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How to Write the Washington University in St. Louis Supplemental Essays

Updated for 2024-2025

The 2024-2025 WashU supplement consists of one required essay and one optional essay chosen from two prompts. While the required prompt is a classic “why this school” essay, crafting a standout response requires some nuance. The optional prompt, on the other hand, asks you to tap into your personal experiences to display the qualities, personality, and perspectives with which you can enliven WashU’s campus. Read on to discover the best way to do so!

Required Essay:

Please tell us what you are interested in studying at college and why. (200 words)

Undecided about your academic interest(s)? Don’t worry—tell us what excites you about the academic division you selected. Remember that all of our first-year students enter officially “undeclared” and work closely with their team of academic advisors to discover their academic passions. You can explore all of our majors and programs on our website.*

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Explanation:

As the only required prompt, this question provides an excellent opportunity for you to stand out to the admissions committee. While brainstorming, you should devote time and energy to researching WashU’s distinctive offerings, whether classes, faculty members, research programs, or study abroad opportunities. Incorporate your findings into your essay to showcase your clear sense of purpose in applying. Given its small word limit and placement within the “Academic” section of the Common Application and the “Academic Interests” section of the Coalition Application, this prompt is calling for a concise description of your academic interests. However, brevity should never cause you to compromise quality!

Note that this prompt highlights two key expectations: a description of your intended area of study and the reason for your interest in the subject(s). In responding to the prompt’s “why,” be sure to include opportunities unique to WashU that drive you to pursue your intended major at this institution specifically. To begin, identify a major that is consistent with a) your career ambitions and b) your “hook” and academic profile. At WashU, your intended program of study could be housed in one of the following four undergraduate schools:

  • College of Arts & Sciences
  • Olin Business School
  • Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts
  • McKelvey School of Engineering

Once you’ve determined which major best suits your interests and profile, check out the website of the academic department that houses your intended major. There, you can read through the courses, resources, and special opportunities offered to students. Identify unique study abroad programs, specialized summer research programs, and interdisciplinary academic programs that interest you. The “News” tab on the department website can also provide information about the latest developments in the department and professors’ recent work, which might present an opportunity for collaboration should you attend the school.

After completing your research, be sure to strike a balance between information about the school and information about yourself in your essay; the admissions committee already knows what WashU has to offer, so focus on demonstrating how you would add to the vibrant academic community if admitted. Connect your past experience to related opportunities or courses of study within your specified major of interest—doing so will help the admissions committee see how you will fit in on the Danforth campus.

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Sample:

When I first started my t-shirt business, I had no idea that five hand-drawn patterns would change my life, generating over $300,000 for disability justice and inspiring my dream of pursuing accessible fashion as a career. WashU’s Sam Fox School of Design is the perfect place for me to pursue my ambitions, completing a Printmaking major and Creative Practice for Social Change minor.

I look forward to making Dubinsky Printmaking Studio my second home as I elevate my skills and dive into research-based printmaking with Island Press. Courses like Printmaking: Propaganda to Decoration, Enchanted Objects: Material Culture, Collage: History + Practice, and Art + Feminism, will not only allow me to develop my technical foundations, but also study the complex sociopolitical history that underpins much of the fashion industry.

Fox classes outside of my concentration like Fashion Design’s Fiber Manipulation and Knitwear Design electives will allow me to learn about the optimal materials and techniques used to create tees for diverse body types and abilities. Furthermore, taking courses like The Endgame for Entrepreneurship: Leveraging Capitalism for Good, Morality and Markets, Venture Creation at the Olin Business School will supplement my arts education with ethically-grounded and socially conscious business acumen.

Optional Essay:

This optional question allows you to add another dimension to your application – something that the admissions committee might not learn by reading your transcript or your personal statement.

WashU is a place that values diversity of perspectives. We believe those perspectives come from a variety of experiences and identities. Respond to one of the following prompts to help us understand “Who are you?”:

    • WashU supports engagement in the St. Louis community by considering the university as “In St. Louis, For St. Louis.” What is a community you are a part of and your place or impact within it?
    • WashU strives to know every undergraduate student “By Name & Story.” How have your life experiences shaped your story?

Respond in 250 words or fewer.

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Explanation:

While this prompt is listed as optional, you should take advantage of this opportunity to share more about your identity with the admissions committee. Regardless of the prompt you choose, your ultimate goal in writing this essay should be to present yourself as a dynamic person and a committed community member. If you choose to answer the first prompt, be specific about your active participation in a community you are a part of—don’t simply tell the admissions committee how you will give back to the St. Louis community as a WashU student, show them by pointing to your history of leadership and service in high school. If you choose to answer the second prompt, try to share an aspect of your identity that you have not included elsewhere in your application. What should the admissions committee know about you that isn’t reflected in your other materials?

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Sample:

Selected Prompt: WashU supports engagement in the St. Louis community by considering the university as “In St. Louis, For St. Louis.” What is a community you are a part of and your place or impact within it?

Power, planning and precision are all deeply embedded into my “school after school,” my Kuk Sool Won dojo, and the habits that have shaped me. As I’ve watched icons in the dojo reach higher heights of flexibility, strength and speed, I’ve dug deeply into my own reasons for competing—seven years of dedication without a single medal would be confusing to most.

It’s the community that gave me stability after my injury, and the confidence to imagine a future of fulfillment after my body became devastatingly unrecognizable to me years ago. They taught me that medals can be distributed, but true internal growth cannot be measured in objective terms. Whether I’m telling jokes on the way to competition, baking post-practice treats, or offering words of encouragement to young athletes, I’m leaning into the healing aspect of community that helped me internally rehabilitate. It simultaneously has enabled me to embrace two additional dimensions of my identity, the nuances of my ability and my Korean heritage as I rediscover who I am in the company of others, reclaiming my physical and mental fortitude post-injury.

My community has taught me that good posture is not just the uprightness of the spine, but the graciousness through which you navigate the world, and I hope to share this perspective with the multifaceted and supportive WashU community.

Required Essay:

Please tell us what you are interested in studying at college and why. (200 words)

Undecided about your academic interest(s)? Don’t worry—tell us what excites you about the academic division you selected. Remember that all of our first-year students enter officially “undeclared” and work closely with their team of academic advisors to discover their academic passions. You can explore all of our majors and programs on our website.*

w

Explanation:

As the only required prompt, this question provides an excellent opportunity for you to stand out to the admissions committee. While brainstorming, you should devote time and energy to researching WashU’s distinctive offerings, whether classes, faculty members, research programs, or study abroad opportunities. Incorporate your findings into your essay to showcase your clear sense of purpose in applying. Given its small word limit and placement within the “Academic” section of the Common Application and the “Academic Interests” section of the Coalition Application, this prompt is calling for a concise description of your academic interests. However, brevity should never cause you to compromise quality!

Note that this prompt highlights two key expectations: a description of your intended area of study and the reason for your interest in the subject(s). In responding to the prompt’s “why,” be sure to include opportunities unique to WashU that drive you to pursue your intended major at this institution specifically. To begin, identify a major that is consistent with a) your career ambitions and b) your “hook” and academic profile. At WashU, your intended program of study could be housed in one of the following four undergraduate schools:

  • College of Arts & Sciences
  • Olin Business School
  • Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts
  • McKelvey School of Engineering

Once you’ve determined which major best suits your interests and profile, check out the website of the academic department that houses your intended major. There, you can read through the courses, resources, and special opportunities offered to students. Identify unique study abroad programs, specialized summer research programs, and interdisciplinary academic programs that interest you. The “News” tab on the department website can also provide information about the latest developments in the department and professors’ recent work, which might present an opportunity for collaboration should you attend the school.

After completing your research, be sure to strike a balance between information about the school and information about yourself in your essay; the admissions committee already knows what WashU has to offer, so focus on demonstrating how you would add to the vibrant academic community if admitted. Connect your past experience to related opportunities or courses of study within your specified major of interest—doing so will help the admissions committee see how you will fit in on the Danforth campus.

l

Sample:

When I first started my t-shirt business, I had no idea that five hand-drawn patterns would change my life, generating over $300,000 for disability justice and inspiring my dream of pursuing accessible fashion as a career. WashU’s Sam Fox School of Design is the perfect place for me to pursue my ambitions, completing a Printmaking major and Creative Practice for Social Change minor.

I look forward to making Dubinsky Printmaking Studio my second home as I elevate my skills and dive into research-based printmaking with Island Press. Courses like Printmaking: Propaganda to Decoration, Enchanted Objects: Material Culture, Collage: History + Practice, and Art + Feminism, will not only allow me to develop my technical foundations, but also study the complex sociopolitical history that underpins much of the fashion industry.

Fox classes outside of my concentration like Fashion Design’s Fiber Manipulation and Knitwear Design electives will allow me to learn about the optimal materials and techniques used to create tees for diverse body types and abilities. Furthermore, taking courses like The Endgame for Entrepreneurship: Leveraging Capitalism for Good, Morality and Markets, Venture Creation at the Olin Business School will supplement my arts education with ethically-grounded and socially conscious business acumen.

Optional Essay:

This optional question allows you to add another dimension to your application – something that the admissions committee might not learn by reading your transcript or your personal statement.

WashU is a place that values diversity of perspectives. We believe those perspectives come from a variety of experiences and identities. Respond to one of the following prompts to help us understand “Who are you?”:

  • WashU supports engagement in the St. Louis community by considering the university as “In St. Louis, For St. Louis.” What is a community you are a part of and your place or impact within it?
  • WashU strives to know every undergraduate student “By Name & Story.” How have your life experiences shaped your story?

Respond in 250 words or fewer.

w

Explanation:

While this prompt is listed as optional, you should take advantage of this opportunity to share more about your identity with the admissions committee. Regardless of the prompt you choose, your ultimate goal in writing this essay should be to present yourself as a dynamic person and a committed community member. If you choose to answer the first prompt, be specific about your active participation in a community you are a part of—don’t simply tell the admissions committee how you will give back to the St. Louis community as a WashU student, show them by pointing to your history of leadership and service in high school. If you choose to answer the second prompt, try to share an aspect of your identity that you have not included elsewhere in your application. What should the admissions committee know about you that isn’t reflected in your other materials?

l

Sample:

WashU supports engagement in the St. Louis community by considering the university as “In St. Louis, For St. Louis.” What is a community you are a part of and your place or impact within it?

Power, planning and precision are all deeply embedded into my “school after school,” my Kuk Sool Won dojo, and the habits that have shaped me. As I’ve watched icons in the dojo reach higher heights of flexibility, strength and speed, I’ve dug deeply into my own reasons for competing—seven years of dedication without a single medal would be confusing to most.

It’s the community that gave me stability after my injury, and the confidence to imagine a future of fulfillment after my body became devastatingly unrecognizable to me years ago. They taught me that medals can be distributed, but true internal growth cannot be measured in objective terms. Whether I’m telling jokes on the way to competition, baking post-practice treats, or offering words of encouragement to young athletes, I’m leaning into the healing aspect of community that helped me internally rehabilitate. It simultaneously has enabled me to embrace two additional dimensions of my identity, the nuances of my ability and my Korean heritage as I rediscover who I am in the company of others, reclaiming my physical and mental fortitude post-injury.

My community has taught me that good posture is not just the uprightness of the spine, but the graciousness through which you navigate the world, and I hope to share this perspective with the multifaceted and supportive WashU community.