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I was wondering what important things does wustl look at when deciding to admit someone. Is, it the grades, act, personal qualties?

By Lysse84 (Lysse84) on Saturday, July 31, 2004 - 09:32 pm: Edit

A little bit of everything really. I have known kids with great act/sat/gpas that haven't gotten in because they didn't have the kind of personality WUSTL looks for. If you are a well-rounded, involved student with great grades, your chances will be strong! Oh yea-have great letters or rec. too!

By Kinglin2 (Kinglin2) on Saturday, July 31, 2004 - 11:08 pm: Edit

Ill tell yah a little. through out my fresman year, and sophomore year I struggled. I got a 2.5 freshman year. Yikes!! Sophomore Year a 3.14 Yikes again!! But then pulled it together and got a 4.3 junior year. I also took 4aps that year. Im going into my senior year, where im taking another 4aps and plan on getting another 4.0+ lets hope. I got a 27 on the ACT junior year, but this year I plan on imporving that. I do ice hockey, track and cross country(captain) also I've been getting scouted latey ever since I filled out a form on their website for cross country. Im in FBLA junior year treasuer, and went to nationals for economics. Senior year of FBLA i've been elected district vice president, and President of FBLA at our school. My teachers always say how they like me, cause im always asking questions, get really involved in the class. I also live right outside of Saint Louis though I dont really feel that will help. Thats about all I can think of now.

Just wondering if you think I have a decent chance. Oh by the way, I plan on majoring in economics.

By Kinglin2 (Kinglin2) on Saturday, July 31, 2004 - 11:10 pm: Edit

Oh yea I also forgot to add, that I've done 200+ hours community service at a local food pantry.

By Fyre (Fyre) on Tuesday, August 03, 2004 - 11:44 pm: Edit

What school do you go to Kinglin2 ? I live outside the St. Louis area too.

Oh and I was also wondering if being from just outside of St. Louis might make a difference. I knew this girl at my school whose stats were not that impressive and she got in. She wasn't top 10, had like a 3. something GPA where that's really bad at our school, and was in only one major club.....however she got in for her dancing which she has been doing for 10+ years.


Oh and I was also wondering if it would make a difference if my parents worked for the university's research programs??? They aren't professors or anything, but if any of you know of somebody in my position, lemme know!

Thanks so much!

By Kinglin2 (Kinglin2) on Monday, August 09, 2004 - 02:10 pm: Edit

I go to Francis Howell Central and you?

By Kinglin2 (Kinglin2) on Monday, August 09, 2004 - 02:11 pm: Edit

I also know a girl, whom was kinda like me, didnt do well first two years, I mean she did really bad, but then all of a sudden picked it up junior and senior year got in, thats why im thinking I have a chance.

By Jwtullis (Jwtullis) on Tuesday, August 10, 2004 - 07:43 pm: Edit

Just to add another perspective...

I'm a National Merit Scholar, have won several statewide and national writing awards, have a 34 ACT, and am 4th out of 130 with a 99.6 GPA from a public school in Alabama; I didn't get in to WUSTL. I applied to the school of arts and sciences, so perhaps they had an extraordinarily large amount of people apply to it. I've heard similar rumors, but am not sure why their admissions decisions seemed different this year.

By Medusa2003 (Medusa2003) on Friday, August 13, 2004 - 07:44 pm: Edit

As an earlier poster mentioned, it appears that factors outside GPA and test scores play an important role in admission at Wash U. Our daughter was waitlisted at WUSTL last year with higher test scores and class rank than the previous poster with numerous academic-type awards. The students from her school that were admitted during the past two years were good but not spectacular students who had outstanding extracurricular achievements in athletics, performing arts, etc. National Merit commended students with impressive non-academic extracurriculars appear to have a better chance of admission than students with better stats but less accomplishment in non-academic pursuits.

By Kinglin2 (Kinglin2) on Saturday, August 14, 2004 - 11:23 pm: Edit

I second that, cause now I got the wustl track coach contacting me, about running for them, and it seems as if I got a good shot now. Not only running but my Ec's are really good. I spend more time on EC's then homework and studying (they dont know that though;) my grades arent that great, not bad, but not close to national merit. Probably a 3.5(w) with 27 ACT. But I myself also had an awful freshman year, and made a 4.2(W) 4.0(UW) junior year, which is really good comming from a guy who made a 2.6 freshman year.

By Jpmom (Jpmom) on Monday, August 30, 2004 - 11:23 am: Edit

My son is a freshman at Wash U. We were thrilled when he got in. Very often during the application process last year, I worried that he did not have a "passion" to talk about. The fact of the matter is that his "passion" is always trying new things, but not necessarily pursuing just one. Some of his stats were:
-4.1 GPA and was 30th in a class of 650
-1460 SAT
-4 years of cross country and 3 years of track. Varsity letter in cross country in jr and sr year.
- Some community service, but not an overhelming amount
-Had two jobs during high school, including being a student teacher at our synagogue, but together, he never worked more than 15 - 18 hours in a week.

I think the reasons he got in were he really showed an interest by visiting the campus (we're in California) and interviewed while he was there, he got an alumni reference and he looked like he fit the Wash U profile. He was not necessarily Ivy League material and so I think Wash U thought he might actually come if offered to. From the posts above, I think many applicants with really stellar resumes, may look "too good" and Wash U may not believe they would come if offered a slot.

We just dropped him off last week and I'd say he fits right in. We met many others like him who were smart, friendly and down to earth.