2016-2017 Washington University in St. Louis Application Thread

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I don't see how I could possibly get accepted at this point having interviewed in November

Like 10 posts earlier somebody with an October interview was accepted yesterday. It definitely looks pretty grim for us though.

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I was and might soon be again !

Why do you ask, any questions I might know answers for ?

You just seem to know so much about the school and I was wondering if that was cause you're a student there. Got any inside scoop on what students think of the med school? I'm curious what the culture is there. When I was there it seemed like a mix of smart/competitive people (mostly internally competitive) but also like the students were close to each other which is a mix that I really like. Definitely seemed a little more intense than some other places I'd been but in a good way, but I wanna make sure people like the environment.
 
You just seem to know so much about the school and I was wondering if that was cause you're a student there. Got any inside scoop on what students think of the med school? I'm curious what the culture is there. When I was there it seemed like a mix of smart/competitive people (mostly internally competitive) but also like the students were close to each other which is a mix that I really like. Definitely seemed a little more intense than some other places I'd been but in a good way, but I wanna make sure people like the environment.
I think you're on the money, bolded was the same vibe I got from the undergrad and I loved it there. Everyone is brilliant but also collaborative !
 
accepted (got the phone call, no email) yesterday! interviewed in october.
 
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Got the call a few hours ago while I was shtting my brains out in india! Interviewed late October i believe and sent 3 love letters. So freaking happy
 
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Wow two Oct interviews admitted in the last days of Feb, you really can't predict anything with this school!

Way to keep the faith guys! Congrats!
 
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Got the call a few hours ago while I was shtting my brains out in india! Interviewed late October i believe and sent 3 love letters. So freaking happy
Congratulations! What do you mean you sent three love letters? Did you send out a letter of intent before hearing back??
 
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You're my favorite
Still my favorite
Bae plz

Admitted

-flapjack3d
Or like this...
babewait.gif
 
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Congratulations! What do you mean you sent three love letters? Did you send out a letter of intent before hearing back??

You're my favorite
Still my favorite
Bae plz

Admitted

-flapjack3d

pretty much this! But also talked about specific reasonsi love them and why I am deserving of their love too.

Seriously can't say how much this means to me. So much self doubt this past year and it got really bad since January when ive been hearing tons of rejections and waitlists . My sibling will be doing fellowship at wusm next year and I'll get to help out with the toddlers. Couldn't be happier.
 
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pretty much this! But also talked about specific reasonsi love them and why I am deserving of their love too.

Seriously can't say how much this means to me. So much self doubt this past year and it got really bad since January when ive been hearing tons of rejections and waitlists . My sibling will be doing fellowship at wusm next year and I'll get to help out with the toddlers. Couldn't be happier.

That's wonderful! Congratulations!!


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pretty much this! But also talked about specific reasonsi love them and why I am deserving of their love too.

Seriously can't say how much this means to me. So much self doubt this past year and it got really bad since January when ive been hearing tons of rejections and waitlists . My sibling will be doing fellowship at wusm next year and I'll get to help out with the toddlers. Couldn't be happier.

Congrats!!!
 
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I really wonder when scholarships will be released.. if they havent been already. Input for current students would be huge
 
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Also dying to find out when scholarship offers go out :dead:
 
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Finally got my Pre II rejection. Took them long enough.
 
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Wash U is definitely my top choice, but I figured sending a LOI in pre-waitlist wouldn't do much...should I send one in now? Or wait until waitlist decisions come?
 
@flapjack3d Congratulations. Happy for you. Mind sharing your stats? Still anxiously waiting
 
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Wash U is definitely my top choice, but I figured sending a LOI in pre-waitlist wouldn't do much...should I send one in now? Or wait until waitlist decisions come?

I'd wait until waitlist decisions and the multiple accept list go out, personally. It means a lot when they can see that you're accepted at other schools (which will hopefully be the case); not so much before then.
 
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From the WashU portal:

The cost of attendance budget for incoming medical students for the 2017-2018 academic year has not yet been finalized. Awards for completed files will begin April 1st. Awarded students will be notified by e-mail. A paper award letter notification with additional information will follow by mail and all award information will be viewable in Net Partner.

Tuition for incoming students is $TBD.

I guess this is just for need-based scholarships/loans. Since there are quite a few MSTP students (receiving NIH full rides) at WashU I think that frees up a lot of scholarship funds for us MD only folk. Average 4 year debt as WashU is so low compared to other schools, that's a huge selling point IMO.
 
I think it is their need-based aid that keeps the average debt super low. They match every dollar they ask you to borrow for need with a grant, up to 35% COA, after which everything is fully covered by grants. So someone with nothing/full need should walk away with their MD and only ~110k in debt.

See here

And then on top of that I think something like 10% of each class gets merit coverage for all of tuition.
 
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I think it is their need-based aid that keeps the average debt super low. They match every dollar they ask you to borrow for need with a grant, up to 35% COA, after which everything is fully covered by grants. So someone with nothing/full need should walk away with their MD and only ~110k in debt.

See here

And then on top of that I think something like 10% of each class gets merit coverage for all of tuition.
Very true. Hope I'm one of those lucky ones who graduates with less than $60,000 in debt!
 
Do I remember correctly that the Olin dorms are being renovated?
 
Do I remember correctly that the Olin dorms are being renovated?
From what I could tell from reading the construction signs on campus/seeing a 'campus construction vision' poster or something along those lines, it looks like they're creating new apartment-style dorms (175ish beds) as part of a campus expansion. The sign said those would be ready sometime in 2018. I'm not 100% sure what they're doing with Olin itself, though.

Take this with a grain of salt because I'm just going off what I remember reading off of posters!
 
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I think it is their need-based aid that keeps the average debt super low. They match every dollar they ask you to borrow for need with a grant, up to 35% COA, after which everything is fully covered by grants. So someone with nothing/full need should walk away with their MD and only ~110k in debt.

See here

And then on top of that I think something like 10% of each class gets merit coverage for all of tuition.

How do they define "full need"? FAFSA Expected Family Contribution of 0? Not even accepted lol but i'm curious
 
How do they define "full need"? FAFSA Expected Family Contribution of 0? Not even accepted lol but i'm curious
They have their own system, you have to fill out a big series of online forms that include extra info not in the fafsa. I also think the fafsa says EFC 0 no matter what you enter for grad schools.
 
Accepted by email this morning! It's been a while since I interviewed and I thought it'd be a rejection/WL at this point, so this was a nice surprise. Such a great school with amazing, friendly people!

Interviewed 11/2. Non-trad, international, LizzyM ~78.
 
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How often does the committee meet? Seems kind of random
 
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How often does the committee meet? Seems kind of random
I think they meet mid-week like every other week, and then Thurs/Fri someone calls you if they want to personally deliver the news, otherwise you find out by an automated email a couple days later.

The randomness is just their rolling system, where you could get admitted anywhere from a couple weeks to half a year after your interview.
 
I think they meet mid-week like every other week, and then Thurs/Fri someone calls you if they want to personally deliver the news, otherwise you find out by an automated email a couple days later.

The randomness is just their rolling system, where you could get admitted anywhere from a couple weeks to half a year after your interview.
What determines the timeline? Are candidates re-reviewed at later meetings or is it really just the once and they send waitlist emails in March/April?
 
What determines the timeline? Are candidates re-reviewed at later meetings or is it really just the once and they send waitlist emails in March/April?
Strongest candidates get fastest turnarounds is my impression, based on scholarships going to people that heard back in a matter of weeks despite interviewing in Nov and Dec. They probably do have a system at their meetings of "admit this one, look at this one again later, put this one on WL"
 
anyone know if accepted students need to be doing anything right now (certiphi, etc)? I know FAFSA if you need loans but do we need to be doing anything else.
 
Does anybody know if WashU requires us to fill out the CSS profile?
 
anyone know if accepted students need to be doing anything right now (certiphi, etc)? I know FAFSA if you need loans but do we need to be doing anything else.
In addition to FAFSA there are like half a dozen WashU-specific documents to send them through their portal.

Background check and sending in official transcripts can wait a while more I think.


Does anybody know if WashU requires us to fill out the CSS profile?
Pretty sure no on CSS, they have you fill out a lot of stuff online though asking some similar questions.
 
In addition to FAFSA there are like half a dozen WashU-specific documents to send them through their portal.

Background check and sending in official transcripts can wait a while more I think.



Pretty sure no on CSS, they have you fill out a lot of stuff online though asking some similar questions.

Where on the portal?
 
edit: oops double posted

so this portal is just for FAFSA stuff right? Is there any non-financial aid stuff we need to submit?
 
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Does anybody know what's going on here in terms of acceptances? Are they all out, or does Wash U still have a big chunk they're going to release before final waitlist and rejection notifications?
 
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Does anybody know what's going on here in terms of acceptances? Are they all out, or does Wash U still have a big chunk they're going to release before final waitlist and rejection notifications?
Last year there were a handful of admits at the end of Feb and middle March, and then a mass waitlist email at the end of March.
 
Last year there were a handful of admits at the end of Feb and middle March, and then a mass waitlist email at the end of March.

Gotcha. Thank you!
 
This waiting is goddamn torture. I'm gosh darn about ready to withdraw just to get on with my life.




Jk, who I am kidding, Wash U, please love me. <3
 
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ok so i have gotten like 7 PMs about letters of interest/intent/updates, so i'll just write a few words here about my limited experience with them.

1) If the question is "should I write an LOI?", then the answer is "Why not?" Just write one. It takes like 20 minutes and might have a real impact on the the trajectory of your life.
2) Everyone's doing it now, so if you send some generic letter then it's not going to help you much at all.
2.5) A lot of times people get waitlisted because it doesn't seem like they'd matriculate if they were accepted. Schools love to keep their yield rate very high, bc theyre petty and silly like that. A gushing, GENUINE love letter is just what they are looking for to put you into the acceptance pile.
3) Write about why you loved the school, and why you are a perfect fit (BE SPECIFIC!!!)
4) Keep it under a page. Some people say a paragraph, but that's more for an update letter. I chose to combine update letters with LOI, so a page is reasonable.
5) For me, I know that the two schools I was accepted to (WUSTL and Vandy) besides my state school, specifically cited my LOIs when they called me and told me of my acceptance, so I know that they had an impact there. I also am pretty confident, because of the concordance in timing, that interest letters got me IIs at Brown, Einstein, Dartmouth, WUSTL, and perhaps others.
6) Things I talked about included: personal/family connections to the city, interest in working with a specific researcher / doing a specific, unique combined degree, and connections/experiences I had on interview day or in other interactions with the school.

7) there's no difference between letter of intent vs interest. everyone knows theyre nonbinding and that premeds will trade their pride in for that prestige. unless you have a real good reason, like ur grand-kitten's got cancer and you need to stay in whatever city Princeton Med is in in order to tend to her, then your claim that you will DEFINITELY attend if admitted is clearly bullsht.
 
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