<p>redbreaker, I think you should look at the official results thread, instead. It has hard data, not subjective opinions. At last count there were about 140 reported scores, which include students who were admitted, rejected, and waitlisted. Of the 140 applicants, about 10-11 meet your criteria and have been accepted. That is 7%, which in turn is a lot higher than the 0.8% (16000/2000000) percent of students who become NMSF. The CC sample is a tiny one when you think that 25000 students applied to WashU this year, but it is the only data we have…</p>
<p>“there MUST be more to the story”- That’s the overqualification. I forgot but actually mean students with not only SAT 2350 but also with Excellent GPA and ECs. I assume a students with top SAT score most likely to have matching GPA and ECs. I guess you probably do so, too. Therefore, it is not one dimentional. Again, I am sure many hundred applicants with SAT 2350 or higher with also excellent GPA and Ecs applied to Wash U. Were most of them accepted? If not, I would like to know why.</p>
<p>But WashU is not alone in making decisions that are hard to understand. In an article that appeared in US News & World Report sometime this fall, a Princeton spokeswoman stated that Princeton only admits about half of the applicants with perfect 2400 SAT scores. I found this fact mind-boggling, which is why I still remember it months later.</p>
<p>redbreaker only has 11 posts, and several of them are used up on trying to bash WashU
-_______-</p>
<p>And for your information redbreaker, I scored way higher than 2100. My friend scored a 2300+ – I don’t know the exact number because that’s all he said in freshman year “I got higher than a 2300.” If he told me the exact number people might think he hasn’t yet moved on from high school academics in college! He is also at WashU and doing well. But why we need to bicker about this is beyond me. The numbers are there-- in the Accepted students thread, empirically on campus, in the National Merit Scholarship corp. database. And WashU is ranked #4 of all universities across the nation in its number of National Merit Scholars (these are scholars AT the school = ACCEPTED at WashU and matriculated). We are also the #2 private school with the highest number of National Merit Scholars. </p>
<p>I’m sure WashU appreciates the students who can look at the facts and make inferences and probably don’t appreciate those who make assumptions from air.</p>
<p>By the way, there is no such thing as being ‘overqualified’ in terms of test scores when applying to colleges or graduate schools. On a medical school forum you will find that there are posters with 3.9+ GPA and 35+ MCAT have not yet gotten into medical school and there are posters with lower numbers who get in all the time. Sorry to break it to you, but high numbers doesn’t mean anything.</p>
<p>zenithe602,
If I offended you, I apologize. However, as of now this thread was read 20,233 times. Another Wash U’s Waitlist thread was read more than 30,000 times while other were read only several hundred times. By this I can see people do not accept/ understand waitlist decisions of Wash U and they think overqualified student with Excellent SAT, GPA, ECs were not accepted accordingly while their classmates with SAT 2000 to 2200 were usually accepted. That is why people assume Wash U waitlisted overqualified student because they would go to HYPs or other Ivys anyhow. I do not think it is a bad policy. It is a method of target marketing. In the meantime, the reason that I mentioned SAT 2350 is just because it is HYP’s SAT Score.</p>
<p>I am so compelled to post. I got accepted into WashU with a 2300. Boohoo to me. T_T
Seriously though, I would have chosen WashU over every other school I was accepted into if money were not an issue. WashU is an amazing prestigious school. End of story. Bye.</p>
<p>Oh and redbreaker, 2350 is NOT the average SATI score for HYPS. Published data show median and score ranges for each school.If you look at the numbers a lot of Ivies have lower ranges than WashU.</p>
<p>Thank you for your apology. You did not offend me, as I am confident the numbers will speak for themselves. First off though, I don’t understand why the number of times a thread is read has to do with anything-- people will read threads for different reasons. I for example read it because I wanted to know what exactly people were saying and others have been reading and posting on how the waitlisted students seem to just be bitter and out of perspective with the competitive college admissions process. Like I said, there really isn’t such a thing as being ‘overqualified.’ Students with less than 2300 get into Harvard, Duke, Washington University in St. Louis, Stanford, and Cornell all the time. Students with more than 2300 get into Harvard, Duke, Washington University in St. Louis, Stanford, and Cornell all the time. </p>
<p>Thank you again for your apology. Generally I have a feeling this thread is drawing to a rather reasonable conclusion: for every student that cries ‘Waitlisted! Rejected! Down with the Institution!’ there are several more posters who rise to assert that this institution is truly deserving of its ranks among America’s premiere universities.</p>
<p>I am always amazed at the number of instant experts that appear after WashU decisions are announced. These are mostly people with either no or possibly very limited knowledge of the college admission process. You can be absolutely certain that admissions decisions are based on multiple factors and not only test scores. Think for a second and try to comprehend the difficulty of assembling a mosaic that will allow the new freshman class to exhibit the desired campus personality. This does not mean that people involved in the selection process are perfect. At the same time they try the best they can. Considering that washU has been able to maintain that desired campus personality over the past few years; they must be doing something right.</p>
<p>I understand the dissapointment of not being accepted. I also understand the natural reactions of attempted justification or bitterness, but often the best solution is to move on to a more positive situation. I am sure you have heard the phrase “when one door closes then another opens”. Don’t become so focused on the closed door that you never notice the new open door.</p>
<p>I guess you are working at Wash U. You have been replying for all those Wash U threads posted since 2005. And you are very professional in answers! However, let me tell you those with limited knowledge with admissions would still have common senses. If you are working at Wash U, try to understand why this thread was read more than 20,000 times. If you face it, it would help.</p>
<p>Wow, lol, this debate is still going strong…</p>
<p>Seriously, for those of you who really wanted to attend WashU and thought you had a chance but were instead waitlisted: don’t worry and don’t be so bitter because you will definitely have tons of other equally great schools to choose from come April. (and I’m saying this from my own experiences. I was waitlisted here but recently got into MIT, and received likely letters from both Cornell and Dartmouth.) It’s obvious that WashU is looking for something unique in its students that none of us have, and as a private institution, I guess the school can choose its students in whichever way it wants. Like ST2 said, it’s time to move on.</p>
<p>DS accepted a place on the waitlist.
SAT1 1580/1600; 2290/2400
SAT2 Math2 (800); BioE (780)
3.6UW/3.9W
Rank top 15%
AP WHist (5), Bio (5), USHist (4), Eng Lang (4), Stat (4)
EC’s mediocre to average
No hooks</p>
<p>I thought he had no chance at all with his GPA & rank so I’m happy with the waitlist. We knew WUSTL was a reach, but applied to a wide range of schools that had his major (BME/Bioeng).</p>
<p>@Gunther6456 hahaha I live your post. according tobthis post, I will tell my younger d to make sure her sat stays between 2000 and 2250 to get into washu. If she scores higher, I will have her to retake, and hope for a lower score. Ha, then she will send a letter to washu telling them: please consider my lowest scores! Sorry about the sarcasm. :)</p>
<p>@Gunther6456 hahaha I love your post. according to some people on this thread I will tell my younger d to make sure her sat stays between 2000 and 2250 to get into washu. If she scores higher, I will have her to retake, and hope for a lower score. Ha, then she will send a letter to washu telling them: please consider my lowest scores! Sorry about the sarcasm. :)</p>
<p>Everyone should just chill out, and that includes people on both sides of the discussion. What has happened has happened and nothing will change that. Without having seen each individual application, nobody can know why decisions were made. A good portion of the students that applied were applicants that WashU would have loved to have attend. Unfortunately, it is a numbers problem. With more than 25,000 applicants and only 1,400 spots in the freshman class, some very difficult decisions had to be made. I don’t doubt that many of the people on WL could make a good case as to why they should have been accepted. But WashU made an attempt to put together the best mosaic possible. Perfect - probably not, but the best attempt possible.</p>
<p>So if you really want WashU as your first choice, then sign up for the WL and send in any and all supporting materials to move to the top of the candidates. If not, then this is not a game, just move on to your next choice and be happy. There are no games involved and the people making these difficult decision realize that this has an effect on peoples lives. At the same time they also have a responsibility to put together the best class possible for the school. Good luck to everyone.</p>
<p>williams000- were you Arts & Science? Can I have your spot? :)</p>
<p>If I don’t get in this fall, I am going to stay where I am and try to transfer for January 2011. I know Wash U takes a small number of transfer students each term.</p>
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