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Frequently Asked Questions

High School Students / Incoming Freshmen Most FAQs

Q: Where can students go to get advice about classes, departments, and other academic matters?

A: Pre-engineering advising is available in 301 Loew Hall (206-543-1770) or by email at engradv@engr.washington.edu. Additional advising is also available through the Undergraduate Advising Office in the Gateway Center -- Room 171 Mary Gates Hall (206-543-2550) or by email at advice@u.washington.edu. Each engineering department also has an academic adviser and resources for undergraduates.

Q: Is it okay for a High School student or non-UW student to meet with an advisor?

A: Most definitely. Prospective students are encouraged to meet with an advisor to discuss their college-career options. Please feel free to contact the Engineering Advising & Student Center at 206-543-1770 or by email at engradv@engr.washington.edu to make an appointment. Prospective students are highly encouraged to make an appointment prior to visiting the UW. The UW also offers campus tours as well as "A Day with a Dawg Program". See campus visits.

Q: What scholarship opportunities are available to me as an incoming freshmen/pre-engineering student?

A: The College of Engineering offers a limited number of scholarships for incoming/pre-engineering students. The applications are made available in January of each year and the deadline to apply is April 1 of that year for the upcoming academic year. To obtain an application, call 206/543-1770 or stop by 301 Loew Hall. Additional information can be found on the engineering scholarship website.

The UW Undergraduate Scholarship Office also has scholarship opportunities for undergraduate students. They can be reached by phone at 206/685-2483 or via email at scholarq@u.washington.edu.

Q: How do I discover what engineering major is right for me?

A: The Engineering Advising & Student Center conducts regularly scheduled information sessions about engineering as well as "What do engineers do?" workshops. Check out the Upcoming Workshop Schedule.

Q: What type of computer should an engineering student have?

A: Both Macs and PCs are popular and useful to engineering students. No operating system or computer brand is officially recommended. However, a good rule is to get the most memory in the fastest computer you can afford, along with a printer. Also look for Internet and WWW capability -- more and more classes at the UW feature websites with homework and reading assignments, downloadable data sets, and more.

Q: What type of calculator should an engineering student have?

A: It is recommended that students wait until they start classes at the UW and assess what type of calculators are being used by other students and what is needed for your particular class. Most students prefer some form of a graphing calculator.

Q: Can I be admitted directly into my engineering major of choice?

A: The UW Bioengineering, Computer Science & Engineering, Electrical, and Industrial Engineering departments enroll a small number of its incoming class directly out of high school. Freshmen applicants to the University of Washington listing Bioengineering, Computer Science or Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, and/or Industrial Engineering as their intended major, will be automatically considered. Additional questions regarding early admission can be directed to the pre-engineering adviser. The remaining engineering departments do not directly admit students to their department as incoming freshman. Instead, all students are admitted as pre-engineering majors in the College of Arts and Sciences (students not admitted as pre-engineers can get this status by contacting the pre-engineering adviser). Students interested in engineering then take 1-2 years of courses to prepare them for engineering. When this set of prerequisite courses is completed, students apply to the different engineering departments of their choice.

Q: Are pre-engineering classes very big?

A: Some of the introductory math and science classes can have as many as 250 students enrolled. However, these classes also feature weekly discussion sections of 20-30 students meeting with a teaching assistant to discuss homework, labs, tests, and class readings and lectures. After the first year, pre-engineering classes rarely have more than 50 students.

Q: What courses do pre-engineering students take?

A: Every pre-engineering student should take three quarters of calculus, at least one quarter of chemistry, at least two quarters of physics, and an English composition. The Diamond Sheet contains more detailed departmental requirements. Students with AP or community college credit may be ahead of these requirements.

Q: Are there any additional courses that could be recommended to a pre-engineering student?

A: In addition to the required math, chemistry, physics, and engineering fundamental courses needed to apply to an engineering department, the following courses may be of interest and worth checking out:

Q: Are there tutoring centers available for students?

A: Yes. There are a number of tutoring centers: See the following website for details.

If the above tutoring centers do not fit your needs, check out the Workshops/Study Centers link or check with your instructor, teaching assistant, department, or an adviser to find out what other options are available to you.

Q: When do students have to decide which engineering department they are interested in applying to?

A: Since almost all of the departments require the same classes for first year students, students interested in upper-division admissions (see below) typically do not need to narrow their focus until their second year. Early admissions (see below) candidates must focus more quickly in most cases.

Q: What is the difference between early admissions and upper-division admissions?

A: There are two admissions cycles for students who begin at the UW, early admissions and upper-division admissions. For early admissions, students complete a limited set of prerequisite classes (generally during their freshman year) and apply for a department the next Autumn Quarter. For upper-division admissions, students complete the full set of prerequisite courses (usually takes two years), and then apply to departments. While upper-division admission happens twice a year, for Autumn and Spring quarters, early admissions only takes place Autumn quarter.

Please note, you do not have to be a Freshmen to apply for early admissions, you simply have to complete the early admissions requirements. Civil and Environmental Engineering and Computer Science & Engineering do not offer early admission.

Q: What are the application deadlines to apply to the various engineering departments?

A: The deadline for submitting applications to departments for Autumn Quarter admissions is July 1. For Spring Quarter admissions, the deadline for submitting applications is February 1. If you are interested in applying to Paper Science & Engineering during Winter Quarter, see an advisor.

NOTE: ALL departments admit students Autumn Quarter. The following departments DO NOT admit students Spring Quarter: Aeronautics and Astronautics, Civil & Environmental, Chemical, and Mechanical Engineering. No departments admit Summer Quarter.

Q:What criteria do departments use for admissions?

A: Departments consider a variety of factors in the admissions process, including prerequisite grade point average (GPA), cumulative GPA, work experience, activities, and life experiences. Students also submit a personal statement that is considered in the admissions process. The prerequisite GPA is calculated from the specific prerequisite courses for each department (see prerequisite requirements). Admission is competitive for every department in the College of Engineering. For additional information regarding engineering admissions criteria and competitiveness, click here.

Q: What kind of grades does a student need to have to get into engineering?

A: While departments vary in levels of competitiveness, most are looking for students with GPA's of 2.8 (B-) and above. Some departments are considerably more competitive. Students with GPA's below 2.5 are much less likely to gain admission to an engineering department. Please see an adviser to discuss GPA competitiveness. For additional information regarding engineering admissions criteria and competitiveness, click here.

Q: Are there any student societies I can get involved with as a pre-engineering student?

A: There are a number of departmental student societies as well as College of Engineering student societies. Visit the Student Society List on the web and contact the individual(s) listed under the society of interest.

Q: What are the various Engineering Programs and Services available to me?

A: Engineering Advising and Diversity Center is comprised of the following student programs: Engineering Advising, Engineering Co-op Program, Minority Scholars Engineering Program , and Women in Science and Engineering. For additional student programs, visit the following website.

Q: How do the different undergraduate (not graduate) programs rank?

A: In general, the College of Engineering has typically ranked in the top 20 of the US News rankings.

For additional answers to frequently asked questions, please see the UW Freshmen Student Frequently Asked Questions.

Engineering Advising & Diversity Center, 301 Loew Hall, 206-543-1770, eadc@u.washington.edu