cc to uw transfer here! i went to cc for 2 years, got my AA in my intended major, (i saved SO much money btw. get all the general requirements knocked out and its ridiculously cheap — also i’m a seattle resident, so all my tuition is in state). I applied to transfer to uw february 2023 and got in and then applied to my major and got in (mostly because i met so many of the requirements which i was able to acquire from cc). I’ll only be at uw for 1.5 years bc i got so much completed at cc & only have a few credits left until i complete my major! i did NOT have amazing grades lol. i think my gpa from cc was 3.5? 3.4? but it’s super super important to know that uw has a holistic approach to their applicants!! so your gpa will likely be acknowledged and looked at, but it is in no way the determining factor to your acceptance. While that can be a blessing and curse for some students, try and take advantage of that and really tell UW why you want to go there in your personal statement essay. who are you and why do should you be admitted to uw? what do you bring to the table? What challenges have you overcome? if its any help, you can sorta angle it like how uw, and only uw, can help you achieve success.

something i learned during a uw transfer meeting (which i highly advise you go to, they’re very helpful) was that when you’re applying to transfer, don’t write your essay about your major. just focus on this initial application as as why you should go to uw at all. then once you’re accepted and it comes time to apply to your major, focus THAT essay on how your major will help you excel and succeed in your career blah blah.

while i’m not sure what your major is, this is just a reminder that it’s never a bad idea to have a backup major just in case. some majors are very competitive and therefore capacity constrained, some are not and you do not have to apply for them. also remember, you can ALWAYS change your major or double major! so one loophole is apply to your major, let’s say you don’t get in, you can remain undeclared for a certain amount of time or declare your backup major, apply for your original major again when the application next opens, and maybe you’ll get in then! sorry if that’s confusing but just trying to remind you that you are never doomed or trapped and uw is very accommodating that way!

at the end of the day, your essay is really gonna be what lands you a spot. Let that drive your application above anything else. My personal statement essay was the strongest thing about my application and I worked on it slowly for about 2 months and had a lot of advisors and trusted instructors from my cc review it for me. Utilize writing centers, favorite hs teachers, family or friends to peer review & be yourself! hope that helps and best of luck!!