UW Academy for Young Scholars is a prestigious early-college entrance program located at the University of Washington. Founded in 2001, after the creation of Early Entrance Program (EEP), the Robinson Center and the University of Washington Honors Program partnered to create the UW Academy for Young Scholars program. The first class of Academy students enrolled at the University in 2002. Each year, the program accepts up to 35 10th graders from around the country, who skip the last two years of high school to enroll as freshmen in the Honors program at the University. Admission is competitive and selection is based on high school grades and curriculum, standardized test scores (ACT exam or SAT Reasoning Test), required essays, and teacher recommendations. The UW Academy is not a Running Start program, and Academy students do not earn a high school diploma.
Students enter the UW Academy through the Bridge Program, which is designed to ease the transition from 10th grade to university. Bridge begins with Academy Camp, an overnight camp where students in the program have a chance to meet with one another, older Academy students, and the staff. During this Bridge Week, students also attend workshops on college student survival skills.
Students in the program begin Fall Quarter with two required Academy courses specially designed for Academy students: an English composition course and a linked seminar. The goal of these courses is to smooth the transition from high school to college and give students an opportunity to bond and develop college-level study skills. Apart from these two required courses, students are free to choose courses that interest them.