Data Science Masters

September 15, 2020

Advice for Reapplicants

Admission to the MSDS program is very competitive. The fact of the matter is that we simply cannot admit all of the qualified applicants we receive in a given year. Many applicants who are not successful wonder if they can reapply to the MSDS program during the next application cycle. The short answer is yes! If you were denied or waitlisted last year, we welcome you to apply again this year. Having applied in a previous year is not a negative factor in your application. We appreciate sustained interested in our program. We also admire your persistence and resilience in reapplying. In fact, each year, we offer admissions to some reapplicants who present compelling applications.

Though not required, we strongly recommend that you submit an optional essay outlining how you have improved your candidacy since your last application, as the admissions committee will be looking for changes in your qualifications. You can use this opportunity to highlight any additional coursework, professional experience, technical projects, or areas of personal growth that you have undertaken since you last applied to the MSDS program.

Additionally, we encourage you to approach your application with a fresh outlook and consider how you might better represent your strengths and accomplishments to the admissions committee this time around. You may want to revise your resume or reconsider your choice of recommenders. If possible, request a letter of recommendation from someone who can speak to your growth over the period since you last applied to the MSDS program.

Beyond your resume and recommendations, the essay prompts offer you the opportunity to distinguish yourself from the rest of the applicant pool. After reading more than a thousand applications this past year, we can tell you that thoughtful, well-written essays often make the difference between being admitted and being waitlisted. While essays can be one of the most challenging aspects of applying to graduate school, they can also be one of the best ways to make a compelling case for your admission.

In sum, reapplicants should make sure they enhance their application, rather than just submitting the same application. We cannot guarantee that reapplicants will be admitted to the program. However, in the past, several of our best students were admitted to the MSDS program after applying more than once. We look forward to reading a new application from you, and we are excited to see how you have grown since you last applied to our program. We invite you to review our 2020-2021 application requirements. As always, if you have questions about the MSDS program or the application requirements, please feel welcome reach out to uwmsds@uw.edu.