Overview
Thank you for your interest in pursuing your Ph.D. at the Allen School. Admission to our Ph.D. program is competitive. Each year, we receive applications from approximately 2,000 prospective graduate students, from around the globe, for roughly 50 positions. The Allen School hosts its annual Grad Visit Days in March for applicants who have received an offer of admission. This event provides an opportunity for applicants to meet with faculty, get to know their prospective colleagues, and experience the Seattle area’s quality of life.
Underrepresented Communities
The University of Washington and the Allen School reaffirm their policy of equal opportunity regardless of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, or status as a disabled veteran or Vietnam era veteran in accordance with University policy and applicable federal and state statutes and regulations. We encourage applications from women, students with disabilities and minority candidates.
Learn more about the Paul G. Allen School's commitment to Diversity & Inclusion. With regards to the Ph.D. Program, Les Sessoms was hired to be the Recruitment & Retention Specialist with a focus on underrepresentated minority communities and diversity initiatves.
Information About Application Fee Waivers and Pre-Payment Options
Financial Need (U.S. Residents):
The UW Graduate School offers application fee waivers to U.S. residents who demonstrate financial need. The process for requesting a fee waiver from the UW Graduate School is available on their application page.
Application Fee Pre-Payment:
The Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering offers to pre-pay the application fee for applicants who participate in the GEM Fellowship Program and our Pre-Application Review Service (PARS), detailed below. Applicants who participate in groups or programs which focus on outreach as it relates to preparing students for computer science research careers may also be eligible. In order to request pre-payment of the fee, the applicant must first complete all required components of the application. Prior to submitting, email grad-admissions (at) cs.washington.edu with the following information at least seven (7) calendar days ahead of the application deadline:
- Full Name
- UW Graduate School Application ID Number
- Proof of Program Participation
Pre-Application Review Service (PARS)
The Pre-Application Review Service (PARS)assists applicants to the University of Washington's CS Ph.D. program. An Allen School Ph.D. student/postdoc volunteer will give one round of meaningful feedback on a prospective applicant's resume/CV and statement of purpose. Members of underrepresented communities and related organizations and conferences are strongly encouraged to submit to PARS!
Submissions will be accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis until November 8 (11:59 pm PST). Please submit a complete first draft of your application materials via this form. PARS volunteers aims to respond within a couple of weeks of submission, and by November 16 (11:59 pm PST) at the latest. Submitting to PARS does not guarantee feedback, as we may close this form early if volunteer feedback capacity is reached.
Th Application fee for the Allen School Ph.D. program will be pre-paid for prospective applicants receiving support through PARS. The deadline for the application to the Allen School CS Ph.D. program is December 15 (11:59 pm PST). Participation in PARS is completely separate from the official application process and therefore does not guarantee admission to the Allen School. The volunteer providing feedback won't review official applications from the same individuals. Participation won't be disclosed to the admissions committee or faculty. Information will be aggregated and anonymized to evaluate the impact of this program, but individual responses will be deleted at the end of this application cycle.
If you have any questions about PARS, please email grad-admissions@cs.washington.edu.
Undocumented Students Welcome
The Allen School is committed to working with undocumented students to help them enter and thrive in our Ph.D. program. We are working on implementing a system to identify financial aid opportunities, in addition to increasing our outreach and department-support for students who are undocumented. You are welcome to reach out to us if you have questions or concerns. Leadership Without Borders is a division of UW focused on the UW undocumented community. They are eager to offer whatever assistance with or without a collaboration with our program.
