online.
• Scan the transcript as a document and not an image.
• Scan in black and white.
• Scan each transcript as a separate file.

International students: Transcripts not in English must be accompanied by an official English translation. See the Graduate School website for details. We do not accept evaluations from the WES credentialing service; however, we will accept WES certified English translations of transcripts only if the report states that the translator is fluent in the native language (e.g., fluent in Chinese if the transcript is in Chinese).

Regarding autumn grades: We do not accept updated transcripts after the application deadline. If we need to see grades for any courses you are taking in the autumn, we will follow up with you. If you are in the process of completing a prerequisite, make sure that the transcript you upload indicates this (or mention it in your statement of purpose).

Statement of Purpose

Submit a 1-2 page statement which includes your reasons for pursuing graduate studies in the field of biostatistics and at our program specifically, your area(s) of interest, relevant experience, and goals.

Personal Statement (Optional)

A personal statement is optional but strongly recommended. Consistent with our goal of enhancing the intellectual excellence of the department and University of Washington community, we actively welcome students from diverse backgrounds and students who have worked with diverse groups. We encourage all applicants to submit a personal statement (maximum 1 page) that details experiences related to your socioeconomically disadvantaged, disability-related, and/or culturally varied background, and/or experiences working with such groups. The statement should address the ways your experiences have affected the development of your intellectual interests, career plans, future goals, and how you may have overcome various obstacles or aided others in surmounting such challenges.

While admission decisions are made mainly on the basis of academic performance, applications will be reviewed with consideration of the applicant's background and experiences. We also use the information in such statements to report aggregate data to funding agencies and to apply for funding opportunities for eligible students.

The personal statement is not required, and you may include a simple sentence such as "I have not yet had these kinds of diverse experiences." Such a statement does not negatively affect your chances for admission.

Curriculum Vitae (CV) /Resume

Your CV/resume should include all relevant academic and professional experience such as degrees, research experience, publications, posters, presentations, awards, and skills.

Test Scores

Report GRE/TOEFL scores to UW institution code 4854. There is no department code. For the optional GRE, you may use 5199 ("all other departments"), and for the TOEFL, you may use 99 ("any department not listed"), but it does not matter what you enter as long as the institution code is correct.

Tests must be taken in time for the scores to arrive by the deadline (at least 18 days prior- - it takes ETS 10-15 days to deliver scores after the test date, and the UW Graduate School 1-2 business days to link scores to your application). Please plan for potential delays and take the tests well in advance.

If you took a test multiple times, we will review all scores that you choose to report.

If you are applying to multiple programs at UW and entered a department code, your test scores will be matched with all applications, including your Biostatistics application.

If you sent your test scores to the University of Washington in a previous year, you do not need to resend them if they are still valid. If the scores were sent for another program's application, they can also still be used and the system will link them to your new application.

If you do not have scores for any reason, simply leave the self-report field blank. If you are an international student who is exempt from the TOEFL requirement due to having a degree from a U.S./English-based institution or other reason, disregard any application status note indicating that the scores are missing or incomplete. You should select your reason for exemption under question 10 of the first application page "Indicate how you intend to satisfy the English Language proficiency requirement."

Three Letters of Recommendation

In the online application, submit the names and contact information for a minimum of three recommenders (maximum five). The system will then immediately email them a request to complete a letter of recommendation and an online evaluation by the application deadline. The message will direct them to the online system where they can choose to submit the letter online (by typing directly or uploading a file) or mail the letter to us.

Recommendations should be written by individuals who can speak to your academic, professional, and/or personal strengths, and potential to succeed as a biostatistics graduate student.

Contact your recommenders prior to submitting their information online so they can expect the email request, and verify that they have received it; occasionally some email systems may block the email or treat it as spam. If for any reason a recommender does not receive the email, withdraw the request and resubmit it with an alternate email address such as their personal address.

Please encourage your recommenders to submit the letter online. Mailing hard copy letters may delay the processing of your application.

Since recommenders need to complete an evaluation along with their letter, the application system cannot accept letters from recommendation letter services such as Interfolio.

All letters must be received by the application deadline. Recommenders can submit their letters both before or after you submit your application. Allow ample time for the letters to be completed.

Application Fee

An $85 application fee is required to submit your application. A limited number of financial need-based fee waivers are available for U.S. citizens and Permanent Residents only. See details at the UW Graduate School website .

• Information Technology
• Commuter Services
• Human Resources
• Campus Safety
• Career Services
• Appointments & Drop-Ins
• Students with disabilities
• International students
• LGBTQ+ students
• Undocumented students
• Student veterans
• Career consultation support services
• Career conversations with students toolkit
• Hiring student employees
• Recommendation letters for students
• In-Person Event Planning Checklist for Student Clubs
• Virtual Event Planning Checklist for Student Clubs
• Instagram / Marketing requests
• Workshop/presentation requests
• Club Spotlights
• Recent Grads and Alumni
• Majors & career exploration

Personal statements

• Diversity statements
• How to write a resume
• Preparing for an interview
• Questions during an interview
• Phone and video interviews
• Technical interviews
• Follow-up after an interview
• Salary negotiation
• Elevator speeches
• Career conversations
• Managing your social networks
• LinkedIn Learning & Tips
• AI & the job search
• References and letters of recommendation
• Application Materials
• Graduate Students
• Internships
• Specialized hiring opportunities
• Recruitment policy for students
• Become a Premier Employer Partner
• Campus engagement
• Virtual career fair resources
• Employer user policy
• Hiring international students
• Internship guidelines for employers
• Post a job or internship
• Career fair resource guide for students
• Exploratory Courses
• Getting Experience
• Occupational Therapy
• Physical Therapy
• Physician Assistant/Associate
• Veterinary Medicine

What is a personal statement?

The personal statement, also called the statement of purpose, is a special type of writing sample. Personal statements are commonly requested when applying to scholarship programs and graduate/professional schools. They may also be requested for certain types of jobs, such as competitive teaching and research appointments in education, for positions with non-profit organizations, or for internship applications. It is a writing sample describing you at your best, your reasons for choosing the field you have chosen, your research interests, your objectives, and the unique ways you can contribute to the program/organization to which you are applying. Some personal statement prompts may ask you to describe your experiences and principles around concepts of diversity.

If a position asks for a diversity statement in particular, review our diversity statement resources .

A statement of purpose is designed to communicate five things:

• Writing ability, including grammar, punctuation, organization, creativity, expression, etc.
• Connections between your past education/experiences and future goals.
• Your philosophy of the field and why you are pursuing an opportunity in that area.
• What makes you unique and how you can add to the diversity of the program.
• How you can be an asset to the organization or the school, now and in the future.

What makes a personal statement compelling?

Good personal statements tell stories that demonstrate your strengths.

• Know your strengths. How can you be of value or how can you contribute? Begin by looking at your good experiences for evidence of your strengths and then ask those who know you best for their thoughts. Don’t overlook the value of a true friend’s honest assessment of your strengths. Many people find they have hidden strengths that are only obvious to their closest friends and family.
• Know your audience. Research the program(s) and organization(s) you are applying to by searching online, reading catalog/program descriptions, and emailing for more information. Talk with professors, graduate students, advisers, and colleagues you met through internships.
• Make a good case for the “match” between you and the program or organization to which you are applying.
• Tell a story that demonstrates your strengths through examples to set you apart from others and show how you can contribute. Avoid just writing a first-person essay where each paragraph is a direct response to the points you are being asked to address. Avoid starting every sentence with “I” or “I want”.

How do I get started?

• Set a timetable for yourself. Ideally, you should work on your essay for at least a month.
• Identify your strengths. Reflect on your response to the question, “what are three words people would use to describe you and why?”.
• Intellectual influences. Who were your favorite professors (and why)? Identify the best paper you ever wrote, the most influential book you have read, and the single most important concept you have learned.
• Encouragement. Write down the actual words of a professor, teacher, or someone else in your life who encouraged you to pursue this field of study.
• Turning points. Where were you and what were you doing when you first thought of going in this particular direction? How have your interests evolved?
• Experiences. List volunteer, travel, family, and life experiences that have inspired you to follow this career path.
• Academics. How have you prepared to succeed academically?
• Skills. What skills have you honed through your experiential and educational choices?
• Personal attributes. What personal attributes make you particularly likely to succeed?
• Be sure to tailor your statement to fit content, length, and other requirements of the individual scholarship/department/program to which you are applying.
• Create an outline for each paragraph before you write it, making sure that all of the components of the questions/prompts are being addressed.

What are some basic tips for writing a personal statement?

• Tell concrete, vivid stories, and use examples to demonstrate your strengths and “match.”
• Don’t have too many different ideas in your essay. Only include information that supports your thesis or is consistent with your theme.
• Don’t exaggerate or make things up.
• Write in the active voice.
• Be yourself – don’t use words or styles you wouldn’t normally use.
• Be clear, concise, and direct; make each word count.
• Try not to repeat an idea too many times.
• Don’t write an autobiography – you are marketing yourself, not telling your life story.
• Don’t be a clown (although some humor can be appropriate).

Organization

• Follow directions regarding length. If no limit is given, aim for 1.5 to 2 pages of single-spaced text.
• Don’t start your essay with “I was born in” or anything similar to this statement.
• Start your essay with an attention-grabbing lead: an anecdote, quote, question, vivid description of a scene, etc.
• Link your paragraphs with transitions.
• End your essay with a conclusion that refers to the introduction, relates to your theme, or summarizes your main points.
• Revise your essay at least three times.
• Ask someone to critique your personal statement. You can utilize Career Services or the Writing and Communication Center
• Proofread! Don’t rely exclusively on your computer for spell check and grammar check.

Personal statement examples

Poor personal statement.

Having graduated with an MA in English from Purdue University, with an emphasis on the writing of poetry, I feel that I have come a long way as a writer. I think that my poetry is strong, but I also feel that I need to continue in a concentrated study of writing and poetry. This is an important stage for me, and I think that continuing in a writing program – especially one as strong as the University of Washington program – is the best way for me to accomplish my goals. Eventually I would like to be teaching poetry writing at the college level. After teaching creative writing at Purdue, I realize that it is something that I would like to continue doing as a career, along with writing my poetry. I have also taught composition at Purdue, and I enjoy teaching at that level as well. If accepted into the program at UW, upon graduation I would like to teach composition, and continue to write and publish poems, in the hopes that I will eventually be able to publish enough to allow me to gain employment as a creative writing teacher.

Better personal statement

Every morning at 10:00 a.m. I come face to face with the power of language so free; it happens in a classroom. The students I teach at Seattle Central Community College come from night work in an industrial bakery, from a Vietnamese refugee camp, from a 9-to-5 job in a car wash, or from the day care center where they have left their children. All come to the English Skills Shop to improve their use of language and they move through the same process I have undertaken: uncovering their voices. When they get discouraged, I read aloud excerpts from their own writing. They applaud themselves. In this room, their varied experiences count. I remind them that the only reason to learn how to write well is because they have something to say. And they do. Until this past summer, I had no training in creative writing, nor even in literature; all my knowledge was absorbed like trace minerals from mass consumption of contemporary American fiction. The writer who does most masterfully what I attempt in my own stories is Wallace Stegner. He makes the intricate webs connecting his characters visible by illuminating the tears of dew balanced on each strand. Last summer I enrolled at the University of Washington and have been working ever since to find resonance in my own stories and study the voices within others’. Through an advanced short story class and a creative writing conference, along with literature and critical theory classes, I’ve become a more critical reader and a better writer.

I’m looking for a graduate program which combines the two elements I’ve found most valuable in my recent studies: strong mentors and tight community. I seek teachers who can pull me out of the details of works and phrases to see the whole piece, its form and contradictions. I seek guidance; the self-motivation is there. To balance the hours of solitary writing, I want a graduate program, which nurtures a supportive community. Throughout this process of thawing my voice, I’ve taken periods of formal training and applied the techniques; I see graduate schools as one of these steps. Through it expect to move to another level in my writing and myself, the ability to honestly and compellingly explore the world through stories. The stronger and more fluid connection between my life and writing, the better I’ll be able to teach that connection to others. I would like to write my own stories and teach others how to write theirs. In the end, both undertakings help us all find our voices.

Good personal statement (with commentary)

My awakening to the wonder of human cultural diversity began with my entry into Army Basic Training. Living in an open barracks for three months with women from every corner of the United States opened my eyes and mind to the amazing variety of cultural groups just within our own country. Since then, I have lived, worked, and traveled in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. I gained valuable cross-cultural experience as a member of a multi-national task force, which provided Emergency Medical Service in Kuwait during Operation Desert Storm. In addition to these experiences, my Army training has enabled me to develop strong skills in leadership, teambuilding, and organization. These are all qualities that will help me to be successful in my chosen field of Community Health Nursing. [In this paragraph, she shares her turning points, skills and attributes. She also connects her past and present.]

I have chosen the focus area of cross-cultural nursing because I know that making health programs culturally accessible is as important as making them geographically and financially accessible. This has been clearly demonstrated to me at the Washington Poison Center where we provide telephone information services to the entire state of Washington. Poison Center services are underutilized by non-English speaking population groups and those with English as a second language. This is due, in part, to a lack of awareness or understanding of the services provided by the Poison Center. Cross-cultural health education is the key to informing these populations of the benefits of using Poison Center services. [In this paragraph, she discusses why she is applying for this program and talks about some related experiences.]

As a cross-cultural nursing consultant, I will work with multidisciplinary teams planning and implementing community health programs for underserved populations. I will bring to these teams the unique nursing perspective and an expertise in the effects of culture on health-seeking behaviors for underserved populations. Washington State has a rapidly growing Hispanic population with a large subculture of migrant farm workers. I intend to spend some time in rural eastern Washington working with Public Health officials and community leaders to increase the focus on primary prevention for this population group. I am also interested in working with Hispanic populations in other locations. With these plans in mind, I am currently studying Spanish. In addition, I plan to teach cross-cultural nursing subjects in the academic setting and in other venues such as hospital in-service training. [In this paragraph, she talks about her future goals. She also describes why she is a unique candidate.]

Calculate for all schools

Your chance of acceptance, your chancing factors, extracurriculars, uw seattle requirements.

Hi everyone! I'm starting to prepare my college list, and I'm interested in UW Seattle. Could anyone share the main admission requirements, like average test scores and GPA? Thanks in advance.

Hi there! It's great that you're interested in the University of Washington Seattle. Here's a summary of the main admission requirements and average statistics for admitted students:

1. High School Coursework: UW Seattle requires you to complete specific college preparatory coursework to meet their admission requirements. A strong academic background is important and will help you become a competitive applicant. Focus on completing four years of English, three years of math (through pre-calculus), three years of social science, two years of laboratory science, and at least two years of a world language.

2. GPA: While UW Seattle does not have a minimum GPA requirement, they do have a competitive admissions process. The average GPA for admitted students is around 3.85 (unweighted) on a 4.0 scale. However, this number varies by major and college.

3. Standardized Test Scores: As of the 2024-2025 application cycle, UW Seattle remains test-optional, so you actually do not have to submit an SAT or ACT score. However, aiming for an SAT score around 1400, or an ACT score around 31, could be a good idea, as a strong test score certainly never hurts your application. For detailed guidance on how to navigate test-optional policies, check out this blog post from CollegeVine: https://blog.collegevine.com/does-test-optional-mean-test-optional

4. Application Components: Aside from your high school transcripts and test scores, the application also requires you to submit a personal statement, extracurricular activities, and academic honors and achievements.

Keep in mind that these numbers are only averages, and the admissions process is holistic, so having test scores and a GPA in line with these averages doesn't guarantee admission. Your personal statement and extracurricular involvement will also contribute to your overall application. If you’re able to showcase your passion and dedication in your application, along with a strong academic background, you'll improve your chances of getting accepted.

For tips on how to strengthen your overall application to UW Seattle, check out this blog post from CollegeVine, which breaks down how to tackle their application essays: https://blog.collegevine.com/how-to-write-the-university-of-washington-essays/. Best of luck with your college process!

About CollegeVine’s Expert FAQ

CollegeVine’s Q&A seeks to offer informed perspectives on commonly asked admissions questions. Every answer is refined and validated by our team of admissions experts to ensure it resonates with trusted knowledge in the field.

Mastering the Personal Statement Format: A Guide

Craft a standout personal statement with essential elements. Impress admissions committees with your compelling narrative.

When it comes to college and university admissions, the personal statement assumes a paramount role in setting applicants apart from their peers. A meticulously constructed personal statement becomes an instrument of utmost significance, empowering individuals to exhibit their distinctive qualities, experiences, and aspirations to discerning admissions committees. 

Recognizing the significant influence of a well-crafted personal statement on an individual’s academic journey, this article aims to provide aspiring students with a comprehensive guide to excel in the art of creating impactful personal statements.

By exploring the definition and purpose of personal statements and offering invaluable writing tips and strategies, this guide assists users in mastering the format of a compelling personal statement.

Definition Of Personal Statement

A personal statement is a written document typically required as part of the application process for educational institutions, scholarships, job opportunities, or other significant life events. It serves as a unique and personalized representation of an individual’s background, experiences, achievements, and aspirations. 

The personal statement offers applicants a chance to showcase their personality, passions, and motivations, allowing them to stand out and make a compelling case for their suitability for the position or opportunity they are seeking.

Purpose Of A Personal Statement

The primary purpose of a personal statement is to provide the admissions committee, employer, or selection panel with deeper insights into the applicant’s character, values, and potential. Beyond the information provided in other application materials, such as grades or resumes, a personal statement delves into the applicant’s story, offering a glimpse into their life journey and how it has shaped their ambitions and goals.

By presenting a well-crafted personal statement, applicants aim to:

• Demonstrate their suitability: Applicants can use the personal statement to highlight how their skills, experiences, and passions align with the requirements of the institution or position they are applying for.
• Convey their uniqueness: A personal statement enables applicants to showcase what sets them apart from other candidates and demonstrate their individuality, perspectives, and strengths.
• Exhibit strong communication skills: Crafting an engaging and articulate personal statement reflects an applicant’s ability to express ideas clearly and persuasively, a crucial skill in many fields.
• Show commitment and motivation: By explaining their motivations and aspirations, applicants can convey their dedication and determination to succeed in the chosen field of study or profession.

Admissions Process Overview

The admissions process varies depending on the institution or opportunity being pursued. However, the general steps involved in the admissions process include:

• Research and exploration: Prospective applicants research various educational institutions, job opportunities, or scholarships to identify the ones that align with their interests and goals.
• Application submission: Applicants complete the required application forms and submit supporting documents, which may include academic transcripts, letters of recommendation, resumes, and the personal statement.
• Review by admissions committee or employer: The admissions committee or employer evaluates all received applications, assessing candidates based on their academic achievements, experiences, qualifications, and the content of their personal statements.
• Selection and decision-making: After careful evaluation, the institution or employer makes decisions regarding acceptance, job offers, or scholarship awards.

Components Of A Successful Personal Statement

A successful personal statement should incorporate the following components:

• Introduction: A compelling opening that grabs the reader’s attention and provides a glimpse of the applicant’s personality and background.
• Personal narrative: A well-structured and engaging account of the applicant’s life experiences, including challenges faced, significant achievements, and pivotal moments.
• Clear goals and aspirations: A demonstration of the applicant’s future plans, showing how the opportunity they seek aligns with their long-term objectives.
• Relevance to the opportunity: A clear connection between the applicant’s experiences, skills, and motivations with the specific program, job, or scholarship they are applying for.
• Demonstration of qualities and strengths: Showcase of key attributes, such as leadership, adaptability, problem-solving abilities, and teamwork skills, supported by relevant examples.
• Reflection and growth: Demonstrating how past experiences have shaped the applicant’s personal and professional development and how they have learned from challenges.
• Conciseness and clarity: Effective communication with a focus on coherence, relevance, and avoiding unnecessary details or jargon.
• Positive tone: A positive and optimistic outlook that leaves a lasting impression on the reader.
• Proofreading and editing: Thoroughly reviewed and edited to ensure impeccable grammar, spelling, and overall presentation.

Personal Statement Format: The Basics

The personal statement is a critical component of various applications, providing applicants with a platform to present their unique qualities, experiences, and aspirations. 

In this section, let’s explore the fundamental format of a personal statement, comprising the introduction paragraph, body paragraphs, and conclusion paragraph . Understanding these elements will empower applicants to effectively communicate their story and convince the reader of their suitability for the desired opportunity.

Introduction Paragraph

The introduction paragraph marks the beginning of the personal statement and serves as a gateway to the applicant’s narrative. Here, applicants aim to capture the reader’s attention, provide essential background information about themselves, and present the overarching theme or purpose of their personal statement. The introduction sets the tone for the entire document and offers the opportunity to make a memorable first impression.

Body Paragraphs

The body paragraphs constitute the heart of the personal statement, where applicants delve into their experiences, accomplishments, and motivations in greater detail. Each body paragraph should revolve around a distinct topic or aspect of the applicant’s life that aligns with the central theme established in the introduction. Here, applicants can showcase their personal growth, relevant skills, and how specific experiences have shaped their aspirations. By providing compelling evidence and anecdotes, the body paragraphs reinforce the applicant’s suitability for the opportunity they are pursuing.

Conclusion Paragraph

In the conclusion paragraph, applicants bring their personal statement to a thoughtful close. This section restates the main points highlighted in the body paragraphs, emphasizing the alignment between the applicant’s journey and the sought-after opportunity. The conclusion may also include reflective insights, demonstrating self-awareness and an understanding of the potential impact they could make in the future. A well-crafted conclusion leaves a lasting impression, leaving the reader with a sense of the applicant’s character and potential.

Formatting The Personal Statement Essay

When crafting a well-structured personal statement, the writer must not overlook the importance of proper formatting. The arrangement of text, choice of font, and adherence to specific guidelines can significantly influence the essay’s overall impact and readability. Here are the key components of formatting that contribute to the transformation of essays into polished and impactful pieces of writing.

Font And Size

The recommended font for academic essays is typically Times New Roman, Arial, or Calibri. The standard font size is 12 points. This size ensures that the text is clear and readable without being too large or too small. Avoid using fancy or decorative fonts as they can distract from the content and may not be as legible.

Margins And Spacing

The standard margins for an essay are usually set at 1 inch on all sides (top, bottom, left, and right). This margin size provides a neat and balanced appearance to the document. Some institutions or formatting guidelines may require specific margin sizes, so it’s essential to check the requirements provided by the institution or instructor.

For spacing, the most common format is double-spacing throughout the entire essay. Double-spacing makes the text easier to read and allows space for comments or corrections if the essay needs to be reviewed or graded. However, some guidelines may require single-spacing for specific elements like block quotes or reference lists. Always follow the specific instructions, if available. 

Essays often have a specific page limit or word count that students must adhere to. The page limit indicates the maximum number of pages that the essay can occupy. If there is no specified page limit, the general guideline is to aim for around 1.5 to 2 pages for a standard personal statement essay.

If a page limit is provided, it’s essential to stay within that limit. Going significantly over the page limit may result in a bad impression, in some cases, the essay being rejected outright. On the other hand, if the essay is shorter than the specified page limit, students should use the extra space to expand on their ideas or provide more supporting evidence.

Writing Tips And Strategies for Personal Statement Format

Crafting a compelling personal statement is a crucial step in various application processes, whether it’s for college admissions, scholarships, or job opportunities. This document offers applicants a chance to stand out from the crowd and present their unique qualities, experiences, and aspirations. To create an impactful personal statement, consider the following writing tips and strategies:

Show Don’t Tell Strategy

One of the most effective ways to engage the reader and make your personal statement memorable is by employing the “Show Don’t Tell” strategy. Rather than simply stating facts or qualities about yourself, use vivid and specific examples to illustrate your strengths, experiences, and character traits. Instead of saying, “I am a determined and resilient individual,” provide a story that demonstrates your determination and resilience in overcoming a challenging situation. By showing your qualities through compelling narratives, you allow the reader to connect with your experiences on a deeper level.

Start With An Outline Or Brainstorming Session

Before diving into writing, take the time to create an outline or engage in a brainstorming session. Jot down key points, experiences, and ideas that you want to include in your personal statement. Organize them logically to form a coherent structure. Having a clear outline or list of ideas will help you maintain focus and prevent your personal statement from becoming disjointed. It will also ensure that you cover all essential aspects of your life and aspirations, creating a comprehensive and well-rounded essay.

Reflect On Your Experiences

Take time to reflect on your life experiences, both personal and academic. Identify significant events, challenges, achievements, and moments that have shaped your character and influenced your goals.

Showcase Your Authenticity

Be genuine and authentic in your writing. Avoid using clichés or trying to present yourself as someone you’re not. Admissions committees and employers appreciate honesty and real-life experiences.

Structure Your Statement

Organize your personal statement with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a strong conclusion. The introduction should engage the reader, while the body paragraphs should provide evidence and examples to support your central theme. The conclusion should leave a lasting impression and reiterate your main points.

Provide Concrete Examples

Support your claims and assertions with specific examples, anecdotes, or achievements. Concrete evidence strengthens your statement and helps the reader connect with your experiences.

Address Weaknesses, But Stay Positive

If you have any weaknesses in your application, such as low grades or employment gaps, you can address them in your personal statement. However, always maintain a positive tone and focus on how you have learned from those experiences and improved.

Online Infographic Maker For Science

Mind the Graph is an online infographic maker designed for scientists, offering pre-made templates, a drag-and-drop interface, and an extensive library of scientific illustrations. By enhancing communication, increasing impact, saving time, and promoting open science, Mind the Graph empowers scientists to effectively convey their research to a broader audience and enhance their credibility within the scientific community.

Subscribe to our newsletter

Exclusive high quality content about effective visual communication in science.

Unlock Your Creativity

Create infographics, presentations and other scientifically-accurate designs without hassle — absolutely free for 7 days!

About Jessica Abbadia

Jessica Abbadia is a lawyer that has been working in Digital Marketing since 2020, improving organic performance for apps and websites in various regions through ASO and SEO. Currently developing scientific and intellectual knowledge for the community's benefit. Jessica is an animal rights activist who enjoys reading and drinking strong coffee.

Content tags

Assistant Wrestling Coach

• Madison, Wisconsin
• INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETICS/WRESTLING
• Staff-Full Time
• Opening at: May 14 2024 at 13:50 CDT
• Closing at: May 21 2024 at 23:55 CDT

Job Summary:

Wisconsin Wrestling is looking for an experienced Assistant Coach to join the team! This individual should bring coaching experience, strong leadership and communication skills with a unique ability to foster team competitive success while maintaining a strong emphasis on the personal development and academic achievement of student-athletes.

Responsibilities:

The primary responsibilities of this position include: * Instruction of student-athletes in the fundamentals in the sport of Wrestling; * Recruiting, conditioning, and scheduling of practice; * Public relations duties; * Other duties as assigned by the Head Wrestling Coach.

Institutional Statement on Diversity:

Diversity is a source of strength, creativity, and innovation for UW-Madison. We value the contributions of each person and respect the profound ways their identity, culture, background, experience, status, abilities, and opinion enrich the university community. We commit ourselves to the pursuit of excellence in teaching, research, outreach, and diversity as inextricably linked goals. The University of Wisconsin-Madison fulfills its public mission by creating a welcoming and inclusive community for people from every background - people who as students, faculty, and staff serve Wisconsin and the world. For more information on diversity and inclusion on campus, please visit: Diversity and Inclusion

Required Bachelor's Degree

Qualifications:

- Minimum of 1-3 years collegiate coaching experience preferred. - Other qualifications include the ability to work cooperatively with diverse groups and administrators, faculty, staff and students. - The successful applicant must be able develop and implement innovative approaches and solutions; work well independently and in teams; and be flexible in accepting new responsibilities.

Full Time: 100% It is anticipated this position requires work be performed in-person, onsite, at a designated campus work location.

Appointment Type, Duration:

Ongoing/Renewable

Negotiable ANNUAL (12 months) Employees in this position can expect to receive benefits such as: - Generous vacation, holidays, and paid time off; - Competitive insurances and savings accounts; retirement benefits; - Badger gear & season tickets for Badger football, men's basketball and men's hockey, and/or the varsity sports pass. More Benefits information can be found at https://hr.wisc.edu/benefits/ . 

Additional Information:

Conditions of Appointment: This is a 100% Limited appointment. Salary will be assigned within the appropriate range, commensurate with the candidate's qualifications and experience. An excellent benefits package is also included. Successful applicants are responsible for ensuring their eligibility to work in the United States (i.e. a citizen or national of the United States, a lawful permanent resident, a foreign national authorized to work in the United States without need of employer sponsorship) on or before the effective date of appointment. Unless confidentiality is requested in your online application, information regarding the names of applicants must be released upon request. Finalists cannot be guaranteed confidentiality. UW-Madison conducts criminal background checks for final candidate(s).

How to Apply:

To ensure full consideration, complete applications must be received by no later than 11:55 p.m. CST on the assured consideration date. Please complete the online application and attach a cover letter addressing your qualifications and experiences specifically relating to the responsibilities of this position, a comprehensive resume, and contact information for at least three professional references. The hiring unit will notify finalists prior to any communication with these references. Applicants selected to participate further in the selection process will be notified directly. All applicants will be notified once a final selection has been made and the search has been completed.

Kayla Weisensel [email protected] 608-262-6340 Relay Access (WTRS): 7-1-1. See RELAY_SERVICE for further information.

Official Title:

Assistant Coach(CC003)

Department(s):

A42-INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETICS/WRESTLING/WRESTLING

Employment Class:

Job number:, the university of wisconsin-madison is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer..

You will be redirected to the application to launch your career momentarily. Thank you!

Frequently Asked Questions

Applicant Tutorial

Disability Accommodations

Pay Transparency Policy Statement

Refer a Friend

You've sent this job to a friend!

Website feedback, questions or accessibility issues: [email protected] .

Learn more about accessibility at UW–Madison .

© 2016–2024 Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System • Privacy Statement