How to get in to UW CS: all my stats and essays

When I applied to colleges, and again when I applied to CS, I didn’t like that there weren’t good examples of what to do and what not to do on your application. After my fourth application was finally successful, I wanted to release my information so that others can reference it when applying.

This post was originally made on Reddit (see the Reddit version), using Google Drive to host the files. I’ve decided to copy it to my site now that it’s up to date. All the content is the same, but the files are hosted here. Changes are underlined like this.

Documents

I created a Google Drive folder with all of the documents I have related to my numerous applications. Essays, my transcript, etc.

You have to have a UW google account to view it, for now. If you don’t but still want access, message me.

My timeline

High school

I am a male, half white half asian sophomore from a pretty good high school in California. I didn’t have stellar grades, but I feel like I am capable of being a good student. However, due to my grades, none of the colleges with excellent CS programs (MIT, Stanford, etc.) would accept me. I applied for CS direct admission at UW, but obviously didn’t get it (because out of state DAs are rare). I decided to come here anyway, because I knew I could still apply to the CS program after matriculating.

Freshman year

My high school offered a lot of AP credit, so I was able to jump the gun and apply for spring admission as a freshman (after one quarter at UW). At this point I had taken CSE 143 (3.8) ENGL 121 (4.0) and MATH 126 (3.8). I was rejected. Since the UW CSE advisors give feedback on applications, I went and asked them what the deal was. They explained that they pretty much don’t admit first quarter freshman, but that I was on the right path (good grades, some extracurriculars, etc.), and should apply again at the end of the year.

I spent the next two quarters taking random classes that looked interesting, because I have enough AP credit that I don’t really need to fulfill a lot of requirements. The only STEM class I took was MATH 308 (3.6) in winter. I talked to the advising department in spring, and they told me that I wasn’t likely to get in because they had no proof that I could be academically successful in STEM classes, beyond what they saw last time. It was too late for me to change anything, though so I just hoped for the best. Over the summer I applied again and was rejected. I was in California, so I didn’t get to talk to the advisors immediately.

Sophomore year

I returned to campus a bit more nervous than before, because the CS department had already turned me down three times (DA, Spring, Fall). I went to advising and asked them what they needed from me. I told them that I planned on taking CSE 414, MATH 307, INFO 201, and Persian 101 fall quarter, to show that I could handle a heavy STEM load. They seemed to think that INFO 201 was not a STEM class, but said that I was definitely taking an “academically rigorous” schedule. Mid quarter, I went back to advising, and told them that I expected to earn good (3.8 and above) grades in all my classes except maybe Persian, and they told me that that was great. I listed my extracurriculars (pretty much just volunteering for a club, working on a database web app, which I had been doing since freshman year, and a non-CS summer internship) and they said very clearly that I wasn’t doing enough outside of class, and wasn’t likely to be admitted. I then got kinda salty and still haven’t talked to the advisors since. That obviously rattled me, so I started my search for extracurriculars anew. I started working with a family friend’s CS startup a few weeks later.

When I applied for Spring 2020, I was finally admitted. I believe that there were two major factors that led to my admission. 1. A proven academic record in STEM classes 2. An essay that clearly enumerated how my extracurriculars provided useful professional skills and were relevant to my success in the program

Tips

I spent a lot of time in the advising office, and they have slowly given me some helpful information that I collected here.

• Talk to the advisors. They will answer questions that college admissions counselors won’t, like how many people they predict will apply, where specifically your application was lacking, what notes they have on file for your essay (what their takeaways were), etc. Be prepared with some questions and take notes.
• Learn from others’ examples. In my Spring 2020 application, I drew essay style inspiration from the essay a friend of mine wrote after he got in for Fall 2019.
• Your essay is important. They don’t seem to care much for storytelling prowess, but seem to respond well to direct claims about yourself and your skills/experience/whatever.
• Take STEM classes and do well in them. The department seems to use Math (I never took physics/chem/etc. here, but maybe those too) as a proxy for ability to handle a CS course load.
• I have a hypothesis that the program is looking for students who are going to be able to succeed in a professional setting, so they emphasize leadership, communication, etc. in the application because they can’t teach those in class. Learn them yourself and prove it with your writing.

Conclusion

Hopefully this post is helpful. I have always seen the CS application at UW as a second chance to prove myself after my college application cycle didn’t go so well. You get multiple tries and good feedback. Take advantage of it. If you’ve read this far, good luck next quarter. If you have questions or want to make friends or whatever my snapchat is ericbanisadr email me or something, I’ve since deleted my snapchat. Please don’t post my stuff elsewhere without telling me.