Application Schedule

Our programs are intensive and immersive hands-on experiences. During the academic year, courses run ~8:30 – 5:30 Monday – Friday. Summer courses run ~8:30 – 5:30 Monday – Friday and ~8:30 – 12:30 on Saturdays.

Application Materials Required – have ready to upload at the time of application

• A copy of your most recent transcript (unofficial is fine) and other transcripts (optional) you feel are relevant to considering your application.
• A Personal Statement (ca. 1 page) describing  your background AND your interest in taking a course at FHL.
• If you are a non-UW student please provide the name and email of a reference (no reference needed for UW, UWB, or UWT students). A letter of recommendation is not required–you need only provide a reference we can contact if needed.

Questions about living and studying on FHL campus? Look over the pages of information for students under What to Expect at FHL. Then if you still have questions, contact our Academic Services Manager Maia Kreis at fhlstudents@uw.edu

Applications are submitted via google form, which will allow you to save your work and come back to it so long as you’re logged into the same google account. The application will ask for a copy of your most recent transcripts, a personal statement that’s 300-500 words (pdf preferred), and a reference if you are not a UW student. References are only contacted if something isn’t clear in your application.

Admission decisions are typically made 2-3 weeks after the application’s priority deadline. Instructors are busy people and sometimes take longer–don’t worry. You will hear from the Academic Services Manager once a decision has been made (accepted, waitlisted, denied). Late applications will be considered on a rolling basis depending on available seats.

Students may indicate interest in scholarship in their application. Students will receive an additional scholarship application to submit upon admission into an FHL program. This may require an additional 2-3 weeks and students will be notified in a separate email. To learn more about scholarships and awards specific to Friday Harbor Labs, visit our Course Financial Aid page.

All FHL courses require fieldwork to some extent via boat or rocky coastal shores. If you’re unsure about applying due to the fieldwork aspect of FHL, contact the FHL Academic Services Manager (fhlstudents@uw.edu) to discuss accommodation options.

Acceptance Policy for Applicants

Course applications are reviewed and acceptance decisions made by course instructors. Qualifications for acceptance vary with the class, but relevant information includes prior academic performance, relevance of the coursework to the applicant’s career goals, evidence of applicant motivations and positive prior teamwork, and adherence to the FHL Standards of Conduct and UW Student Code of Conduct from previous time spent at FHL or on other UW campuses. FHL also considers the makeup of a class as a whole with an emphasis on fostering a diverse learning environment to the benefit of all students, including diversity of educational background and other relevant life experiences and perspectives. Acceptance decisions are not influenced by financial aid requests, ethnicity, sex, gender identity, disability status, or other demographic information collected during the application process.