Sophomore & junior families
The middle years are when your Husky moves from exploring to choosing: major declarations, study abroad, internships, the second-year housing puzzle. This page is the lived-year companion to those decisions: what to expect, how to support without steering, and where to point them when they need a nudge.
The choices ahead Dawg Path Advising guide Questions
Where you fit, now that they’re choosing
The first year was about finding their footing. The second and third years are about choosing direction. Major applications, study-abroad windows, internship recruiting, and the gradual handoff from general advisers to department advisers. Your role shifts from “are you doing okay?” to “have you talked to anyone in the field about that?”
FERPA still applies, your access still has to be granted by your student through MyUW, and the healthiest version of family involvement is still a steady relationship where they know they can come to you, you trust them to handle what’s theirs, and you both know when to call in help.
The choices ahead
Three big decisions land in the second and third years. Each one benefits from a steady, low-pressure conversation at home.
Major declaration
Choosing direction, with a Plan B
Most students declare a major in their second year. Some majors are open admission; others (the popular ones) cap enrollment and require a separate application. Not getting a top-choice major is a common, recoverable detour, not a crisis. With 180+ majors at the UW, alternatives exist.
Family check-in: “What are two majors you’re considering, and what’s drawing you to each?”
Going off campus
Internships, research, study abroad
Junior year is when most students start working off campus. Career & Internship Center connects them with internships and Handshake. Undergraduate Research opens labs across every discipline. Study Abroad applications usually close one to two quarters before departure.
Family check-in: early winter quarter, before study-abroad and summer-internship deadlines.
Year-two housing
On campus or off, decided in winter
UW Housing renewal opens in winter quarter. U District apartment leases for September move-in typically open January through March. Greek-life housing is considered off-campus. Help your student treat year-two housing as a winter conversation, not a spring scramble.
Family check-in: late January, before the housing-renewal deadline lands.
Community deepens
Clubs, leadership, and a chosen crew
By year two, most students have found a few rooms they keep coming back to. Registered Student Organizations, club sports, the CELE Center for community engagement, and discipline-specific student groups become the social anchor.
Family check-in: ask about a community, not a friend. “What’s a group you’ve joined or thought about joining?”
Dawg Path: the major-planning tool every sophomore should know about
Dawg Path uses real UW data to show students what a major actually looks like quarter by quarter: courses, prerequisite chains, common alternatives, and where graduates of that major go after the UW. It turns a vague intention (“I think I want to do bio”) into a clear plan (“here are the seven courses I need in the next two years”).
For families: Dawg Path is a student tool, accessed at dawgpath.uw.edu with a UW NetID login. Encourage your student to open it before their next advising appointment.
When your student needs support
The middle years bring more independence and more decisions. Three places worth pointing your student to.
Advising
The walks them through major declaration, goal setting, and conversations to have with their adviser. Best done quarterly, not annually.
Career & internships
The Career & Internship Center runs PathwayU, Handshake, resume reviews, and drop-in coaching. Sophomore and junior year is when these services start paying real dividends.
CELE Center
Community Engagement & Leadership Education runs service-learning, civic engagement, and leadership development. A great fit for students who want their academic work to connect with the world outside.
Common sophomore and junior family questions
Questions specific to the middle years. For broader topics, visit our Common Questions page.
Keep in touch with PFP
The Parent Insider newsletter publishes seasonal essentials, deadlines, and resources to share with your Husky. We’re with you through the middle years. Questions? uwparent@uw.edu.