Washington University in St. Louis also often called WashU is a private, research university in Clayton, Missouri. Which yes, is a suburb of St. Louis. The school hosts over 100 academic programs and is known for its medicine, engineering, nursing, law, business, and social work programs especially. Their acceptance rate is a competitive 11% however their early decisions acceptance rate is 27%. Their writing supplement is really only one question, however, there are additional essays if you are applying to one of their scholars' programs.
So if you are applying to the Danforth Scholars Program, Ervin Scholars Program, and/or Rodriguez Scholars Program you will have to write additional essays. But let’s start with the one that everyone needs to answer.
Please tell us what you are interested in studying at college and why.
Undecided about your academic interest(s)? Don’t worry—tell us what excites you about the academic division you selected. Remember that all of our first-year students enter officially “undeclared” and work closely with their team of academic advisors to discover their academic passions. You can explore all of our majors and programs on our website.* 200
This is a version of an essay we see constantly, “why do you want to go here?” It might not seem like it at first… but your “why” should be pretty tailored to WashU. The first step of this essay is to choose a specific major to write about. We know they say it's okay to be undecided. It is ok to be it, but it’s not a good strategy to write like you are undecided. WashU wants to accept people who have passions and are excited to study them. Even if you aren’t 100% sure, write like you are. Trust us, they won’t hold you to what you write in this question once you are on campus.
Once you have a major to write about, start this essay with a personal story. This story should be about how you first got interested in your academic interest. For example, if you hope to study Art History, you could write about reading art books on your aunt’s floor growing up. It can be a small moment, but then you should show how that story grew into an academic passion. Yes, maybe it started with art books, but when you grew up, maybe you interned at a museum or took a class or did research, etc. There should be a momentum that shows your spark growing into an academic passion.
Once you have done that you should talk about some specific opportunities at WashU that you hope to take advantage of. We suggest 2 higher-level courses and a professor you would hope to do research with. Explain why these specific classes, professors, opportunities, etc are interesting to you. This is a great way to also show off your specific interests in the subject and your background in it. Your passion for your academic subject should really shine through in this essay and should be supported with opportunities in your major.
Ok, so now let’s talk about optional essays. Not every student will apply to a scholars program, but we thought we would cover them in case anyone is looking for direction on one or all of these program-specific supplements.
Danforth Scholars Program
Students who apply to any undergraduate division of Washington University may apply for the Danforth Scholars Program.
Consider the legacy of Chancellor Danforth and the four Program Pillars. How have you demonstrated your commitment to the ideals of the Program? Please provide 1-2 specific examples. (Maximum 250 words)*
Your first step here should be familiarizing yourself with the four pillars. They are leadership in service, Intellectual and creative acuity, diversity, and kindness. Tell a story where you show a commitment to one or two of these pillars. That may sound tricker than it actually is. For example, you could tell a story about helping plan a school event and being kind to your classmates while planning. Bam, Leadership in Service and Kindness. Your story can and should be an everyday type of story. The important thing is to showcase how you align with the programs ideals in your everyday life.
Write an essay on the following: What matters to you? (Maximum 200 words)
This is a rip-off from Stanford.
You aren’t going to have time in 200 words to explain everything that matters to you. Instead, zoom in on one thing (or a couple of things) you care about. There are two approaches to this question. The first is choosing a larger almost platitude thing that matters. Think family, community, expression, etc. If you chose to go this route, make sure you get personal in your story. Family matters to everyone, what is special to you about it?
The other route is to choose something quirky. Think growing my own basil, different paint qualities, board game design, etc. This will already feel hyper-personal, but you really want to show off your personality here. We love playful essays and this route lets you do that.
A good idea for either route is to tell a story unless you are thinking really outside the box. Like, i you are thinking To-do list, poem, or some other creative approach, we love that. If you aren’t, really tell a good story.
Ervin Scholars Program
The Ervin Scholars Program is open to only U.S. Citizens, permanent residents, and undocumented or DACA students living in the U.S.
Dr. John B. Ervin was a nationally renowned black educator and the first African American Dean at Washington University. The Ervin Scholars Program was founded on and continues to live out his legacy through scholars' dedication to the Program Pillars. Review the biography of Dr. John B. Ervin and the four Program Pillars. How have you demonstrated your commitment to the ideals of the Program? Please provide 1-2 specific examples. (Maximum 250 words)*
This is a really similar question to the first Danforth scholars' question. You can approach it the exact same way, however, your story should be about academic excellence, leadership, community service, and/or diversity…. So like almost exactly the same as the Danforth Scholars…
Describe a high school or community activity in which you have taken initiative. What were the challenges and outcomes? What did you learn? (Maximum 200 words)*
This is a short question for how many things you need to cover. We love a story where you stepped up without having to. A lot of students talk about a specific leadership role in a club, however, we suggest telling a story about when you were a leader because you wanted to not because you were the team captain. Your story needs to have a challenge and an outcome and that outcome should also connect to something you learned. This is a lot for 200 words so keep the story simple.
Rodriguez Scholars Program
Students who apply to any undergraduate division of Washington University may apply for the Annika Rodriguez Scholars Program.
Consider the biography of Annika Rodriguez and reflect upon your commitment to bringing diverse groups together and/or bringing about positive change in your community. How do you demonstrate these commitments? How do your activities demonstrate your dedication to the ideals embraced by the Rodriguez Scholars Program? (Maximum 250 words)*
This is honestly similar to the first essays in the other programs, but instead of pillars, you are asked about diversity and positive change. Think about a time when you have pushed for more diverse voices or a time you brought people to the table. Tell that story.
Describe a high school or community activity in which you have taken initiative. What were the challenges and outcomes? What did you learn? (Maximum 200 words)*
This is the same as the second essay for the Ervin Scholars. Approach it the same way.
Ok, that was a lot. Most students aren’t going to apply to all 3 scholars' programs. But some might. So if you are, give yourself a lot of time to do this application and honestly, it’s still best practice even if you aren’t.
Need help with supplements? Reach out!