University of Washington Seattle

Office of Admissions

• Freshman
  • 1. Send Standardized Tests
  • 2. Explore Majors
  • 3. Gather Required Documents
  • 4. Keep Deadlines in Mind
  • 5. Apply For Admission
  • 6. Apply for Honors?
  • 7. Send Transcripts??
  • 8. Apply for Financial Aid
  • 9. The Review Process
  • 10. The Admission Decision
    • Guidelines for Special Admission and Appeal
• Transfer
• International
• Postbacs

Who can petition?

Any denied applicant may appeal. Generally, applicants petition if they believe their academic or personal circumstances could not be considered adequately through the standard admission review process or that an error occurred in the application review.

Waitlisted Applicants

Some waitlisted freshmen may wish to appeal. We do not encourage a petition at this time because no final decision has been made on the application.

• If you do appeal and the request is denied, you will remain on the waitlist until a final decision is made.
• If you are later denied from the waitlist, you may not appeal again.

How do I petition?

You, the applicant, must submit your appeal in writing, preferably typed and no longer than three pages. You may send it by postal mail, or fax; or deliver it in person.

• A petition sent by postal mail or fax should bear your signature.
• We do not interview petitioners, but you may speak with an admissions counselor if you have questions.
• The committee does not review artwork or writing samples.

The body of your appeal should explain your reason for seeking reconsideration.

Your petition should be clear and concise in presenting your case for admission.
Keep in mind that we already reviewed your entire file and expected you to present everything of significance in the initial application. If you believe we missed something of importance, you may direct our attention to it again.

Where does my petition go?

Send the petition with the words “Attn: AC Petition” in the lower left corner of the envelope or “Letter of Petition” as the title in a fax. List the following information for identification: your name, address, quarter and year of application, and type of application (in this case, freshman).

Mailing address

University of Washington
Office of Admissions
1410 NE Campus Parkway
Box 355852
Seattle, WA 98195-5852
Attn: AC Petition

Fax: 206.685.3655
In person: 1410 NE Campus Parkway, Room 320. Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Letters of Recommendation

You may send letters of recommendation. If they are to be sent separately from your petition, please list them in your appeal. We will delay a review for a short time if supporting documents are in transit.

What factors are considered?

You can include any information you think is important, but usually petitions address relevant items from the list below:

• Why do you think you are an excellent candidate for the University of Washington Seattle?

• Why do you believe you need to be at the University of Washington Seattle? Why at this time?

• If your overall academic record is not as strong as it could be, why do you think it is a poor predictor of your future performance? Explain your academic record fully and tell us how you plan to be a successful student at the UW. Your explanation might include (but is not limited to) a discussion of circumstances and hardships, such as personal or family illness, factors related to a disability, or familial or cultural barriers that may have affected your academic performance and record.

• If you are inadmissible because you have not completed all core subject requirements (as explained in your denial letter), why were you unable to satisfy these requirements? How do you plan to complete this course work once enrolled at the UW?

How and when will I be notified?

The review committee meets each quarter during the academic year. You will be notified by postal mail of the committee’s decision promptly after your petition has been reviewed. An applicant who is accepted by the committee will be expected to comply with all requirements stipulated at the time of admission.

Freshman petitions are reviewed according to the following schedule:

Notification Schedule for Petitions

Admission Quarter	Response Date
Autumn quarter applicants	December 1 – May 31 Most decisions are made in May.
Winter quarter	November 1 – December 15
Spring quarter	February 1 – March 31
Summer quarter (degree status)	December 1 – May 31 Most decisions are made in May.

To request disability accommodation in the appeal process, contact the Office of Admissions
Voice: 206.543.9686
Washington State Relay Service TDD: 800.833.6388