University of Washington Reviews

Way worth it. I live in an...

Way worth it. I live in an apartment now, and it's a block away from campus. I'm loving the location by the Greek system, so I have a lot of social opportunities as well!

UW parties are primarily in the...

UW parties are primarily in the Greek System. Basically, if you're a girl, you have it made. Girls may attend frat parties, yet do not have to be a member of the Greek System. Guys in the dorms or apartments can only go to frat parties if they are on the list or know someone there, etc. If you want to attend frat parties a lot as a guy, you have to pretty much join a frat. There aren't too many bars or clubs near UW; that's more of a downtown thing. House parties happen as well, but you have to know people.

Security on campus is good, yet...

Security on campus is good, yet considering there is no way to separate students from the rest of the world, there is a lot of crime. It's more important to not put youself in a postion to be one of these victims. I would not recommend walking about campus alone or after dark. There are blue safety call boxes around campus with help buttons, and the UW police promises to be there within two minutes if it is pushed. Keep your doors locked to avoid theft.

There are no parties on campus....

There are no parties on campus. College Inn (great on a cold night for a game of pool and a pitcher of beer), Earl's (cheap and stiff drinks), Finn's (karaoke), Fournos (great music, and their lemonade is amazing) are all great spots on the Ave.

Definitely worth it. The...

Definitely worth it. The University District is surrounded by college students and has everything you need. We have our own neighborhood, but we're also really close to the rest of the city. Housing can be competitive if you're looking for something very specific, but in general, housing is readily available. Apartments, duplexes, frats, houses are all options.

Lately there has been a lot of...

Lately there has been a lot of crime near campus, although mostly coming from people outside of the student population. On campus, I feel pretty safe, though some of the surrounding areas are a bit more sketchy. The UW police department and SPD have increased their patrols of the area.

There is quite a bit of off-campus...

There is quite a bit of off-campus housing avaliable early (April or May), but it fills up fast and is on the expensive side. The farther from campus you get, the nicer places seem to be and the less they seem to cost, although paying $500/month for a room in a house is much better than paying $450 for an apartment that's closer.

You will have never appreciated a...

You will have never appreciated a sunny day properly until you have spent a fall/winter/spring in Seattle.

The dorms have been consistently...

The dorms have been consistently ranked in the bottom 10 in the nation. Many of them were designed by an architect who did most of his work in prison design.

Greek is huge at the UW. Rather...

Greek is huge at the UW. Rather than getting lost in the massive student body of 30,000, it gives you a chance to have more of an intimate connection to the school. Parties are great, but you pretty much have to be Greek to be included. It's the best way to meet a ton of people at the U.

I know that all Greeks won the ASU...

I know that all Greeks won the ASU elections, and I know that they do a lot of very social activities compared to the rest of the University. The Greek scene is big here at UW. Everyone is very accepting of each other, though. It’s not like if you meet someone, and they’re in a sorority and you’re not, that they’re going to ignore you or anything.

From my experience, drugs are...

From my experience, drugs are around but not in excess. There are groups who do stuff, but really everyone just sticks to drinking.

I love it here; I wouldn’t change...

I love it here; I wouldn’t change it for the world.

Overall, I am satisfied with the...

Overall, I am satisfied with the job the University of Washington has done with my education. I think that it is a good school with its student’s best interests in mind. I feel that it is highly bureaucratic, which isn’t good for students who are easily lost in the shuffle. But for me,it was a great experience.

I love it, and I wouldn’t change...

I love it, and I wouldn’t change my experience even if I had the chance.

I love the school, I love my...

I love the school, I love my friends, and I know that I’m getting the best education. I have no regrets.

I absolutely cannot imagine being...

I absolutely cannot imagine being anywhere else for college. I have had the best two years of my life here. I cannot even express how much I have fallen in love with the UW campus and Seattle itself.

Bring various stuff, not just cold...

Bring various stuff, not just cold winter gear, unless you plan to go camping in the winter or skiing. It doesn’t rain as much as people say, but it can get cold and occasionally snowy. But the summers in Seattle are beautiful.

If you like the Northwest’s...

If you like the Northwest’s weather, you’ll love Seattle. There is plenty of rain and good sun during the summer. Bring winter, rain, summer, and spring clothes.

As far as meals go, there are...

As far as meals go, there are plenty of options on campus. What I have found, though, is that eating on campus is not at all economically sound. By grocery shopping and eating on the University Avenue (the Ave.), I have saved an average of $300 a month over eating on a meal plan.

I have honestly spent more time at...

I have honestly spent more time at the IMA than I have spent in any gym in my entire life. It makes a huge difference to have a clean and well-kept facility to work out in. The indoor climbing wall is amazing, and the indoor track is great for when treadmills are boring and it’s raining outside. People are always there, too, so it’s a good social venue, although they rarely talk to each other.

McCarty is probably the nicest...

McCarty is probably the nicest dorm. It’s the most recently remodeled, and it has Ian’s Domain, an Internet café and grocery store, on the ground floor. The rooms overlook U- Village, and at night, the lights can be very pretty. Terry-Lander, particularly on the top stories, is known for its views, because you can see Lake Union and sometimes the Space Needle. Most triple rooms all over campus are pretty cramped because they have to shove three desks, dressers, beds, and sets of drawers into a space built for only two people. One of McCarty’s only drawbacks is that it’s very close to Greek Row, and sometimes, you can hear drunken singing or breaking glass at 3 a.m. McCarty also seems to get more than its share of midnight fire alarms, which are a huge pain when you’re trying to sleep.

The campus, overall, has an...

The campus, overall, has an attractive student body, but for a public school, there are more stuck-up and superficial people than I would have expected.

It’s like a Baskin-Robbins...

It’s like a Baskin-Robbins here—all different flavors!

The guys and girls are very mixed....

The guys and girls are very mixed. The sorority girls, in general, dress and act seductively, and you can always pick them out on campus in their short skirts and flip flops. Then, there are misplaced sorority girls that somehow ended up in the dorms but have the same qualities as a sorority girl. However, some girls in the Greek system can be very cool and not elitist and self centered. Dorm girls and off-campus girls tend to be more laid-back. The Greek system is for those whose best years in life will always be high school.