How can I improve my application to WashU

Applying to College
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Hello!

I’m currently applying to WashU to transfer this fall. I’m applying as a biology major, specifically the ecology and conservation biology concentration.

I was hoping for some basic tips on how to make my application and essay specifically stand out.

Currently, I have a below average SAT (1450) and a 4.0 college GPA. I have limited extracurricular involvement, as I work full time, but my volunteer participation in one organization I’m in is fairly well concentrated on my intended area of study and is therefore something I intend to write about in my essay. I’m also able to demonstrate interest in WashU programs and ongoing research.

For what it’s worth, I’m mixed race and lower class. WashU’s financial aid is a big component of my interest, I cannot lie, but the main reason I’m applying there and not to similarly generous schools is honestly due to the availability of research and the Living Earth Collaborative program.

I know that’s a fairly limited overview of my application and leaves a lot to be desired. I’m asking if there’s any way I can improve my application, given that information. What can you all suggest?

Thanks!

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Stop. That is an excellent SAT, and you should send it (not that you asked)

How many semesters of college have you completed?

Do you attend college full time too? Make sure to put your work in Activities.

Being a hooked applicant will help in admissions. I don’t know about the living earth program but ALL FA generous schools will have ample opportunities for research.

WashU is a reach for all transfer students, so if you are certain you want to transfer, make sure to have some more accessible schools on your list. Would your state flagship be affordable?

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Hello, thank you for the reply :slight_smile:

I appreciate the comments regarding my SAT, however I do believe for WashU it is slightly below average, which I’m not afraid of admitting. Still, if you think I ought to submit it, I can do that for sure.

As of the time of applying, I’ve completed one fall and one summer semester, both full time. I’ll make sure to mention work in my activities.

WashU’s living earth program is a collaboration between them and the St. Louis zoo. I’m interested in participating, to see if I can get my foot in the door with some research internships that might be more adjacent to what I want to study (elephant conservation biology).

I’m applying early to WashU and Princeton, the plan was to complete another 2 semesters and then apply to transfer to those as well as Cornell, and then my in state option (either Texas A&M or UT Austin, or both). That being said, the instate options will have to wait, as currently I cannot afford them (not enough money saved just yet).

Thank you again for replying, I eagerly await your response :smiley:

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I think that I have two immediate reactions.

One reaction is that you are a very compelling candidate. A 4.0 college GPA while maintaining a full time job is impressive. A full time job is an EC, and a good one. Top universities (including WUSTL) know that some students need to work to earn money. It also sounds like you know why WUSTL is a good fit for you, which can be very helpful when transferring.

My other reaction is that WUSTL is a reach for all students, particularly for transfers, and needing significant financial aid will make it a bit more of a reach. Also, if you can maintain a 4.0 college GPA for several semesters this will make you an even stronger candidate than you are right now.

I also think that the strategy of applying to a couple of highly desirable reaches this time around, and seeing what happens, makes sense. Then if you do not get in, apply to a wider range of schools next year. I have a daughter who is doing pretty much the same thing right now, except for graduate programs. Hopefully you and she will both get an acceptance this time around, but if not the universities will still be there in a year’s time (and life is not a race).

I do not know whether submitting a 1450 SAT to WUSTL or Princeton would help or hurt your application. I doubt that it would make much difference one way or the other. It probably would be helpful for quite a few other universities.

Best wishes, and I think that you are doing well.

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Not sure that you need any outside advice as, based on your initial post in this thread, you seem to be doing almost everything that you can to build a compelling transfer application to Washington University.

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Thank you for the kind words, I appreciate it.

I suppose my concern is just, I feel I need to make my essays carry my application. My high school GPA was really poor (3.35, dropped substantially during senior year due to a month-long quarantine), and whilst my collegiate GPA is better, it’s perhaps not enough to demonstrate academic improvement if all I have is one semester under my belt. I was hoping I could maybe get some advice on how to make my essays simply the best an essay can be. Would you (or anyone else) have any advice?

Thanks!

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The longer that you maintain a 4.0 GPA in college, the less important your high school GPA will be. I think that acceptance this time around to a university on the “WUSTL, Princeton” level is unlikely. However, a year from now you will have another year of results from college.

My main advice on essays is to be authentic, and be careful with things like spelling and grammar.

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Do you think it would still be a goody idea to shoot my shot and apply, just to see? Or should I save my money when applying? How can I apply for a fee waiver?

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Also, do you think if I sufficiently explain my drop in HS GPA (prior to my senior year it was 3.75, and I had taken 8 APs at that point) as a result of self-quarantine, changing schools, and family circumstances, that I could make my application better?

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It is hard to say. Even with a 3.75 high school GPA WUSTL is a very high reach, and Princeton is even less likely. Having problems during your senior year of high school is not the best timing, although the pandemic impacted a lot of students and was tough for everyone. Even one student who I know who managed to keep their straight A’s though the pandemic has told me that it was very tough.

If you do not apply then you cannot be accepted. However, WUSTL and Princeton look like very high reaches right now. Another year of strong grades in college will help your application quite a bit. Even with this, if you are serious about transferring (which I assume that you will be eventually if you are at community college and getting straight A’s) then you will want to apply to a range of schools, including at least one or two where acceptance is very likely.

This is also hard to say. You do not want to sound like you are making excuses. “This is why I am now doing better and will continue to do better” should be more the theme. I have heard that it is generally better to have an advisor who knows you (such as a guidance counselor) explain extenuating circumstances. However, this is not an area where I have much experience. There are good universities that will give a chance to a student who has shown strong improvement. However, WUSTL and Princeton are at a level where they get a long list of applicants who have nearly perfect records, which makes them a high reach for everyone else (and a reach even for the students with nearly perfect records).

By the way one daughter had a friend who was among the strongest students in the middle school, and then in high school, but for financial reasons started at community college. After two years of straight A’s in community college she transferred to a local public university with a full merit scholarship. She ended up graduating university with a very high GPA and a very marketable major. Just by chance I happened to run into her in a store about one month before her graduation and she was doing very well and had a big smile on her face. I am quite sure that her father, who I had gotten to know very well through school events, was very proud of what she had accomplished. It is possible to do very well in community college, transfer to a good university, and continue to do very well.

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I’ve tried to get well informed about college affordability, and found that elite colleges are definitely affordable for first year students of modest means. BUT these same elite colleges could be much more expensive, and be unaffordable for transfer students. (I’m not certain about specific colleges, since their Net Price Calculator gives numbers for first year students, not transfer students.) Based on this, our oldest S24, is applying to many elite colleges, since getting in is a huge win-win (great college, affordable price), realizing that chances are low, but also realizing that if one doesn’t get in at the beginning then there’s no chance later, as the transfer option is unaffordable, and so the only chance is to get in at the beginning and stay there until graduation.

I could be wrong, but based on what I’ve found, I’ve dismissed transferring as a way to get to an affordable elite college, it’s first year or never.

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I’ve heard Princeton at least offers financial aid to transfers, though I’d have to check more about WuStL (I’ve checked previously but have found no conclusive statement on transfers).

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If you look at the last bullet item on the following web page, you will find: “Our need blind admissions policy applies to all first-year domestic applicants for undergraduate admission. Not included in this program are international applicants, transfer students, and students admitted from our wait list, although we meet 100% of need for these students”.

I think this means that they are need aware for admissions for transfer students, but meet full need for all undergraduate students. This will vary from one university to the next, so you will need to check it for every school that you apply to.

Also, completing the equivalent of two years at community college and then transferring to an in-state public university is an option to consider. Again you will have to check what sort of aid your public universities offer.

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Thank you for the reply, I appreciate it.

I understand both schools are definitely reaches. At the very least, I’ll apply and see if I can get a fee waiver. Worst case, I get a rejection letter and spend another year at my CC building my application for the next admissions cycle.

I’ll definitely apply to some state schools, like Texas A&M or UT Austin, maybe Rice too. Admittedly however, the programs for my specific interest at these universities leave a bit to be desired (I got in as a freshman at A&M and while the ECCB program is exciting, there’s clearly a big focus on Texas ecology, whereas I happen to be more interested in Asian and African megafauna).

I’ll be scheduling an appointment with an advisor at my CC as soon as possible. I know schools like students that demonstrate academic improvement, I was hoping that, by demonstrating that as well as clear interest in each school (something I think I can do), I could make my application stand out a bit.

Regarding essays, my only struggle is weaving in my personal background (not to make excuses, but my families extenuating circumstances I find fit the “challenge” prompts rather well and I tend to be inclined to write about them a bit), my current experience as a full time college student and employee, and my demonstrated interest in these schools. I want to write about all of these, but I also want to make sure each gets its proper due. Would you have any tips?

I appreciate your optimism in the last paragraph. Admittedly, to some degree I feel a bit down about the fact that all my peers are in proper universities, and I’m stuck in CC at the moment. I know it’s temporary and that, given proper effort, I’ll make it to a standard university in time. I suppose I just want that to be sooner than later, and I hope that, by applying to these super reaches, I can maybe get the financial aid to make it possible. That being said, this is by far and away not the main reason for my interest in these schools.

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My public universities don’t offer much aid at all to be honest, A&M offered nothing the first and second times I applied, even though my parent was living on SSDI. I’d get more aid out of a PTK membership.

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you may want to talk to recent alumni or current students and ask for their advice/ tips & tricks. Achivar.com or linkedin can be a good place to find relevant individuals from your major & institutions.

Personally found those insights very useful… way better than college admin consultants.

Hope this helps

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