Washington University in St. Louis is a leading research university ‘between the coasts’ of the USA. Two decades ago, it offered an outstanding education but wasn’t all that well known on the coasts. Over the past 20 years, though, it has become a top choice for strong students and the acceptance rate has dropped by half. For the Class of 2029, the first-year acceptance rate was only 12% overall.
Students are drawn to WashU from across the country, now, and globally. WashU offers majors across all academic areas, but the university is especially known for the engineering and business programs. No matter the major, the about 16,000 students at WashU are challenged to ask how they can use their education to improve society and increase equity. WashU practices this focus on equity on campus, too. The university is far from inexpensive, but WashU crafts aid packages that are loan-free, and students from Missouri and Southern Illinois who come from families that make less than $75,000 annually actually attend for free. They call this the WashU Pledge.
As you prepare to apply, you’ll need to get the numbers of your application in order first. These are the grades and scores that open the door to real consideration of your activities, extracurriculars, and writing. You can apply without the numbers, but you don’t want to if your goal is to get in. First, the grades. For WashU, they do not share an average GPA of accepted students. 86% of recently accepted and enrolled students, though, were in the top 10% of their graduating class. This tells us that they want to see strong grades in hard classes.
When it comes to standardized tests, WashU is test-optional. That doesn’t mean that you should delete your SAT/ACT test prep apps, though. Strong test scores underline impressive grades, and can help bolster your application if you have a few grades that are less-than-optimal from your first or second year of high school. WashU reports that 61% of recently accepted and enrolled students submitted SAT or ACT scores, and a competitive score is:
SAT: 1530+
ACT: 34+
That gives you something to aim for, but obviously this post isn’t actually about SAT prep. We’re going to focus on the piece you can’t count: the WashU supplement.
WashU has been making it easier to apply in recent years. They’ve added Early Action to their already stacked list of application options, and have simplified the application process to make it easier to submit. Below, we’ll break down the pieces of the WashU supplement to set you up for success through the application process. If you want a personal plan of action, get in touch. We can help.
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The WashU supplement used to have more, but in an effort to encourage more students to submit and thus to drive the acceptance rate down (that’s our theory), the university simplified it for the 2026-2027 application cycle.
They have also reintroduced something that most schools have gotten rid of: demonstrated interest. WashU is now officially in the business of caring if you care, so while you are researching to write a strong supplement, sign up for the info sessions, email (respectfully) to ask the admissions office questions, and visit campus if you are able to. It will absolutely make a difference for your application if you are applying through a non-binding option.
Now, let’s get into the supplement.
SUPPLEMENT
Please tell us what you are interested in studying at college and why. (250 words)
This is a classic “why us,” except that the wording is exceptionally vague. By “at college,” they could mean at WashU, or they could be asking why you want to go to any college at all. While either approach would technically answer the question, we prefer the path of threading the needle between the two. What you want to craft, essentially, is an answer that answers both why you want to go to WashU and what you want to study that makes college the logical next step.
What you don’t want to spend words on is complimenting WashU on things completely disconnected from your potential course of study. You do not use a single word to compliment their dining options, their landscaping, or the dorms. Instead, spend an hour learning as much as you can about the major you are interested in. WashU knows that your major may change between now and when you actually declare it sophomore year, but showing confidence in a path and the clarity of purpose to understand what you would be getting into is critically important.
Once you have that research, you need to identify a small story that can make for a strong opening. This story will offer a spark for your narrative, showing how genuine your interest is in your potential major. Ideally, it is also something that you can bring to life in less than 100 words. Maybe a teacher introduced you to a book or an idea that blew your mind, or an assigned project kicked off the pursuit of deeper understanding. Whatever it is, the point isn’t that this story is flashy. You aren’t trying to make yourself sound fancy. Rather, you are making yourself interesting to the reader.
After the opening, you need to use that research you pulled together. State clearly what you want to major in, a course of two you want to take beyond the intro level, and a professor you would love to learn from. Always include the why with each of these things, as simply stating something does not drive the emotional connection you want to be building with the application reader. If you have a potential minor, this is a great place to include that as well.
End the supplement by putting yourself at WashU. You could be in a classroom, studying with friends, or researching alongside a professor. Help them see you on campus, passion, enthusiasm, and all.
OPTIONAL VIDEO
In addition to the required written supplement, WashU invites applicants to submit an optional video. Like nearly all optional things, it isn’t actually optional. While you can get in without doing the video, why would you want to risk that?
Now, the video is also a bit of a trap if you aren’t careful. WashU does not share a length limit and they do not give you a set prompt. You know that means that there are students who will produce a full-length biopic. Those students, unless award-winning filmmakers, will not get in. Even being filmmakers, they probably won’t get in as the admissions officials do not have time to watch a long movie and so won’t get the ‘genius’ of the project.
We advise our students to keep their videos to less than 3 minutes, speak directly at the camera from a location that is not your bedroom (but that also has minimal background noise) and to be you best, academically-minded or creative self. Maybe you are a painter, so you take them into the studio. Maybe you are a musician, and you write a song to perform for the video. Or, it’s actually also totally fine to simply speak earnestly to the camera about something you care about.
WashU offers a few prompt ideas to inspire you, and our favorite is “Show us how you spend your free time.” Seriously, show them.
If the loose nature of the video has you nervous and you are considering not even doing it, get in touch with us first. We help driven students pull of dream acceptances, and we know what it takes to get into WashU.
We work with our students to develop acceptance-earning strategies. . Learn more.