2024-2025 University of Washington Upward Bound Application - Seattle
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UW Upward Bound is now accepting applications from eligible 9th and 10th graders at Chief Sealth, Cleveland, and Franklin High School.

IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR THE KENT-MERIDIAN HIGH SCHOOL APPLICATION, PLEASE SEE UPWARD BOUND STAFF PERSON MS. KIM IN THE KENT-MERIDIAN HIGH SCHOOL LIBRARY.

DEADLINE: Friday, February 28, 2025

The University of Washington Upward Bound Program serves eligible students from three Seattle High Schools and Kent-Meridian. The federally funded program is designed to help students successfully complete high school, go to college, and earn college degrees.  Selected students enter the program the summer following their 9th and 10th grade year and remain a part of the program until they graduate from high school. UW TRIO Upward Bound is funded by the US Department of Education’s Office of Federal TRIO Programs and hosted by the University of Washington’s Office of Minority Affairs & Diversity.

 

Program Highlights:

  • One-on-one and small group math, reading, and writing tutoring
  • One-on-one academic advising and assistance with college applications, financial aid, and scholarships
  • Saturday sessions for test preparation and college/career exploration
  • Six-week Summer Academy every summer on the UW campus where students engage in challenging coursework for high school credit
  • Field trips including college visits, exploring local career options, and visits to museums and cultural attractions
  • All program activities are free—during most events, meals and transportation are provided

Program Successes:

  • Our students are regularly awarded multiple and prestigious scholarships.
  • 85% of our former students who graduated in 2016 earned a college degree by spring of 2022.
  • 94% of our class of 2022 enrolled in college by the fall of 2022.

BEFORE YOU START YOUR APPLICATION

  • The application must be completed in one sitting. You will NOT be able to save your progress for later.
  • We recommend completing the application on a computer browser for full functionality.
  • The application is set up in five sections:
    1. STUDENT INFORMATION: Enter your personal information. We will send updates to the email address you provide. You will be asked to upload a copy of your high school transcript (ask your high school counselor). You will also need to list the name and email addresses of two recommenders to fill out a recommendation form for you. Your recommender should be a teacher or counselor.
    2. STUDENT SHORT RESPONSE QUESTIONS: We recommend you write your responses in a separate document and copy/paste in the textboxes when ready. 
    3. PARENT/GUARDIAN INFORMATION: Work with your parent/guardian to enter information in this section.
    4. PARENT/GUARDIAN AGREEMENTS: Agree to all of the statements and sign.
    5. STUDENT AGREEMENTS: Agree to all of the statements and sign.
  • If you have any questions, please reach out to us at 206-221-9123 or ub@uw.edu.

THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION REQUIRES UPWARD BOUND TO VERIFY THAT OUR PARTICIPANTS MEET FEDERAL CRITERIA BASED ON EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND, HOUSEHOLD INCOME LEVEL AND NEED FOR ACADEMIC SUPPORT TO DETERMINE STUDENT ELIGIBILITY. ALL INFORMATION PROVIDED TO UB WILL REMAIN CONFIDENTIAL. IN ORDER TO PROTECT YOUR PRIVACY, UB ABIDES BY THE FEDERAL PRIVACY ACT AND FERPA (FAMILY EDUCATIONAL RIGHTS AND PRIVACY ACT).

STUDENT INFORMATION
First Name *
Middle Name
Last Name *
Preferred Name or Nickname
Street Address *
Street Address (continued)
Unit/Apt Number
City *
State *
Zip Code *
Mailing Address
Mailing Street Address Continued
Mailing Unit/Apt Number
Mailing City
Mailing State
Mailing Zip Code
Home Phone (no spaces or dashes)
Cell Phone or Best Number to Reach You (no spaces or dashes) *
Personal email that you check often. If we have any questions regarding your application, we will reach out to you via email so please make sure there are no typos. *
Secondary Email
Are you Hispanic/Latino? *
Pronouns *
Alternate Email (non-school)
Gender *
Please check the box next to the ethnicity listed that you identify as. You can select more than one. You will get a chance to specify in a follow-up question.
American Indian or Alaska Native
Asian
Black or African American
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
White
Please specify your ethnicity (ex. Eritrean, Chilean, Vietnamese, etc.) *
What language(s) do you speak at home? *
Birthdate (MM/DD/YYYY) *
How old are you? *
Where were you born? (City/State or Country) *
What grade are you currently in? *
What high school do you attend? *
Your School ID Number *
Your Middle School *
What was your final middle school GPA? If you don't know it, you can leave it blank.
How did you learn about the University of Washington Upward Bound Program? (Please select all that apply)
Flyer or Poster
Presentation
School Bulletin/Newsletter
Social Media
Teacher, counselor, or other school staff
Friend or relative
Other (please specify)
If someone recommended or referred you for our program, please write their name.
What other programs or activities will you be doing this summer? *
Do you participate or plan to participate in any of the following programs below? (Please select all that apply).
College Possible
College Success Foundation (CSF, HERO, Achievers)
MESA
Rainier Scholars
UW Dream Project
YMCA Achievers
City of Seattle Upward Bound
UW STEMsub
TRIO/Talent Search
AP classes
IB classes
Running Start
Please list your 1st and 2nd Semester Classes for the 2024-2025 School Year. *
Please upload your high school transcript. You can contact your counselor for this. If you don’t have any high school grades yet, you can submit a copy of your 8th grade grades. *
Please write the name and email of the FIRST teacher or counselor who knows you well enough to fill out a recommendation form for you. We will email them a form so please double check that their email is correct. *
Please write the name and email of the SECOND teacher or counselor who knows you well enough to fill out a recommendation form for you. We will email them a form so please double check that their email is correct. *

STUDENT SHORT RESPONSE QUESTIONS

  Requirements:

All questions are required 

Each answer can be a maximum of 200 words 

Please review spelling, grammar, and punctuation before submitting your answers. 

Do not use AI responses using AI programs (like ChatGPT) may result in a rejection.

Writing prompts:  We want to know you as a student and as a person. There are no right or wrong answers, but please be thorough so we can understand your character, values, challenges, and strengths.
Why do you want to join Upward Bound? *
Tell us about a time when you had to make a difficult decision. What was the decision and what did you do to figure things out? *
As you think about your future, what are some of your goals, either for your college education or for your career? *
What activities are you involved in? Which one(s) are most important to you and why? (Examples: Family responsibilities, hobbies, jobs, religious groups, volunteering, clubs) *
If you had to choose just one, what’s the most important skill students need to be successful in college? Why? (There’s no correct answer—we just want to understand you better) *

PARENT/GUARDIAN INFORMATION

Please work with your parent/guardian to complete this section.
What is the student’s citizenship status? To establish student eligibility for the program per federal guidelines, we need to know what the student’s citizenship status is. Acceptance into the program is dependent upon submission of residency documents that we may ask for later. *
Does your student applicant have any educational or medical needs that we should be aware of (i.e. 504 plan, severe allergies, conditions that require medication)? *
Is your family homeless? *
Is the student applicant in foster care? *
Emergency Contact: Name *
Emergency Contact: Relationship to student *
Emergency Contact: Cell Phone *
Emergency Contact: Alternative Phone
Parent/Guardian 1: Name *
Parent/Guardian 1: Relationship to Student *
Parent/Guardian 1: Street Address *
Parent/Guardian 1: Street Address (continued)
Parent/Guardian 1: City *
Parent/Guardian 1: State *
Parent/Guardian 1: Zip *
Parent/Guardian 1: Cell Phone *
Parent/Guardian 1: Alternate Phone
Parent/Guardian 1: Email Address
Parent/Guardian 1: Occupation *
Parent/Guardian 1: Highest Education Level Completed *
Parent/Guardian 1: Name and Location of Last School Attended *
Parent/Guardian 2: Name
Parent/Guardian 2: Relationship to Student
Parent/Guardian 2: Street Address
Parent/Guardian 2: Street Address (continued)
Parent/Guardian 2: City
Parent/Guardian 2: State
Parent/Guardian 2: Zip
Parent/Guardian 2: Cell Phone
Parent/Guardian 2: Alternate Phone
Parent/Guardian 2: Email Address
Parent/Guardian 2: Occupation
Parent/Guardian 2: Highest Education Level Completed
Parent/Guardian 2: Name and Location of Last School Attended
Did your family file income tax for 2022? These are the taxes that were filed in 2023. *
Does your family receive any state/federal assistance? Check all that apply.
TANF
Free & Reduced Lunch
Social Security Income
Medicaid
Dept. of Social and Health Services (DSHS) Assistance
Other (please specify)
How many people live in your household? *
Please list the people who live in your household. Include their name, relationship to the student applicant, and their age if under 19 years old. (Example: Susan Lee, mother; Ken Lee, brother, 12) *

PLEASE READ: Estimated Family Income for 2023

On the 2023 income tax forms (known as a 1040) that list the student applicant as a dependent, please look for the line that reads "taxable income." Typically this is line 15 on the bottom of the first page. Please use the number shown in that row to answer the next question.

If the student applicant is accepted into the program, we may ask for copies of the tax forms. If your family did not file income taxes for 2023 and received state/federal assistance, we may ask for copies of those forms.
What was the family’s estimated 2023 Annual Family Income after taxes? To establish student eligibility for the program per federal guidelines, we need to know the family income. Acceptance into the program is dependent upon submission of income or tax documents that we may ask for later. *

PARENT/GUARDIAN AGREEMENTS

By agreeing to the statements below, I, the parent/guardian, acknowledge the following:
What I have written in this application, including financial, educational, and citizenship status, is true and correct. I understand any misrepresentation or false statement will make the applicant ineligible for the UW Upward Bound program. *
I give my student’s high school permission to provide educational records to complete this application, including my student’s most recent transcript and/or grades, attendance records, behavioral/discipline records, and test scores. *
I voluntarily agree that UW UB may receive information from any secondary or post-secondary institution regarding my educational records. I know that student records are confidential, as assured by the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974. However, I recognize that UB has a valid need to follow up on my academic record by obtaining information about my enrollment status in high schools and colleges, my grades and credits, my academic standing, and the completion of any degree. *
I will support my student to have good attendance and participation in UB activities. This includes attending events after school and on Saturdays, such as SAT preparation, college and career fieldtrips, and the six-week Summer Academy where participants cannot miss more than three days. UB students are expected to participate in the program over the course of their high school career. *
I will participate, along with my student, in the mandatory New Student & Parent/Guardian Orientation session in May 2024. *
I will communicate with Upward Bound as needed to support my child’s success in the program. *

PARENT/GUARDIAN SIGNATURE
Parent/Guardian - Please type your name for your signature *
Today's Date

STUDENT AGREEMENTS

By selecting the boxes below, I, the student applicant, acknowledge the following:
I will have good attendance and participation in UB activities. This includes attending events after school and on Saturdays, such as SAT preparation, college and career fieldtrips, and the six-week Summer Academy where participants cannot miss more than three days. UB students are expected to participate in the program over the course of their high school career. *
I will work to achieve and maintain good grades and attend UB services, such as tutoring, when required. *
I will communicate regularly to Upward Bound staff and respond to their outreach which may include calls, emails, and Remind text messages. *
I will participate in the mandatory New Student & Parent/Guardian Orientation and New Student Workshop in May/June 2025 *

STUDENT SIGNATURE
Student Applicant - Please type your name for your signature *
Today's Date *

Thank you for completing your application.