My son did not receive a travel grant and was only invited to visit at his own expense for a spring preview day while a friend was invited for a weekend event that includes a staying in dorms, events with other admits, and a travel grant? Is there anyone accepted to Arts and Sciences who was also invited for a weekend? Just trying to understand why there are differences and was hoping that my son could meet other admits as he tries to look at his options. BTW, his friend is not a URM so not sure why there are different invitations?
@Ava194: Our son did receive the travel grant, but was not invited to any specific event. He is not URM, just not very affluent. 
So why are some kids that don’t fit URM invited for a weekend event? My son is grateful for the acceptance but it is starting to feel like there are different recruitment tiers that leave some kids out? I think that the travel grants will help lots of kids see Wash U who might not otherwise be able to afford it but why can’t they organize weekends that invite all admits? Starting to feel like they want my son to attend Wash U but not as much as other admits (including his friend). It is one of his top choices but I don’t want to pay for him to fly across the country for a day and just don’t think that it will be much different from our visit last year where he attended a class, info session, and tour.
@Ava194 I got invitation for the event with travel grants, and I am accepted to Arts and Sciences. I think the event is not necessarily just for URM but also ORM and people with multicultural backgrounds.
What is an ORM? Our son got the travel grant but is only invited for the spring preview. But since we have never visited this will be ok for us. He is also staying overnight in a dorm. He is arts and sciences. Not sure what the criteria is for the other events other than perhaps minorities. His friend was invited for the celebration weekend in April.
@Musicmom2015 Over Represented Minority like myself, Asians. I have no idea on the criteria Wash.U. uses, but my best guess is anyone with “multicultural” background (1st & 2nd gen. immigrants, mixed students, etc.)
I honestly have no idea how recruitment chooses who they give the travel grants to.
Don’t think it’s a $$ (on the applicants side) thing either. I didn’t apply for FA at all yet was given a travel grant after I was accepted (years and years ago).
No clue how WashU picks. I received one as a white female from NJ who didn’t apply for FA and my parents have three degrees between them, so I’m about as un-fly-outable as they come.
I wouldn’t worry if you didn’t receive one - for all we know they could have selected them by lottery, or perhaps for specific ECs they want or majors they are trying to grow? Trying to expand outreach in certain regions/high schools? It could really be anything.
I got the grant
I will try not to take it personally or worry too much but it just starts to feel like there are too many criteria that are used to separate the admits and offer them different visit packages…it feels like most are getting travel grants whether they applied for FA or not, some being offered full weekends events (with or without travel grants and not all based on multicultural), some are being selected because they are URM, some are being recruited because they are ORM, some are being more heavily recruited for having a certain major or coming from a certain region or high schools, etc. I would think that their selection process to get admitted would take all of these factors into place but, once admitted, Wash U would put forth the same effort toward all admits assuming that they want them all to attend. I do think that travel grants used to be offered to all admitted students. I am going to try to call and get some information.
I have no particular insight on this other than to share our experience last year. Our daughter was accepted RD (and is now a very happy WashU freshman) from a state that is too far to drive to visit. She received a travel voucher. She had not previously visited, and we are from a state where WashU might have had historically low yields. I suspected at the time that she might not have been offered the travel voucher had she visited previously. Also, had we previously visited, the Preview Day would not have been worth an extra trip. There was one short, almost rushed, session for admited A&S students, but the tour, etc. was the same as for any prospective student visiting the campus. That was quite a contrast to the day of varied and well-planned sessions she attened at our state university. I think WashU needs to step up its admitted student programs. Finally, WashU has recently committed to better recruitment and support of an economically diverse student body, which might explain some of the weekend invitations for students who are not from multicultural backgrounds.
Thanks for the advice. He will probably skip the spring preview and visit some other schools depending on where he gets in but hoping that he has enough info to make a good decision. I think Wash U would be a great fit for him but wish that the school would do a better job to convince him of that!. Glad that you daughter loves Wash U! Maybe our son will see her there next fall!
D2 got the travel grant, too. It was on a printed card/insert that was hanging over the top of one of the full size brochures in the admitted student packet. Not sure it’s relevant, with no merit aid, but we’ll see what she decides.
And she has visited before, for what it’s worth.
I called the admissions office and was told that travel grants are offered to most students based on several factors with a focus on including admits who have not visited. However, anyone who is not offered a travel grant can apply for one if they want to visit…not guaranteed but they will try to meet requests. Son is going to apply for one so he can visit!
And people wonder why the cost of college has spiraled out of control…