1. Washington University in St. Louis fortunately only requires one supplemental essay besides your CommonApp/Coalition essay in their application. However, this means that you should make sure these essays tell the application reviewers everything they need to know about you. To make sure your essay stands out, you want to tell a story, something that allows the university to get to know you in a clearer way than just blatantly telling them. Pick a moment in your life that shows your character in the best way, or one that conveys a message about your priorities and personality. Spend as much time crafting these essays as you can, and make sure to get them reviewed by different teachers and peers and advisors, in order to get multiple perspectives of help.

2. WashU is not a need-blind school, which means family income and ability to pay for tuition are noticed by application reviewers (not necessarily a determining factor). Because of this, I would highly recommend you explore every option WashU has for scholarships (they have a large variety on their website). If possible, apply to as many as you can. Receiving a merit scholarship means automatic admission, of course, and makes your life easier in terms of financing your education. Also, Scholarship Weekend at WashU is incredibly fun! Every scholar finalist is invited and flown out to WashU for a weekend, where you get to experience fun activities, meet other scholars, learn a lot about WashU and what life at WashU would be like, and most importantly, it’s when you have your interviews. The interviews help determine which scholar finalists receive scholarships and how much. 

3. Don’t try to be the kind of applicant you think WashU is expecting to be. WashU is filled with a variety of students, spanning a wide range of majors and interests and personalities. I cannot emphasize enough the importance of being yourself throughout the application process. WashU doesn’t want to see if you can be one of the same out of a crowd; they want to see what makes you different. That being said, it’s okay to have a pre-college resume that is similar to any other high-achieving, hard-working student. The CommonApp essay and application essays are your time to shine to show what makes you unique. 

4. If you are able to, visit the WashU campus and take a tour! Of course, the ability to do this is probably unlikely, not only due to financial reasons but with the outbreak of COVID. Luckily, you can register to attend a virtual tour on WashU’s website. By doing this, you are showing an interest in the school, and your name will be in the system. If application reviewers were to check out any previous contact you had with the school, they would see your interest through this; WashU doesn’t want to sort through applications of students that aren’t really that interested in their institution. Another way to show interest is by making a phone call to the Office of Admissions if you have any questions about the school or application process. Make sure to mention your name!

5. WashU requests that you submit a letter of recommendation from someone non-familial. This can make a difference in your application or not, depending on how you go forth with it. In your application, you will likely be asked to select an intended major. Firstly, you want to make sure the rest of your application (resume, extracurriculars) shows your participation and abilities in your intended major in some way. Your letter of recommendation helps with this. It could be beneficial to ask a teacher or advisor that works in that or a related subject. This will not only convey your academic interests but also confirm your strengths in them from someone professional. Another thing to consider is if you know anyone professional that is affiliated with WashU (or another prestigious institution), they could be a good person to turn to for your letter of recommendation, especially if they specialize in anything you conveyed that you want to pursue.