The most important advice for students hoping to transfer to the University of Washington from community or technical colleges: Be prepared, but know that you are not alone.
In the last academic year alone, nearly 1,700 students, or 84%, of the UW’s transfer students came from a state community or technical college, according to data from the Office of Admissions.
Thinking about transferring to the UW? Here are some helpful resources:
- The UW Office of Admissions offers several opportunities to learn more about the transfer process, including information sessions, lists of important deadlines and resources for transferring credits.
- The UW Transfer Center, housed in Undergraduate Academic Affairs, offers students resources and support in a space located just steps away from academic advising offices. From Transfer Thursdays to partnerships with Seattle community colleges, the Transfer Center offers a number of ways for prospective and transfer students to engage
To help ensure those students have the smoothest transition possible to the UW, the Undergraduate Academic Affairs Advising team has created partnerships with advisers and colleges across the state.
Among those efforts is a yearly conference where community and technical college representatives and advisers gather in Seattle to discuss how to prepare students for transferring and what resources exist once they do. Earlier this year, the UW welcomed more than 200 attendees to its 38th annual UW/Community College Advising Conference.
“I’m really proud of the work that we do to admit transfer students to the UW and what we do to build community among them,” Tricia Serio, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs, told attendees. “We’re part of this giant collaborative that creates pathways for students and makes sure we’re meeting them where they are at.”
Even before a student decides to transfer to the UW, Joslin Boroughs, director of advising initiatives and partnerships in UAA Advising, encourages students to use the University’s resources to help them plan.
Thinking about how to apply for a major or how certain credits will transfer, for example, is essential to ensuring an on-time graduation, Boroughs said.
The most common majors for transfer students include business administration, psychology, biology and communications, according to the Office of Admissions.
Because those programs can be competitive, Boroughs encouraged advisers to work with potential transfer students and help them research their major to become familiar with its prerequisites and application timeline. It’s always good to have backup options, too, she said.
“There’s usually more pathways to one goal,” she said.
UW’s resources before and after acceptance
Karen Pacheco Garcia, a landscape architecture student, met with a UW adviser before she applied to her program. She knew she wanted to transfer from her current community college, but she wasn’t sure exactly which path she would take.
Garcia took a course on landscape architecture at the UW as a non-matriculated student. That experience affirmed that that was what she wanted to do.
“It was definitely worth it,” Garcia told advisers at the UW/Community College Conference. “It solidified that I really wanted to do this major.”
For students thinking about transferring, Boroughs pointed to the new UW Transfer Center, which houses information for current and prospective transfer students. She encouraged interested students to attend events like Transfer Thursdays, which give prospective students an opportunity to meet with admission specialists and academic advisers. Other useful partnerships include the University’s Path to UW program, a partnership with the Seattle Colleges Seattle Promise program, which offer advising and admissions support to students before they apply.
“We want to help students through their journey even before they get here,” Boroughs said. “We know that a lot of what they need to be successful starts at the community college.”
Along with admissions support and transfer advising, the UW offers resources to new transfer students as they settle into the University.
For example, there are specific transfer advisers and peer mentors, departmental support like the College of the Environment’s GEODUC week for transfer students interested in STEM fields, and University-wide celebrations like the Transfer Student Week. Transfer students also get access to the Commuter & Transfer Commons.
For Kimi Boyd, a transfer student in the Community, Environment and Planning program, the support she received once she arrived at the UW helped her feel more intentional about her education.
The support from advisers and faculty helped her narrow down her interests and find a career path that made the most sense for her.
“For people who have the drive but don’t know what they want yet, there’s a lot of support to help you figure it out,” Boyd.
About Undergraduate Academic Affairs Advising
Undergraduate Academic Affairs Advising supports undergraduates across all majors with academic planning, exploration and success — connecting students with advising, resources and opportunities that help them graduate on time and thrive at the UW.