Allen School Scholars Program

Allen School Scholars Program

The Allen School Scholars Program (Allen Scholars) is a one-year cohort-based program that focuses on supporting emerging leaders from first generation, low-income, and underserved communities from Washington state who are pursuing a degree in Computer Science or Computer Engineering. All students who select Computer Science or Computer Engineering as their first-choice major on the UW freshman application are considered for Allen Scholars by the Office of Admissions. Allen Scholars, formerly named the Startup Program, was rebranded in 2023 to better reflect the student experience.

Admission Process

Students will be admitted into Allen Scholars through the Pathways for Inclusive Excellence (PIE) program. Students who select computer science or computer engineering as their first choice major on their UW freshman application and who would benefit from additional support are selected for PIE conditional admission. Your University of Washington admission letter will state that you have been selected for the PIE cohort.

Program Features

Allen Scholars provides a structured curriculum for students during their first-year at the University of Washington, establishing a tight-knit learning community and assisting in developing fundamental skills necessary for the rigor of the Allen School curriculum and the computing field as a whole. Elements of Allen Scholars include:

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What To Expect Your First Year

Holistic Academic Advising

Allen Scholars has a dedicated team of program staff who serve as a resource in helping support each individual student’s academic and personal goals. Students work one-on-one with their assigned Academic Adviser each quarter to discuss academic planning, student engagement opportunities, scholarships, and other campus resources available to help navigate the university environment.

Cohort Community

Our program is structured to encourage students to build community with peers who are also beginning their journey at the UW and the Allen School. With over 33,000 undergraduate students attending the University of Washington and over 2,000 students enrolled in the Allen School, making connections as a first-year student can have an impact of students’ sense of belonging and level of engagement.

In addition to having shared courses during their first year, Allen Scholars program staff host quarterly events for scholars to get to know one another, take a break from academics and to get to know Seattle.

In past years, students have played games at UW HUB Games, had a field day at the IMA and gone ice skating!

Program Curriculum

Allen Scholars provides a specialized curriculum that equips students in building foundational computing and problem solving skills that span throughout their first-year experience including:

Your First-Year Schedule

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Frequently Asked Questions

Will participating in the Allen Scholars Program delay my graduation date?

No. Students participating in the Allen Scholars Program complete the same curriculum as students who are directly admitted to the Allen School and are able to complete their degree at the same pace as non-scholars.

If I fail a class while in the Allen Scholars Program, will I still be eligible to be admitted to the Allen School?

Program staff work closely with students to ensure they are making progress on their degree and aim to connect students to the necessary resources that will support them in passing their courses. While failing one class may impact a student’s academic standing in the Allen School, specific impacts will be discussed in a meeting with the student and their Allen Scholars Adviser with the goal of getting the student back on track.

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