Pathways for Inclusive Excellence (PIE) provides specialized curriculum and individualized support for talented students who need additional STEM and college preparation before they begin their engineering or computer science career.

At the College of Engineering, we believe that building a workforce with diverse perspectives promotes engineering excellence and innovation for our common good. Some students have highly sought-after skills such as multilingualism, multicultural perspectives, and unique work and life experience yet have limited access to STEM education.

PIE is for students who might benefit from additional time and resources to ensure a strong STEM foundation.

PIE programs will set students up for success by offering holistic programming and support starting the summer after high school and through the first or second year at UW. Your University of Washington admission letter will state that you have been selected for the conditional admission cohort and you will receive further information about next steps.

Pathways

PIE is made up of three different pathways, Engineering Dean’s Scholars, Allen School Scholars Program and STARS.

Learn more: Pathways in detail

All of the PIE programs provide students with a supportive environment that is committed to their success, but they differ slightly in the support offered and time commitment expected of each student.

	Allen School Scholars Program	Engineering Dean's Scholars	STARS
Cohort size	~60	~50	~30
Majors	Computer Engineering, Computer Science	Engineering (not computer engineering)	Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science
Advising	Required quarterly advising appointments with dedicated Allen School adviser	Quarterly advising appointments with OMAD adviser and dedicated engineering adviser	Dedicated STARS adviser Required appointments based on stage in program
Community building	Yes	Yes	Yes
Housing	On-campus housing is strongly encouraged for the first year.	On-campus housing is strongly encouraged for the first year.	On-campus housing is highly recommended for the first year.
Mentorship	Peer Mentoring	Peer Mentoring	Peer Mentoring Faculty Mentoring
Required courses	Yes	Yes	Yes
Supplemental instruction	Three classes over the first year	Two classes per quarter for the first year	One to three classes per quarter for the first two years
Summer component	Those admitted into PIE will be given an algebra assessment in early May. Based on their results, some students will be asked to participate in a four-week virtual summer course from July 24 to August 18 with a launch meeting on July 21. This is a low-intensity course over four weeks. Class time will be a maximum of four hours per week. PIE students not requested to participate are welcome to join.
Required on-campus summer transition	Four-week bridge course that prepares students to transition to the UW by combining computer science content, college readiness skills, community building, and on-campus housing.	Two-week bridge program prior to the start of classes.  Students will get to know staff, build community, get familiar with the campus and available resources, get math and science refreshers, and build new skills.	Two-week bridge program prior to the start of classes.  Students will get to know staff, build community, get familiar with the campus and available resources, get math and science refreshers, and build new skills.
On-campus dates for summer	August 22 to September 15, 2023	September 10 to September 26, 2023	September 10 to September 26, 2023
Contact information	Leslie Ikeda, Senior Program Manager, Allen Scholars,  ikedal@cs.washington.edu	Kaytie Ohashi, Interim EDS Adviser, pie-coe@uw.edu	Ali Cho, STARS Director, alicho21@uw.edu

* PIE students will be offered admission into either the College of Engineering or the Allen School. After accepting an offer of admission, students are not able to switch between the College of Engineering and the Allen School. While members of the STARS program belong to both the Allen School and the College of Engineering, they are obligated to the same admission rules and are not able to switch schools.

**This number represents the standard amount of time for the average student. However, each student will have a personalized plan based on their individual needs and assessment.

Admission process

 

Note: Any student not wishing to participate in the PIE program can still attend UW as a pre-major.

Additional information

General inquiries: pie-coe@uw.edu

• First-year engineering experience
• Direct to college admission FAQs
• Pathways for Inclusive Excellence
• Running Start students