Effective Altruism UW Introductory Program Application
This application is due on Monday, January 9th.

Some efforts to improve the world can be much more impactful than others. Smallpox eradication, the abolitionist movement, germ theory, and the Green Revolution demonstrate what's possible when people come together to solve pressing problems. But these exceptional opportunities to do good are few and far between. At the other end of the spectrum, many well-intended initiatives are ineffective or even counterproductive. Doing good better is one of the defining challenges of our time.

Recognizing this need, we established the EA Introductory Program to equip students with the knowledge to do good in the world more effectively, and the tools to think critically about their high-impact career ambitions. By the end of the term, fellows will have learned about a handful of large-scale and neglected global problems, have tools for prioritizing among social problems and interventions for solving them, and have access to in-depth coaching, career advice/connections, and unique opportunities to help others. We look forward to learning with you.

The program will run for 7 weeks this quarter, beginning the week of January 16th. The weekly meeting time is determined by the applicants. The fellowship will consist of around 1 hour of materials to read or listen to per week prior to a weekly 1.5 hour discussion with a few fellows and a facilitator from the effective altruism community.

Note that the fellowship has a 2-week drop policy. After the second week, if you don't think you'll be able to make the commitment for the next six weeks or don't think the fellowship is for you, you may leave - and this is no problem! We offer this so you can have a graceful exit and remaining fellows get a good discussion environment.

We are committed to building a diverse cohort of Fellows. There is some evidence suggesting that underprivileged individuals tend to underestimate their abilities. We do not want the application process to dissuade potential candidates and we strongly encourage interested students to apply regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, nationality, physical ability, etc. We also encourage UW undergraduate, graduate and professional students, as well as individuals from all intellectual backgrounds and majors to apply.

Below is the fellowship application. It should take around 15 minutes.

Please feel free to ask questions by reaching out to us at eauw@uw.edu
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First Name *
Last Name *
Pronouns
Email *
What is the program about?
We strongly encourage applicants to watch/read at least a 20-minute introduction to the ideas of this program. That way, you can avoid making a commitment to something that is not a good fit for you. We recommend this talk: https://youtu.be/48VAQtGmfWY
Have you read or watched at least a 20-minute introduction to the ideas of the program? *
Please glance over a syllabus that is similar to the one we will be using:
Why are you interested in this program? (~3 sentences) *
When deciding what social problem(s) to prioritize, how do you want to weigh impartial considerations of what will have the greatest positive impact, compared to personal connections to a cause / existing passion for a cause?  (~2 sentences) *
What does doing the most good mean to you? What questions do you have about maximizing your impact? *
On a scale from 1-10, how much does maximizing positive impact guide your career thinking/planning? (1: It's not a factor, 2: I will try to not have a negative impact, 7: I will try to have a large positive impact, 10: Impact is my main/only consideration) *
"It's not a factor"
"It's my main consideration"
What is your prior experience/exposure to the ideas of this program?  You may simply state "none" (no experience is necessary for participation) *
Undergraduate graduation year (for both graduate and undergraduate students) *
Anything else you'd like us to know
Below are optional questions for informational and coordination purposes.
Don't feel pressured to answer these if certain information is sensitive!
US/International?
Clear selection
To what extent would you prefer virtual over in-person meetings?
Prefer in-person
Prefer virtual
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For which weekly meeting times would you be available this Winter (Jan 16th - Feb 27th)? Check the meeting start times that work for you.
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
2 pm
3 pm
4 pm
5 pm
6 pm
7 pm
We typically schedule a weekly lunch for everyone to meet up! Please fill out this when2meet with your availability.
Clear selection
Is there anyone you know who may be interested in our programs?
*
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