DTA no more in 2004
SCC ready for changes, advisor states
It’s already tough to get admitted to the University of Washington. According to statements released by the UW, freshman applicants must have a combination of approximately a 3.7 grade point average and an SAT score of 1200 to be guaranteed admission. For transfer students, admission is even more competitive. The one saving grace for prospective transfer students has been the Direct Transfer Agreement (DTA), which guarantees admission to Washington state residents who have completed their associate’s degree at a community college in this state with at least a 2.75 cumulative grade point average.
But starting next summer there will be no more DTA, and all students applying to transfer to the UW must do so on a competitive basis. The change will affect only the Seattle campus; Bothell and Tacoma campuses will continue to honor the DTA.
Prospective students may face brick wall
Applying to the UW?
What you need to know...
Effective Summer 2004, all transfer applicants to the University of Washington’s Seattle campus will be admitted only on a competitive basis. Grade point average (GPA) will no longer be the only factor considered for transfer students who have completed their Associates’ Degree.
Prospective applicants, with or without transfer degree, will be considered based on the following:
- Cumulative GPA based on grades in all college-level courses attempted
- College courses taken to prepare for intended major, and grades earned in these courses.
- Completion of foreign languge through103 level or equivalent when applying to the College of Arts and Sciences
- Availability of intended academic program at other Washington public educational institutions, when applicant has completed necessary prerequisites and is qualified for the major.
- Documented academic or artistic awards and achievements, or employer-validated work experience that demonstrates success in a field related to the intended academic major.
- Improved grades after an extended absence from college or evidence of a new maturity in approaching college work.
- Educational and economic disadvantage, cultural awareness and personal adversity.
It is not yet known what weight each of these requirements will be given in the admissions process. The above information should not be considered academic advice; students planning to transfer should consult with their Shoreline academic advisor before plotting their moves.
Information from the University of Washington’s website, office of News and Information.
The UW cites overenrollment and underfunding as key reasons for its decision to end the agreement. As a public university, the UW relies on government funding to keep educational costs to students relatively low. But with the recession, that funding has been cut. Despite the cut, the UW has been overenrolled, and the two combined have caused the quality of education at the university to suffer.
One of the key reasons for the rush in enrollment has been long anticipated. More students, the children of the massive baby boom generation, are graduating high school and heading for college. Elementary, middle, and high schools met the challenge, as the legislature was eager to fund education when the economy was thriving. However, as that same generation started coming upon college, the economy took a dive for the worst. State funds dried up with state tax cuts, and education funding was cut as result of the mix.
The recession also meant that many people are out of jobs and are returning to school to seek retraining or further education — in competition with recent high-school grads.
According to the UW, efforts have been made to prevent the end of the DTA. One of the main problems is that as students are guaranteed admission, the UW must find a place to put them. Recently, it has been deferring accepted students’ admissions to other quarters. For example, a student accepted to attend the UW for fall quarter 2003 is told to attend a community college during fall and come to the UW for winter quarter of the same school year; the credits the student acquires during that quarter at community college count toward the student’s degree at the UW.
But the UW has deferred so many students that they are stacking up in the queue considerably, restricting the number of available slots for transfer students in future quarters, and allowing the vicious cycle to continue.
The UW still stresses its commitment to community college students, stating that it will continue to honor the proportionality agreement, in which about 30 percent of undergraduate students admitted annually will come from Washington state community colleges.
It is unclear yet whether that will be enough. According to Judy Yu, SCC’s director of public information, the possible impacts of the changes are difficult to predict at this time. However, she remains optimistic. “We are confident that our advisors are working closely with the UW to ensure that our students meet or exceed the qualifications set by the UW,” said Yu. “The changes to the DTA will not affect students who are currently enrolled at SCC, expect to graduate next spring (and who plan) to apply to the UW next fall.”
Added Jeff Omalanz-Hood, an SCC advisor experienced in UW transfers: “Shoreline is traditionally among the leaders in transferring students to the UW, and I am sure that will continue.” According to Omalanz-Hood, the college has been preparing for changes to the DTA for over a year, and is well prepared now that finalizations have been announced.
For SCC students who will not make the deadline to transfer under the DTA, the college is planning student workshops and resources so students can prepare and have the best chance of successfully transferring. Time and location of the workshops will be announced soon.