I got a letter in the mail from washu about Discovery Weekend, where you stay for a few days and learn about the university. It sounds like fun, but the weekend is homecoming for my high school, so I cannot go. Does your attendance at these weekend events improve your chances at getting into a school- does it show more initiative than a normal visit and interview? I think that washu has everything that I could want and more from a university. My scores and gpa are high, but not high enough to stand alone for the engineering school. I got a 31 (32 superscore) and a 5.45/5 gpa (3.93/4 unweighted) so I really need to stand out and make an impression on this school in order to get in. Also, do other schools like purdue or uiuc have these events? Thank you guys
It depends on the school. Here is a discussion about ways to show a high level of interest:
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-admissions/1626043-ways-to-show-a-high-level-of-applicants-interest.html
Note, however, that not all schools track or care about level of interest.
washu definitely cares about demonstrated interest (i want to apply there too!!). however, if you go on a tour or email the admissions office or sign up for their mailing list, that counts too! i know there are a ton of people that aren’t able to attend the weekend, myself included, so i’m sure you’ll be fine!