For the past few years, Highline has transferred an average of about 80 students to the University of Washington (UW) in Seattle. On a mission to increase those numbers, Sylvie Shiosaki, is here to provide individualized support for transfer students looking to attend UW. 

“The purpose of the Path to UW program is that we’re able to provide individualized admissions and advising support, and that includes one-on-one and drop-in advising, as well as virtual workshops,” said Shiosaki. 

The Path to UW mission is to assist domestic, non-running start, students. UW defines a transfer student as someone who completed college credits after leaving high school. Applications are different across admission types, so Running Start students would apply as freshman with the help of UW freshman admissions, and international students would seek out an international advisor. 

“A good place [for students] to start is: what timeline would they be on, and what dates they should be aware of,” said Shiosaki. “The transfer experience is different based on what your intended major is, and that also means there could be different timelines.” 

The UW categorizes their majors as either open, minimum-requirements, or capacity-constrained. The more competitive the major, the more prepared students are expected to be, while possibly filling out a second application to the major as well as the admissions application. 

“What really makes a student stand out is if they’re ready for their major, will they be set up for success, and be able to graduate on time. I think that is what is really key,” said Shiosaki. 

“The office of admissions, they’re looking for students (1) coming from Washington State Community Colleges, (2) that are going to be close to junior standing (close to 90 credits) at the time they start, and (3) they have done what is known as major preparation. They know exactly what they want to major in and they’ve done the preparation for that major… UW wants the student to be set up for success,” said Shiosaki.

Shiosaki warned students away from using information from sites like Reddit or Quora, instead, pointing them to advisors. “If you didn’t have questions, we wouldn’t have jobs.” 

While social media may give a glimpse into student life, admissions information from these websites can be misleading. UW has their own social platform, called ZeeMee, for prospective and current students to connect and share experiences about their time at the UW. 

“I think it’s really good for students to ask what the UW can do for you – what kind of support services are there for you,” Shiosaki continued. “No one is born knowing this information…There are staff, like myself, at UW, and at Highline, that are there to help and guide you throughout this process.” 

The plan is for Shiosaki to be on site at Highline College through the academic year, as well as virtually over the summer. Transfer workshops are still in the progress of being scheduled. For help with a personal statement, Shiosaki directed students to trusted advisors, TRiO, and the writing center. 

Mavrie has been serving as editor for the Thunderword since 2024.