This page focuses on the DTM application process. Prospective students who are in high school or have not completed their coursework since graduating from high school must apply through our direct-to-major (DTM) admissions pathway. Beginning students are considered candidates for the DTM. All other students must check ourTo use! book pageto determine the appropriate path. You can learn more about ourbachelor's program here!
Download our direct-to-major brochure
Log in as Allen School
information events
The Allen School offers blended classesinformation eventsfor prospective high school students every first Friday of the month from 3:30 pm to 4:30 pm PT. During this information session, you'll learn all about the Allen School, the UW communities, and the student admissions process.RegisterIt's optional, but desired!
Meet a current student
Prospective students interested in learning more about the study experience can apply to meet aAllen School Student Ambassador, a current UW student studying Computer Science or Computer Engineering.
Ask a recruiter
Inquiries can be directed tooutreach@cs.washington.edu. These emails will be sorted and forwarded to the appropriate member of our outreach and recruiting team to provide the best possible response to your inquiries.
Running start dates
High school students enrolled as Running Start students at a Washington State Community College can also do thisbook a virtual appointmentvia Zoom with our diversity and access team recruiter.
K-12 Extension Program
The Allen School offers a variety of different activities for middle and high school students to learn more about computers. Learn more about our outreach programs and summer offers athttps://www.cs.washington.edu/outreach/k12.

How to Qualify for Allen School DTM Eligibility
Important dates and deadlines
Application Deadlines for UW Freshman |
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Application opens: September 1st Registration deadline: November 15th |
The UW Admissions Office only considers applicants for DTM admission to the Allen School forHerbstquartalTo allow. High school applicants should plan to submit their application in the fall of their senior year to begin the following year at UW - Seattle. Direct admission to the Allen School is not available to students applying for the Winter, Spring, or Summer quarters. |
DTM application process
- Make sure you're on track to meet all UW - Seattle deadlines and admission requirements as outlined inUW Freshman Admissions Site.
- Register with UW - SeattleApplication for Admission as a Freshmanbetween September 1st and November 15th of the year prior to the intended enrollment. To be considered for the Allen School DTM, you must list Computer Science or Computer Engineering as yourFirst top choice.
- If applicable, submit yourRequest for Financial Assistance(FAFSA or WASFA) between October 1st and January 15th.
Please note that there is no separate application for Allen School DTM applicants and no additional materials are required. Applicants must follow the UW Freshman Application Guidelines; You don't need to create a computer-oriented application. Your application will be reviewed by the UW-Seattle Office of Admissions, therefore, questions regarding the application should be directed toaskuwadm@uw.edu.
Timeline straight to top candidate
- junior year:Maintain good grades, take rigorous courses, plan a solid senior year schedule, participate in extracurricular activities, and conduct university research
- Summer before graduation*:Start thinking about what to write in your personal and cultural identity statements. Make a list of 3-10 activities (extracurricular activities, part-time jobs, caregiving responsibilities, etc.) that you might want to include in the Activities section of your application.
- September 1st:UW freshman enrollment is open
- October 1:Pending FAFSA/WASFA grant applications
- Please note that some government grants are ongoing, so apply early!
- November 15th:UW Freshman application due
- It doesn't matter when you apply during the application period, as long as you submit your application by November 15th. The UW has no preventive decision, early action, or ongoing approvals.
- January 15th:FAFSA/WASFA Priority Deadline
- You can submit after this date, but there will be less funds available.
- 1st to 15th March:Released Approval Notices
- April 15:Deadline to appeal the DTM decision if you are not admitted directly to the Allen School
- 1st May:National College Decision Day – Deadline for confirming enrollment upon payment of tuition and new student orientation
- It could:For students with disabilities, after confirming your enrollment, you can begin registering for Disability Resources for Students. They have a huge number of cases, so it's better to register in advance.
*or summer before applying if not going straight to college

app review
DTM pass statistics
Dates for 2021 | UW applications specifying computer science or technical computer science as a major discipline of choice | Admission offered directly to Computer Science or Computer Engineering | Acceptance rate for 2021 |
---|---|---|---|
residents of WA | 1732 | 456 | 26% |
Non-Domestic Residents | 3887 | 99 | 3% |
international students | 1117 | 43 | 4% |
*Data from the UW Office of Admissions - generally updated November 1 of each year
DTM Admission Priorities
The University of Washington is a public entity, which means funding for the university comes in part from the state of Washington. For this reason, the University of Washington offers priority admissions to Washington state residents. Non-resident domestic students and international students can state any compelling reasons they want to attend college in Washington in their personal statement. Likewise, it is important to note that the Allen School DTM is designed primarily for residents of the state of Washington - approximately one-quarter* of applicants residing in Washington are admitted to the Allen School directly as freshmen (*Admission statistics vary from year to year). year). .
Application review criteria
What factors are taken into account when analyzing the application?
As previously mentioned, the UW-Seattle Office of Admissions selects students for DTM admission to the Allen School based on criteria developed in collaboration with the Allen School. The UW-Seattle Office of Admissions prioritizes academically strong, motivated, and well-rounded students.
Candidates are evaluated on both academic merit and personal characteristics. The academic portion of the assessment is based on high school grades and course rigor. Personal scoring is based on a record of extracurricular activities and essays on the freshman application. Applicants are strongly encouraged to explain any academic inconsistencies or gaps in their activities in the Writing section.It is not necessary to study computer programming in high school, or have computer-related work experience. However, if you have access to IT opportunities, we encourage you to take advantage of them!
second top pick
Despite significant increases in capacity, there are still far more applicants who meet all of the eligibility criteria than the Allen School can accommodate. Applicants are encouraged to choose a second-choice course on campus if there is another discipline (in addition to Computer Science or Computer Engineering) they wish to study; There is no penalty for choosing a second-choice major. Allen School applicants cannot be considered twice for direct admission, therefore, they must not list an Allen School course as a second choice. As a reminder, students who list a different major as their first choice and an Allen School major as their second choice will not be considered for direct admission to the Allen School.
Below is a selection of other courses on the UW Seattle campus that you may want to explore based on your interest in our program. Please note that most of these courses are also competitive so it is important to contact them and discuss their application processes.
- Electrical engineering(especialmente o Embedded Systems Track)
- Geography(especially the trail of geoinformation systems)
- computer Science
- Linguistics
- mathematics
- the statistics

common questions
Questions about our undergraduate course:
outreach@cs.washington.edu
Questions about the app:
askuwadm@uw.edu
Additional support for Alaska Native/Indigenous students and other historically underrepresented black, low-income, and first-generation college students:
erreichen@uw.edu
DTM offers many benefits to select students, including (but not limited to):
- Guarantee to study Computer Science or Computer Engineering at UW - Seattle (no further competitive application process)
- Participate in Allen School events and activities from day one on campus
- More flexibility in planning your course at the Allen School over four years of college
- More time for internships and research collaboration
- Access to Allen School labs, facilities and events
- Connecting with other Allen School students who share your academic interests
The Admissions Board uses a holistic review process to make DTM decisions. Most DTM students offered have an Abitur average of 3.85-4.00 (unweighted). Remember, these numbers are just one factor in your selection process. Candidates with school inconsistencies have the opportunity to expose in their compositions circumstances that may have influenced their school performance. Note this tooHundreds of students with these high grades do not receive the DTM; no GPA guarantees admission.
No, we do not expect any programming experience from DTM candidates. We anticipate that students will come with a variety of experience levels and our introductory curriculum is designed to suit students at their current level. Students have the opportunity to select the appropriate introductory course that matches their level of computer experience. The CSE 121 is designed for beginner students with no experience!
The UW-Seattle Admissions Office is looking for well-rounded students who will earn good grades in their field of study. Competitors go furtherCollege academic distribution requirementson most subjects. The best academic preparation for computer science or computer engineering is to follow the most rigorous curriculum offered at your school. This includes advanced courses where available (Running Start, Honors, AP, IB, etc.), especially in English, math and science. If you do not have access to these opportunities, you must indicate this in your application.
Running Start students can use the UW Equivalency Guide (https://admit.washington.edu/apply/transfer/equivalency-guide/) and MeuPlano (https://myplan.uw.edu/audit/#/equivalency) to determine which courses at UW match your Running Start courses. Study requirements for both computer science and technical computer science courses can be found on our website athttps://www.cs.washington.edu/academics/ugrad/current-students/degree
The Allen School DTM decisions will be sent out at the same time as the UW freshman admissions decisions in March. Your specialization will be listed on your admission documents. Students who gain admission to the DTM view computer science or computer engineering as their major. Students who do not receive DTM will see Pre-Major or Pre-Science listed as their major.
In March, the Allen School will also be reaching out to DTM students with information about our program. Each Allen School DTM offered will receive multiple emails from the Allen School.
Many applicants who select Computer Science or Computer Engineering on their UW-Seattle application are admitted to UW-Seattle, but no DTM is offered at the Allen School. We encourage students to have an open mind. Many students come to UW - Seattle thinking they want to get a degree, but develop a passion for a different major during their freshman year. UW - Seattle offers over 180 courses, including several technology-related courses as well as Computer Science and Computer Engineering, which are popular with many students and could be great for your future plans.
However, if you are absolutely sure you want to study computer science or computer engineering and you don't get an offer from the DTM, then definitely consider going to another university.
Yes! One of the advantages of a large institution like UW - Seattle is the wide range of academic options, and we encourage students at the Allen School to explore subjects outside their field of study. Many of our students pursue more than one specialization or degree and seek minors in other disciplines. Because Allen School DTM students can begin our curriculum earlier, they often have more flexibility in scheduling a second major or minor course. Please note that due to overlapping requirements, a dual degree in computer science and computer engineering is not possible.
You can withdraw from your Allen School course at any time if you feel it is not right for you. We anticipate that DTM students, like all students at the university, will spend their first or second year exploring many options.
FAQs
How many students are at UW CS? ›
About Our Undergraduate Program
The UW's Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering (CSE) serves over 1,500 undergraduates in our two majors, and many more through our introductory and non-major courses.
The CSE Admissions Committee reviews all applications together, so both majors are equally competitive. Approximately 20-25 percent of all applicants who apply through the Current UW student pathway are accepted but this will begin to change as we move to a direct to major pathway.
How do I get into Paul G Allen School of Computer Science? ›Apply using the UW - Seattle Application for Freshman Admissions between September 1 and November 15 of the year before you intend to enroll. To be considered for Allen School DTM, you must list either Computer Science or Computer Engineering as your first choice major.
What is the average GPA at UW? ›Average GPA: 3.8
The average GPA at University of Washington is 3.8. This makes University of Washington Extremely Competitive for GPAs. (Most schools use a weighted GPA out of 4.0, though some report an unweighted GPA.
Competitive applicants generally have a high school GPA of 3.8 or above.
Why is UW ranked so high? ›Out of 2,500 universities in the world, they ranked the University of Washington at number 17. The reasons given by U.S. News for ranking University of Washington so highly included its highly-ranked graduate-level programs, its community-based medical education program, and its contribution to global research.
Why is computer science so hard? ›Earning a computer science degree has been known to entail a more intense workload than you might experience with other majors because there are many foundational concepts about computer software, hardware, and theory to learn. Part of that learning may involve a lot of practice, typically completed on your own time.
Is computer science hard for beginners? ›Learning the discipline of Computer Science is a hard and difficult endeavor for most students. However, if you are willing to invest the time and learn serious time management skills, most students can successfully learn the discipline and pursue successful careers in Computer Science fields.
What GPA do you need for computer science internship? ›Computer science internships often expect you to have a minimum college GPA. While some companies expect 2.75, others require a 3.0.
What university is number 1 in Computer Science? ›Is it harder to get into Georgia Tech for Computer Science? ›
Admission to the computer science program is highly selective at Georgia Tech. This happens because there are many more qualified applicants than there are vacancies in the program. This is the prime reason for the Georgia Tech Computer Science acceptance rate.
How hard is it to get into CS at UCLA? ›The most competitive applicants have an undergraduate cumulative GPA of at least 3.5 (on a 4.00 scale),and at least a 3.50 in any graduate study. The average cumulative GPA of admitted applicants is 3.60. The university requires a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 for consideration.
What GPA is required for Harvard? ›You should also have a 4.18 GPA or higher. If your GPA is lower than this, you need to compensate with a higher SAT/ACT score. For a school as selective as Harvard, you'll also need to impress them with the rest of your application.
What GPA is required for Stanford? ›There is no minimum GPA or test score, nor is there any specific number of AP or honors courses you must have on your transcript in order to have your application reviewed or be admitted to Stanford.
What is a 95 GPA in UW? ›A 4.0 GPA, or Grade Point Average, is equivalent to an A letter grade on a 4.0 GPA scale. This means it is equivalent to 93-95%.
Is UW a good school for CS? ›University of Washington
Ranked joint 18th in the world and eighth among the top universities in the US for computer science, the University of Washington achieves a very impressive score for citations per paper, and is known as one of the country's premier research-intensive universities.
Payscale's 2021 College Salary Report listed that computer science graduates earned an average early career salary of $75,100 and a mid-career salary of $123,400.
Is UW Madison a top Cs school? ›Computer Sciences Moves Up U.S. News List, Ranked 16th Overall and 8th Best Public. The University of Wisconsin–Madison has been ranked 38th overall and 10th among public institutions (both in three-way ties) in U.S. News & World Report's 2022-23 rankings of best colleges.
Is CS oversaturated? ›So, Is Computer Science Oversaturated? The final definitive answer is no. There's every reason to believe that existing skills gaps and talent shortages will grow as organizations become more reliant on technology—and companies in and out of technology will continue hiring MSCS graduates in abundance.