Finding the right adviser can be a tricky task, but luckily there are many places you can go to for help!
** You can only meet with an adviser after your Advising & Orientation (A&O) session.
How to Get Started:
1. General Advising
Visit the UW UAA (Undergraduate Academic Advising) page
We recommend saving the SAS (Student Academic Services) UAA portal page (https://sas.uaa.uw.edu/pages/advising-portal/) for an easy-to-reference list of where to go for advising for all three campuses, along with helpful answers to FAQs!
Here is the UAA About Us page, a general breakdown of who your advisers are/what they do.
TRIO Programs
(also under non-UW Educational Resources)
2. Departmental/Major Advisers
Once you are admitted into the major, there are a few advisers for the entire department. It doesn't matter which adviser contacts you first about news that you got accepted into your major. Book an appointment with one of them, and if it doesn't end up working out, then it's totally ok to just switch to another adviser!
If you're a pre-major wondering where to begin, you can always just email the department advisers when you are looking at potential departments/majors. They'll be able to give you a better idea of the application process, what to expect as a major, and opportunities you might enjoy.
In general, you have to be proactive if you want to talk to your adviser. That just means emailing them and booking appointments. If you have any other questions or want to chat before that first appointment, contact us! We've also assembled an informal, mostly word-of-mouth list of wonderful folks that we've either spent a long time working with, or who have been recommended by other formerly-incarcerated students. Happy contacting, and always remember that if you feel that an adviser/counselor/staff member isn't a good fit for you, move on and find another one!
People that we've worked with/ who have been recommended to us
Academic Success Coaches partner with students to overcome academic challenges and foster academic success. http://academicsupport.uw.edu/academic-suc- cess-coach/
** You can only meet with an adviser after your Advising & Orientation (A&O) session.
How to Get Started:
1. General Advising
Visit the UW UAA (Undergraduate Academic Advising) page
- Click on 'Book an in-person or online appointment", and it will show you your Assigned General Adviser (aka non-major specific) once you sign in with your UW NetID.
- for more information on your UW NetID, visit our 'Student Tech Resources' Tab.
- for more info on how to navigate MyUW, visit our 'Registration & Classes' tab
We recommend saving the SAS (Student Academic Services) UAA portal page (https://sas.uaa.uw.edu/pages/advising-portal/) for an easy-to-reference list of where to go for advising for all three campuses, along with helpful answers to FAQs!
- If you have been admitted into your major, this page (also linked on the portal) shows you all of the Departmental Advising Offices at UW Seattle.
- Don't be afraid to poke around the departments you're interested in even if you're undecided/undeclared!
- Each dept. has a very neat page that lays out all the major credit requirements, the application process and deadlines, contact info/advising location, specific program details, etc. (This is by no means required reading, just a nice place for consolidated, centralized information I wish I knew about when I was a first-year~)
Here is the UAA About Us page, a general breakdown of who your advisers are/what they do.
- At the bottom of this page, you'll find a link to the student Advising Guides
- This will give you an idea some of the questions you can prepare for your first advising appointment!
- This is the academic guide for First-year students, be sure to read through it. It also has some examples questions to ask your adviser, here are some summaries in a more accessible format:
- Can you help me talk through the factors that might lead me to choose one major over another? How should I plan for multiple major options? How do I strategically plan my courses even if I don’t know my major? How should I begin in the major exploration/preparation process?
- I’m interested in experience tied to my academic interest area. How would I go about finding these?
- What resources are there on campus that can help me reduce my stress and anxiety and contribute positively to my mental health?
- I’m worried I may not have time to balance my academic and co-curricular responsibilities? Are there resources for managing my time?
- I’m not finding community like I thought I would, what are ways to meet people on campus? How do I know where to start when looking for activities to be involved in outside the classroom?
- This is the academic guide for Transfer students, along with some example questions as well:
- Is my course and major trajectory realistic and strategic? Beyond my major related courses, what are the options for how I can use my remaining credits? I was not admitted to my first choice major, how might I achieve my goals in a different major?
- How will the satisfactory progress policy impact me, if at all?
- What are ways that I can achieve my goals, beyond just my major choice?
- How should I plan for studying abroad or another experiential learning opportunity? How should I think about incorporating it into my academic planning? What are options for co-curricular involvement? How can I advance the exploration of my career interests?
- What are the best ways to benefit from working with advisers and faculty in academic departments?
- What to ask Departmental advisers:
- What scholarships exist within my major department that I can be considered for?
- Based on my interests, are there any special course offerings you suggest that I take next year, or professors to take classes with?
- How can I get involved in research within the department? What opportunities for leadership or mentorship are available within the major?
TRIO Programs
(also under non-UW Educational Resources)
2. Departmental/Major Advisers
Once you are admitted into the major, there are a few advisers for the entire department. It doesn't matter which adviser contacts you first about news that you got accepted into your major. Book an appointment with one of them, and if it doesn't end up working out, then it's totally ok to just switch to another adviser!
If you're a pre-major wondering where to begin, you can always just email the department advisers when you are looking at potential departments/majors. They'll be able to give you a better idea of the application process, what to expect as a major, and opportunities you might enjoy.
In general, you have to be proactive if you want to talk to your adviser. That just means emailing them and booking appointments. If you have any other questions or want to chat before that first appointment, contact us! We've also assembled an informal, mostly word-of-mouth list of wonderful folks that we've either spent a long time working with, or who have been recommended by other formerly-incarcerated students. Happy contacting, and always remember that if you feel that an adviser/counselor/staff member isn't a good fit for you, move on and find another one!
People that we've worked with/ who have been recommended to us
- If you have any college credits already - Danny Ayala Robles supports transfer students at UW specifically. As far as //we know he doesn't have background with system-impacted individuals but can help them with the unique aspects of transferring credits and what that means for your undergraduate degree/experience
- Amanda Myhre is connected with all of the resources on campus and does holistic support/advising for students affected by a variety of issues that may impact their ability to succeed academically.
- Carlos Williams
- see our 'Transfer Resources' tab for more Academic Liaisons based on your community college!
Academic Success Coaches partner with students to overcome academic challenges and foster academic success. http://academicsupport.uw.edu/academic-suc- cess-coach/