Students | Parents | Counselors

Is there a separate business school application for the Freshman Direct Program?

The only application you need to fill out to be considered for Freshman Direct admission to the Foster School of Business is the application to the University of Washington.

If you choose "Business Administration" as your primary major on page 2, question EO-3, your application will automatically be considered by the Foster School.

I already submitted my application to the University of Washington and but didn’t know I could be considered for direct admission to the Foster School. Can I still be considered?

Yes, you can. You will need to contact UW Admissions and ask that your primary major be “Business Administration.” This must be done via e-mail, using the same e-mail address on your UW application and you can go through this link to do so http://admit.washington.edu/Contact/Students .

How do you decide who gets into business?

The criteria by which freshmen are admitted to the University of Washington are determined by UW Admissions. The Foster School, then, selects the best candidates for our program from those admits who have specified "Business Administration" as their first major choice on their applications.

By state law, we are allowed a limited number of spaces within the major. The number of admits is determined, in large part, by the number of spaces we have available at each entry point - freshmen and upperclassmen.

When will I hear if I’m admitted to business?

You will hear about admission to the University of Washington before the Foster School makes a decision.  The Foster School offer letters will be sent on an ongoing basis through the admission cycle and prior to May 1, the date by which most admitted freshmen are required to accept or decline their offer of university admission.

What if I don't get in to the Foster School? I really want to be a business major.

Being admitted directly to the Foster School as a freshman is not the only path to becoming a business major. As soon as you are on campus, academic advisers in the School will be happy to meet with you to discuss strategies to maximize your chances of admission as a sophomore or junior.

I am interested in majoring in business now, but what if I get into the program and change my mind. Can I change majors and how do I do that?

If you change your mind about majoring in business, you can meet with one of the advisers in the Undergraduate Programs Office, who will help you make an alternate plan.

Are there ways to specialize my business degree?

In the Foster School we use the term "option" to describe areas of study. There are six options available: accounting, entrepreneurship, finance, human resource management, information systems and marketing.  There are even more ways to tailor a business degree to fit your interests, including certificates, concentrations and individualized plans.  Students may select an option after completion of lower division business requirements. 

Can I minor in business instead?

No, at this time there are no options to minor in business. However, as a business major, you can minor in other fields at UW.

I’d like to visit the UW Seattle campus, see the Business School and sit in on a class. How do I arrange that?

The UW Admissions Office offers terrific tours of campus; check out http://admit.washington.edu/visit.  There is also a process for sitting in on a class at http://admit.washington.edu/visit/sampleuwclass.  Business related classes are available for visitation.

The Foster School will have students who are able to give a very short tour of the School building after the UW campus tours, please contact our office (206.685.3400) to arrange one.

I still have a number of questions that haven’t been addressed and I’d like to talk with someone directly. What are my options?

One option is to sign in for an online chat with academic advisers and current students. These online sessions are available the second Wednesday of the months October through May from 5 –7pm Pacific time.

If you’re going to be visiting campus, you are welcome to make an appointment to meet with an adviser. You may call 206.685.3400 to schedule an appointment.
Please be aware that school vacation times are popular so call us in advance as we are unable to accommodate same day appointments. During the university’s registration periods, our appointment times are limited while we help current students with their schedules. The University registration periods typically fall during the first few weeks of November, the last couple weeks of February and the middle of May.