University of Washington

Overview

The UW's main campus is in Seattle's University District, between Lake Washington and Lake Union. For students in British Columbia it is one of the nearest major US universities. The UW runs on quarters, so the academic year is split into autumn, winter and spring terms of about ten weeks each. Many majors are capacity-constrained, meaning students apply to the major after arriving, while some programs admit a portion of students directly from high school. Read the page for your intended major to see which route applies.

How to apply for autumn 2027

The UW uses the Common Application. Its freshman page lists the application opening on August 15 and a deadline of November 15, with decisions released March 1 to 15. The UW does not participate in early decision or early action, so every first-year applicant is in the same round.

• Submit the Common App first.
• Then complete STARS, the self-reported transcript system, using the same email address as your Common App.
• Do not submit STARS until it is complete; changes cannot be accepted afterwards.

Winter quarter is not open to international first-year applicants, so Canadians should plan for autumn entry.

Testing and English proficiency

The UW states that it no longer requires SAT or ACT scores for most applicants. Homeschooled students and those from schools that do not issue letter or numeric grades must still submit them. AP, IB and A-level exams are welcomed for credit.

International applicants must submit an official TOEFL or IELTS score meeting the UW's minimum English proficiency requirement, and the UW publishes the accepted ways to meet it. Canadian students educated in English should check the international requirements carefully to see whether their schooling satisfies the rule, rather than assuming a test is needed or not needed.

Costs for international students

As a public university, the UW charges higher tuition to nonresidents and international students than to Washington residents. Seattle is also an expensive city for housing. We could not confirm current international aid wording for this update, so consult the UW's Office of Student Financial Aid and tuition pages before you commit.

Preparing as a Canadian student

Because many UW majors are entered after the first year, strong first-year grades in prerequisite courses matter a great deal. Practise steady study habits before you arrive with our study skills deck and the post on spaced repetition. If you are aiming at a science or engineering major, the calculus readiness deck helps with the first prerequisites.

For border and student status rules, see the US State Department student visa page, and for a wider comparison read the StudyBrix United States guide.