Chances for WUSTL?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Washington University in St. Louis
1

<p>I am a high school junior, and I am thinking about applying to Washington University in St. Louis for 2015 fall. Can you please read my stats and give any suggestions as to what I could do to be a stronger applicant?</p>

<p>SAT I: 2170 (Reading 660, Math 710, Writing 790)
ACT: Did not take, and don't plan to take
SAT II: Taking Chem and Math in October
GPA: School doesn't calculate
Class Rank: Top 10%
Senior Course Load: I take IB, and the amount of subjects we can take is limited to 6, but the IB diploma is usually recognized to be one of the most rigorous programs you could take</p>

<p>Major Awards: KIS Academic Excellence Scholarship, Scout Leadership and Excellence award</p>

<p>Extracurriculars:
- School Varsity Swimming Captain (team member for all years)
- Club Swimming and Age-group Championships competitions (10 hours of training a week)
- United World Schools Cambodia Fundraising co-captain
- School Senior Orchestra 1st Clarinet position
- Korean Scout (equal in rank with that of a Life Scout - one below Eagle)
- Teaching nutrition to kids at a program called Summerbridge for 7 weeks during summer
- Beach Cleanup
- School Sports Communications Prefect
- Community service within my Scout activities and outside as well (travelled to Korea to help the mentally disabled with my scout team twice, each in different summers lol)
- A few other roles</p>

<p>Research Papers:
- Kinesiology research paper done on the mechanics and factors in swimming speed
- Chemistry research on how chloramines in swimming pools change hair color (lol)</p>

<p>I am thinking about writing my Common App essay on my passion for swimming and how my interest in nutrition and biochemistry stemmed from my motivation to better my swimming - shows my drive/determination. (good/bad idea?)</p>

<p>Asian male - anti hook </p>

<p>I can't really change my SAT scores, just probably hope for the best in the SAT IIs. Rather than that, could you please give some suggestions on maybe more extracurriculars I could do, or give suggestions on my essay topic?</p>

<p>Also, I know that WUSTL loves to see that you've demonstrated interest in them by having been on campus visits, but I live simply too far away to do this (Hong Kong). How do I show my interest towards them when they don't even have a supplement essay?!?</p>

<p>Thanks in advance!</p>

2

<p>It’s a lie that “WUSTL loves to see that you’ve demonstrated interest.” I never set foot in midwestern USA in my life, nor knew anything about Wash U, but I still applied and got in.
The kind of people they accept are simply the kind of people they need. If you wait until regular decision to apply, you run the risk of fitting the description of a type of student they do not need more of (be that intended major, ethnicity, sports, etc).
If you really want to come here, just apply early decision and I’m sure you’ll at least be deferred.
As for a “chance,” there’s really no such thing as anyone chancing you. All that someone like myself (Wash U class of 2014) can tell you is that you’re competitive. That’s all that can be deduced at this time. Just apply early if you want to go!
Best of luck.</p>

3

<p>

</p>

<p>Because a single piece of anecdotal evidence disproves a theory supported by large sets of ED/RD data released year after year after year…</p>

4

<p>Well for my daughter, I believe they loved that she expressed interest by applying SUPER early (which I believe may have helped her immensely). She applied in August (before she started her Senior year) and they called her about a month later to see if she would be interested in an Alumni interview. My D was stunned they called her so that was the ultimate interest in my opinion. </p>

<p>They also asked her to supply her mid-year grades so supplying a complete application is a must (which is also another sign of subtle interest). She also applied to one of their scholarships which is another form of interest. So I would say based on this, demonstrated interest is important at Wash U. </p>

<p>Afterall that is what ED means too… So Wash U sees your interest by many different ways: how you apply, when you apply, what you provide, your essays, how you interact, interviews, visits, applying for scholarships, etc. Most of it is subjective other than ED but it is definitely there.</p>

<p>Also, the common data set, it says level of interest is considered. <a href=“http://wustl.edu/policies/assets/pdfs/wustl%20cds%202012-2013.pdf”>http://wustl.edu/policies/assets/pdfs/wustl%20cds%202012-2013.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

5

<p>Agreed. While demonstrated interest may not have been necessary for Rivero to be accepted, that does not mean that it is not a helpful factor for some applicants. In the case of my D, active contact with the Admissions Office and specifically the AO rep assigned to her HS, plus applying ED, were fairly simple ways to demonstrate her interest and may have helped to differentiate her from other applicants with similar objective metrics. As far as the OP’s visiting limitations, I suggest that you contact the AO to see if they would set up a phone interview for you. My D’s experience was that WashU was extremely flexible in working with her. The interviews are quite informal and not lengthy. I think she spent 20-30 mins with her rep.</p>

6

<p>Rivero - just, no.</p>

<p>I have legit heard an AO say that they like students who show interest because one of their main goals is to form a happy campus - they want students who actually want to be at WashU.</p>

<p>I’d actually wager that it’s why WashU has a lower transfer rate than a lot of “peer” schools.</p>

7

<p>Hi-
Just want to echo Newjersey17’s comments that applying ED is demonstrating interest. In fact, it is the ultimate way to demonstrate interest. So, in a sense, Rivero is correct that if you apply ED you probably don’t need to worry about visiting, keeping in touch, etc. But make no mistake, the act of telling them that you will rescind any other applications and will attend WUSTL if accepted is demonstrating interest in the most concrete way.</p>

<p>Unfortunately, applying ED is not possible for everyone. Many students are in a position where they need to compare financial offers before deciding on a school. For those students, finding other ways to demonstrate interest (such as visits, keeping in touch with Admission Counselor, etc) is a way to try to separate themselves from the crowd and improve their chances.</p>

8

<p>@bjdkin - I agree! Just to clarify, my D applied RD in August before her senior year (not ED).</p>

9

<p>I dont think WashU cares that much about demonstrating interest. I didnt visit the school or make any contact with the admission officer and I still got in. A lot of people actually did not visit the school before they applied and they still got in. However, I think if you do visit the school, I am pretty sure you will fall in love with the campus and the people. As an international student, if you really want to show interest, I think you can write about how you first got to know about the school and why you wanna go there. WashU has a lot of Hongkies, you can ask them for advice if you want. </p>

10

<p>There are ways to show interest that don’t include visiting. They certainly don’t expect internationals to visit. They know that even US citizens cannot always afford the time or money to visit.</p>

<p>I think this isn’t a black or white issue. I also feel sure WUSTL likes to see interest, however you demonstrate it. Do they usually just toss your application aside if there is no obvious sign of it? No, of course not. I would bet, though, that if you are a student that seems like you are likely applying to all the HYPS schools and could likely get in, they would like to see some sign that you are serious about at least considering WUSTL, and not of the mindset that you would “settle” for WUSTL if the other apps crap out. That might be where it comes into play the most. But even if that isn’t the case, I don’t see how showing a real desire to attend WUSTL can’t help but give a student a small edge when those last selections have to be made.</p>

11

<p>I think you’re very competitive. As far as I know, demonstrating interest is very important to WashU; I’ve read that on their site and also heard it from admissions officers multiple times. I visited twice and applied ED and got in. I definitely recommend ED if it’s your first choice; WashU front-loads admissions in ED to decrease their overall admissions rate and increase the percentage of students who enroll after being accepted. I also hear that it’s pretty hard to get in if you’re extremely well-qualified (for RD) because the school thinks you will probably enroll elsewhere. So showing interest is important, in my experience. </p>