The University of Washington - Seattle

Date: Nov 01 2016
Major: Chemistry (This Major's Salary over time)
==This review is mostly directed towards future Undergrad students==

This is going to be a pretty long (but pretty honest) review, so if you get bored look else where :) Basically, I'm just gonna go down the list of questions from above and expand on them.

A little bit about myself: Finished High School with a 3.85 GPA (not weighted) although I did take AP classes. I believe I took 14 AP exams so I came in with lots of credits. I also participated (but did not complete) in the IB program as classes were hybrids of AP and IB. Overall high school was pretty easy, and I didn't have much to worry about.—During Freshman orientation (July/August I believe) is when I really got a sense of what this school was gonna be like.

It was during the first day of orientation in Kane hall when a man told a group of us Freshman that they were going to "spread us apart." Of course, I didn't know what he was talking about, but he elaborated. He meant that many of the students in that room were smart and bright. However, the University would slowly weed out many of us over time.

One month later, I'm sitting in Bio 180 with Scott Freeman (who to this day I still love/hate, go check him out on Rate My Professor if you don't believe me about this guy), but it was one of the toughest classes that I took as a Freshman. THIS PROFESSOR EMPHASIZED ON THINKING LIKE A SCIENTIST. Almost every single clicker question could be narrowed down to two possibilities but they both sounded correct. It felt like a dumb mind game. At times he would mark both answers as correct if you were able to defend your answer. Exams could be pretty brutal at times as sometimes it depended on which grad student you got.

As a side note: One year later I find out that one of my floor mates has switched universities because of the fact that he could not get into either Electrical Engineering or Computer Science. Ended up going to an easier university and lo and behold he is now working at Amazon as he was able to graduate in Computer Science some place else.

It wasn't until my Sophomore year when I discovered the horrifying truth that you had to apply to your major similar to the way you applied to this university. From your grades in your intro classes, to a personal statement, etc. you had to do it all over again for your major. Don't believe me? Look under the universities' website for a list of majors. Some of them are open, some are mixed, and all the legit ones are competitive. Yes, it's that scary. So if you were planning to screw around Freshman/Sophomore year Im sorry but this place is not for you unless you want to major in something lame with high unemployment (again im just being brutally honest).

These introductory level classes are systematically designed to weed out a lot of people. Also your "competition" is against Chinese/Indian and a couple of white people. I have the utmost respect for them, but they are ridiculously smart and will pull the grade up. Each year the requirements are only getting higher. Word around the UW is that CSE department will consider you if you get a 3.7 minimum in both CSE 142/143. Heck, when I came in as a Freshman, Biology was an open major with a minimum requirement of a 2.5 in Bio 180. Nowadays, it's also competitive!

Going into junior year, in the end I got into Biochem because I did superwell in my Organic Chem Classes (like 3.5 average in the series). But im pretty sure that the requirement is much lower than that :)

Okay, now to say a couple of good things about the UW :D

People are actually pretty friendly despite the myth of the "Seattle Freeze." But it's contingent upon whether or not you're willing to take initiative in starting a conversation. If you are living in a dorm, then you're in luck because the RA's are chosen carefully for their friendliness. Now there are groups that are specifically targeted for certain groups like the Asian Student Associtation, or the Medical Student Association etc. But that does not mean that you can't join them just because of your background. These groups are pretty welcoming.

Faculty will always be available for office hours as they have their schedules on the syllabus. But if your professor is running a lab, then you may' be out of luck in this area (albeit rare).

With regards to creativity, the phrase I think about that comes to mind is UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH. THIS IS THE PLACE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT! A friend of mine studies economics at UChicago but came here during the summers because of the opportunities for research positions. You will probably never find an institution more dedicated to UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH than at the UW. Hell, we have a freakin symposium every May for all the students to present their research. Future employers will love this on a resume as it is also a great way to get your foot in the door!

Campus is gorgeous considering that there is construction almost everywhere. Check out Denny Hall if you don't believe me, it looks modern af.

In terms of campus safety, it's ok. Once in a while you get this email report about some person being robbed, groped, flashed, etc. I mean just be smart and don't go on the Ave at like 3 in the morning. Greek Row can be a bit sketchy at night.

If it's a school night, then Odegaard is the place be as it's open 24 hours (the quiet place is the third floor). Plenty of people have slept there while cramming for an exam—me being one them hahaha. Pretty safe place as well since you need your husky card to be able to get in. Funny thing is, that place is just utterly quiet when it's finals week. No one, and I mean no one is playing league during that week.

Oh yeah don't forget about the IMA building. Because you're paying for that if you're a student. They have basketball courts, jogging track, a swimming pool, etc. Good place for a nice workout! If you're too lazy to walk (assuming that you're living in West Campus) then try the fitness center located in Elm. Great bike/running trails as well i.e. the Burk Gilman trail.

****If you are living on campus, then get the lowest meal plan possible. District Market is notorious for charging students out the ass. I mean how the f*ck can a small bottle of head and shoulders shampoo be seven dollars when I can get a bigger size bottle for five dollars at the QFC in the University Village. If you can, go with someone to the Costco in Kirkland (borrow a car, rent zipcar) and just stock up on supplies there. Otherwise, go to Safeway (not the one on the ave) Fred Meyer, QFC, etc. You will thank me for how much you will save in the long run.

I loved my Upass. Because of it, I explored a lot of Washington State. From Everett, to Tacoma, and beyond! If you have the chance, go on some adventures with friends and visit some of the towns and events that are happening. I chose these moments over a bunch of druken escapades and have no regrets. Yes I did go to a Frat party during rush week, cool people, but not my thing.

****Special message to all you business majors. The Frat/Sororities are filled with them. This is the opportunity to make connections for careers, etc. down the road in life.

About Frats/Sororities: I was not a part of them but a couple of my friends were. There is absolutely no hazing, but they will make you do some embarrassing stuff like jumping into the fountain or running around campus with only your undies. In some cases, it is hierarchy system with the seniors at the top. Teamwork is a deciding element when it comes to acceptance, so you must be willing to work with other recruits or else you may not be accepted. Oh and not to be a dick or anything, but no one talks to the Asian Frat (yes they are that unpopular with the other frats).

Not much of an American Football person but UW is kicking ass right now. Lots of school spirit because of that.

Closing Words: Super tough university. It's pretty much UW's desire to be a "public Ivy-league" and to compete with the likes of UMichigan in attaining that glorified status. You'll hear news reports about how the UW is like in the top 20 schools around the world.

But at the end of the day, it boils down to who you are.

It's as simple as being honest with yourself.

Are you super smart (like getting a 4.0 in high school) but at the same time super lazy (without putting in much effort)? Because without studying you might actually struggle. And by study I mean being in a silent room with your textbook open legitly studying for a couple of hours. NOT having your textbook open and having a tab on Facebook/Netflix at the same time. Seriously…

If you got "lucky" in high school, then go else where. You will struggle, be placed in academic probation, then get kicked out eventually. There is no hope unless you look elsewhere. Take it from my friend who switched out and got into Computer Science someplace else, but then was still able to work here in Seattle.

If you are smart but also incredibly hardworking, then this is the place for you. You'll get into your major, you'll do UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH, and you will get shit done. You'll go to grad school, professional school, start working, etc. and you will be set.

Take the time to research about your future major and look at the requirements of the department during your Freshman year! Some are more demanding than others. It really pays off to know about the path you are going on rather than being forced to declare a major when you hit 90 credits because you were screwing around and taking random classes for the hell of it. I'm not kidding, the registrar (system) will suspend your ability to register for classes if you do not declare a major when you hit that credit mark.

************************************************************Now there is a secret (that I probably shouldn't point out) that I will tell you. You can take some of your introductory classes at a community college (notably Bellevue College) and apply to your desired major directly. It may depend on the department, but this is how some students have played the system. The main caveat about this however is that certain professional (medical) schools like Stanford have caught on about this technique, and may reject an applicant because of this. The advising committee is not dumb and will look at your transcript from every college/university you went to. Specifically, they may ask where did you complete your introductory courses in physics, math, chem, etc.? Years down the road you may be rejected because of this reason. Just a little food for thought ;)

Hopefully you guys enjoyed this review. Thanks so much for taking the time to read about it. I know i'm probably gonna get some hate for being a little too honest. But this may alter someone's future. If I can help them make the best career decision possible then so be it. Please don't hesitate to contact me for more information at: