University of Washington-Seattle Campus Top Questions

What is your overall opinion of this school?

Devin

The University of Washington is an outstanding University and home to many academic opportunities that lead to a bright future. My opinion is that anyone that doesn't go to UW is missing out on the opportunities presented on a daily basis. Each and everyday I am given opportunities to become the greatest "me".

Qingxu

This school has fabulous environment and professional teachers.

Melissa

This is one of my writing samples that is published on Unigo.com, a multimedia college platform. I am answering the question, what is your overall opinion of this school (University of Washington)? The best thing about the University of Washington is the smaller community within the larger campus. People become connected through different events and similar passions which often lead to sustaining friendships. Red Square, the center of campus, booms throughout the day with tents promoting clubs and other fun activities. Not to mention, the campus could not be more gorgeous with its Harry Potteresque buildings dripping with vines, blossoming cherry trees, and the fountain decorated with swimming ducks. Oh, but the education. That's pretty important right? Well, UW definitely knows how to teach and does it well. My teachers display an enthusiasm about teaching I never received in high school. My freshman year, my hands clasped my school map tightly as I sat down at my lecture boasting hundreds of students. And there stood my teacher, smiling. For the next few weeks, she begged us to come to office hours to speak with her, because she sought to know her students on a more personal level. This kindness did not fail my following quarters at UW and still can currently be seen. One of my professors memorized over 200 of our names in order to make us feel more comfortable and some required us to come to office hours, because they truly wanted to know about our backgrounds and personalities first hand. Of course there are some lectures that are boring, but there are always others that leave you on the edge of your seat waiting to hear more. It really depends on who is teaching. But either way, my educational experience has been undeniably the best I could have asked for or ever dreamed I could obtain. Although all the great qualities that drew me into UW's atmosphere fulfilled my expectations, I will admit I did feel isolated when I first came here. I found it hard to make new friends in my classes where everyone seemed they had a full quota and were not looking to meet anyone knew. Therefore the one thing I would change about UW is the way they handle assimilating freshmen into what at first seems like a giant campus and school population. Now that I have been here for two years, I have found my groove. My shyness slowly melted away and I have been able to meet new people in my classes, dorm, and on campus job I had as a freshmen. Husky pride in Seattle, oh...it's real wild. During football season last year, my ears perked up before I looked out my dorm room window. I smiled as I saw the entire school marching band wrapped in Christmas lights, hands clutching their instruments in the cool November air. It was the night before a football game. And everyone knew. The day of a game is also an exciting event here. Faces caked in purple and yellow paint jumping on two feet in the Dawg Pack, the student section at the games, is simply a necessity. The rain beats down on the relentless fans as their purple and gold beads dance up and down around their necks. This incredible enthusiasm doesn’t just end at the edge of campus either. Husky pride radiates all over Seattle despite the nonexistent sunshine. Every time I tell someone I go to UW people seem to pop out from everywhere to shout "ME TOO!" When I applied for my debit card at Bank of America, at least four different people working at the West Seattle bank all told me they were alumni. For this reason, I have always felt as if I was connected to something bigger. An entire community within my hometown all felt and went through the same experience as me. Trying to sleep in loud dorm rooms. Walking with rain soaked umbrellas through the red brick path on the quad. Giggling with my new friends. Discussing social issues that affect our community. They were who I have become, a college student at a highly acclaimed university. And boy, are they jealous they can't go back! Because my experience at UW is in fact priceless (despite the thousands in housing & tuition, but hey you can't be a college student without SOME debt right?). Another common reaction I get after speaking the name of my school is, "how did you get in there?" Curious eyes often beat down on me as if I just told them I had been chillin' inside Bill Gate's mansion this weekend. But I try to suppress my proud smile and simply tell them the tricks that every prospective student should know; I worked hard in high school. I earned my spot at UW by volunteering, getting good grades, and writing strong college essays. As a first generation college student, I knew and still understand the value of my education. Being accepted into UW, especially as an in-state resident, is not easy and is something to be envied. But you do not want to feel the people who get in to your desired school were accepted solely on the fact that it was easy, do you? I always wanted to go to a school that people took seriously, because to me, education is serious. Not to say that you can't have any fun, but it's important to crack down on the studying and homework more often than not. Because it is time to be someone and do something with your life, and after all, UW is an award winning school scattered with opportunities. So what are you doing? Apply and take one.

Katie

I hated every minute I spent at UW, and if I could do it all over again, I certainly would not choose to attend this university again. Many of the introductory/Gen Ed classes were good. Also, when the cherry blossoms came out in the spring. Those were the best things. I would change the unfriendliness of the student body, and the way that classes seemed to decrease in quality the higher-up you went. The university was very large but that didn't matter so much to me. I spent most of my time at the By George Cafe or in my dorm. The new student union building really sucked. The Ave has a lot of tasty food choices and a movie theatre, so it serves the purpose of a college town. You can also travel to other parts of Seattle with the school bus pass. People do not care one way or another when I tell them I went to UW-Seattle.

James

There is a great college feel to the campus with a lot of students. For some it may be too many students but for me it is just right. There is tons of school pride due to the success of the athletic department. It is a prestigious well respected school world wide so this only adds to the pride factor.

SeEun

Overall, I like my school. At first I felt anonymous and was overwhelmed by the campus size. It took some time to get use to but now I love it. The best thing about this school is the cherry blossom in the Quad in Spring. It's beautiful. Also if the weather is nice, you can see Mount Rainier. The IMA is a great facility that students get to take advantage of and with all the renovations that are currently going on, the campus buildings will be much better. One thing that I wish I could change is the tuition increase. Only in the past few years, the tuition has increased by more than $1000 for in-state students. I can only imagine what it feels like to be out-of-state students. Tuition increase is the biggest controversy on campus at the moment. With the budget cuts from the government, the school was forced to admit more out-of-state and international students and significantly lowered the admissions rate for in-state students. Tuition increase and the budget cuts are also the most frequent student complaints. Although school announces that there is a financial problem and keeps in increasing tution rates, there are lots of renovation projects and new building constructions going on on campus that upsets and frustrates the students. To have a great college experience at UW, it is important to find a smaller community within UW to feed upon. It's hard to make connections with a classmate or professors so joining a club or finding friends in your dorm is important. People definitely react positively when I mention that I attend UW because it's probably the best school in Washington state and one of the best in the west coast. It's medical program is one of the best in the nation. I mostly spend my time at many cafes all over campus, Suzallo Library or Law Library to study. There are a lot of opportunities since Seattle is a great city. There is also a lot of school pride espcially when it comes to varsity sports. Basketball games are always fun and football could be if our team started doing better.

Amanda

My overall opinion of this school is that it’s a great place to get a good education and the city offers lots to do. Although Seattle is huge, UW is located inside the U District which caters toward college students. The school is large, but this allows student to get their work done and not have to be ‘babysat.’ Although it’s big, I still frequently see people I know around campus. The community feels pretty small. There is lots of school pride which is apparent at football games and throughout all the clubs and activities that go on at the school and on campus. For the past two years, I spent most of my time on campus at the HUB. This building has restaurants, a bowling alley, study areas, and more. The building has been closed this year, but is rescheduled to be opened next summer, where it will be fully renovated. There is nothing I would change about my experience at UW thus far.

Morgan

I could not have chosen a better school for me! The University of Washington has the quintessential campus and a wonderful faculty to boot. Though this school is in the midst of a big city, it is tucked away inside its own district, which makes the sense of community at this school very strong. This is a very large campus with upwards of 40,000 students, but its very easy to get involved in something and find ways to make that number seem much smaller. This school has immense pride - there are always students sporting Husky gear.

Jenn

The best thing about this school is the amount of variety it provides you with. There are over 100 different majors, the campus is HUGE, and it is in Seattle, one of the most unique cities in the U.S.. The only downside currently is the budget cuts. Because of them, the art class sizes are starting to shrink, and one of the most exciting majors (Digital and Experimental Media), is going away . . .

Huyen-Doan

Matt

University of Washington is a huge school with tons of pride and countless ways to find your place. I love the Pac-12 sports and a lot of students favorite time of the year is Husky football season. The entire student body comes together and roots against the opposing team as a whole. It is a great feeling being part of such a large community that are all connected by being Huskies. Although a large school may be a deterrent for some, their are many ways to get involved that make the school seem much more intimate and smaller. These ways include IMA sports teams, clubs such as Capture the Flag, College Republicans, Dow Dawgs Finance, Badminton Club, anything...you name it. In addition to these, joining a fraternity and sorority instantly makes you connected to hundreds and in Sophomores, Juniors and Seniors cases', thousands of fellow students. For these Greek System members, the school feels like an intimate community of 500-4,000 students who you see all over campus, at parties, in classes, on the basketball court, at concerts, etc. Another amazing thing about University of Washington is the Ave, where students can find dozens of food and retail shops just blocks away from their homes. Also, on the ave and all of campus are tons of bus stops that run constantly around Seattle and downtown. The busses are free to students and are a quick and great way to get downtown to work, shop, eat or enjoy Pike's place in the sun. I love how the University of Washington feels completely separate from a city when you are walking around campus, but downtown Seattle is only 10-15 minutes away on a free bus ride.

alex

University of Washington is what you make of it. If your not used to big school like myself, you may want to consider going somewhere else. However if you feel like you can navigate the waters of this mammoth university your gonna have the time of your life. The possibilites are endless and the education is world class. There is no end to the list of majors and new ones are added all the time. I had a very hard time on my journey to finishing my major because UW failed to give me the structured support I was accustomed to. It's characteristically a sink or swim mentality on campus, which is great for building your confidence towards the real world life but very intimidating for a freshman coming from a graduating class of 80 people. Don't expect much guidance from your counselors after your first quarter, and expect a learning curve when using the school registration website. I'll never forget waking up at 5AM on registration day each quarter and fighting for a computer at the campus library in order to get the classes I really needed. This campus is basically a small city, so I urge you to consider joining some kind of group in order to meet people. Once your part of a campus group, it becomes apparent that our school has a ton of school pride and tradition. The entire state of washington views (besides WSU) thinks of UW as it's crowning jewel of Education, and those that graduate from this university carry the local esteem with them for life.

alex

University of Washington is what you make of it. If your not used to big school like myself, you may want to consider going somewhere else. However if you feel like you can navigate the waters of this mammoth university your gonna have the time of your life. The possibilites are endless and the education is world class. There is no end to the list of majors and new ones are added all the time. I had a very hard time on my journey to finishing my major because UW failed to give me the structured support I was accustomed to. It's characteristically a sink or swim mentality on campus, which is great for building your confidence towards the real world life but very intimidating for a freshman coming from a graduating class of 80 people. Don't expect much guidance from your counselors after your first quarter, and expect a learning curve when using the school registration website. I'll never forget waking up at 5AM on registration day each quarter and fighting for a computer at the campus library in order to get the classes I really needed. This campus is basically a small city, so I urge you to consider joining some kind of group in order to meet people. Once your part of a campus group, it becomes apparent that our school has a ton of school pride and tradition. The entire state of washington views (besides WSU) thinks of UW as it's crowning jewel of Education, and those that graduate from this university carry the local esteem with them for life.

Cecilia

Sure, everyone wants to go to Yale or Harvard. But when you really think about it, the University of Washington's not too bad itself. It's one of the best schools nation-wide for anyone going into nursing or psychology. I hear our dental program's pretty prestigious as well.

Layla

The University of Washington is literally a world of it's own. Centered on it's own power grid with it's own identifiable streets and unique nicknames. The UW is a large, complex community that needs to be networked. From it's individual colleges to extensive student body activities, the University of Washington is in my opinion a network of possibilities. It's ability to create an atmosphere that is large scale yet personable gives this school a unique edge. All attributes of the university are made approachable from getting involved in the school's politics to making connections between teachers and students. This school makes it easy to make connections and experience college life to it's fullest. This is done even down to the school's daily student written newspaper. For the students by the students, "The Daily" represents that idea that the UW is a world of it's own where you can take part in every aspect of what is happening in the university community. Even if that is just finding out about the latest student hangout hot sport, taking part in school rally, or discovering the newest lecturer to visit campus. The UW is a place where you can learn, grow, and connect. Be apart of something bigger than yourself but never makes you feel small.

Meva

There are so many opportunities at the UW. The classes are structured in a way that even though you are in a course with hundreds of students you still feel like you can get one-on-one time with professors and teacher's assistants. There is a lot of pride here and it's great to be a Dawg! There is a lot of diversity and I really enjoy it.

Cheyenne

My experience at my school so far has been amazing. I love going there and I love the whole environment of it. My favorite thing about it would have to be the campus because it is so beautiful. I love architecture so I love staring at the older buildings and l love looking at how detailed they are. Suzzallo Library has to be one of the prettiest buildings in the country on both the inside and outside. I love the whole gothic architecture aspect of it and it is beautiful during the day and when it is all light up at night. When my bus drives around the perimeter of the campus, I simply stare out the window and look at all of the buildings. Denny Hall is another one that I appreciate because of the fact that it was built in the 1800's and then transported to the campus. The Quad is another part of my school that is beautiful. It is filled with trees and the leaves in the fall and spring especially make it a beautiful place to be. I love the whole atmosphere of my school. There are over 40,000 students there, but I love the busy feel of it. Everyone is really nice and seems to respect the school and the opportunity to go there. There are students everywhere off campus and all the businesses in the area seem to be built to cater to college students. There are restaurants, clothing stores, etc. that the people at my school frequent a lot. Directly across the street are the fraternities, sororities, and off campus housing so the students at my school almost "own" the area since they are everywhere in the surrounding blocks. As far as the academics go, the school offers an overwhelming amount of classes of many different topics and all of the classes are interesting and challenging. When it comes to sports, my school is very prideful. While we are seen as an academic school, we still very much care about sports. Husky pride is huge and in particular, the football games on Saturdays are always heavily celebrated and we are very competitive. I only have a few complaints about the school, but they are very insignificant. First of all, while the whole area around my school is very much a "college town," crime still does happen and I hate feeling unsafe if I'm walking by myself in the area. Also, the campus is quite large so sometimes you have to walk quite a ways to your next class which can be a pain. I once had classes that were 20 minutes apart from each other. With only a 10 minute break between classes, I had to cut one of my class five minutes short and arrive at the other five minutes late to try to not miss much of either class. I've solved this by trying to sign up for classes close to one another, but this isn't always possible. Besides those two small complaints, I've loved everything else about my school so far.

Melissa

The best thing about the UW is the smaller community within the larger campus. People become connected through different events and similar passions, which often lead to sustaining friendships. Red Square, the center of campus, is always booming throughout the day with tents promoting clubs and other fun activities. Not to mention, the campus could not be more gorgeous with its Harry Potteresque buildings dripping with vines, blossoming cherry trees, and the fountain decorated with swimming ducks. Oh, but the education. That's pretty important right? Well, UW definitely knows how to teach and does it well. Perhaps one could argue its because the school has been around for a few years huh? But really. My teachers display an enthusiasm about teaching I never received during high school. My freshman year, my hands clasped my school map tightly as I sat down at my lecture boasting hundreds of students. And there stood my teacher, smiling. For the next few weeks, she begged us to come to office hours to get to speak with her, because she sought to know her students on a more personal level. This kindness did not fail my following quarters at UW and still can be seen currently. One of my professors memorized over 200 our names in his lecture in order to make us feel more comfortable, and some required us to come to office hours because they truly wanted to know about our backgrounds and personalities first hand. I will admit, some lectures are boring, but there are always others leaving you sitting on the edge of your seat waiting to hear more. It really depends on who is teaching. But either way, my educational experience has been undeniably the best I could have asked for or ever dreamed I could obtain. Although all the great qualities that drew me into UW's atmosphere fulfilled my expectations, I will admit I did feel isolated when I came here. I found it hard to make new friends in my classes where everyone seemed they had a full quota and were not looking to meet anyone knew. Therefore the one thing I would change about UW is the way they handle freshmen becoming assimilated into what at first seems like a giant campus and school population. Now that I have been here for two years, I have found my groove. My shyness slowly melted away and I have been able to meet new people in my classes, dorm, and on campus job I had as a freshmen. Husky pride in Seattle, oh...it's real wild. During football season, I could hear people screaming from the stadium all the way from my dorm room on a hill multiple blocks from the stadium. I also vividly remember the entire school marching band marching from dorm to dorm the night before a game with music players wrapped in Christmas lights. For any sport, there are always fans faces caked in purple and yellow paint screaming for the Huskies. Ahem, maybe that is why UW won the Apple Cup against WSU (GO UW!). You can feel the Husky pride all over Seattle. Every time I tell people I go to UW people seem to pop out from everywhere to shout "ME TOO!" When I applied for my debit card at Bank of America, at least five different people working at the West Seattle bank all told me they were alumni. For this reason, I have always felt as if I was connected to something bigger. An entire community within my hometown all felt and went through the same experience as me. Trying to sleep in loud dorm rooms. Walking with rain soaked umbrellas through the red brick path on the quad. Giggling with my new friends. Discussing social issues that affect our community. They were who I have become, a college student at a highly acclaimed university. And boy, are they jealous they can't go back! Because my experience at UW is in fact priceless (despite the thousands in housing & tuition, but hey you can't be a college student without SOME debt right?). Another common reaction I get after speaking the name of my school is, "how did you get in there???" Curious, wide eyes often beat down on me as if I just told them I had been chillin' inside Bill Gate's mansion this weekend. But I try to suppress my proud smile and simply tell them the tricks that every prospective student should know; I worked hard in High School. I earned my spot at UW by volunteering, getting good grades, and writing strong college essays. As a first generation college student, I knew and still understand the value of my education. Getting into UW, especially as an in-state resident is not easy and is something to be envied. But you do not want to feel the people who get in to your desired school got in solely on the fact that it was easy, do you? I always wanted to go to a school that people took seriously, because to me, education is serious. Not to say that you can't dabble in some red cup sipping on the weekend at the sticky floored frat houses, but during the school week, it's time to crack down on the studying and homework. Because it is time to be someone and do something with your life, and after all, UW is an award winning school scattered with opportunities. So what are you doing? Apply and take one.

Elizabeth

My friends, teachers, memories, and experiences at the UW have made it as much of a new home to me as my original hometown from across the state. After almost four years, the campus has a familiar and friendly feeling, and the young, modern city of Seattle around us provides an appropriate environment.

Melissa

The best thing about the UW is the smaller community within the larger campus. People become connected through different events and similar passions, which often lead to sustaining friendships. Red Square, the center of campus, is always booming throughout the day with tents promoting clubs and other fun activities. Not to mention, the campus could not be more gorgeous with its Harry Potteresque buildings dripping with vines, blossoming cherry trees, and the fountain decorated with swimming ducks. Oh, but the education. That's pretty important right? Well, UW definitely knows how to teach and do it well. Perhaps one could argue its because the school has been around for a few years huh? But really. My teachers display an enthusiasm about teaching I never received during high school. My freshman year, my hands clasped my school map tightly as I sat down at my lecture boasting hundreds of students. And there stood my teacher, smiling. For the next few weeks, she begged us to come to office hours to get to speak with her, because she sought to know her students on a more personal level. This kindness did not fail my following quarters at UW and still can be seen currently. One of my professors memorized over 200 our names in his lecture in order to make us feel more comfortable, and some required us to come to office hours because they truly wanted to know about our backgrounds and personalities first hand. I will admit, some lectures are boring, but there are always others leaving you sitting on the edge of your seat waiting to hear more. It really depends on who is teaching. But either way, my educational experience has been undeniably the best I could have asked for or ever dreamed I could obtain. Although all the great qualities that drew me into UW's atmosphere fulfilled my expectations, I will admit I did feel a bit isolated when I came here. I found it hard to make new friends in my classes where everyone seemed they had a full quota and were not looking to meet anyone knew. Therefore the one thing I would change about UW is the way they handle freshmen becoming assimilated into what at first seems like a giant campus and school population. Now that I have been here for two years, I have found my groove. My shyness slowly melted away and I have been able to meet new people in my classes, dorm, and on campus job I had as a freshmen. I have enjoyed getting to meet people from different economic and cultural backgrounds and sharing our stories together. Husky pride in Seattle, oh...it's real wild. During football season, I could hear people screaming from the stadium all the way from my dorm room on a hill multiple blocks from the stadium. I also vividly remember the entire school marching band marching from dorm to dorm the night before a game with music players wrapped in Christmas lights. For any sport, there are always fans faces caked in purple and yellow paint screaming for the Huskies. Ahem, maybe that is why UW won the Apple Cup against WSU (GO UW!). You can feel the Husky pride all over Seattle. Every time I tell people I go to UW people seem to pop out from everywhere to shout "ME TOO!" When I applied for my debit card at Bank of America, at least five different people working at the West Seattle bank all told me they were alumni. For this reason, I have always felt as if I was connected to something bigger. An entire community within my hometown all felt and went through the same experience as me. Trying to sleep in loud dorm rooms. Walking with rain soaked umbrellas through the red brick path on the quad. Giggling with my new friends. Discussing social issues that affect our community. They were who I have become, a college student at a highly acclaimed university. And boy, are they jealous they can't go back! Because my experience at UW is in fact priceless (despite the thousands in housing & tuition, but hey you can't be a college student without SOME debt right?). Another common reaction I get after speaking the name of my school is, "how did you get in there???" Curious, wide eyes often beat down on me as if I just told them I had been chillin' inside Bill Gate's mansion on Lake Washington. But I try to suppress my proud smile and simply tell them the tricks that every prospective student should know; I worked hard in High School. I earned my spot at UW by volunteering, getting good grades, and writing strong college essays. As a first generation college student, I knew and still understand the value of my education. Getting into UW, especially as an in-state resident is not easy and is something to be envied. But you do not want to feel the people who get in to your desired school got in solely on the fact that it was easy, do you? I always wanted to go to a school that people took seriously, because to me, education is serious. Not to say that you can't dabble in some red cup sipping on the weekend at the sticky floored frat houses, but during the school week, it's time to crack down on the studying and homework. Because it is time to be someone and do something with your life, and after all, UW is an award winning school scattered with opportunities. So what are you doing? Apply and take one.

Chelsea

Honestly, every school has it's pros and cons and making them shouldn't be something that you take lightly. Something to be aware of is that this campus is enormous. There are almost 30,000 undergraduates and over 10,000 graduates, not to mention professors and non-matriculates students. That means that at any given moment, there could be at least 20,000 people. The key is to be out-going, if you have an invisible personality, you will remain invisible. If you join clubs and talk to people, you will surely make friends. Also, with such a large enrollment, classroom sizes can be huge, i'm talking in the hundreds. As in there will be hundreds of people in your giant lectures. I can spout the age old adage: office hours and study groups. A million people can tell you these simple things, but it's up to you to take them to heart. Do know that while UW is in Seattle, it's at the northern end, so the "cool" places, downtown, Capitol Hill, ect are either a REALLY long walk or a medium bus ride away. It is beautiful in the spring/summer and awful in the fall/winter. There are some really historic and breathtaking buildings, and there are some butt-ugly ones. Also, people bleed purple and gold here and they just won't understand if you don't as well, so save up so you can buy those student tickets because they sell out fast!

Leena

The first thing most people say when I tell them I go to the UW is, "big school huh?" It is a very large school, with a teeming student body. This population pool leads to some amazing positives, as well as negatives. In my time at the UW, I found myself able to meet interesting new people any day of the week, at any time of the school year. I had the option to spend time with a close group of friends if I chose to, and keep the opportunity to make more. It's a colorful and diverse campus, and it doesn't take much to strike up a friendship. The downside to the thousands and thousands of students, however, was an occasional feeling of being lost at sea. The swarms of people on campus make you have to work harder to distinguish yourself as a person and not just a number. In my case, it led to me being more proactive, seeking out help independently, and growing out of any hand-holding I had come to expect in high school. Because of it's large size, you'll find a uniquely high amount of complaining - but free speech, however, is an important part of any thriving society! No one is afraid to speak their mind, and yet everyone is capable of just going with the flow. It's a phenomenon I feel comes from attending a giant public school: there will always be those who speak out on issues, but when it comes to acting on them, most students just want to get through their day of classes with a limited amount of kerfuffle. The school's administration is multi-leveled, sometimes apathetic, and can sometimes come across as overly involved in things that seem removed from the problems of everyday students. However, certain staff and professors I have found to be caring, sensitive and attentive, and eager to speak on a personal level with all students. Again, like a big city, you'll find all types - even among the administration. Seattle at large is an incredibly active city, and the UW's placement within it feels natural. You feel like the city is as much your school as the campus is, and exploring other neighborhoods is easy. If you chose, you can live the classic "college town" lifestyle at UW. Football games, plenty of school spirit, and masses of school sponsored activities make that easy. You can also chose alternate lifestyles just as simply. Living off campus and more integrated into the city can lead to the quintessential coffee-shop frequenting habits of a true arty Seattleite.

Kelli

Because our school is so large, I can't say that one stereotype exists for the student body. However, people say that we are a party school, which is generally true.

Melissa

Since I lived in Seattle most of my life, UW was considered as my safety school. However, after my first year at UW - meeting new people in the dorms, spending my nights studying in the beautiful Suzallo Library, running around in Drumheller Fountain, this place became my second home. Even though the campus is enormous, confusing, and filled with thousands of students everyday, I've created a small family within a large community. Sure, the rain does get to me sometimes. But once spring and summer comes along, UW is the most beautiful place to be.

Fiona

I love the UW because it's so big and has endless opportunities for students that I didn't even know existed until I got here. A student can literally study anything he or she wants, get involved in the community in countless ways, and find valuable support from other students and faculty with the same interests. The school is located right in the heart of Seattle and is about a five minute car ride to downtown which is great you're a city-lover. From what I've observed throughout my time here, the biggest complaint from my peers has been that the school is actually too big for them. More popular classes such as general chemistry or psychology can have hundreds of students in them where grading is curved which can make it difficult achieve higher grades. Yet every class is not like this and each person's opinion should be taken into account. I don't feel overwhelmed by the university's size at all and actually enjoy seeing thousands of people everyday.

Emily

The campus is wonderful - the architecture and the landscaping. There is something for absolutely everyone, and if there isn't, it's really easy to make a new group! It's in Seattle, which is a big city, so you kind of don't get that "college town" feeling, but the U-district area is definitely very fun and unique. It's a very research oriented school, so anyone interested in science related majors, this is the place for you! The humanities and arts programs are very strong as well, but we are mainly known for our research.

Kevin

I thought I would hate being in a large school where it would be easy to get lost in the crowd. However, I have branched out in many different ways, so that I have enough friends to make the campus seem much smaller. One thing that I don't like is that tuition keeps increasing. It is still much more expensive as an out-of-state student, but in-state students are paying increasingly more, and are finding that the university's quota of "in-staters" is shrinking. However, I am very happy with my experience here. The education you receive is fantastic. If you say you're going to UW, people acknowledge that you are going to a great school. School pride is very evident (except when the sports teams are struggling). I make it a point to attend sports events, and they are one of my biggest highlights of coming to school here.

Chelsie

The typical stereotype at UW is that a majority of our student body is Asian. Although we have a large Asian population (some people estimate about 30{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c}), we have a very diverse population of students and interests to meet everyone's needs. Another stereotype is that everyone at UW is a "typical Seattleite" - organic, environmentally-conscious, "granola". Once again, this is just an overrepresentation of one section of our student body. UW is, however, one of the leading "green" campuses in the nation and places an institutional emphasis on sustainability and promotion of the environment.

Kyle

It's basically a very cliquey school, people walk around and ignore strangers, greeks hang with greeks, Asians hang with Asians. I know that is a huge stereotype and I try to prove it wrong whenever possible, but I seldom do. For me, that sucks, it basically feels right off the bat, I won't be able to relate or make friends with 50-70{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the class...Coming from traveling abroad for a while, that was very hard to get used to... But...you do get used to it and generally start to ignore the greeks and the frats. Most people at the UW seem like they're there just to do the college thing and get out, do not expect it to be some thriving intellectual scene. This all combined with the Seattle freeze makes it very hard to feel connected to the school... But...you do find a way to make it cool, you will find the occasional engaged person in your class or a teacher who makes the class fun and you'll walk away with great friends from that. If you get involved with the right clubs, you'll meet even more interesting engaged people. It's a huge school but you get used to that quickly, it's just depressing to be around so many drones... All that said, I find that getting involved in clubs, talking a lot in class, checking out a lot of great books from the library, getting into the house party scene, sailing, kayaking, there are ways to make the place more engaging and fun, you are responsible for your experience ultimately, and you'll need to bust your ass for a bit to get into the UW life.

Shawn

I never care about the big picture. Well, I'm a grad student, so you get the gist (grad students only care about their research projects and what their advisors think of their productivity). However, I can as much say that regular UW students seem to care a lot about the UW American football team. To the contrary, I hate it whenever our American football team plays at home, mostly because of the resulting traffic jam. I hate it when I have to suffer a consequence of something that I don't care about. Call me selfist, but that's just who I am.

cj

I hate UW. It is way too big, and the professors walk around with such a sense of self-entitlement that it makes Andy Dick look humble. I was a graduate student there, and did my first 4 years at a smaller state school, where I had such a better time. Everything about UW is beaurocratic and expensive. I have come to the conclusion that it is just a large money pit. The food is extrememly overpriced everywhere, parking is appalling, and the bus system is not that great. There are numerous violent acts and theft against students on and outside of campus. We are notified through email every time this happens. UW owns multiple buildings downtown that it leases to businesses for profit, and with all the expensive items on campus, one wonders how they spend their money, because it is not on keeping students safe..or does not appear to be. For anyone who enjoys lifting weights, the UW gym is by far one of the biggest let downs of the school experience. There is one preacher curl bar, ONE, for a school of 45,000 people, and some of the weights are so old that you can't tell how much they actually weigh, nothing that some white tape and a felt pen couldn't fix though, but don't expect them to do that. In all, UW sucks, the only reason to go there is if you want to feel like you got a better education than other people (even though i dont think that's true). If you want to work in seattle, this is a good place to go because everyone in the city has gone there and are happy to offer jobs to UW students to reinforce their feelings of acedemic superiority over all schools in washington.

Jerry

I am proud to be a Husky. It is one of the top research colleges in the nation,a nd we are held to a very high standard. I go to the Tacoma campus and I wish there was a bit more student life, but the campus is amazing; it is an area of downtown that had been reinvested in, and revitalized by the college.

Jacqueline

Some people think that UW is a huge school and that it won't appeal to them because of the massive size. To be honest, I thought the same thing when I applied. After choosing UW and actually becoming apart of the campus community, I realize that the university is only as big as you choose to make it. I always saw friends while walking to class, even though there were 40,000 other students walking around. You tend to make friends with those that are interested in the same subjects as you - who will be taking the same classes - who you will see multiple times a week. Once you really find what you're interested in, the school is SO much smaller (in the respect that you recognize people in your classes and have overlapping study buddies for different classes). On the other hand, UW still has the awesome entertainment and activities of a large school: THERE IS ALWAYS SOMETHING TO DO. Two of my all time favorite musical artists have already graced the lawns of UW and I got to meet them personally! If you like you're partying, but still understand that there is more to life than beer pong and late night trips to taco bell, the greek life at UW is the largest on the West Coast. When it's time to buckle down and study, you'll always have buddies to do that with - when it's time to let loose and go wild, there's ALWAYS a party going on.

Charlene

Again, i already explained most of it in the first question... but i believe the best thing about UW and Washington is the campus is in Seattle and close to Downtown Seattle, so there's a lot of places to hang out during your free time. Downtown Seattle is a great place to go eat and just relax and get to know all your friends and just kick back. The campus may be larger than other schools, but you don't really notice the change if you came from a smaller school. In high school, my school was about 2000 students, but the classroom contained about 30 students, so it was a small classroom. So i was pretty scared when i heard about the large lecture classes, however, no one told me there were also small classes here at UW. Most lecture classes come with small quiz sections where you take your quizzes and get extra help lead by TAs. These classes consist of about 25 students in each class. So it's not too bad, i promise you! When you people ask you where are you going to college and you reply UW, many people will immediately tell you CONGRATULATIONS! because UW is known to be one of the top schools in Washington - in which they are one of the top schools for business, medical, nursing, pharmacy, etc. you name it! Also, if you are one of the huge fans of school pride, UW is the school for you! We are all about purple and gold. Huskies is our mascot and we are one huge family. UW also welcomes new incomers by setting a week full of events known as Dawg Days, it helps you become familiar with the campus and get to know students your age that are also new when you arrive in the fall. The one complaint that i believe many students have is waking up around 5:45 in the morning to sign up for classes and still not being able to get into the classes you want! I've had that issue every single quarter, and sometimes i still don't get the classes i want, but that's only a small issue, which shouldn't be in the way of deciding to go to UW and become a Husky.

Logan

I love Washington. My school is great. It offers many great opportunities for students future success. Students are proud of the school. One thing I dislike about my school is how it is bias when it comes to political views. I can understand if students were to promote their political candidate to obtain supports. But when they held a "You Decide" event to understand both presidential candidates, I saw a very bias view. I believe that this type of events should promote an open, unbias thinking to learn both side. While I was at the event, I saw that the students embrace Obama while criticizing Mccain (Note: I am not showing a bias view. I am not voting for either candidates since I believe that they both are worthless pieces of shit). For this "You Decide" event, I true believes that they should have an open mind and use this event to understand the goods and the bads on both side and not a mean to rally support for their own personal agenda. This is not a Barrack Obama rally campaign so it should not have been one.

Michael

Its just a beautiful campus with a great atmosphere in a city that is filled with great companies that are popular throughout the entire country.

Alex

I love the campus, it is absolutely wonderful (especially in the spring). People are impressed when I tell them I go to the UW, it is a very prestigious school. There is a lot of school pride yes, and there are many activities to do on campus. Since I live OFF campus, it is hard to make many of the night ones.

Jody

most of us have school spirit. our school has major fundings in research. its pretty cool

Abby

One thing that is great about Washington is its location. The campus is beautiful and it's only a 15 minute bus ride from downtown Seattle. There is Gasworks park just down the Burke-Gilman trail which cuts through part of campus. Gasworks is said to be the most beautiful location in the Seattle area overlooking downtown across the water. One set of dorms overlook Lake Washington and the other overlook Lake Union. There isn't a place on campus that isn't absolutely gorgeous. The fountain on campus stands in front of a view of Mount Rainier and the list beauty is endless. University Way is filled with stores and restaurants, many cooperating with on campus meal cards. Just down the hill from campus is University Village full of high end stores such as Coach, Abercrombie, Pottery Barn, MAC, Something Silver, Apple, Gap, H&M, Victoria's Secret, QFC, and of course multiple branches of the Seattle classic: Starbucks. The bus system makes it really easy to maneuver around campus and the surrounding areas. One downside to Washington is the ridiculous prices of everything on campus. This is something you will hear everyone complain about. The smallest meal plan HFS offers is over $700 which most girls I talk to have a very very difficult time spending in a quarter, even with the overpriced meals we pay for. Naturally tuition does increase every year along with room and board. But improvements are constantly being made in all of the buildings and I feel that the money is being put to use. Seattle itself has a high price for housing compared to cities where other state schools are located. This almost makes it worth it to stay in the dorms if it weren't for the food prices.

Brynn

The University of Washington is the perfect size. People complain about big classes, but I have not found that to be an issue, the higher up you get, the smaller the classes get. Its a great city/ urban environment that is always buzzing with activity. There are so many opportunities. If you want to make the community smaller, you can do that through Greek life, or joining a club, and more. When you tell people that you go to UW, they are impressed, it really means something to be accepted to UW. Anything you want to get involved in, you can, and if there isn't a club to fit you, you can make one. If you are a pre-law student like me, then you can join the pre-law society, which gives you tips about applying to law school, as well as connections to other pre-law students. At the UW there is no shortage of opportunities.

Andrea

I am in love with UW. I'm from Clemson, South Carolina so I live about two minutes from Clemson University. Clemson is very much a "college town". I do not especially find UW to be this way. I like the fact that downtown is only a 10-15 minute bus ride away. I love the downtown area. However, UW definitely has the college campus/town appeal. The ave and the Greek system definitely define UW as a college town. The school is now too large nor too small. A lot of my SC friends find it unbelievable that I traveled all the way across the country to come to UW. I would have never missed an oppurtunity like this though. I think our school has a lot of pride, however, i'm very much used to Clemson University pride. The pride at Clemson is so great. Football games are a major event! Death Valley stadium is known to attract the largest crowds in the nation for football games. I find that UW does not especially have that appeal which is one downside for me. UW is definitely a party school. There are parties every night it seems and once you're connected or in the Greek system you find the urge to party to be very great. Overall, UW is such a great school and I wouldn't have gone anywhere else.

Torry

UW is a big school, there's no way around that. With 40,000 undergrad alone, it's easy to feel like a tiny fish in a massive pond. The campus itself is big enough, though, that it makes the school seem far from overpopulated, in a paradoxical kind of way. The campus is truly beautiful, with an expansive quad and winding boulevards. In the springtime and early fall students cover the lawns, playing hackey sack, frisbee, studying, or just enjoying the sunshine (while they can, as it tends to rain a LOT in Seattle). Immediately parallel to main campus is the heart of what is called the "University District" and "The Ave," which centers around University Way. There are tons of boutiques, ethnic restaurants, and fun shops to get lost in.

Devin

The big picture is actually pretty small. While getting a topnotch education you are somehow simultaneously subjecting yourself to immense amount of ignorance and people who are out of touch... or in my experience just not cool people.

Reese

Its beautiful and the people are nice. Most cities are largely ghetto, Seattle not so much. School is large i like it. UDUB has good name in the community. Even though its very popular and not terribly hard to get into, it has a stellar reputation, public ivy. Frequent complaints by tourists that there is never good weather. Especially out of towners who come for orientation in June on a sunny day and expect there to be continuity in terms of weather for the rest of the year.

Brianna

I loved the area around the University, but I wish I had left the U-District more often. The U-District is really a self-sufficient, self-contained bubble. Which is great-- everything is within walking distance! But I think it also kept me from exploring more of Seattle. Tragic since Seattle is such a fantastic city. I was dead-set on going to a small private college because I thought I would be more comfortable at a school where I knew everyone. But my parents said there was no way they could afford it, so to UW I went, and I'm sooo glad! The size forced me to grow up and get out of my comfort zone. Also, because of the size, UW has SO many resources that just aren't available at smaller schools. No matter what you need, there's somewhere you can go to get help or whatever it is that you need.

Ryan

the best thing is that it's a beautiful campus. many resources and opportunties from study abroad to research. the downside? it's a research school. meaning more focus on funding and less on the individual success of students. it does seem distant and big. the "diversity" in regards to racial/ethnic diversity is not what the school claims it to be. although recruitment for "underrepresented minorities" does occur, it's often tokenized and shouldn't be this way. students of color are often tokenized just like any other marginlized community on campus be it the Q community or students with disabilities or women. the area surrounding the school is known as the u-district. it's small, cool, littered with cafes and wi-fi spots up and down the ave (university way aka the ave).

Brianna

The University of Washington-Seattle campus is very large but it is absolutely beautiful. It has an older feel to the buildings but it's worth it. It is a very well known school in Washington and I believe is considered the best one in our state. There is a lot of research that goes on at the UW and much of it is very successful. The area surrounding the UW is definitely college oriented. There are a ton of houses surrounding where students live as well as what we call the Ave, which is a long strip of stores. There is a ton of school pride, especially when competing against our rival Washington State University. There is a lot of support in WA for the huskies. It's a beautiful state with a lot to look at. Definitely worth coming here. There is also the opportunity to go to one of the off campus UW's in Bothell and Tacoma, which are much more personal with the same education.

Chris

UW is a large school in an urban environment. Supposedly, there are safety issues, but I think that's mostly around greek row late on Friday or Saturday nights. You can be very anonymous (which could be good or bad). I don't think anyone would call it cozy. I think there are many opportunities here, more than at a small or non-research school, but you have seek them out. It's a fairly diverse campus. It's hard to make any kind of blanket statement about the quality of instruction or how the classes are taught. The econ department has way too many majors (admission is not competitive), so the upper level classes are kinda big (~40) and you won't feel part of a community, while on the other end of the spectrum the computer science department seems like a tight-knit group (I should mention that there seem to be a lot of female CS majors). A friend of mine is in paper science, which is definitely tight-knit since there are only a few dozen people in the program. I don't regret going to such a big school. I enjoy having such a wide range of classes available.

Cassidy

The best thing about UW is the campus, it's absolutely gorgeous. If I could change one thing it would be the dorms because they suck. Going Greek is the best housing decision you could possibly make at the U. I almost never hear complaints about the UW, except maybe that classes are too hard... but that's a good thing, right?

Erik

Okay so this is what the college review books won't tell you. If you want to goto a big university with really good party scene don't come to UW. If you are interested in meeting tons of attractive girls or planning on constant hookups don't come here. UW is organized differently in a social sense than many other schools. Greek system has a monopoly over the best parties and the hottest girls and really its a completely different lifestyle if you live in the system. Also if you don't girls still have it not too bad. However the guys get shafted because if you don't know people you can't get into frat parties and you'll have to try your luck at some house parties which are usually sausage fests anyway, all the while paying 5 for a cover when girls drink free even if they are fugly. Size: Good for meeting people terrible for learning. There will be people trying to tell you "Ohhh its not that bad and you have ta's for the big classes". Denial. TA's for the intro classes are either a) foreign or b) the worst/dumbest in their class which is why they are ta'ing for 142. Same goes for professors for the most part. the worst ones are the intro teachers for classes like chem 142 phys. 121. You pay for what you get and no matter how much someone argues that it will ring true if you are honest about your education, bigger classes= less personal, more stressful, and poorly run. Campus: The buildings are pretty nice and the campus has a great view. but winter is pretty dismal for most people college town: The U district is a shit hole lets just say that. Theres bums shitty apartments and crack. Most people are all stoked on the ave but you'll get over it if you come here. Overall tho it is so much better than any other dumb college campus that is comprised of only the school. Reasons to go here: WA is the only state in the country not in recession and it's economic backbone is a valuable investment for a future job. Example: you graduate and have a much better chance of being hired in the state's solid economic climate than going to another school, only downside is major competition for grades, majors, etc.