Application deadline: May 31, 2026

Business Bridge (B²) gives students first-hand experience with both the UW and Foster School of Business, thereby fostering a greater understanding of college life and academic expectations. B² will take place four weeks before fall quarter. Students will enroll for a 5-credit college-level writing course (BA490) offered by the Foster School. 

Program dates: August 24–September 18

Host: Foster School of Business

Application deadline: May 15, 2026

Start your UW experience in Copenhagen, one of the world’s most livable and sustainable cities. In this program, the city becomes your classroom. You’ll explore neighborhoods, public spaces, food, culture, design, history, and daily life while learning how environments and communities shape how people live, connect, and belong.

Through guided excursions, group conversations, and shared experiences, you’ll learn to notice patterns, ask questions, and see the world from multiple perspectives — skills that matter in college and beyond.

Program dates:  

• Copenhagen: August 22 – September 5, 2026
• UW Seattle: Autumn quarter – Thursdays 3:30–4:20 p.m.

Program fee: $3800 Learn more

Program directors: Kyla Mayer (Senior Associate Director, UAA Advising), Sarah Hemmett (Academic Adviser, UAA Advising)

Application deadline: May 15, 2026

Whether you’re going on a study abroad trip, preparing for international internships, independent travel, or just imagining the places you will visit, this program will provide you with writing strategies for recording what your camera can’t capture, nor what your brief entry on social media can’t capture. It will also be an opportunity to meet other incoming UW students prior to the start of the school year. This program will provide you with a foundation for your university career and a chance to take a college course and earn credit before school begins.

This program will first convene in Rome for two weeks prior to the start of school and then we will meet weekly on campus for the duration of autumn quarter.

Program dates:  

• Rome: August 24 – September 7, 2026
• UW Seattle: Autumn quarter

Program fee: $3800 Learn more

Program directors: Shawn Wong and Lauren Easterling

Registration opens: April 1, 2026
Registration closes: August 14, 2026

Starting your UW journey as a first-year student? Join one of our Discovery Seminars! These small, discussion-based courses are designed to help you hit the ground running. You’ll get to know a supportive faculty member, connect with classmates from across majors, and get an inside look at the resources that will help you thrive at UW. It’s a chance to earn credit, build community, and step into Autumn quarter feeling confident and connected. 

All Discovery Seminars meet in-person, Tuesday through Friday, 9:30am-12:20 pm. Students will earn 5 credits towards their UW degree. 

Program dates: August–September 

Host: College of Arts & Sciences

Registration opens: April 1, 2026
Registration closes: August 14, 2026

Starting your UW journey as a transfer student? Join one of our Transfer Discovery Seminars! These small, discussion-based courses are designed to support your transition to UW and help you connect quickly to the campus, academic resources, and community that will support your goals. You’ll work closely with a dedicated faculty member, collaborate with other transfer students, and gain an inside look at the tools and opportunities available to you at UW. It’s a chance to earn credit, build community, and begin Autumn Quarter feeling confident, oriented, and connected.

All Transfer Discovery Seminars meet in person. Students earn 5 credits toward their UW degree.

Program dates: August–September 

Host: College of Arts & Sciences

The UW College of the Environment welcomes admitted transfer students to the GEODUC Seminar—a distinctive, three-quarter program designed to launch your academic journey at UW. This one-credit support seminar (C ENV 490B, SLN 12051), graded credit/no credit, meets Fridays from 3:30-4:30pm. The course connects you with the wealth of resources available to support your academic success, introduces you to a dynamic network of researchers seeking undergraduate collaborators, and connects you with local professionals who are applying their environmental degrees in innovative ways (and hiring recent graduates!).

As a GEODUC Seminar participant, you will enjoy:

• An overnight trip to a UW research center such as FHL or ONRC
• Behind-the-scenes tours of local museums and aquaria
• Field trips led by local experts to marine and geology hotspots
• Science and engineering transfer student get-togethers and hangouts

These immersive experiences bridge classroom learning with real-world environmental science, helping you build community, gain confidence, and get excited about your future in the College of the Environment. The seminar is crafted to foster connections, spark curiosity, and encourage active engagement with marine science from your very first quarter at UW.

Interested? Email Mikelle Nuwer, Teaching Professor, mrasmuss@uw.edu, for an add code for C ENV 490.

Host: College of the Environment

Meet other first year students and explore the Pacific Northwest on a First Year Adventure.You will have an adventure and get a jump start on building a community before the fall quarter begins. Most of the trip participants are incoming first-year students, but when possible, we host transfer student and grad-student specific trips too.

Backpacking

Hoh Rain Forest backpacking

Easy to moderate difficulty, designed for beginners
Dates: July 27–30 and August 24–27

Mt. Rainier backpacking

Moderate to hard difficulty
Dates: August 12–16

Snow Lake backpacking

Moderate to hard difficulty
Dates: August 17–19

Olallie Lake backpacking

Moderate to hard difficulty
Dates: September 1–3

Kayaking

Lake Crescent kayaking

Easy, designed for beginners
Dates: September 8–11

Day hike series

Enchantments Day Hike Series

Most difficult
Dates: August 3–7

Summit series

Most difficult
Dates: August 20–23

Host: Recreation

Explore our video library to view videos specifically designed for first-year and transfer students.