University of Washington and the Common App Essay

Does anyone know if the University of Washington gives a lot of weight to the essay you submit through the Common App? Trying to decide how much effort I need to put into customizing my essay for them.

Absolutely, the University of Washington, like most schools, certainly considers your Common App essay to be a significant piece of your application. While your academic record and extracurricular involvements are crucial, the essay is your chance to speak directly to the admissions committee and show who you are beyond numbers and lists. It's an opportunity for them to hear your voice, your passions, and to understand what you could bring to their campus community. Remember, they're looking to build a diverse and dynamic student body, and your essay is a critical tool for showcasing your individuality.

However, in terms of customizing your main Common App essay to UW, that isn't necessarily the best use of your time, as you've likely written and polished that essay so that it can be submitted to a range of institutions. Hopefully, that essay showcases certain core traits and how you developed them.

Then, you can use the supplemental essays UW requests to make a connection between who you are as a whole and how that person would fit into UW's campus community. That will save you the time of revising your Common App essay for UW specifically, while still giving you the benefit of personalizing your application for UW. You can read up on how to tackle their supplemental essays on CollegeVine's blog: https://blog.collegevine.com/how-to-write-the-university-of-washington-essays.

If you're wondering how well your supplements convey your interest in UW, you can check out CollegeVine's free peer essay review service, or submit your essays for a paid review from an expert CollegeVine advisor. You can also submit your Common App essay if you're looking for extra feedback there too.

Good luck with your UW application!