How to get an internship at Samsung, Sony or Tencent as a foreigner
She enrolled in Fashion PR programs at five US universities
Seattle, Washington, USA · The University of Washington is the flagship public research university of Washington State and a leading U.S. institution in computer science, biomedicine, and global health. Located in Seattle, it sits just a 15-minute drive from Amazon’s headquarters and 30 minutes from Microsoft’s main campus. For international students, UW offers a rare combination: top-45 academic standing, tuition costs roughly $20,000–$30,000 lower per year than comparable private universities, and direct access to the Pacific Northwest’s massive tech ecosystem. The Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering—one of the world’s top CS departments—boasts a placement rate where over 95% of graduates receive job offers from companies such as Amazon, Microsoft, Google, NVIDIA, and Boeing.
The University of Washington was founded in Seattle in 1861, long before the great companies that made this city a global technological center appeared around it. Today, UW is a major R1 research university with over 40,000 undergraduate students, over 300 programs, and a research budget that ranks among the top 5 universities in the United States. The 703-acre campus is located in the central Seattle area, overlooking Lake Washington and Cascade and Olympic Mountains.
UW is a member of the Association of American Universities (AAU) and one of the few public universities in the United States that is simultaneously ranked in the top 25 by THE. The annual research funding for UW exceeds $1.9 billion — more than many more well‑known private universities, including several Ivy League institutions.
The Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering is the flagship of UW. The school is named after Microsoft co‑founder Paul Allen, who studied at UW and donated $50 million to build a new building. The school building is named after Paul Allen and Bill Gates. The acceptance rate for direct admission to CS (direct-to-major) is one of the most competitive among all CS programs in the USA.
Notable alumni and individuals associated with UW include: Jeff Bezos (founder of Amazon), Paul Allen (co-founder of Microsoft, studied at UW), Linda Bak
Bachelor’s degree (out-of-state / international students, 2026-2027):
Tuition + fees: $44,640 per year
Total estimated cost of attendance (COA): about $70,000-75,000 per year (tuition + housing $12,000-16,000 + meals + insurance + personal expenses)
Master’s program (non‑resident): Foster MBA — about $48,000–55,000 per year; STEM master’s programs — about $10,000–45,000 per year.
Doctoral program: most PhD programs are fully funded through TA/RA assistantships and fellowships.
One of the best CS departments in the world. Funded by a $50 million donation from Paul Allen and Microsoft (2017). Bachelor’s programs (Computer Science, Computer Engineering), master’s programs (MS CS, Professional Master’s Program), and PhD. 95%+ of graduates receive job offers from Amazon, Microsoft, Google, NVIDIA, Boeing, Meta. The acceptance rate for the direct‑to‑major bachelor’s program is one of the most competitive CS programs in the USA.
Aerospace, chemical, civil, electrical, industrial, materials science, and mechanical engineering. Direct partnerships with Boeing, Amazon, Microsoft.
The leading business school in the Pacific Northwest. Undergraduate Business (Accounting, Finance, Marketing, IS, Entrepreneurship), MBA, Executive MBA. Close ties with Amazon, Microsoft, Starbucks, Nordstrom.
#2 in the country in terms of NIH research funding over many years. MD, MD/PhD programs. Collaboration with Seattle Children’s Hospital, UW Medical Center.
Global health, epidemiology, biostatistics, environmental health. It is among the top in the world in terms of Global Health.
Environmental and forest sciences, fisheries, Atlantic sciences, marine sciences. A unique school in the USA specializing in the ecosystems of the Pacific Northwest.
Information sciences, data management, cybersecurity, Human-Computer Interaction.
Top 30 law schools in the USA. Particularly strong in indigenous law and technology law.
Mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, psychology, economics, political science, history, philosophy.
The UW campus covers 703 acres in the University District of Seattle — one of the largest university campuses within a major city. The main architectural landmark is the Suzzallo Library, with Gothic stained‑glass windows and an 18‑meter‑high reading room, which is called the “Hogwarts of the Pacific Northwest.” From the main square, you can see Mount Rainier and the Cascade Mountains.
UW has 12 residential buildings and three apartment complexes. The cost is $2,000–$3,000 per quarter. Freshmen in most programs live on campus.
Seattle is one of the 15 best student cities in the world according to QS. Coffee culture (Starbucks headquarters), a vibrant music scene, Pike Place Market, mountain tourism (the Cascade Range is an hour away), ocean beaches and ski slopes — all within an hour’s drive. At the same time, the city has offices of Amazon, Microsoft, Boeing, Starbucks, REI, Expedia, Zillow and hundreds of technology companies that provide students with internships.
The campus has more than 1,000 student organizations. The Washington Huskies teams participate in the NCAA Division I Big Ten Conference; the rowing (multiple Olympic champions) and American football programs are particularly well‑known.
UW Seattle has a unique admissions system among the top 50 universities in the USA:
The acceptance rate for international students is 35.6% (Common Data Set 2025–2026) — lower than the overall 41.7%, but still one of the most accessible rates among the top 45 universities in the USA. For CS and Nursing, the competition is significantly higher.
Since there is no Early Decision, the only levers are the quality of the application, academic performance, and the right choice of program.
STEM OPT advantage: most UW programs in CS, engineering, and biomedicine allow international graduates to work in the US for up to 3 years without an H-1B visa. This is especially important for students aiming for a career in the Seattle tech sector.
For international undergraduate students:
For postgraduates and doctoral students:
93% of UW graduates are employed or continue their education within 6 months. The median salary after 6 years is $62,979 (US News). For graduates of the Allen School (CS), the median salary in the first year of work is significantly higher: software engineers from UW traditionally receive offers in the range of $130,000–180,000+ at Amazon, Microsoft, Google, and NVIDIA.
Seattle as a career platform is the main argument for international students. Approximately 200,000 jobs in the tech sector are concentrated in Seattle and the surrounding suburbs. Within a walking or one‑hour driving distance from the campus are the headquarters of Amazon (15 minutes), Microsoft in Redmond (30 minutes), Boeing (30 minutes), Starbucks, T‑Mobile, Expedia, Zillow, and REI. UW students typically intern at these companies starting in their second or third year.
The UW alumni network — with more than 150,000 graduates worldwide — is particularly active in the tech sector on the West Coast.
The annual research funding for UW exceeds $1.9 billion — ranking 4th or 5th among all universities in the US, which is unprecedented for a public university outside the top 20 national rankings.
The School of Medicine is #2 in the US in terms of NIH grant volume. Research in global health, neuroscience, oncology, and immunology.
The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) is one of the world’s leading centers for measuring the global burden of disease. IHME data is used by the WHO and governments around the world to shape healthcare policy.
eScience Institute is one of the leading Data Science centers in the USA. Linda Buck (Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, 2004) is a professor at the UW School of Medicine who received the award for her work on the olfactory system.
According to the CWTS Leiden Ranking, UW is among the top 20 in the world in a number of biomedical fields.
The Paul G. Allen School is named after the co‑founder of Microsoft: Paul Allen studied at UW and donated $50 million. The building is named after two Seattle icons — Paul Allen and Bill Gates.
Jeff Bezos earned a UW degree in electrical engineering and computer science before founding Amazon, a company whose headquarters are now located 15 minutes from the campus.
$1.9 billion in annual research funding is a figure that places UW on par with Johns Hopkins and MIT in terms of the scale of its research, despite its lower overall ranking.
Test-blind and without EA/ED: a unique system that has no strategic tools — only the quality of the submission. The deadline is November 15 — one of the earliest among the top 50.
The Suzzallo Library, with its Gothic stained‑glass windows and 18‑metre‑high ceiling, is one of the most beautiful university libraries in the world; it is called the “Hogwarts of the Northwest.”
The UW rowing team is a multiple Olympic and national champion. The team’s history is described in the worldwide bestseller “The Boys in the Boat” (2013) and was adapted for the screen in 2023 — one of the main symbols of UW culture.
Admission to UW Seattle requires a special approach: there’s no ED tool, no tests, and the early deadline is November 15 — and yet direct admission to CS or Nursing is significantly more challenging than it might seem based on the overall acceptance rate.
We at SelfStartGlobal help:
Our students have already received over $35 million in scholarships.
Do you want to enroll at the University of Washington and start your career at the Seattle technology hub? Come for a free consultation. Let’s explain how this works in your specific case.
She enrolled in Fashion PR programs at five US universities
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