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Academics & Course Registration

Freshman Engineering Undeclared - Join Breakout Room�All Other Majors - Stay in this Room

Reference:�Parent & Family Guide, page 8-9, 20

Husky Guide, pages 7-9

Text or call for assistance:

(206) 207-5564

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Academics & Course Registration �RC Scholars Advising

8:30-9:00 a.m. Live Presentation�9:00-9:20 a.m. Live Q&A

9:20-9:30 a.m. Break

Reference:�Parent & Family Guide, page 8-9, 20

Husky Guide, pages 7-9

Text or call for assistance:

(206) 207-5564

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Who am I?

Kaleolani Laymon, M.A (she/her)

Academic Advisor & Coach, RC Scholars

Lived in Hawai’i, San Diego, Atlanta

Background in Higher Education and Holistic Student Support

Fun Fact: My first (and most exhausting) job was as a dance teacher!

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Who am I?

Brooke Martin-Gill (she/her)

Associate Director RC Scholars

Worked at UW since March 2025

Lived in Santa Cruz, Los Angeles/Orange County, Louisville, and originally from Humboldt County (CA)/one of the last company owned towns in the US (Scotia)

Background in Early and Middle College High Schools

Fun fact: I used to be the mascot at my high school (Hoby the Husky)

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Today’s Agenda

The Shift to UW
Advising in the RC & UW
Education at the UW
UW Degree

General Education Requirements (Gen Eds)
Majors
CADRs

Registration
High Impact Practices
Reminders

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Reminders

Chat

Send general questions to orientation staff
Communicate problems with the zoom room

Q&A

Send questions to the presenter about the presentation topic (academics and advising)

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Q&A Overview

We will answer most questions through the Q&A

We will answer as many questions as we have time for

We will not be able to answer student specific questions (FERPA)

Please focus on questions related to the presentation topic (academics and advising)

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The Shift to College

For many students, the transition to UW is a shift toward:

More self-direction

in decision making

More complexity

in choices

More responsibility

in shaping their path

More tension

between competing priorities

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High School College

	Standard paths to graduation		Many paths to graduation
	Memorization based classes with limited choice		Application based classes with significant choice
	Questions - sign of not knowing		Questions - sign of deep engagement
	Teachers/adults often guided your next steps		You design your direction and choose how to spend your time and energy

HIGH SCHOOL

COLLEGE

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RC Academic Advising

Students should meet with their adviser at least twice in their first year.

Kaleo is the assigned academic advisor for all RC Students, until they declare a major
Advising

Major Exploration, Class planning
CADR & Major Prerequisite Completion
Major Application
Navigating academic policies
Support academic decision making based on student’s goals, values, and interests.

Coaching

Time management & study skills
Major essay & application support
Collab w/ RC Wellbeing Counselor

Journey Partner - Providing support so they can meet the challenges of college!

RC Scholars Advising & Coaching

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First Year RC Advising Overview

Summer 2026

Autumn 2026

Winter 2027

Spring 2026

A&O Part 2

(Required)

1:1 advising (opens)

Academic Advising (Required)

GEN ST 297 (Required)

Academic Coaching

(Recommended)

Wellbeing Check-In

(Recommended)

Academic Advising

(Required)

Academic Advising (30-min), unlimited

Required first-year advising (twice in first year)
Required Second-year advising (once in second year)

Academic Coaching (30-min), unlimited

Major Application Essay Review
Encouraged Coaching/Wellbeing check-in (once in first + second year)

Drop-In Advising (15-min), unlimited

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Departmental Advising

Departmental advisers become the primary advisor once students are declared in a major

Provide specialized knowledge of their college/department

Connect students to major specific opportunities

Plan and prepare for admission to the major

Students can still meet with Kaleo after declaring their major, though support will look different

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A UW Education

Academics

What classes will you take? What will you major in? What new interests will you discover?

High Impact Practices

Ways to gain experience and insight outside of the classroom.

You

Your personal context is at the center of your college experience.

Advisers encourage students to think about their full UW experience

Kaleo

When you imagine your students college experience, you may initially think about academics - what will they major in? What classes will they take during your time here? What new academic interests will they discover?

We also want to encourage you to think about ways your students are gaining experience and insight out of the classroom through involvement in High Impact Practices - things like undergraduate research, study abroad, internships, etc.

Lastly, we want to make sure that they are thinking about themselves, their personal context, and their life in relation to all of this. Who they are and what they hope to get out of a college experience is unique to them.

As advisers, we encourage students to think about their entire UW experience, not just academics and classes.

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UW Degree

A UW degree is designed to give students breadth, depth, and choice.

Students can explore within the structure of the degree

The same degree can be achieved through many different pathways

Their course choices can be exploratory and count toward requirements at the same time
Intentional choices create more useful information

CADRs!

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General Education Requirements

Why they matter

Designed to help you engage with different ways of thinking, asking questions, and understanding the world.

What this means

Some students with prior credit may have already fulfilled some requirements, but most students still have general education classes they get to pick.

Skills for anywhere

Build skills that carry into any career path: critical thinking, communication, problem solving, and working across perspectives.

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Areas of Inquiry

The largest part of general education. Courses are organized into three broad, interconnected categories. Each one offers a different lens of the world.

Arts & Humanities

(A&H)

Explore meaning, expression and interpretation.

Social Sciences (SSc)

Examine systems, human behavior, and relationships.

Natural Sciences (NSc)

Investigate physical and biological phenomena.

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CADRs

College Academic Distribution Requirements (CADRs) are UW admissions requirements that are temporarily waived for RC Scholars. They must be completed within 2 years by taking college coursework.

UW General Education Requirements / AOI

CADRs

Composition (C)
Arts & Humanities (A&H)
Social Science (SSc)
Natural Science (NSc)
Reasoning (RSN)
Diversity (DIV)
Writing (W)

English (4 courses)
Math (Pre-Calc or above)
Social Science (3 courses)
Science (3 couses)
World Language (102+ level)
Art (1 course)
Elective (1 course)

NOTE: Most Gen Ed courses will NOT satisfy CADRs. Students must always reference the List of CADRs or reach out to the RC advisor with questions.

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CADR FAQs

Who evaluates what classes count as CADRs?

UW Admissions Office + RC Scholars Advisor

RC Scholars complete CADRs through:

TS Coursework (EEP)
High School coursework (recorded on an official Washington State High School transcript)

Please request official transcripts be sent to UW Admissions
AP/IB credits

UW courses or Community College courses

How will my student know what CADRs they have left to take?

CADR sheets (next slide)

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CADR Tacking

Every RC student has completed different amounts of CADRs prior to starting at UW and takes different classes to fulfill them.

To make sure we keep track of student’s individual progress, we use something called “CADR Sheet”

UWACAD CADR SHEET

EEP CADR SHEET

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Majors

Most students enter UW in a pre-major status. This status simply means a student has not yet declared a major at UW.

RC Students are in the EEP or UWACAD pre-major code. This status is not limiting.

Timing

Most students declare their major in the middle/toward the end of their sophomore year, sometimes early Junior year.

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Major Admission Categories

Open

Students in good academic standing can declare the major at any time.

Minimum

Students must complete prerequisite coursework and meet published minimum requirements

Students who meet the minimum requirements can declare.

Capacity Constrained

Students must complete prerequisite coursework and apply to the major.

Meeting minimum requirements does not guarantee admission.

Regardless of admission type, students should take classes to explore majors they are considering.

Kaleo

As research majors at UW, you'll notice that they fall into one of three admission categories: open, minimum requirement, or capacity-constrained.

The key difference between these categories is how students are admitted to the major. Some majors can be declared directly by any student in good academic standing (open), some require specific prerequisite courses (minimum requirements), and others require a competitive application process (capacity constrained).

While it's important to understand these requirements, don't let them stop you from exploring fields that interest you.

Regardless of admission type, one of the best ways to learn about a major is to take courses in that discipline. Exploring through coursework can help you test your interests and make more informed decisions about your future academic direction.

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Major Exploration

The exploration process can take up to two years, time constraints can depend on the fields your student is interested in exploring

Students are here!

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Major Websites

Most accurate and complete source of information → start here
Admissions Information

Prerequisite or starting classes
How to declare or apply
Application information and application due dates

Major Coursework Requirements
Advising Resources
Information about faculty, research, news, and events

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Prior Credit

Many students have prior credit from AP/IB, Running Start, College in the High School, A levels (A level credit won’t arrive until the fall)
Understanding prior credit:

If credit has already been processed by UW Admissions, it will appear on the unofficial transcript
Once processed, DARS will show what courses prior credit may fulfill

1XX or 2XX Credit

Indicates that the course transfers but is not equivalent to a specific course at the UW

Kaleo

Many students enter UW with prior credit from AP, IB, Running Start, College in the High School, or A Levels. Once your credit has been processed by UW Admissions, it will appear on your unofficial transcript. From there, DARS can help you understand how that credit may apply toward your degree requirements.

You may see some credit listed as 1XX or 2XX credit, which means the course transfers but does not match a specific UW course.

Prior credit can create flexibility in your schedule, but it is important to understand how it applies.

For example, It is recommended to retake a class you already have credit for if you don’t feel confident in the material and that material will be foundational to future sequences

When in doubt, connect with your adviser to understand how your prior credit fits into your academic plan and if retaking a course may be advisable!

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Registration

Students register on day 2 of A&O – most often in a small group setting with their adviser
Day 2 is the first day they can register, they can adjust their schedule throughout the summer
Students will leave A&O with their adviser’s contact information for follow up questions
Classes are not all full

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Building a Balanced Schedule

A balanced schedule reflects both self direction + structure

Classes that matter to them, connected to their interests, values or goals
12-18 credits
Mix of areas of inquiry/composition
STEM Courses; Advise against 3 STEM courses per quarter (esp. in first quarter)

AND, student choice still matters

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High Impact Practices

Evidence based active learning experiences that promote deep learning and student success
Research recommends at least two high impact experiences during college, while at least one per year is ideal
Examples of High Impact Practices

First-Year Experiences/Learning Communities
Undergraduate Research
Study Abroad/Global Learning
Service Learning
Internships
Writing-Intensive Courses

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Paying for College: Financial Aid

Submit FAFSA or WASFA application EVERY YEAR

Traditionally opens October 1st
Traditionally due the last day of February
Meet deadlines!

Contact the Office of Student Financial Aid for additional assistance

Special Circumstances
Change in income (appeals)

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Paying for College: Financial Aid

Scholarships

Office of Merit Scholarships

Includes a scholarship database

Independent Scholarship Search
Robinson Center (spring/annual) Scholarships

Paradise: Open to all
LePore: Open only to first-year Academy students

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Paying Tuition

Use the Tuition Dashboard to calculate quarterly/annual tuition

Quarterly tuition and fees are based on the number of enrolled credits per quarter
Full time- 12-18 (same tuition rate)
19+ (additional cost)

Students may check their tuition and fee balance via MyUW
Be aware of tuition deadlines

Autumn 2026: October 16th
Note that tuition charges are due by the third Friday of each quarter
Late payment fees will be assessed for past due balances of $50 or more

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Takeaways

A successful UW student is proactive, curious, and asks questions

Advising
Building community
High impact practices
Major/interest exploration

Major exploration takes time and intentional reflection/planning – advisers are here to help
Maintaining a balanced schedule is key for success in the first year
Be aware of financial aid needs & considerations

Students should contact the OSFA for assistance

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Important Reminders

Husky Health Waivers
Weekly Newsletter
RC Scholars Website
Upcoming Dates to Remember

After A&O Part 2: 1:1 advising appointments with Kaleo open
Sept 23-24th: A&O Part 3 (students must attend both days in person) - lunch provided.
UW Dawg Daze Welcome Week- https://dawgdaze.uw.edu/
Sept 30: FIRST DAY OF CLASSES

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Q&A