<p>Parchment’s numbers are self-reported, and are a small sample, so I wouldn’t read too much into this.</p>
<p>Still, some theories as to why Wash U would have higher cross admit success than you might expect. </p>
<p>Merit scholarships is an obvious one. Wash U gives more merit awards than peer colleges with similar rankings, and a good merit award may sway an admitted student.</p>
<p>I also think that Wash U has a more self-selected pool of applicants than other selective schools. Because it has less “man on the street” name recognition, the students who choose to apply there are doing so because they have done research into schools and are genuinely interested in the school, rather than applying just because the school is well-known, or thought be to prestigious.</p>