<p>Hey, I was wondering just really how hard is it to get into Washington? I know it has 20% admit rate, a figure lower than some ivys, ucla, uc berk, etc... I also know princeton review has it as the 9th toughest to get into campus grotto the 8th. I guess my question is how hard is it in comparison with other schools? From my research it seems like it's about Colombia/Dartmouth level, a bit lower than Penn, but higher than cornell and the ucla/berk. Anybody have an opinion on this?</p>
<p>Very quirky though difficult; IMO you can't compare...they don't really release stats</p>
<p>WashU admissions is crap- shoot.You could have literally a perfect SAT score and an amazing resume and they could reject you. You could have mediocre scores and show lots of interest and get in. There seems to be no definite rhyme or reason to who they accept and why. In some senses, that makes WashU even harder to get into because no one knows what they're actually looking for. No one is a "shew-in" at WashU. At other schools you might be able to tell what exactly they want in their students. I hear that some schools have formulas and admit based on those numbers. I doubt that is the case at WashU.</p>
<p>yeah, but we have to keep in mind that colleges in the top 15 (and you can argue top 20) are going to be complete crap-shoots. Also, I'd take that PR "toughest to get into" list with a grain of salt. Example: I got into WUSTL (ranked 9th on that list, and has a moderately low acceptance rate) -- while I'm waitlisted by UChicago (an amazing school by all standards, but not ranked on PR's list and has a considerably higher acceptance rate, although UChicago is a very self-selective school). </p>
<p>Moral: Top College Acceptances are all crapshoots lol</p>
<p>I feel that WashU does have a reputation to reject students that they think that apply to WashU only as a back up to the Ivy's. There are really long discussions on this forum debating on how WashU tries to manipulate its USNRW ranking to make it look more selective, etc. But it think admissions is partial based on how likely WashU thinks you'll go there if the accept you as well as the standard admission factors. But I definitely say those that show interest get into WashU at a higher frequency, in my opinion as a WashU student.</p>
<p>
[quote]
You could have literally a perfect SAT score and an amazing resume and they could reject you. You could have mediocre scores and show lots of interest and get in. There seems to be no definite rhyme or reason to who they accept and why. In some senses, that makes WashU even harder to get into because no one knows what they're actually looking for. No one is a "shew-in" at WashU. At other schools you might be able to tell what exactly they want in their students.
[/quote]
If you look at the Stanford SCEA thread, you'll see the exact same thing. What you said is true for virtually all top schools. UCLA & Berk are slightly more predictable, as they pay more attention to numbers.</p>
<p>You can see some admissions data at: College</a> Navigator - National Center for Education Statistics </p>
<p>You might have to go to the second page after typing in the name of the university. The latest posted figures show an composite admission rate of 17 percent, and slightly higher for male applicants than for females. </p>
<p>There is no "formula" that will tell you who will get into any highly selective college; no way to decipher "exactly what they want" in the students they admit. In truth, it most likely shifts year to year based on the needs of the institution and the inclinations of the individual human beings filling the job of application reader for any given admission cycle. This year, last year, the next year are years of swarm-like competition for these highly selective schools. It is not predictable and no one should take these decisions personally. </p>
<p>And it's "shoo-in." Think of shooing the chickens into the barn, it helps.</p>
<p>if anyone wants to look at my threads started thing and see my thread on how to get off the waitlist, you'll see my stats. i was waitlisted at washu. just goes to show you how unpredictable admissions can be.</p>
<p>aha TheIndividual i'm in the same boat as u. into Wustl but wait-listed at chicago</p>
<p>Three six mafia I think your calculations might be a bit off. I'd argue Penn is less selective than Columbia and Dartmouth, and WahU is less selective than all three.</p>
<p>hmmm well my decision isn't based on rate of acceptance only if that helps clear things up. it's just i feel it is easier to get into say cornell than wustl</p>
<p>That's great news. Hopefully, since I got into WUSTL, I should get into Cornell</p>
<p>maybe all selective schools are like washu but i know there are lots of schools out there where it is much easier to figure out who will get in and who won't.
Iirokotree- i agree. lol. im hoping to get into cornell too : )</p>
<p>Rank 25% 75% 25% 75% Tot Diff
1) Harvard 1400 1590 0 0 0
2) Princeton 1390 1580 -10 -10 -20
2) Yale 1390 1580 -10 -10 -20
4) MIT 1380 1560 -20 -30 -50
5) Pomona 1380 1530 -20 -60 -80
6) Wash U 1370 1530 -30 -60 -90
6) Dartmouth 1350 1550 -50 -40 -90
8) Stanford 1340 1550 -60 -40 -100
9) Duke 1330 1540 -70 -50 -120
9) Columbia 1330 1540 -70 -50 -120
11) Amherst 1330 1530 -70 -60 -130
11) Brown 1330 1530 -70 -60 -130
13) U of Chi 1320 1530 -80 -60 -140
13) Penn 1330 1520 -70 -70 -140
15) Williams 1320 1520 -80 -70 -150
16) Northwest 1320 1500 -80 -90 -170
17) Claremont 1300 1500 -100 -90 -190
18) Cornell 1290 1500 -110 -90 -200
18) Georgetown 1300 1490 -100 -100 -200
20) Carnegie 1290 1490 -110 -100 -210
20) Reed 1310 1470 -90 -120 -210
21) Bowdoin 1300 1470 -100 -120 -220
21) Johns Hop 1280 1490 -120 -100 -220
21) Wesleyan 1290 1480 -110 -110 -220</p>
<p>I think its hard to determine how hard it to be admitted. Im like the other 2, accepted at Wash U, but wait-listed at U Chicago.</p>
<p>I keep hearing that demonstrated interest plays a factor; my S did a campus tour, Alum interview at home (CA), attended program at HS, what more can be done to demonstrate interest? He was waitlisted.</p>
<p>WashU is crazy. I too, heard that interest plays a role. I was one of the kids who did their summer program for high school students. We were there for 5 weeks on campus, in the dorms, taking 6 credits. Many from my program have been waitlisted and even denied. These kids were well- qualified to attend WashU and some even applied ED. If that's not showing interest, then I don't know what is.</p>
<p>Interest is big but its not everything. Most likely someone is not going to get in who has shown zero interest: once you've shown interest that's great but interest is not going to get you in on its own.</p>
<p>I agree with salpert. I am sure that interest plays a role in admissions at WashU, but it is not the end all be all. Mine showed zero interest in WashU - never visited, never interviewed - then just applied RD when found out about the merit awards. Was invited out for interview weekend and is now on a merit scholarship at WashU. Turned down higher ranked schools, also with scholarships. If you look at the stats for WashU, it is obviously about a lot more than just interest. From what I have seen on campus the students are very impressive and would more than fit in at any top university. Remember that for admissions, they are building a mosaic of the freshman class. From the outside, you don't know what particular piece they are missing or looking for.</p>
<p>I think this topic of "demonstrated interest" is getting very old....There are accepted and waitlisted applicants on this and other threads who did demonstrate, didn't demonstrate and some here and elsewhere who actually had written recs from Wash U admissions people (can you say connections? hook?).....As ST2 has said, we have found out (the hard way) that demonstrated interest may or may not really matter.....let's end it here.....</p>
<p>In the case of Wash U, as someone has said earlier, you will never find out what you need to do to have a better chance of being admitted...and that is exactly the way they want it....Great school though!!</p>