Students must focus quickly

The following editorial appeared Aug. 22 in the Everett Herald:

Students seeking to arrive at a college destination might want to step back a few years and take a page out of “The Little Engine That Could.” These days, at a junction in their school career, community college students hoping to transfer to the University of Washington had better be on the fast track for a specific major. Like the small engine from the famous children’s book, a strong focus on a specific goal may be necessary to get where you want to go. That is the new standard suggested by the UW’s new transfer policy – the school’s attempt to eliminate a waiting list and expedite students through to graduation.

Under the admissions criteria, the UW will appropriately honor its historical community college agreement by bringing in at least 30 percent of its new undergraduates from Washington community colleges. However, community college students on track to move into a major will be more likely to be admitted. Those who have completed a two-year degree program will still have priority.

The UW is working closely with community colleges and their counselors to spread the word, encouraging prospective transfers to focus on a specialty. A free-association array of classes that dabbles in a variety of subjects, even when combined with good grades, isn’t going to impress an admissions specialist. Chugging along without a focus will only serve to derail academic plans.

For some students who have the academic standing to qualify under the old criteria, the UW’s new standard may come as a shock. It is, however, a necessary shift. And contrary to what some may think, the university is open to take in a large number of transfers.

That has been the biggest misconception about the transfer policy, according to Phillip Ballinger, UW director of admissions. …

Transfers will no longer have to sit on a year-long waiting list just to get to the four-year campus. Additionally, by demanding that a student establish an academic direction first, the UW increases the odds that such students will graduate on time. That opens more slots for future applicants. Potential transfer students should take note of this policy and prepare accordingly. With a focused plan, community college students can now plot a clearer course to the University of Washington.