Washington University in St. Louis supplemental essays
Washington University in St. Louis asks for one supplemental essay in 2026-27. Common App, Coalition App. Personal statement required (250-650 words).
That is one supplement plus the Common App personal statement: two pieces of writing in all. Early Decision closes November 2, 2026, Early Action closes November 2, 2026 and Early Decision II closes January 4, 2027, with the rest in the table below. The prompts carry this limit: 250 words. Every Washington University in St. Louis prompt is printed on this page in full, with its word limit and who has to answer it, checked against the college’s own admissions page.
Deadlines
| Round | Date |
|---|---|
| Early Decision | November 2, 2026 |
| Early Action | November 2, 2026 |
| Early Decision II | January 4, 2027 |
| Regular Decision | January 4, 2027 |
Checked against admissions.washu.edu/how-to-apply/first-year-us-applicants. Confirm on the college’s own page before you submit.
The essays, 2026-27
Required · 250 words
Please tell us what you are interested in studying at college and why.
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Your Washington University in St. Louis checklist
One supplement, required. The first deadline, Early Decision, is November 2, 2026.
- Common App personal statementRequired250-650 words
- SupplementRequired250 words
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Getting into Washington University in St. Louis
Washington University in St. Louis admits 12.1% of applicants. The middle 50% of enrolled students scored 1500-1570 on the SAT and 33-35 on the ACT.
About 1 in 8 applicants are admitted, at a college of 7,857 undergraduates.
| Enrolled students | 25th | Median | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAT total | 1500 | 1540 | 1570 |
| SAT reading and writing | 730 | 750 | 770 |
| SAT math | 770 | 790 | 800 |
| ACT composite | 33 | 34 | 35 |
What SAT score do you need for Washington University in St. Louis?
A 1570 puts you in the top quarter of the students who enrolled, a 1540 at their midpoint, and a 1500 at the bottom quarter, meaning one in four enrolled students scored below it. The same three points on the ACT are 33, 34 and 35. A quarter of an enrolled class scoring under the 25th percentile is not a rounding error, so a score below the range is a reason to strengthen the rest of the application rather than a reason not to apply.
US Department of Education, College Scorecard (2026-09-17). Percentiles describe students who enrolled, not everyone admitted. SAT totals are the reading and math bands added together, which is how every source in this market reports them and is an approximation of about 10 to 20 points, because the two sections are correlated.
- What SAT score do you need for Washington University in St. Louis?
- Washington University in St. Louis sets no minimum. Among students who enrolled, the middle 50% scored 1500-1570 on the SAT: a 1500 sits at the 25th percentile, 1540 at the median and 1570 at the 75th. A score at or above 1570 is a clear strength in the application; below 1500 it is the part of the file the rest has to make up for. These are the figures Washington University in St. Louis reports to the US Department of Education, released in the College Scorecard of 2026-09-17.
- What ACT score do you need for Washington University in St. Louis?
- The middle 50% of enrolled students scored 33-35 on the ACT, with a composite of 34 at the median. There is no cutoff: a quarter of the enrolled class scored below 33. Reported by Washington University in St. Louis to the US Department of Education, College Scorecard release of 2026-09-17.
- What GPA do you need for Washington University in St. Louis?
- The honest answer is that the federal data behind this page does not contain one. Colleges report their admit rate and their enrolled students' test scores to the Department of Education; they do not report a GPA distribution, so any site quoting an exact average GPA for Washington University in St. Louis is either reading that college's own Common Data Set or estimating. What the reported data does say is that Washington University in St. Louis admits 12.1% of applicants, and the more selective a college is, the closer to the top of the class its admitted students sit and the more the strength of your course load counts alongside the number itself.
- How hard is it to get into Washington University in St. Louis?
- Washington University in St. Louis admits 12.1% of the people who apply, which is about 1 in 8 applicants. At that rate no set of numbers makes admission likely, a perfect one included, because the college turns away far more qualified applicants than it takes. Strong grades and scores get the application read; the essays, the recommendations and what you have actually done decide it from there.
What Washington University in St. Louis costs after grant aid, by family income, from the same federal data.
Sort your whole college list into reaches, targets and likelies, or find colleges that fit your GPA and test scores. Both are free and neither needs an account.
Washington University in St. Louis essay questions, answered
- Does Washington University in St. Louis have supplemental essays?
- Yes. Washington University in St. Louis asks for one supplemental essay in 2026-27. Every prompt is printed in full on this page. Word limits: 250 words.
- How many essays do you write for Washington University in St. Louis in 2026-27?
- One supplement, plus the Common App personal statement.
Schools with similar admit rates
Washington University in St. Louis admits 12.1% of applicants. The colleges either side of it in our set by admit rate, most selective first, each with its own prompts and deadlines: University of Notre Dame (11.3%), Tufts University (11.5%), Carnegie Mellon University (11.7%), Haverford College (12.4%), Harvey Mudd College (12.7%), Bates College (13.3%).