University of Washington-Seattle Campus Top Questions

What is your overall opinion of this school?

Ashley

I like Washington for its acedemics. I did not know how great the school was till i visited. UW is known for is medical majors and especially its own hospital. I have found people to be some what opening but the people here arn't the same as those back in Hawaii. I get along with most people here but the way they were brought up is very different. I would change the food plan because it is so expensive. Especially if someone has to pay out of state like me, i pay almost 35,000 a year to come to school. I get the lowest meal plan but i still don't use it up and then if we don't we just lose the money.

Shawn

Washington is a great place if you are active, enjoy the outdoors and can handle the grey skies and rain. There is a great cinema culture and the Seattle International Film Festival is always AMAZING! There is great Husky pride!

George

You may not realize it when you first are a student here but the UW is one of the best colleges in the country. Not only that but it is a rediculiously good deal if you are an in state student. There is no doubt that the school is big but from my experience that just prepares you better for the world. You aren't in your own little shell, you experience many things in a short amount of time and learn so much without even realizing it.

Jesse

It's in a nice neighborhood, a good cross between student life and families, which will help with the shock of finishing university and feeling out of place in the adult world. It's also in one of the coolest, most un-american cities of the west coast.

Harper

The University of Washington Bothell campus is a great place to study business. Professors are enthusiastic and experienced. Connections to the entrepreneurial community are tight and current. This is as good of a place as any to earn an internship, career, and/or launch a start-up company.

Antoinette

It rains. A lot. So bring a rain jacket. And don't wear flip-flops when it rains because you will fall every time you try to talk on the bricks. And there are a lot of bricks at UW. School pride is really huge. Everyone loves to sport the purple and gold. Even if we don't always win.... The city of Seattle is awesome. There are a million different districts, so you're bound to find an area you love. U District is all about the young college kids, you can go downtown to shop or eat good food, or head to Capital Hill to have an experience you're sure to remember...

Marie

The best thing about Washington is that there are so many possibilities and opportunities. It has excellent faculty, and many of the programs are some of the best in the world. There are a lot of students, so it's easy to make friends, and there's always something going on and something to do. Seattle is a fantastic city, and the University environment is great. It is a large school, but everyone finds a place in it. It also has a great international environment, with a number of faculty, staff, and students from all over the world, and there are a huge array of study abroad programs and funding.

Grace

It's a big school with something for everyone, lots of student organizations & clubs. It has a lot of prestige in this area & around the nation. Prospective employers have always responded very favorably. Seattle is so much more than a college town, it's a world-class city with lots to do, great nightlife & fab restaurants.

Mark

The best part of UW is the campus. It's ridiculously beautiful; a great place to learn. It's huge and sprawling but you can still walk anywhere and you're guaranteed a nice walk. The reaction when people hear I go to UW is a kind of awe. It solicits comments like, "wow you must be smart," or "congratulations."

Lynn

UW is a great school with services to meet the needs of all students.

Conor

The University of Washington has amazing opportunities to take advantage of. Although many will say that's its too big or in the middle of a rainy city, the campus environment has everything to suit your needs; whatever they may be. Diversity is number one at UW and there are multiple facets available for students. Student groups are also very prominent. With over 500 different registered groups, it becomes more of a challenge deciding which ones to join, not if to join at all. Smack dab in the middle of Seattle, it provides an excellent social climate for students to visit the city.

Robin

Most people don't realize that Washington is a great academic school, especially for a public university. The school is made up of a large number of Seattle natives and also a large number of out of state students, including me. The campus is pretty big, but easy to navigate with the use of a map if you don't know where you're going. Washington has good school pride, but not so much that its overwelming. The campus offers a diverse selection of activities, from clubs to the waterfront to the study abroad program.

Cody

It's a big school, which I liked. You feel pretty anonymous as a freshman taking classes with 200-600 students. This changes as you get to the upper level classes.

Maria

Washington is a big public school. However, it doesn't really feel like it's such a large school, you can find a nice smaller niche here (if that's what you want), or if you want a big school atmosphere, there are definitely a wide range of activities to suit your interests. Campus is probably one of the best things about UW. It's one of the prettiest college campuses I've seen, and I've visited many many colleges around the U.S. The leaves are gorgeous red, orange, yellow and all shades in between in autumn, and in the spring our quad is gorgeous with the cherry blossoms blooming in the trees lining the pathways. There is also lots of school pride, and I think that is important because it shows that the students are excited and are proud to be a part of the UW community.

Rob

The best thing about Washington is its size. Having that many students allows for more opportunities for students to network with each other, and find others who share their passions. Washington's faculty and administration are helpful and very professional. Something unusual about Washington is its social culture. In the dorms, few people leave their rooms, having relegated their time to room-dwelling and other antisocial behaviors. The social people are either the political far-left, who normally have bloodshot eyes whenever they're seen, or the party animals, who often have trouble standing. There isn't really much of a middle ground.

Sarah

I'm always proud to tell people I go to UW, because I think people are impressed by it. It's earned a reputation as being a prestigious school in our area. For the most part I enjoy going here; it has a gorgeous campus and there are always activities to do and new people to meet It also offers a wide variety of classes to take; from The two best classes I have taken were History of Jazz and Space and Space Travel. I found both of them absolutely fascinating and had so much fun taking them... it was a nice break from all the science/math classes I'm taking for my Biology major. I do sometimes dislike how large it is. At times I feel like I'm only a number, and I don't like how impersonal large lecture classes are. I'm a little worried about applying to grad school because I don't know my professors well enough to ask them for a letter of recommendation.

Christina

I think that the UW can be too large if you don't participate in any groups. IMA teams, clubs, classes, and the greek system make a huge campus seem much smaller than it really is. These are great ways to get to know people, but because UW is such a big school, there are always new people and opportunities. Also, when I say that I go to UW people think of the Husky pride and most people see the U as a great academic school.

Kelly

I couldn't have asked for more in a college. The campus is amazing and never gets old. The walks to class are a bit long, but walking keeps off those freshman 15 and the scenary is just breathtaking. From the detailed architecture to the view of Lake Washington the location could not be better. Students are always involved and there are endless amounts of activites for student recreation and entertainment.

Andy

I love the size of UW. One thing I would change is the ability to get into classes. Since UW is so big, classes are some times difficult to get into, but besides that the size is good unless you want to be able to speak in classes. As a fresman lots of my classes are 500 students and they are not discussion based but lecture based. I really enjoy this because it allows me to learn it my own way and not be forced to speak. Also with classes this big we have quiz sectiosn which are discussion/review classes that are based off the class which only have 30 or so students. These sections are really helpful. Also the best part about the size of UW is taht there are so many people to meet. You dont know everyone or everything about one person, and there are so many chances to meet people. There is a ton of school pride especially during football season.

Alex

University of Washington is a big school. This is a boon and a blessing, depending on the student. For me, it is a blessing. It gives me the opportunity to meet a wide variety of people and try new activities, while also allowing me to find like-minded people who share my interests. It is possible to find your niche at this school. One way is to choose smaller classes or a major in a small department. I am earning a double degree - one in a popular major (Economics) and one in a small major (Scandinavian Studies). The Economics major is great because there are always activities like lectures from visiting professors and pizza lunches. I always see new faces in my classes. The Scandinavian Studies major is great because there are intimate gatherings at professors' houses and the advisor knows my name. For a while, my Norwegian class would meet on Fridays at a student's house to watch Norwegian movies. That was fun! One complaint is that the school is not very collegial- many students are commuters, so it can be hard to meet up for group projects. One great thing about the school is that it is very casual. I have seen students in their pajamas at the library late at night.

Toby

I like the ability to do whatever I want. There is so much that you can do on the campus if you find out about it. I think that the most important thing that I would change is I would want some help navigating the cmapus. It could be as simple as advertising, but I want someone through the university to come and help me figure stuff out. the size is a little large, but mostly good. I

Alex

As mentioned above, UW is having some problems realizing its own size. For students who can succeed on a large campus, UW is ideal. There are tons of ways to get involved, and Seattle is a great city to live in. Granted, Seattle is not a college town, I have to admit that. But, with 40,000 students, the U District itself is a great place for college students, with the Ave, U Village (higher end shopping), and a vibrant Greek system, there is always something going on. Compared to peer universities, I would say we have slightly lesser school pride, with good turnout to classics such as Homecoming, football games, and other major college events. UW seems to suffer from a certain amount of student apathy, when students become jaded by the immensity of the campus, and are less likely to join clubs, or really get involved with anything.