Direct-to-College

Direct to College (DTC) admission allows first-year students to apply directly to the Foster School of Business as part of their University of Washington application. Students admitted through DTC begin at Foster in autumn quarter, starting with the Autumn 2027 entering class.

Apply to the UW and select Business Administration as your first-choice major to be considered for DTC.

Selecting a second-choice major does not affect whether you are considered for Direct to College admission or your chances of being admitted to Business Administration as your first-choice major. If you’re open to pursuing a major outside of the Foster School at UW, we encourage you to select a second-choice major on your application. Listing a second-choice major lets us know that you are interested in attending UW even if you are not admitted to your first-choice major and allows us to review your application for general admission to the University.

The UW application opens September 1 and closes November 15. Admission decisions are released in March. Students who are admitted to UW will be notified at that time whether they have also been admitted to the Foster School of Business through the Direct to College (DTC) pathway.

There are no specific prerequisites or special requirements to be considered for Direct to College admissions. The Office of Admissions makes admissions decisions using a holistic review process that focuses on academic preparation, personal qualities and characteristics. The Office of Admissions sends Direct to College decisions with the UW admission decision.

https://admit.washington.edu/apply/first-year/holistic-review/

You enter as a general business student and declare a specific Foster major of their choice after completing the lower-division business core courses. Students can choose up to two business majors.

Yes. Students who are not admitted through Direct to College may still apply to the Foster School after completing the required prerequisites. Admission after the first year is capacity constrained and is not guaranteed. Students may also pursue the Business Minor or Entrepreneurship Minor, which do not require a competitive admission process.

Yes, and we encourage you to indicate business as your first choice if you are strongly considering business. DTC is the primary way we admit students to Foster.

The first-year courses are designed to help students explore business and discover academic and career options early. This early exploration can be especially valuable for students who are still deciding on a direction, as well as for students who are the first in their family to attend college. Additionally, DTC students will be assigned to a Foster academic adviser who will help students explore their academic path.

You can apply to the Foster School after completing the required prerequisite coursework, the Writing Skills Assessment (WSA), and the standard admission application.

Yes! You can review how your classes transfer using the WA CC Equivalency Guide – Office of Admissions

There are scholarship opportunities specifically for Direct to College Foster School admits. These include Need-based and Merit-based awards. Students admitted through Direct to College are automatically considered for these scholarships.

No. Students admitted through Direct to College may explore other academic interests at UW and change majors if their goals change. To explore other academic options, review UW’s list of available majors.

Students applying to the Foster School must submit their application by April 5 for autumn quarter admission or October 5 for winter quarter admission.

Students not currently enrolled at UW-Seattle must also submit an application for transfer admission to UW. For autumn admission: the UW application opens December 15 and closes February 15; for winter admission, the UW application opens August 1 and closes September 1.

Pre-application courses must be completed and graded before the application deadline. (April 5 for autumn/summer or October 5 for winter.)

Pre-admission courses can be in progress while you’re applying, but must be completed by the last day of spring quarter for autumn admission and by the last day of the autumn quarter for winter admission.

This deadline applies to all courses regardless of format. Any online and/or self-paced courses must be completed by the end of the quarter in which you apply. The exact date of the deadline will be on the application you open. No exceptions will be made.

Students attending a Washington State Community College may consult the WA CC Equivalency Guide – Office of Admissions . Students attending other colleges or universities can use our Foster Equivalency Tool to verify equivalents or submit materials for review. Courses that are not prerequisites to apply will only be evaluated after admission to the University of Washington and Foster School of Business.

Yes! Follow the application timeline outlined above.

There are multiple ways you can explore and develop your business interests at UW as a non-Foster student such as a business minor (general business or entrepreneurship) or our Professional Sales Program.

Non-Foster students may join Foster Student Organizations, participate in the Lavin Entrepreneurship Program, have experiential opportunities via the Consulting and Business Development Center or study abroad with the Foster Exploration Seminars.

As a Foster undergraduate student, you will prepare for your professional career with individualized career coaching, hands-on internship opportunities, and networking activities with industry professionals. You will put theory into practice through a wide array of experiential opportunities, including our required capstone case competition. You can specialize your degree through programs such as the Certificate of International Studies in Business and the Professional Sales Program or impact the Seattle community through the Consulting and Business Development Program.

Students in their first year will take some Foster specific classes built around careers, the purpose of business, hands-on experience, and core business skills as well as calculus, composition, economics, and general education requirements.

Accounting, accounting for business professionals, entrepreneurship, finance, human resources, information systems, marketing, and operations and supply chain management.

There are scholarship opportunities which include Need-based, Educational Opportunity Program (EOP), and Merit-based awards. Current business undergraduates and students whose applications are in-progress may apply. These awards are specifically for Foster business undergraduates and students must apply each year. The application opens on February 16th each year.