Academic Advising and Student Services

For Students

The UW Academy offers academic advising services that are built to serve the specific needs of its early entrance students.  The Academy Student Services Team is always available to answer student questions and provide guidance as they navigate the University of Washington.  In addition to this, the Academy employs a proactive advising model.  Academy students will have regular required meetings with an academic adviser during their first and second years. In these sessions, students can look forward to individualized attention from an experienced academic adviser who is familiar with the resources and opportunities of the UW, as well as the challenges of being an early entrance student. The Advising staff helps students to connect to campus resources and offers guidance in applying to majors. This specialized academic advising is one of the most important resources that we offer to our students in their time at the university.

For Families

At the Academy, we realize that early college entrance is a transition for the whole family.  With this in mind, the Academy holds several Family Check-In events over the course of the year, where the families of our students can hear from staff and receive important information regarding university policies and opportunities.  Of course, the staff is always on hand to talk with families about their concerns on a case by case basis as well.

Student-Driven Programming

The success of the UW Academy Program depends on the active participation of students during our Bridge Programs and other services.  Older Academy students return to provide guidance and practical advice to newer cohorts as Peer Mentors and they volunteer to serve on panels during Bridge and other informational sessions.  In addition, the students themselves administer a number of programs designed to welcome new students, incorporate them into the larger RC community, and give them resources amongst their peers that they can turn to for advice and questions.  The Academy Peer Mentor Program pairs experienced Academy students with members of our incoming class, and coordinates a number of social events throughout the academic year.  Other RC student organizations, like the Early Entrance Drama Society (EDS), invite participation from Academy students and engage the whole RC community with events and celebrations of student talent.

"By joining the UW Academy, the things to which I've had access that I wouldn't have had in high school include: a level of academic, social, and intellectual opportunity that exceeds the cog or carrot-stick mindset... The smaller cohort within the larger scale campus provides a network or haven that didn't exist at my high school."
- Merrill Keating, UW Academy Student