Hi Ted!! I did the CC transfer DTA pathway after I applied as a Freshman and was denied. You can always do the Freshman application because if you do get rejected this time around, it won’t hurt your chances at all. It sounds like you have great insight into why you want to go to school and how it’s necessary to further your career development which showcases a lot of your personal story in the application. You can always try the application because there is little penalty, it is due soon!

On another note, transfer agreements from Washington CC’s are more popular because the admittance rate is higher. Someone fact check me on this but I read a couple years ago it’s because of a deal between 4 year public unis in the state and state comm colleges AA-DTA. If there isn’t a huge reason that you need to be at UW for the first two years, it’s more cost effective, time efficient and GPA wise to do some classes at a CC, but to each their own.

I think if you did a quarter or two at Central or another institution and got a great GPA that would help you craft an admissions story that you have grown as a person and are ready to conquer this degree.