2014-2015 Washington University in St. Louis Application Thread

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
Thanks for posting @fermata125 and congratulations on all your interviews! I had a question, if you don't mind my asking. By "later", do you mean you will be interviewing in March? Curious as to how late WashU will be scheduling interviews this season. Thanks in advance!
No problem at all, and thanks! 🙂 My apologies if the last post was confusing. I meant that when I called to schedule, they offered me a few dates in early/mid Feb but I was already booked, so I was forced to take a date in late Feb--the 26th, to be exact. So no, I'm not interviewing in March. But I'm still surprised they are offering dates that late.
 
Does the admissions committee wait until the Dean's Certificate is in before they evaluate an interviewee for admission?
 
+1. Totally shocked. It's scheduled for late too, February 26th...I had no idea they interviewed that late.
Congrats! As for Muvis, if you don't mind, could you share your stats? Also IS or OOS? Thanks
 
OOS, ~75 as well. Complete around 7/15.
 
anyone know how many decision dates before wait list comes out?
 
anyone know how many decision dates before wait list comes out?

On my interview day they said it was very possible the phone notifications could go in to April even for early interviewees. No phone call yet, so I am inclined to be a big believer of that thinking.
 
Does the admissions committee wait until the Dean's Certificate is in before they evaluate an interviewee for admission?
Many have said it was not required. But I got an interview a few days after I finally decided to not wait and to ask my dean to send it. I think the best bet is to give the school everything they ask for as soon as possible...
 
Is it required for interview?

No, a friend of mine interviewed without it, but she received an email asking her to submit it thereafter before a decision could be made.
 
Hello everyone!

I am currently a Wash U student medical student. I just thought it was time to pay it forward since I received so much help, advice, and support from SDN when I was applying! I would love to answer any questions you guys have. A classmate told me that I should give some kind of evidence on SDN because there are some trolls apparently. So I included a picture of my badge, white coat, and the pen I received from Wash U on my interview day!:
http://imgur.com/b84u3py

The advice I would give to you guys at this point in the admissions process is to send an update email to the admissions office! I got accepted off of the waitlist and I am also not that crazy good in stats, GPA 3.6, MCAT 38. I firmly believe the ONLY reason I got accepted to Wash U was that I sent them a letter of INTENT around this time in January/February. In my letter of intent, I expressed why I liked Wash U and that I was FULLY committed to attending Wash U if I was offered a position and would withdraw from all the other schools I applied to. With the interview season approaching the end, I would definitely recommend sending a letter of intent like this if Wash U is your #1 choice out of the schools you got interviewed. If you are already thinking it, why not let them know? I think it also just makes admissions officers think positively about your application, remember your name, and really appreciate your enthusiasm for the school! If you are not sure yet, that is completely fine though! I would definitely recommend sending them an update letter! Most of my classmates I have spoken with sent at least 1 update letter during the application process so I think it definitely helps your application! You don't need to publish a groundbreaking research paper to send them an update letter. You can and should update them on any new clinical experience, extracurriculars, research experience, academic achievement, leadership position, etc.

When I was applying, I sent at least 1 update letter to each school I interviewed at. Some of my friends who were also applying didn't do this because they thought it was either 1) unnecessary, 2) daunting/intimidating/too lazy, or 3) they didn't have anything to update with. I frown at it being "unnecessary" because it definitely makes a huge difference. It is another opportunity to share about yourself and make the admission officers remember you. Although I understand the "daunting/intimidating/too lazy" reason, it really takes no more than a few hours to draft a thoughtful, well-written letter just around 1 page long. And after you press send, it honestly feels great because you just feel like you improved your application and you can enjoy the rest of your time without worrying about if you should send an update letter! After all the work you have done putting together the application, its a few hours of extra work that can be so beneficial. As for the last reason, not having anything to update them with, you could try to do something new that would be worth updating them!

Also if you are afraid your GPA is weak in your application, I cannot stress enough how important it is to update them with all of your most recent (good) grades.

(Sorry, I didn't mean for this post to be so long)
tl;dr They really do look at update letters and add them to your application for consideration. And from my experience and others' experiences, it makes a huge difference (in my case, all the difference, letter of intent FTW!)

P.S. Wash U is great!
 
Last edited:
Hello everyone!

I am currently a Wash U student medical student. I just thought it was time to pay it forward since I received so much help, advice, and support from SDN when I was applying! I would love to answer any questions you guys have. A classmate told me that I should give some kind of evidence on SDN because there are some trolls apparently. So I included a picture of my badge, white coat, and the pen I received from Wash U on my interview day!:
http://imgur.com/b84u3py

The advice I would give to you guys at this point in the admissions process is to send an update email to the admissions office! I got accepted off of the waitlist and I am also not that crazy good in stats, GPA 3.6, MCAT 38. I firmly believe the ONLY reason I got accepted to Wash U was that I sent them a letter of INTENT around this time in January/February. In my letter of intent, I expressed why I liked Wash U and that I was FULLY committed to attending Wash U if I was offered a position and would withdraw from all the other schools I applied to. With the interview season approaching the end, I would definitely recommend sending a letter of intent like this if Wash U is your #1 choice out of the schools you got interviewed. If you are already thinking it, why not let them know? I think it also just makes admissions officers think positively about your application, remember your name, and really appreciate your enthusiasm for the school! If you are not sure yet, that is completely fine though! I would definitely recommend sending them an update letter! Most of my classmates I have spoken with sent at least 1 update letter during the application process so I think it definitely helps your application! You don't need to publish a groundbreaking research paper to send them an update letter. You can and should update them on any new clinical experience, extracurriculars, research experience, academic achievement, leadership position, etc.

When I was applying, I sent at least 1 update letter to each school I interviewed at. Some of my friends who were also applying didn't do this because they thought it was either 1) unnecessary, 2) daunting/intimidating/too lazy, or 3) they didn't have anything to update with. I frown at it being "unnecessary" because it definitely makes a huge difference. It is another opportunity to share about yourself and make the admission officers remember you. Although I understand the "daunting/intimidating/too lazy" reason, it really takes no more than a few hours to draft a thoughtful, well-written letter just around 1 page long. And after you press send, it honestly feels great because you just feel like you improved your application and you can enjoy the rest of your time without worrying about if you should send an update letter! After all the work you have done putting together the application, its a few hours of extra work that can be so beneficial. As for the last reason, not having anything to update them with, you could try to do something new that would be worth updating them!

Also if you are afraid your GPA is weak in your application, I cannot stress enough how important it is to update them with all of your most recent (good) grades.

(Sorry, I didn't mean for this post to be so long)
tl;dr They really do look at update letters and add them to your application for consideration. And from my experience and others' experiences, it makes a huge difference (in my case, all the difference, letter of intent FTW!)

P.S. Wash U is great!
Thank you so much for the info! I am interviewing there tomorrow, so it might be too soon for an update--I'm just glad that I got a DATE!
 
Hello everyone!

I am currently a Wash U student medical student. I just thought it was time to pay it forward since I received so much help, advice, and support from SDN when I was applying! I would love to answer any questions you guys have. A classmate told me that I should give some kind of evidence on SDN because there are some trolls apparently. So I included a picture of my badge, white coat, and the pen I received from Wash U on my interview day!:
http://imgur.com/b84u3py

The advice I would give to you guys at this point in the admissions process is to send an update email to the admissions office! I got accepted off of the waitlist and I am also not that crazy good in stats, GPA 3.6, MCAT 38. I firmly believe the ONLY reason I got accepted to Wash U was that I sent them a letter of INTENT around this time in January/February. In my letter of intent, I expressed why I liked Wash U and that I was FULLY committed to attending Wash U if I was offered a position and would withdraw from all the other schools I applied to. With the interview season approaching the end, I would definitely recommend sending a letter of intent like this if Wash U is your #1 choice out of the schools you got interviewed. If you are already thinking it, why not let them know? I think it also just makes admissions officers think positively about your application, remember your name, and really appreciate your enthusiasm for the school! If you are not sure yet, that is completely fine though! I would definitely recommend sending them an update letter! Most of my classmates I have spoken with sent at least 1 update letter during the application process so I think it definitely helps your application! You don't need to publish a groundbreaking research paper to send them an update letter. You can and should update them on any new clinical experience, extracurriculars, research experience, academic achievement, leadership position, etc.

When I was applying, I sent at least 1 update letter to each school I interviewed at. Some of my friends who were also applying didn't do this because they thought it was either 1) unnecessary, 2) daunting/intimidating/too lazy, or 3) they didn't have anything to update with. I frown at it being "unnecessary" because it definitely makes a huge difference. It is another opportunity to share about yourself and make the admission officers remember you. Although I understand the "daunting/intimidating/too lazy" reason, it really takes no more than a few hours to draft a thoughtful, well-written letter just around 1 page long. And after you press send, it honestly feels great because you just feel like you improved your application and you can enjoy the rest of your time without worrying about if you should send an update letter! After all the work you have done putting together the application, its a few hours of extra work that can be so beneficial. As for the last reason, not having anything to update them with, you could try to do something new that would be worth updating them!

Also if you are afraid your GPA is weak in your application, I cannot stress enough how important it is to update them with all of your most recent (good) grades.

(Sorry, I didn't mean for this post to be so long)
tl;dr They really do look at update letters and add them to your application for consideration. And from my experience and others' experiences, it makes a huge difference (in my case, all the difference, letter of intent FTW!)

P.S. Wash U is great!
Hi! Was wondering if you know whether I could send a Letter of Intent if I haven't heard a decision yet? I interviewed back in November and have a sinking feeling I'm being waitlisted, but have received mixed responses in terms of sending a letter of intent now or waiting until I get a decision. I'm 100% sure I want to go to Wash U if they'll have me.
 
@lakerfan91 You can definitely send a letter of intent before getting any decision. Although I understand why there might be differing opinions about that, I personally think sending it earlier is better because it shows you really are interested and committed to Wash U (as opposed to sending it late in June or something when it may seem like you just got rejected from your prior #1 choice).

I am not completely sure about this, but I think that admissions does thorough reviews of applicants after their interview and choose which ones to accept. Then they cycle through all the ones that did not get accepted repeatedly after that throughout the next months. I think the more times your update letter/letter of intent is included in your application in the initial review after your interview and any of the subsequent reviews, the more beneficial to your application. That is just my personal opinion though.

As for everyone poking jabs at my "not crazy good" comment (lol), I guess I was referring to my GPA and extracurriculars, which my MCAT score helped make up for.
 
II today!!!!! scheduled for next week can't believe it!!!
Congratulations! Hope your travel goes a bit more comfortably than my own. . .the storm forced me to leave very early, and now I need to stay in St. Louis because my return flight is booked through Chicago. Is this an omen?? (That I belong in St. Louis, I hope!!) :nod:
 
Has anyone heard back from Wash U recently (last two weeks)?
 
II just now!!! OMG I thought I was eliminated a looooong time ago because I as complete on June 29 lol!! I probably am eliminated for all intents and purposes, but ah well -- it's worth a shot and I am excited to visit! :happy:

I can't schedule now without a password... I apparently didn't put it in my reminder notepad. Ugh stupid stupid stupid self!! 😡
 
II just now!!! OMG I thought I was eliminated a looooong time ago because I as complete on June 29 lol!! I probably am eliminated for all intents and purposes, but ah well -- it's worth a shot and I am excited to visit! :happy:

I can't schedule now without a password... I apparently didn't put it in my reminder notepad. Ugh stupid stupid stupid self!! 😡
Of COURSE this school wants to interview you, silly (but lovably so and NEVER stupid!) @researchismymiddlename!! I cannot believe that it took these folks so long to get around to you! Good luck. I think you'll love it--and have some tough decisions to make pretty soon!!
 
II just now! Wow so surprised. Scheduled for in two weeks. For flight scheduling purposes, when does the interview day end? And how long does it take to get to and from the airport?
You will get an individualized schedule, but nearly everyone is finished by 2:30, and the public transport takes about 30 minutes. Best of luck to you, and congratulations!
 
Has anyone heard back from Wash U recently (last two weeks)?

I was accepted a week and a half ago! Interviewed in mid-December. I was crazy shocked and excited to get that call. I was enjoying celebrating with my friends and family too much to post sooner! Good luck to everyone else this cycle, WashU is awesome and I can't wait to start!
 
II just now!!! OMG I thought I was eliminated a looooong time ago because I as complete on June 29 lol!! I probably am eliminated for all intents and purposes, but ah well -- it's worth a shot and I am excited to visit! :happy:

I can't schedule now without a password... I apparently didn't put it in my reminder notepad. Ugh stupid stupid stupid self!! 😡
You're coming to STL?!? I want to meet you! What day are you interviewing???
 
@BengaliBrat how long before your interview date did you get the personalized schedule? I hope your interview went well!
 
You're coming to STL?!? I want to meet you! What day are you interviewing???

I would love that!!!! I haven't scheduled yet because I can't login! LOL I can't find my password and there is no option for those who "forgot their password". I called them today and left a voicemail... I really hope I can schedule soon!
 
  • Like
Reactions: FFH
Of COURSE this school wants to interview you, silly (but lovably so and NEVER stupid!) @researchismymiddlename!! I cannot believe that it took these folks so long to get around to you! Good luck. I think you'll love it--and have some tough decisions to make pretty soon!!

Awww shucks you're such a sweet soul I'm so excited that we have had three interviews in common so far... I would LOVE to be in a class with you!!!
 
  • Like
Reactions: FFH
@BengaliBrat how long before your interview date did you get the personalized schedule? I hope your interview went well!
Thank you, @bahf19, but I must confess that my interview went all astray. Sometimes it beees that way. (I wrote about my tragicomedy in the class of 2019 thread. ) As for the schedule, I received it just three days before my interview day. You will be able to view it through the portal. Good luck to you!
 
Thank you, @bahf19, but I must confess that my interview went all astray. Sometimes it beees that way. (I wrote about my tragicomedy in the class of 2019 thread. ) As for the schedule, I received it just three days before my interview day. You will be able to view it through the portal. Good luck to you!

Sounds like a rough interview, but it happens to the best of us, and I'm sure you had other great days! thanks for the info!
 
Does anyone know if WashU accepts pre-interview updates?

Thanks!

-Bill
 
Just got an interview for Feb 26. Does anyone know if I am competitive for merit scholarships with an interview date this late?
 
Just got an interview for Feb 26. Does anyone know if I am competitive for merit scholarships with an interview date this late?
why not prepare for your interview and get accepted first before worrying for merit $$$...not trying to be mean but just being realistic 🙂
 
Top