Postbaccalaureate Admissions and Preparation

All students who would like to study Aquatic and Fishery Sciences at the University of Washington, must be admitted to the UW. UW admissions information and forms are at:

http://www.washington.edu/students/uga/

Should I declare my major on the admissions application?

All students who apply to the University of Washington are eligible to declare Aquatic and Fishery Sciences as their intended major right on the admissions application. Students do this by entering “AFS” as the “Major Code” on the application. By doing so, you will be able to access all of the services in the department immediately and will have direct access to the Undergraduate Adviser, Lin Murdock.  Prospective Postbacs are very unlikely to be admitted without a declared major.

What factors are considered by UW Admissions?

Admission to the University of Washington is competitive, which means that there are more applicants than the university can accommodate. Applicants are evaluated on their completion of high school subject requirements, their academic performance at the college level, performance on standardized tests as well as a personal statement and experience. Non-traditionally-aged and Students of Color are especially encouraged to apply. 

Because the UW is a state-funded institution, the state gives priority to students seeking their first bachelor’s degree, so postbaccalaureate admissions is very competitive.  For prospective postbac students, it is vital that you consider your choice of major and note that choice both on the application and in the personal statement. Additionally, UW Admissions will evaluate students not only on their experiences, grades, etc., but also by looking at which majors the student is interested in, matching those students to the academic programs at the UW which have the space to accommodate those students.

Also, the UW will be considering whether a prospective student could access the type of experience an applicant wants at another institution. Applicants to the School of Aquatic & Fishery Sciences have an advantage here, since there are no other programs covering this same content at any other public institution in the state of Washington, and very few nationally.

Most importantly, the UW is interested in admitting students who will come in, take the classes they need and graduate. For this reason, please read carefully the section below on course preparation.

Should I take courses at the community college?

The UW considers how well-prepared prospective students are for their major when they decide whether or not to admit a student. This is especially true for prospective postbac students.  It is most important for you to complete as many of the suggested courses outlined on the “Transfer Planning Worksheet” as possible.  Some of these courses you may have completed in your previous bachelors degree, but for others, you might need to consider attending a community college to get the basic math and science courses, especially if you apply for admission without them and are not accepted.  In many ways, as a prospective postbac student, you will be regarded in a way similar to a prospective transfer student.

The most important tool for students coming from Washington State Community Colleges is the Course Equivalency Guide, which should be used to plan courses before transfer. Additionally, students may find WaCAS (Washington Course Applicability System) helpful. Both may be found at:

http://www.washington.edu/students/uga/tr/planning/

Students transferring from other institutions will be in reasonably good shape if they’ve taken a minimum of 1 year of each of general lab biology, general chemistry, a quarter/semester of organic chemistry and a minimum of 2 quarters/semesters of calculus (and preferably physics.) 

What should I do when I find out I’ve been admitted to the UW?

When you find out you’ve been admitted to the UW, please email the SAFS Undergraduate Adviser, Lin Murdock, at safs@u.washington.edu, letting her know which quarter you’ve been admitted for. This will allow her to help save you spots in required courses your first quarter.

What should I do if I’m not admitted?

Don’t give up hope. If you haven’t completed your courses on the “Transfer Planning Worksheet,” do that. Find a volunteer opportunity. Have a couple of letters of recommendation sent to Admissions next time around. Rewrite your personal statement with another set of eyes helping you out. Apply as a non-matriculating student (see below.)  Contact safs@u.washington.edu for more ideas.

Taking classes as a non-matriculating student

An option to consider is to take your courses of interest as a non-matriculating student.  Almost all of our courses are open to non-degree seeking students if the instructor approves it and there is available space.  This option is especially appropriate for students who just need a few classes, are preparing for graduate studies in this field, or were denied admission as a postbaccalaureate but want to take a few courses to demonstrate academic ability in order to reapply.  Information about the process of applying as a non-degree seeking student (non-matriculating) is at:

http://www.outreach.washington.edu/nondegree/

What about applying directly for the graduate programs in Aquatic & Fishery Sciences?

If you’ve got a general science background and any sort of bachelors degree, you may apply directly to the Graduate Programs here at the UW School of Aquatic & Fishery Sciences.  Most of our graduate students are not admitted with degrees in aquatic sciences; rather, they have degrees in biology, forestry, ecology, etc.  If you’re not admitted into the graduate program, you then might want to consider reapplying as a postbac or taking non-matriculating courses.  UW School of Aquatic & Fishery Sciences Graduate Admissions info can be found at:

http://fish.washington.edu/graduates