I am the iSchool

Harkiran Saluja: Harkiran Saluja, Informatics: "Getting to know the wide range of connections between gender and information technology has definitely opened my eyes." Read more.

Everyone interested in Informatics deserves to join our community. However, until the school grows large enough to meet demand, Informatics is a capacity constrained major. The best way to join our community is Direct Admission, which gives high school students with a strong interest in studying Informatics the chance to apply to the iSchool while filling out their UW application. By simply selecting “Informatics” as your first-choice major on your UW application, you will automatically be considered for Direct Admission.

Application deadline

Nov. 15 is the application deadline for freshmen to the UW — this includes Running Start students. Check UW Office of Admissions’ website for details. Note that for Direct Admission, we only consider applicants for autumn admission.

Preparation

The best high school preparation for pursuing Informatics is to take advanced high school classes (Honors, AP, IB, etc.) in English, math and science. It is not a requirement to have had computer programming courses in high school, or computer-related work experience, to gain admission to our program. However, courses such as AP Computer Science Principles and AP Computer Science A are good preparation for some of the programming courses required by the degree, and may give you a sense of some of the topics in data, design, development and society that our degree teaches.

How to apply

All freshman applicants who meet UW admissions criteria and who list Informatics as their first-choice major on their application will be automatically considered for freshman direct admission. The UW Office of Admissions will offer freshman direct admission based on a holistic review that includes established criteria and selection guidelines developed in partnership with the Informatics program.

See the UW Admissions website for more information about general admission requirements and how to apply to the UW.

Timeline

If you are not accepted to the Informatics program

Freshman who are accepted to the UW, but not accepted directly to the Informatics major are encouraged to apply to the program again in subsequent years. Previous denials have no bearing on the admissions committee’s decisions.

FAQs

Q: How does the selection process for direct admission work?

A: The Office of Admissions uses a holistic review process to assess applications. After applicants are selected for general admission to the UW, the Informatics admission team receives a list of students who requested Informatics as their first-choice major. The Informatics admissions team uses the holistic review assessment from the Office of Admissions to make direct admission decisions for the Informatics program. (Note, the Informatics team does not have access to the original application submitted to the Office of Admissions.)

Q: How can a student improve their chances of being selected for direct admission?

A: Other than listing Informatics as their first choice major in the undergraduate application, there is nothing specific that a student can do to improve their chances of being selected for direct admission. Since the first step in the process is being admitted to the UW, students should just focus on preparing a strong freshman application. For advice about that process, please contact the Undergraduate Admissions Office directly: https://admit.washington.edu/contact/.

Q: I'm a Running Start student and am interested in pursuing Informatics, is there a specific associate's degree I should be working towards? 

A: As a Running Start student pursuing an associate of arts or an associate of science degree will provide a solid foundation for informatics, as the informatics major combines principles and theories from computer science and the liberal arts. There isn’t one associate's degree that the admissions committee would prefer over another. However, for an individual student, there may be an associate's degree that will better prepare you for your post-college goals. We encourage you to be in contact with an advisor at your community college to incorporate the prerequisites we require of our transfer applicants into your plan of study. 

Q: How many students are admitted through direct admission?

A: For Autumn 2020, we received 151 applications; 55 were admitted and 36 accepted the offer of admission.

Q: How many applicants for direct admission are you expecting in the future?

A: While it is difficult to predict exact numbers, the number of applicants for direct admission has increased over the last few years:

High School to iSchool

At the iSchool, inclusion, connectedness and belonging are essential components of an excellent and equitable educational experience. With the iSchool now offering freshmen direct admission to the undergraduate Informatics program, students from underrepresented communities, with limited early-access to technology, may feel they are not as competitive as those who have greater access. "High School to iSchool" programs presented by the iSchool and its student groups work to eliminate barriers created by institutional discrimination and racism by offering online and on-campus engagement opportunities for underrepresented minoritized students.

FearLess Innovation Challenge

Nov. 8-12, 2021
Presented by the Informatics Undergraduate Association (IUGA) and Women in Informatics (Winfo)

The Fearless Innovation Challenge is an opportunity for underrepresented middle and high school students to experiment with user experience design in technology. The challenge itself lasts a week and includes time for students to watch instructional videos, engage with mentors, and build their own project with a team of their choosing. Event details