Washington University in St. Louis (often referred to as WashU or WUSTL) is a mouthful to say, but the name of this private research academy founded in 1853 comes out the mouths of more meridian students every year when naming their top-pick establishment. Yet, this wasn't always the example. Back in the 1970s, the school, then called Washington University, voted to stick "St. Louis" at the terminate of their name, simply because they were tired of explaining that they were not located in either Seattle or the nation's majuscule.

While the number of applications take risen in contempo years (particularly those applying ED), acceptance rates accept been depression for a very long time. A decade ago, 22% of applicants were accepted; final twelvemonth, 16% received invitations to join the Class of 2024. Given their impressive U.S. News ranking and the highly-selective nature of WUSTL, applicants need to be well-informed and sympathise the true level of competition at this university. Toward that aim, this article will give you:

1) A full grasp of the challenge of gaining acceptance into WUSTL.

2) Data to help y'all more accurately appraise your chances of admission.

three) How the WUSTL admissions commission evaluates applicants and tips on how to create a winning awarding.

To accomplish these goals we will touch on the following topics:

  • WashU'southward Class of 2024 acceptance charge per unit
  • WashU's ED credence charge per unit
  • Sabbatum, Human activity, and class rank of accepted WashU applicants
  • Admissions trends from the Form of 2024
  • The demographics of electric current WashU undergraduates
  • WashU'southward yield charge per unit
  • How WashU's admissions officers evaluate candidates
  • Tips for applying to WashU
  • How to appraise whether applying to WashU is even worth the $75 application fee (for you)

Let's begin with an test of the most recent admissions information.

WUSTL's: Overall Acceptance Rate – Class of 2024

Out of 27,949 applicants, just under four,500 were offered access for the 2020-21 academic year. This credence rate of 16% represents a tiny increase from the previous admissions cycle when only xv% were accustomed.

WUSTL's Early Decision Acceptance Rate

This university offers an Early on Decision deadline of November one, 2020 and an Early on Conclusion 2 borderline of January 2, 2021. The school heavily favors students who commit via ED every bit they accepted 42% of the freshman course through the two early rounds and just 13% of regular round applicants.

WUSTL Admissions – SAT, ACT, and Form Rank

Those enrolled in the Class of 2024 sported middle-50% standardized test scores of 1420-1560 on the SAT and 33-35 on the Human action. An incredible 88% of 2020-21 freshmen hailed from the top 10% of their loftier schoolhouse form.

Admissions Trends & Notes

  • Early decision applications to WashU increased by an astounding 70% in 2019.
  • The eye-50% of ACT scores of attending students rose a touch from 32-35 to 33-35.
  • 287 members of the Class of 2024 (15%) are Pell Grant Eligible.
  • x% of the Form of 2024 are offset-generation students.
  • Among those admitted to the Form of 2023 were a professional esports athlete, a professional, Scrabble player, and a nationally ranked debater.

Who Actually Gets Into WashU?

Allow's at present expect at the demographics of the WashU Class of 2024.

The regions producing the greatest number of 2020-21 freshmen were the:

  • Midwest: 30%
  • Middle States: xx%
  • West: 17%
  • Due south: 12%
  • Southwest: 8%
  • New England: 6%

As at any highly-selective university, competition is toughest amongst those hailing from states with endless streams of qualified applicants (the entire Midwest and both coasts). If you hail from a less populated state like Alaska, North Dakota, or Montana, your location is more likely to provide a heave to your admissions chances. Unusual for any college, WashU does non have a substantial per centum of students from its host land of Missouri (typically effectually 10%).

Overall, students come from all fifty states, 100+ countries, and 65% come from more than than 500 miles away.

The countries from which the highest percent of international students hail from are:

  • China: 54%
  • Republic of korea: 16%
  • India: 6%
  • Canada: three%
  • Taiwan: 2%
  • United Kingdom: 2%

Looking at ethnic identity, the breakdown of members of the Class of 2024 was as follows:

  • Asian American: 26%
  • Hispanic: eleven%
  • African American: 9%
  • International: six%
  • White: 46%
  • Total Underrepresented Students of Color: 21%

The breakdown by gender of the overall undergraduate student trunk notably favors women:

  • Male person: 47%
  • Female: 53%

The number of electric current undergraduates enrolled in each school during the 2020-21 schoolhouse yr are:

  • College of Architecture: 191
  • Olin Business organization School: 863
  • College of Art: 297
  • College of Arts & Sciences:4,400
  • McKelvey School of Engineering: 1,384

Yield Rate

Washington University in St. Louis' yield rate—the per centum of accepted students who elect to enroll, divided past the full number of students who are admitted was 42% for the Class of 2024. For comparison, many other summit private universities accept superior yield rates such every bit Northwestern (56%), Knuckles (55%), and Georgetown University (49%).

How WashU Rates Applicants

There are 12 factors that WashU ranks as beingness "very important" to their admissions process: rigor of secondary school record, GPA, class rank standardized examination scores (test-optional for Form of 2021 only), the essays, recommendations, extracurricular activities, talent/ability, and character/personal characteristics, volunteer work, paid work, and demonstrated interest.

In the words of the admissions office: "Washington University is looking for students with a high school diploma or equivalent who took a challenging college-preparatory curriculum in high school complemented by extracurricular activities, customs service, and piece of work experience. Your senior-year transcript should show that yous continue to take demanding courses. Near applicants take advantage of honors, advanced placement, and International Baccalaureate courses, if offered by their loftier schools."

Applicants to the various undergraduate schools volition need to bring unique, discipline-specific attributes with them. "Students applying to Olin Business School should have completed coursework in math at least through the pre-calculus level with calculus highly recommended. Students applying to McKelvey Schoolhouse of Engineering and/or students who are interested in pre-med should have completed coursework in physics and chemical science, as well as coursework in math at least through the pre-calculus level with calculus highly recommended. Students interested in studying architecture or art should demonstrate interest, skill, or background in art and blueprint by highlighting relevant grade piece of work or extracurricular activeness. A portfolio is required for applicants to the College of Art and encouraged for applicants to the College of Architecture."

Tips for Applying to WashU

If you program on joining the roughly xxx,000 WUSTL hopefuls for the next admissions cycle, y'all should know the following:

  • WUSTL expects to run across evidence of advanced coursework in high school. Taking multiple advanced classes, peculiarly within your expanse of academic interest is a must. A minimum of 7-viii AP courses is a skillful target to aim for.
  • You lot must list your "Academic Division" on the Common App equally well as a "Principal Academic Involvement." You have the selection of besides listing a "Secondary Bookish Interest" or a "Pre-Professional person Interest."
  • WUSTL does let optional admissions interviews, including virtual options via Zoom. At that place are besides a limited number of alumni interviews available.
  • WUSTL weighs "demonstrated involvement" as heavily as any other schoolhouse in the country in the admissions process. Thus, it will exist noted whether or not you fabricated a campus visit (in non-pandemic times), contacted an admissions officeholder, etc. The school especially likes those who demonstrate interest in the most devoted way—through submitting a binding ED application.
  • Brand sure to dedicate sufficient time and endeavor to the supplemental essay required by WUSTL. In the 2020-21 bicycle the prompt is as follows:

In most 250 words, tell us about something that really sparks your intellectual interest and curiosity, and compels you to explore more in the program/surface area of report that you indicated. It could be an idea, book, project, cultural activity, piece of work of art, start-upwardly, music, movie, inquiry, innovation, question, or other pursuit.

This is a perfect opportunity to share something virtually yourself that is not included elsewhere in your application. Speak to your absolute truest passions in life here, not just what you think an admissions officer would want to hear. Information technology's not a contest to see whose tastes most mirror that of a middle-aged adult or who is the most eclectic. Your answers can be 100% honest here. If you lot find Taylor Swift more entertaining than Jonathan Swift, that's actually okay! In short—just explain what genuinely makes you tick.

Should I Apply to WashU?

With credence rates of 16% or less in contempo years, Washington University in St. Louis is a school that is looking for students who sit down amongst the very top of their loftier schoolhouse grade and have posted Saturday/Act scores in at to the lowest degree the 95th percentile.

With such a competitive admissions process, all students demand to make certain that they, in conjunction with a counselor, formulate an appropriate college list, containing a complement of "target" and "safety" schools. Hopefully your dream of attending WUSTL becomes a reality, just, in the consequence that things don't unfold as hoped, you'll still end upwardly an establishment with comparable attributes and opportunities.