The first thing I thought about when choosing a college was its marching band. In high school, I was a member of a core-style marching band. Every year we would spend weeks before school started at band camp to pour our efforts into a unique performance. We competed with other high schools and had tons of fun. Marching band was the highlight of my high school career, and I knew I had to keep being involved. The UW stood out to me for this reason. On top of its great location and academic prowess, it has one of the most entertaining college bands in the country. I applied for 3 other schools in Washington, but I knew this was my first choice. Luckily, my high school prepared me well for the application process and I was not worried. With a 3.8 GPA and AP test scores, I was sure to be accepted. Getting into the UW was exciting because I knew I would continue to pursue my musical interests as well as my academic ones.
Course Curriculum :
Our art history curriculum is great, there are so many diverse options in terms of course content. The drawing and painting courses are also superb, my grasp of basic technical skills has dramatically increased thanks to the courses I have taken.
Exams :
I chose to double major in Art History and Drawing and Painting at UW. The history of aesthetics and what we label as beautiful fluctuates through culture and time. I am interested in pursuing this thought. There were no requirements for either of these programs. I am planning on applying for the animation capstone offered by our school of Computer Science and Engineering. The application process includes a portfolio, written essays, and professor letters. This program teams up students from all sorts of fields, including computer science, art, music, drama, and engineering. Together, the team makes a short animated film over the span of two quarters. The capstone lasts the entire year, the first quarter being used to teach animation and coding. These types of fields don't require test scores, instead, they focus on raw ability. That being said, my 3.91 GPA will hopefully allow me to stand out from the rest. For the most part, I must rely on a strong portfolio.
Placement :
There are a lot of successful students graduating from UW. As for my specific field, we are visited by the Seattle Opera, various local art museums, other schools, and big companies like Google or Amazon. I will not pretend to know statistics, but there's a reason UW is funding its computer science program so much.
Internship :
There are many jobs available on campus for students. The most prevalent are food service jobs. Students can work in places ranging from dining halls, food trucks, catering services, grocery stores, coffee shops, to even full-service restaurants. These jobs are available through UWs housing and food service program. They have an online application process and are flexible with hours. There are similar jobs in libraries, front desks, and museums. For some jobs, you do not have to be a student.
Events :
There are a lot of husky football events around fall quarter where fans can take pictures and get ready for the season. Every spring there is a night market where tons of authentic food is sold, including Korean, Japanese, Chinese and more. There are merchandise and goods to buy as well. Its a fun night of food and enjoyment. Additionally, there are pride events, live music, and spirit events.
Fees :
There are scholarships available for many students on campus. The international student center probably has a lot of that information. There are many scholarships for minorities and other groups. Tuition fees increase every year but financial aid is available. I was awarded a scholarship through my major by the art history department. A great way to get scholarships is to use your good academics. That way you can apply with the work you have already done till this point.
Examination Structure :
It can be rigorous and taxing, midterm exams start early in the quarter and can be so spread out that they last until finals week, creating a situation where there are constant projects, tests, and essays.
Faculty :
There are a lot of students at UW. It is no secret. I know many people who find it common to be in 200 person lecture halls. However, in my programs, this is not the case. The art history and drawing programs are both on the smaller size, so the classroom environment is fantastic. One on one help is easily available from my professors. The teaching assistants in art history are knowledgeable, and the professors make lecture provocative and stimulating. My drawing professors push me past my comfort zone and test my skills every day in class. Overall, I am very pleased. The only drawback is the lack of funding. We tend to have older equipment. I am interested in more modern ideas and mediums, but some of these are unavailable.
Hostel :
For the first two years, I lived in a dorm, it was fine but expensive. They make you buy a dining plan for the food halls and campus stores. I am now living off-campus with roommates and it is more affordable. Living in dorms first makes it easier to transition into the college.
