Admissions and Scholarships Checklist On this page Checklist topics: Question 1: Admissions and Scholarship Practices Overview Question 2: Administration of Scholarship Funds Question 3: Public Statements Question 4: Marketing Materials Question 5: Designing Questions and Essay Prompts Question 6: Asking About an Applicant’s “Commitments to Diversity” Question 7: Training and Evaluation Practices Question 8: Applicant Disclosures and Neutral Evaluation Question 9: External Scholarships and Opportunities Request a consultation The University has aligned its admissions and scholarship practices with I-200 since its implementation in 1999 and complies with all applicable civil rights laws, including Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. Universities receiving federal funds must comply with civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination based on race, color, national origin, and sex, among other protected characteristics. These laws provide that no person shall be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination in admissions and scholarship programs and activities. This checklist is designed to facilitate ongoing compliance with Title VI and I-200 and to support schools and programs engaged in admission and scholarship programs and activities. Units and programs should ensure that their admissions and scholarship practices are in compliance with this checklist and are encouraged to request a consultation if questions arise. Although the checklist focuses on the protected characteristics of race, color, national origin, and sex, federal and state laws and University policies provide similar protections for other protected characteristics. For questions regarding how federal and state laws and University policies apply to other protected characteristics (creed, religion, citizenship, pregnancy, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, disability, or veteran status), as well as legal status as a member of American Indian tribes or Alaska Natives, please contact聽CRScompliance@uw.edu. Revised: October 2026 to incorporate previously published FAQ content into the checklist question-and-answer format to improve usability and ease of reference. This checklist will be reviewed periodically and updated as needed. Question 1: Admissions and Scholarship Practices Overview Do all admissions and scholarship practices refrain from using race, color, national origin, or sex as a factor or consideration? University practices, including holistic review practices, may not consider race, color, national origin, or sex as a plus or influencing factor of any kind. Permissible: Practices that are entirely neutral and do not use race, color, national origin, or sex as a criterion in any form. Using a “match pool” approach for scholarship funds in accordance with University guidelines. For more information about “match pool,” see Question 2. Practices that consider an applicant鈥檚 diverse experiences, such as socioeconomic status, geographic background, or first-generation status (as long as they are not used as a substitute for or means to elicit information about race, color, national origin, and sex and/or to make decisions based on race, color, national origin, and sex to the benefit or disadvantage of specific groups). NOT permissible: The consideration of race, color, national origin, or sex in the decisions to evaluate, prioritize, or admit applicants or award scholarships, even if applicants self-disclose their protected characteristic in response to neutral prompts. Question 2: Administration of Scholarship Funds Do scholarship funds with donor preferences that reference race, color, national origin, or sex utilize the University鈥檚 established “match pool” process? The University uses an established “match pool” process for scholarship funds with stated donor preferences. The process separates the selection of scholarship recipients from the matching of scholarship funds to ensure that donor restrictions do not result in preferential treatment based on race, color, national origin, or sex. Permissible: Utilizing the University鈥檚 approved 鈥渕atch pool鈥� process for scholarship funds with donor preferences. Consulting with Endowment and Donor Services at steward@uw.edu regarding the administration of scholarship funds with donor preferences. NOT permissible: Selecting scholarship recipients based in whole or in part on donor preferences related to race, color, national origin, or sex. Bypassing the approved “match pool” process. Question 3: Public Statements Are public statements, mission statements, or value statements about diversity free of stated goals about or references to increasing diversity based on race, color, national origin, or sex? Public statements that reference diversity must not suggest that increasing diversity based on race, color, national origin, or sex is a goal of or consideration in admissions or scholarship decisions. Permissible: Valuing and seeking diversity, if such language does not indicate or imply that race, color, national origin, or sex are used as a factor, goal, or basis for a preference. Statements about fostering inclusion or belonging as a general concept when not tied to quotas or preferences based on race, color, national origin, or sex. Neutral diversity goals鈥攕uch as geographic, socioeconomic, or experiential diversity. NOT Permissible: Statements that imply an individual’s race, color, national origin, or sex are a factor in admission or scholarship decisions, even if indirectly. The existence of or suggestion of balancing efforts or targets based on race, color, national origin, or sex. Question 4: Marketing Materials Are all admissions or scholarship marketing and communications materials free from language that implies that decisions are based on race, color, national origin, or sex? Marketing and application materials, including related descriptions and instructions, must not suggest that race, color, national origin, or sex are considered in any way (preferred or disadvantaged). Permissible: Materials that seek a broad pool of applicants with a variety of viewpoints and experiences, but do not mention or reference diversity based on race, color, national origin, or sex. NOT permissible: Materials that reference or single out race, color, national origin, or sex in the context of seeking to increase the broader diversity of the University community. Statements that suggest goals or outcomes based on race, color, national origin, or sex. Question 5: Designing Questions and Essay Prompts Are all diversity-related admissions and scholarship application questions and essays framed in a way that allows the University to evaluate an applicant鈥檚 individual experiences and perspectives without regard to race, color, national origin, or sex? The University may consider how applicants鈥� experiences have shaped them. It may not solicit or consider any information disclosed by applicants about race, color, national origin, or sex or presume certain experiences or perspectives based on that information. Permissible: Prompts that ask about overcoming adversity, leadership, or unique perspectives, without referencing or seeking to elicit information about race, color, national origin, or sex. Prompts that ask about other types of background and experiences (e.g., first-generation or socioeconomic status) as long as they are not used as a means to elicit information about race, color, national origin, or sex and/or to make decisions based on those protected characteristics or to benefit or disadvantage individuals with specific protected characteristics. NOT permissible: Prompts that ask how an applicant鈥檚 race, color, national origin, or sex have shaped the applicant鈥檚 identity or how the applicant would contribute to diversity based on race, color, national origin, or sex. Question 6: Asking About an Applicant’s "Commitments to Diversity" Are any admissions or scholarship application questions inquiring about an applicant’s commitment to diversity aligned with the University’s definition of access and opportunity for all and not used to elicit, consider, or assign value to race, color, national origin, or sex? Questions regarding an applicant’s commitment and ability to contribute to welcoming and inclusive environments may be used when they evaluate experiences, skills, and qualifications and are not used to elicit or evaluate protected characteristics. Permissible: Questions that focus on an applicant’s actions, experiences, skills, and qualifications that are relevant to creating welcoming and inclusive environments. For example, “Describe how your experiences have prepared you to contribute to a welcoming and inclusive environment at the University.” Asking about actions, experiences, skills, qualifications, leadership, or lessons learned that support institutional commitments to access, opportunity, inclusion, and belonging for all. For example, “Our University is committed to creating a community where individuals from all backgrounds and experiences have equitable opportunities to participate, succeed, and feel a sense of belonging. Describe how your academic, extracurricular, or other relevant experiences support this commitment. Include specific actions, challenges faced, and lessons learned.” Evaluating responses based on substance and not on any protected characteristic. NOT permissible: Questions designed to elicit information about an applicant’s race, color, national origin, or sex. Evaluating responses based on an applicant’s protected characteristics rather than the substance of the applicant’s experiences and qualifications. Using responses to advantage or disadvantage applicants based on protected characteristics. Question 7: Training and Evaluation Practices Are all admissions and scholarship training and evaluation practices (training, rubrics, evaluation practices, reviewer guidance, etc.) designed to preclude analysis of an applicant’s race, color, national origin, or sex? Training and evaluation tools that incorporate language related to concepts associated with diversity, equity, and inclusion must be carefully created to ensure they do not allow for stereotyping or preferencing based on race, color, national origin, or sex. Permissible: Rubrics that emphasize evaluation of individual merit and experience. Rubrics that assess qualities like resilience, intellectual curiosity, or service without linking these qualities to race, color, national origin, or sex. Clear and documented rationales for decisions and awards that are unrelated to race, color, national origin, or sex. NOT permissible: Reviewer instructions that encourage giving preference to or otherwise evaluating applicants in a way that grants or implies a preference based on race, color, national origin, or sex. Scoring criteria, ratings, reviewer comments or justifications, or communications that reward or suggest an applicant received favorable treatment based on race, color, national origin, or sex or that otherwise appear to assign value to responses based on content about race, color, national origin, or sex. Question 8: Applicant Disclosures and Neutral Evaluation If applicants disclose protected characteristics, do evaluation practices clearly demonstrate that those protected characteristics are not considered in admissions or scholarship decisions? If applicants disclose race, color, national origin, or sex in applications, essays or other materials, evaluators must ensure and demonstrate that those protected characteristics are not considered. Reviewer comments must be free of any references to an applicant’s protected characteristics. Permissible: Using a clear, consistent rubric with evaluation criteria unrelated to an applicant’s protected characteristics to score every response. Evaluating the substance of the applicant’s experiences, challenges, actions, resilience and accomplishments through neutral criteria, such as: The depth of the challenge or experience described. The degree of personal initiative, agency, or effort shown in addressing the challenge. The insight, reflection, or maturity reflected in the response. The lessons learned and how they might apply to future academic or professional pursuits. Focusing review comments on the applicant’s experiences, actions, response, and demonstrated qualifications without references or regard to the applicant’s protected characteristics. Maintaining documentation demonstrating that responses were evaluated without regard to protected characteristics. Training reviewers on evaluating applications without regard to race, color, national origin, or sex. NOT permissible: Referencing, discussing, highlighting, or evaluating an applicant’s race, color, national origin, or sex in reviewer notes, scoring, comments, or deliberations. Assigning positive or negative value to an applicant based on disclosed protected characteristics. Using protected characteristics as a factor in assessing the quality of a response. Question 9: External Scholarships and Opportunities Do University websites, communications, or other materials refrain from advertising, promoting, endorsing, or linking to external scholarships or opportunities that use race, color, national origin, or sex as eligibility, participation, or selection criteria? The University and its units may not advertise, promote, endorse, or provide links to third-party scholarships or other opportunities that use race, color, national origin, or sex as eligibility, participation, or selection criteria. Doing so may be interpreted as endorsing the use of those protected characteristics. Permissible: Providing general information about how applicants or students may independently search for external scholarships and opportunities. Sharing information about external opportunities that do not use race, color, national origin, or sex as eligibility, participation, or selection criteria. Informing applicants or students that outside organizations offer scholarships and opportunities based on a variety of factors such as academic achievement, field of study, leadership, community service, career interests, or other neutral criteria. NOT permissible: Posting, advertising, promoting, or linking to external scholarships or opportunities that use race, color, national origin, or sex as eligibility, participation, or selection criteria. University communications that could be interpreted as endorsing opportunities that provide preferences based on protected characteristics. Request a consultation For questions about the checklist or your admissions or scholarship program, request a consultation with Compliance and Risk Services.