3 ms·

Is it still the case that you need straight As in math and physics to get into CS at UW? It's insane that they crank out psych and english majors by the thousan

Is it still the case that you need straight As in math and physics to get into CS at UW? It's insane that they crank out psych and english majors by the thousands but keep a lid on CS.

jc4p 14y ago
I have eight years of experience, both of my last two jobs were six-figures, and I've been rejected from UW CS thrice. That was before I stopped worrying about it and focused on my career instead though :) but yeah, it's insanely difficult to get in.
BadassFractal 14y ago
They were pretty lenient back in the day for out-of-state students. I got an offer without particularly outstanding grades.
- seanmcdirmid 14y ago
  I'm sure you mean getting into UW and not getting into UW CSE. UWCSE wouldn't care if you were in/out state, and you would apply in your Sophmore year according to marks you got in your first two years.
nickbarnwell 14y ago
I went to UW last year and yes, that's still the case, and it's incredibly unfortunate. There are quite a few students who are wickedly talented and very gifted engineers that have been turned down from the program because they were bored by the mandatory introductory courses or were building products instead of slaving away on Physics problem sets. Year after year they turn out graduates who will sidle into the ranks of Google, Microsoft, and Amazon and toil away as a well-compensated cog. It's both a disappointing waste of talent and bad for the Seattle startup community.
ddt 14y ago
Yep, I know multiple people who have gone elsewhere in the state to less competitive programs for the simple fact that UW CSE is so arbitrarily difficult in its admission process. The byproduct is schools like WSU, WWU and others getting top talent who just don't want to put up with bullshit.
seanmcdirmid 14y ago
At least back in 94, I got in with some low marks (2.9 in Physis 121!), but I was really sweating it. Its a very competitive department, while increasing its size would have quality implications.

Is it still the case that you need straight As in math and physics to get into CS at UW? It's insane that they crank out psych and english majors by the thousands but keep a lid on CS.

jc4p 14y ago

I have eight years of experience, both of my last two jobs were six-figures, and I've been rejected from UW CS thrice. That was before I stopped worrying about it and focused on my career instead though :) but yeah, it's insanely difficult to get in.

BadassFractal 14y ago

They were pretty lenient back in the day for out-of-state students. I got an offer without particularly outstanding grades.

seanmcdirmid 14y ago
I'm sure you mean getting into UW and not getting into UW CSE. UWCSE wouldn't care if you were in/out state, and you would apply in your Sophmore year according to marks you got in your first two years.

nickbarnwell 14y ago

I went to UW last year and yes, that's still the case, and it's incredibly unfortunate. There are quite a few students who are wickedly talented and very gifted engineers that have been turned down from the program because they were bored by the mandatory introductory courses or were building products instead of slaving away on Physics problem sets. Year after year they turn out graduates who will sidle into the ranks of Google, Microsoft, and Amazon and toil away as a well-compensated cog. It's both a disappointing waste of talent and bad for the Seattle startup community.

ddt 14y ago

Yep, I know multiple people who have gone elsewhere in the state to less competitive programs for the simple fact that UW CSE is so arbitrarily difficult in its admission process. The byproduct is schools like WSU, WWU and others getting top talent who just don't want to put up with bullshit.

seanmcdirmid 14y ago

At least back in 94, I got in with some low marks (2.9 in Physis 121!), but I was really sweating it. Its a very competitive department, while increasing its size would have quality implications.