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Old 10-31-2013, 01:56 PM
 
17 posts, read 25,830 times
Reputation: 28

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I would suggest talking with advisors at the UW to get a better understanding of your odds. Your odds of getting into the UW look better than your odds of getting accepted into computer engineering unless it has become significantly less competitive than when I went there.

I got into the computer engineering major when I was at the UW and at the time it was highly competitive. I think they have more slots in the program now, but I think it's still competitive. Like a previous poster stated, when I got into the major you needed to have around a 3.8 college GPA to have a good shot of getting in.

To give you an idea of what type of student I was when I got into the major:
- I had a 4.0 average in math classes. I had taken the 1xx calculus series and a few 3xx classes.
- I had a 3.8 average in the 12x physics classes (mechanics, waves, etc). I remember the advisor really liking this.
- I had a 3.7 average in the intro CS classes.
- I had a 4.0 in every other class.
- In high school, I had over a 3.9 GPA (I got a B once) and took IB classes.

The reason I gave my background is to show you what types of students you're competing against. From my perspective, you'd need to really step up your game if you got into the UW and wanted to get into computer engineering. However, things could have changed which is why I suggest talking to advisors at the UW.

For what it's worth, the in-state students I know who have gotten into the UW recently all took mostly IB or AP classes and had GPAs around yours or higher.
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Old 10-31-2013, 02:37 PM
 
Location: Seattle, WA
1,522 posts, read 1,850,623 times
Reputation: 1220
I hired a guy from UW and was floored at how bright he was. This is one competitive school.
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Old 10-31-2013, 05:11 PM
 
3 posts, read 8,582 times
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to be honest i was really lazy throughout high school, and I know my high school gpa should be a lot higher then it should be. I learned my lesson, and promised myself I would work harder in college. So overall, you think I have a decent chance at being accepted to Washington as a student in general overall? (forget about getting into computer engineering, I'm just worried about getting into the school)
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Old 11-01-2013, 01:00 PM
 
Location: Past: midwest, east coast
603 posts, read 873,849 times
Reputation: 625
I think people here are giving you a false sense of security.

I've only lived in the region for a few years so I'm not sure how competitive UW admissions were in the past. Most people say it wasn't. But in the past few years, UW has really stepped up its game and is becoming an elite public university, usually ranked in the Top 5 every year just after UC Berkeley and Michigan. In my entering class (2010) the average accepted GPA was above a 3.7. Mine was just a tad bit lower but I had several AP classes and a good ACT score that saved me. To be frank, I don't think your GPA and SAT/ACT scores are good enough.

But that being said, your extracurricular involvements and sports accomplishments are quite impressive and may be able to save your chances. It sounds like you can write good essays about your volunteer experiences and you've achieved a lot in track & field. If I were on the admissions committee I would definitely look at those factors favorably.

Overall, you may have a shot to get in through the wait list.

By the way, CSE (Computer Science Engineering) is one of the toughest programs to enter at the UW. You really need to work your tail off if you want to get into it. I know people with 3.8 GPAs who aced their pre-reqs who got rejected. Some of them pursued other fields of engineering or Informatics, while others transferred to decent universities in California who gave them admission into their CSE departments.
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Old 11-01-2013, 04:36 PM
 
Location: WA
4,242 posts, read 8,751,989 times
Reputation: 2375
Are you asking because you want to see if it's worth the money to apply? Trying to set expectations?
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Old 11-01-2013, 07:30 PM
 
Location: Los Angeles
872 posts, read 2,023,519 times
Reputation: 592
Uw engineering school is one of the best in the entire country. The act you listed to below average for in state students who are applying for the program. I would take it again and study. You'll need at least a 30 on the act.
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Old 11-02-2013, 12:42 AM
 
17 posts, read 25,830 times
Reputation: 28
Quote:
Originally Posted by mrahong14 View Post
to be honest i was really lazy throughout high school, and I know my high school gpa should be a lot higher then it should be. I learned my lesson, and promised myself I would work harder in college. So overall, you think I have a decent chance at being accepted to Washington as a student in general overall? (forget about getting into computer engineering, I'm just worried about getting into the school)
I think your chances are on the low side based on the information you have given. However, I don't have the impression that the UW simply ranks people by their GPA and scores and just grabs from the top. It wouldn't be wise to admit a group of clones who all want to major in the same few areas. I think they want a diverse student population and if you happen to fit into some underrepresented group you may have better odds than a student with a similar academic background.

Your grades and test scores seem lower than most of the people I have known who went there. Of those who had GPAs closer to yours, their grades were pulled down by IB/AP classes. It didn't sound like you took a lot of those so your excuse for lower grades isn't nearly as good as someone who was doing a full IB program. That being said, since the quality of education, amount of grade inflation, and difficulty in coursework can vary so greatly, it's hard to say how your GPA really compares to the students I know. I have a feeling the UW probably has software that lets them more accurately compare students.

The amount of community service hours you have is pretty standard for the people I know who went to the UW in the last 4 years so it doesn't make up for your academics.

I'm not sure how much your sports achievements will help. They'd probably help more if you were planning to participate in sports at the UW.

On the plus side, rather than competing for a spot with the top local students you're more likely competing with the other students who would have to pay out-of-state tuition. It may be slightly easier to get in...or not.
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Old 11-02-2013, 01:16 PM
 
Location: West Coast - Best Coast!
1,979 posts, read 3,512,651 times
Reputation: 2343
Quote:
Originally Posted by sorsha View Post
I think your chances are on the low side based on the information you have given. However, I don't have the impression that the UW simply ranks people by their GPA and scores and just grabs from the top. It wouldn't be wise to admit a group of clones who all want to major in the same few areas. I think they want a diverse student population and if you happen to fit into some underrepresented group you may have better odds than a student with a similar academic background.

Your grades and test scores seem lower than most of the people I have known who went there. Of those who had GPAs closer to yours, their grades were pulled down by IB/AP classes. It didn't sound like you took a lot of those so your excuse for lower grades isn't nearly as good as someone who was doing a full IB program. That being said, since the quality of education, amount of grade inflation, and difficulty in coursework can vary so greatly, it's hard to say how your GPA really compares to the students I know. I have a feeling the UW probably has software that lets them more accurately compare students.

The amount of community service hours you have is pretty standard for the people I know who went to the UW in the last 4 years so it doesn't make up for your academics.

I'm not sure how much your sports achievements will help. They'd probably help more if you were planning to participate in sports at the UW.

On the plus side, rather than competing for a spot with the top local students you're more likely competing with the other students who would have to pay out-of-state tuition. It may be slightly easier to get in...or not.
Agree with all of this. To me, the OP looks average on paper. The extracurriculars and sports aren't unusual at all. For comparison, when I applied (and got in) to the UW back in the late 90s, I had a similar GPA, higher SAT (just math and verbal in those days, though), 400 hours of community service, student govt., and lettered in two sports that I played all four years of hs. Things have only gotten more competitive today, and some kids have GPAs OVER 4.0. So I think you're borderline to get into UW in general.
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Old 11-02-2013, 04:02 PM
 
1,950 posts, read 3,514,358 times
Reputation: 2770
UW has become highly competitive. Stellar applicants are turned away every year. There simply are not enough slots available. Apply to several schools to increase your chances.
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Old 11-02-2013, 04:07 PM
 
1,950 posts, read 3,514,358 times
Reputation: 2770
Local News | Why straight-A's may not get you into UW this year | Seattle Times Newspaper

This still holds true today. You have an advantage in being an out-of-state applicant.
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