2021-2022 Washington University in St. Louis

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wysdoc

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Thank you to @Morningnight for sharing this year's questions!

2021-2022 Washington University in St. Louis Secondary Essay Prompts:

1. Have you already completed your undergraduate education, have you had your college or graduate education interrupted, or do you plan not to be a full-time student during your application year? If yes, Describe in chronological order your activities during the time(s) when you were not enrolled as a full-time student. (2000 characters)

2. Describe a time or situation where you have been unsuccessful or failed. (3000 characters)

3. (OPTIONAL) Is there anything else you would like to share with the Committee on Admissions? Some applicants use this space to describe unique experiences and obstacles such as significant challenges in access to education, unusual socioeconomic factors, and/or identification with a particular culture, religion, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or gender identity and/or possibly challenges related to COVID or other issues in preparation for medical school. (3000 characters)


Good luck to everyone applying!

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Hi! I haven't done a thorough search on this, but I just received an email from this school congratulating me on my MCAT and suggesting I apply. I've never received an email like this before from any school, so I'm wondering what it means. It talks about accepting students of my caliber and profile, but is this just another way for a school to get my application money? Or are they actually interested in me as an applicant and this email indicates I have good chances here?

BTW, I am OOS and my GPA is 3.4.
 
Hi! I haven't done a thorough search on this, but I just received an email from this school congratulating me on my MCAT and suggesting I apply. I've never received an email like this before from any school, so I'm wondering what it means. It talks about accepting students of my caliber and profile, but is this just another way for a school to get my application money? Or are they actually interested in me as an applicant and this email indicates I have good chances here?

BTW, I am OOS and my GPA is 3.4.
I've seen many people get this email, with a different range of MCAT scores. Even people who already applied to WashU last cycle and were rejected got this. I think it's mostly a money grab thing
 
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Hi! I haven't done a thorough search on this, but I just received an email from this school congratulating me on my MCAT and suggesting I apply. I've never received an email like this before from any school, so I'm wondering what it means. It talks about accepting students of my caliber and profile, but is this just another way for a school to get my application money? Or are they actually interested in me as an applicant and this email indicates I have good chances here?

BTW, I am OOS and my GPA is 3.4.
Given that the only things they know about you are your name, your email address, and what range your MCAT score falls into, what do you think?? :cool:
 
Given that the only things they know about you are your name, your email address, and what range your MCAT score falls into, what do you think?? :cool:
I think that my email address is the type of email address they want in their class!
 
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I think that my email address is the type of email address they want in their class!
Me too!!! The fact is, we all have to realize those e-mails are just marketing BS, and that they stem from the schools buying lists from AAMC that contain next to no information about us (MCAT range, self reported SES, etc.).

Reading any more into them than they like having more applications, as much as they complain about having to go through them, is a fool's errand. They have no basis to say they accept students with your profile, other than, sure, they accept students with all kinds of profiles, so, please, throw in an application!!
 
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For Washington University's optional prompt:
Is there anything else you would like to share with the Committee on Admissions?
Some applicants use this space to describe unique experiences and obstacles such as significant challenges in access to education, unusual socioeconomic factors, and/or identification with a particular culture, religion, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or gender identity and/or possibly challenges related to COVID or other issues in preparation for medical school. (3000 char)

Would it be okay to have ~2500 characters be about by identity and assimilation story and then the final 500 characters be how COVID impacted my plans? Or would it be bad to try and kill 2 birds with 1 stone here?
Will you post the prompts?
 
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+4 OOS!

I also have a question. They ask "Have you, a family member, or a research mentor had any personal experience or relationship with Washington University School of Medicine? (4000 char)" This is a lot of characters and I went to WashU undergrad so I feel obligated to answer, but I am unsure how in depth they want this answer.
Also curious! I work closely with an MD/PhD who's a WashU alum. I'd like to describe the insights I've gained from working with this person and from conducting our research. This person also wrote one of my LORs. I also published a paper with another MD who's also a WashU alum (similar field but from a different angle).
 
+4 OOS!

I also have a question. They ask "Have you, a family member, or a research mentor had any personal experience or relationship with Washington University School of Medicine? (4000 char)" This is a lot of characters and I went to WashU undergrad so I feel obligated to answer, but I am unsure how in depth they want this answer.
Also curious! I work closely with an MD/PhD who's a WashU alum. I'd like to describe the insights I've gained from working with this person and from conducting our research. This person also wrote one of my LORs. I also published a paper with another MD who's also a WashU alum (similar field but from a different angle).
+1!
I have a similar connection (MD/PhD and MD from WashU) and am not sure how much detail they want here.
 
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Can someone post the full secondary prompts please for us who have not been verified yet ? Thank you !!
 
Can someone post the full secondary prompts please for us who have not been verified yet ? Thank you !!
Secondary prompts below @wysdoc

  1. Have you already completed your undergraduate education, have you had your college or graduate education interrupted, or do you plan not to be a full-time student during your application year? If yes, Describe in chronological order your activities during the time(s) when you were not enrolled as a full-time student. (2000 characters)
  2. Describe a time or situation where you have been unsuccessful or failed. (3000 characters)
  3. (OPTIONAL) Is there anything else you would like to share with the Committee on Admissions? Some applicants use this space to describe unique experiences and obstacles such as significant challenges in access to education, unusual socioeconomic factors, and/or identification with a particular culture, religion, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or gender identity and/or possibly challenges related to COVID or other issues in preparation for medical school. (3000 characters)
 
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Basically, same prompts as last year!
 
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+ 8 OOS ! Was verified by AMCAS yesterday afternoon and woke up to a secondary :D
 
I've submitted the secondary but, under the status tab, it shows that my application is NOT ready. It shows that my secondary was received and fee status as paid. My letters have all been sent out already too. Unsure about what this means and if I should worry. Does anyone know?
 
I've submitted the secondary but, under the status tab, it shows that my application is NOT ready. It shows that my secondary was received and fee status as paid. My letters have all been sent out already too. Unsure about what this means and if I should worry. Does anyone know?
Secondary portal says that they need to individually approve your letters to make sure that they meet their LOR guidelines. Under the document status tab, do you see that your letters have been approved (not just received)?
 
Secondary portal says that they need to individually approve your letters to make sure that they meet their LOR guidelines. Under the document status tab, do you see that your letters have been approved (not just received)?
Mine said it needed to be approved and today (3 days after I submitted my secondary), I got a notification that my LORs were approved and that my application was now complete.
 
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For the "tell us about a time you've been unsuccessful and failed" prompt, can I talk about getting rejected across the board last year and reforming my app to be a reapplicant? I applied to washu last year so its not a secret to them. Just seems like there's a stigma around the topic.
 
For the "tell us about a time you've been unsuccessful and failed" prompt, can I talk about getting rejected across the board last year and reforming my app to be a reapplicant? I applied to washu last year so its not a secret to them. Just seems like there's a stigma around the topic.
I think your application should already convey the improvements you would write about. Using this as the topic of your secondary may be redundant because it will sound like "look how my application improved." If they wanted to hear you reiterate how you improved as a reapp, they would have asked that directly. I would definitely dig deeper and find a better topic. I think something like 60% of applicants don't get in every cycle and 40% of the applicants are reapps (don't quote me on these numbers). Ask yourself if writing about this would make you stand out or not.

-Tough love from another fellow reapp
 
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I've submitted the secondary but, under the status tab, it shows that my application is NOT ready. It shows that my secondary was received and fee status as paid. My letters have all been sent out already too. Unsure about what this means and if I should worry. Does anyone know?
Mine said it needed to be approved and today (3 days after I submitted my secondary), I got a notification that my LORs were approved and that my application was now complete.
+1 LORs have now been approved, and application is complete (6 days after secondary submission)
 
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+1 LORs have now been approved, and application is complete (6 days after secondary submission)
Approved GIF by memecandy
 
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+1!
I have a similar connection (MD/PhD and MD from WashU) and am not sure how much detail they want here.
Does not need to be long. I had strong when applying and answered in less than 400 characters. Probably enough to just briefly state that your PI/mentor completed their MD/PhD or MD at WashU.
 
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got something in the mail saying "you've caught our eye, we hope you will consider applying"..... but I already applied lolol
 
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i got this too but didnt apply! wondering who they send this to...
Mail, or email? If it's the former, then they are really pulling out all the stops to increase their applicant pool to make themselves even more selective than they already are. This is widespread in UG admissions as school try to game the rankings, but I haven't seen or heard about it so much with med school admissions, although my e-mail inbox is definitely infested with solicitations from Caribbean, DO and podiatry schools! :)

Anyway, congratulations for catching their eye, but definitely don't do anything you weren't planning on doing anyway. The solicitations for UG served no purpose other than making the schools appear to be more selective than they really were, although I'm sure the schools would argue they were spending millions on the outreach in order to widen the diversity of their pool. I don't know anyone who achieved an unexpected positive outcome after responding to one of those solicitations.
 
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Also got that letter, didn't apply. I did have a pretty high MCAT score (522), so maybe that's why? Tbh it was probably just a marketing ploy to make me feel special.
 
Ok, but did anyone else get the 'WE HOPE YOU CONSIDER APPLYING' pamphlet shipped to the home address you gave them BY APPLYING?
 
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Ok, but did anyone else get the 'WE HOPE YOU CONSIDER APPLYING' pamphlet shipped to the home address you gave them BY APPLYING?
I did, sadly I believe they send it to as many individuals as they can. I don't think it is selective. Same goes for their emails. Just good marketing for a great school.
 
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Does anyone know how much weight Wash U places on submitting within 2 weeks? The application says "preferably completed within 2 weeks from your AMCAS application submission" but I took ~3 weeks.
 
Does anyone know how much weight Wash U places on submitting within 2 weeks? The application says "preferably completed within 2 weeks from your AMCAS application submission" but I took ~3 weeks.
I don’t think it’s too big a deal, but I am also in the same boat so I may be biased
 
Does anyone know how much weight Wash U places on submitting within 2 weeks? The application says "preferably completed within 2 weeks from your AMCAS application submission" but I took ~3 weeks.

If a school mentions that it is preferable to complete the secondary within 2 weeks, I would assume that completing it outside of that window would not be preferential.
 
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If a school mentions that it is preferable to complete the secondary within 2 weeks, I would assume that completing it outside of that window would not be preferential.
THIS^^^^^^. I seriously doubt such a faux pas will be fatal if you otherwise have an attractive application, but why on earth would you be aware of the preference, blow through it, and then ask afterward whether we think the school is serious?
 
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THIS^^^^^^. I seriously doubt such a faux pas will be fatal if you otherwise have an attractive application, but why on earth would you be aware of the preference, blow through it, and then ask afterward whether we think the school is serious?
I'm assuming they didn't intend to submit late. Life happens, lol. 3 weeks is probably fine, especially at the beginning of the cycle.
 
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Is this normal to see on my status page? I submitted my application successfully but it still says application not ready?
Application Submitted
icon_complete.gif
Application submitted on 07/26/2021.
Fee Paid Status
icon_complete.gif
Received on 07/26/2021
Application Processed
icon_incomplete.gif
Your application is NOT ready.
Why not? It looks like it means you are not complete. Are all of your LORs in? Test scores?
 
Yeah everything is in. I guess I'm just confused why it says application is not ready at the bottom. Hopefully it goes away in a day or two when they open it up.
I don't remember seeing the exclamation point, but I have a feeling it was. They say that you need to allow up to three weeks for processing, and that they manually confirm that your LORs meet their requirements before marking you complete, so I'd bet it's that, since you just submitted today. You probably need to give it far more than a day or two.

I'd advise being patient rather than risking annoying them. Go back and look at your submission confirmation e-mail before panicking. :)
 
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