<p>Afghan-Pakistani Female from Texas
First Generation College Student
3.875 UW GPA, Top 8% of HS, trying to improve that a bit
2100 SAT (700 CR, 640 M, 760 W)
Sub-par EC's? Quiz Bowl Captain, Science Club President, Journalism Club, a one-year teaching stint at an elementary school, part-time job, lots of volunteering though
A good recommendation from a teacher who adores me, another one that's probably more lukewarm
Need lots of financial aid (FAFSA EFC of ~600, Profile will substantially higher at about 3000-7000 according to my estimates) </p>
<p>I know Wash. U is a very stats-heavy school. My SAT scores are well below their averages and I'm barely in the top 10 percent. Am I wasting $55 by applying to a school that will more likely than not reject me? Or can I still win them over with a dazzling essay?</p>
<p>"A man's ( woman's ) reach must exceed his/her grasp, or what's a heaven for.." - Robert Browning. Go for it....approach life so you have no regrets.</p>
<p>Beautifully said, MBJ! Go for it MysticalGirl. Write a great essay and show interest in the school (visit/see college rep in your town/interview...etc). Your stats aren't out of the ballpark and you are a first generation college applicant. Good Luck!</p>
<p>Go for it. You need only 1 teacher rec for WUSTL, so just ask for the good one!
Your ECs sound fine, and your scores are not out of range. Write good essays, and try to get an interview (I think they do alumni interviews if you can't make it to STL)</p>
<p>I am absolutely no authority on this sort of thing, but WashU is my D's top choice so we've been scanning stats there for quite some time. Based on your post, doesn't sound like it's a reach for you at all. One place we found hope was here:</p>
<p>We found the link posted elsewhere in this site. If you plug in your stats, then select the school of choice, it'll give you your chances (reach, maybe, good bet, etc). By changing graduation year, it also shows you how you compare to WashU students applying this year, and accepted in previous years. Your stats look comfortable based on what we found there.</p>