What is WashU trying to accomplish by adding EA?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Forbes has an article out on this that I don't believe has been linked (might be pay walled):

https://www.forbes.com/sites/lizdoestone/2026/05/27/applications-to-washington-university-in-st-louis-are-about-to-surge/

This article is hilariously bad, maybe it was written by ChatGPT? Woohoo one less essay, get ready for the floodgates! It reads like a paid promotion.

Right…it sounds like Forbes took some WashU $$$ in exchange for a boosting article.

Only Emory Mom can link a poorly written article with a negative assumption about WashU

So every negative comment about washu is from Emory mom?

It is what is said. Preposterous and stupid statements. The above one is an example. Another one was something like the students are all wealthy because a fountain on campus has the name of the donor on it. When pressed, she doubled down and said and also the students take ubers to go to brunch.

Np. Well that is not entirely true because I made the second comment on that thread in defence of WashU kids. I am not Emory mom. My point was they are very well off at washu for the most part. But it’s not the flashy private jets, trips and yacht parties like you see at UMiami for example. I lived in St Louis. They are just very comfortable. They get extremely nice dorm and dinning accommodations at WashU. And they love eating out at the really good food scene in St Louis. What seemed to me a lot. I personally knew students who regularly are out with a large group of friends. It was obvious they didn’t have any concern for money. I wasn’t disparaging them or the school. Quite the opposite. They otherwise seemed like delightful, down to earth, students.

I loved St Louis by the way. I would raise a family there. Lots to do and low col. nice Midwestern people.

My guess is you don’t have a student there. A massive number are on financial aid. I go and visit and drive a group to the Aldi where they spend 30 min debating value and need. They share clothes needed for events bc they aren’t buying new. They share Ubers or pay $5 to rent a car as a group. One friend’s summer wardrobe for an office job she got is completely free from the professional closet they have there. This is not a handful like this…most that I meet are like this. In fact, I didn’t even know intl students could be on aid…but I haven’t met one who isn’t based on income level.

The fact that it’s beautiful and well maintained does NOT mean these kids are all wealthy. Some? Sure.

What you are saying applies to EVERY private school. Each one has roughly 50% full pay, 50% on finaid. Your post adds little to the discussion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Forbes has an article out on this that I don't believe has been linked (might be pay walled):

https://www.forbes.com/sites/lizdoestone/2026/05/27/applications-to-washington-university-in-st-louis-are-about-to-surge/

It is from a contributor to Forbes, and reads like a poorly written marketing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Vandy, Emory, Rice, and now Notre Dame have passed WashU in app numbers.
Vandy- 48k
Emory- 43K
Rice- 39k
ND- 36k
WashU- 32k

The only peer school with less apps is Georgetown which will move to the common app and likely pass WashU at minimum.

Is Washu declining in relative popularity to peers? Its was neck and neck with Vandy at my private.

It's popular among Jewish families and premed kids. At our school, Vandy is more for hooked applicants, WashU is attainable for unhooked applicants.

Those that want Vandy are more the Wake Forest preppy, bro/bra than WashU, more nerdy, quirky, serious

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So next year's strategy for highest stat STEM applicants:

EA to MIT, Wash U., Georgia Tech

Can you do this and also SCEA to HYP or ED a T20?

If you SCEA/REA to an HYP, you could still EA to Michigan and Georgia Tech since they are public, but not MIT, WashU, USC, and Case. If you ED to a t20, then you could EA to anything as long as it's not an SCEA/REA school.

You can also skip ED/SCEA entirely and apply EA to: MIT, Michigan, Georgia Tech, Wash U, Notre Dame, Georgetown, UVA, UNC, USC, Wisconsin, Georgia, Case, and Tulane. Yes?

Yes, you can do this, but EA does not give your child any real advantage since it's non-binding and a fair number of these schools care about yield and may defer your kid.

EA is non-binding, but an EA acceptance gives the kid a nice floor. EA acceptance means kid can whittle down RD list to only reaches. For a place like Wash U, that could increase early interest.

People who might have applied RD to Emory or Vanderbilt might decide to forego those apps if they have an acceptance to Wash U in their pocket, and only apply to high reaches. If rejected from high reaches, kids are not deciding btw Wash U and Emory/Vanderbilt/NW. They just go to Wash U.

Definitely not true. Nobody is picking WashU over Vandy/NU/other higher-ranked schools.

Wash U and Vandy are both ranked 20. My kid would DEFINITELY pick Wash U. Maybe not over Northwestern, but if kid had an EA admit to Wash U, kid might skip the NW application altogether.

Downtown Nashville is getting a bit icky, homeless, drunk tourists, some would prefer a different vibe imo (my kid)

Interesting. I think most kids would probably pick Vandy because Nashville is a far more desirable place to attend college than St. Louis. Vandy is also in downtown Nashville, in walking distance from bars and clubs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So next year's strategy for highest stat STEM applicants:

EA to MIT, Wash U., Georgia Tech

Can you do this and also SCEA to HYP or ED a T20?

If you SCEA/REA to an HYP, you could still EA to Michigan and Georgia Tech since they are public, but not MIT, WashU, USC, and Case. If you ED to a t20, then you could EA to anything as long as it's not an SCEA/REA school.

You can also skip ED/SCEA entirely and apply EA to: MIT, Michigan, Georgia Tech, Wash U, Notre Dame, Georgetown, UVA, UNC, USC, Wisconsin, Georgia, Case, and Tulane. Yes?

Yes, you can do this, but EA does not give your child any real advantage since it's non-binding and a fair number of these schools care about yield and may defer your kid.

EA is non-binding, but an EA acceptance gives the kid a nice floor. EA acceptance means kid can whittle down RD list to only reaches. For a place like Wash U, that could increase early interest.

People who might have applied RD to Emory or Vanderbilt might decide to forego those apps if they have an acceptance to Wash U in their pocket, and only apply to high reaches. If rejected from high reaches, kids are not deciding btw Wash U and Emory/Vanderbilt/NW. They just go to Wash U.

Definitely not true. Nobody is picking WashU over Vandy/NU/other higher-ranked schools.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

My guess is you don’t have a student there. A massive number are on financial aid.

On a related note, if you see the area around the Wash. U. campus now: What is it really like now?

I went there in the 1980s and remember Clayton, University City and the Central West End being beautiful and safe.

The area north of Delmar was supposedly to be sketchy, but my friends lived a few blocks north of Delmar and never had any problem at all. They paid $260 per month for a lovely two-bedroom.

Anyhow: Has the area around the school really gone to hell, or the people saying it has just getting lost in the wrong neighborhoods?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

My guess is you don’t have a student there. A massive number are on financial aid.

On a related note, if you see the area around the Wash. U. campus now: What is it really like now?

I went there in the 1980s and remember Clayton, University City and the Central West End being beautiful and safe.

The area north of Delmar was supposedly to be sketchy, but my friends lived a few blocks north of Delmar and never had any problem at all. They paid $260 per month for a lovely two-bedroom.

Anyhow: Has the area around the school really gone to hell, or the people saying it has just getting lost in the wrong neighborhoods?

The area around WashU is nice. We toured last summer and didn't see anything remotely sketch. Delmar Loop is okay, not as lively as UW-Madison's State Street. People who said WashU is unsafe either haven't stepped foot on campus, or have an inexplicable dislike of all things St. Louis.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Forbes has an article out on this that I don't believe has been linked (might be pay walled):

https://www.forbes.com/sites/lizdoestone/2026/05/27/applications-to-washington-university-in-st-louis-are-about-to-surge/

This article is hilariously bad, maybe it was written by ChatGPT? Woohoo one less essay, get ready for the floodgates! It reads like a paid promotion.

Right…it sounds like Forbes took some WashU $$$ in exchange for a boosting article.

Only Emory Mom can link a poorly written article with a negative assumption about WashU

So every negative comment about washu is from Emory mom?

It is what is said. Preposterous and stupid statements. The above one is an example. Another one was something like the students are all wealthy because a fountain on campus has the name of the donor on it. When pressed, she doubled down and said and also the students take ubers to go to brunch.

Np. Well that is not entirely true because I made the second comment on that thread in defence of WashU kids. I am not Emory mom. My point was they are very well off at washu for the most part. But it’s not the flashy private jets, trips and yacht parties like you see at UMiami for example. I lived in St Louis. They are just very comfortable. They get extremely nice dorm and dinning accommodations at WashU. And they love eating out at the really good food scene in St Louis. What seemed to me a lot. I personally knew students who regularly are out with a large group of friends. It was obvious they didn’t have any concern for money. I wasn’t disparaging them or the school. Quite the opposite. They otherwise seemed like delightful, down to earth, students.

I loved St Louis by the way. I would raise a family there. Lots to do and low col. nice Midwestern people.

My guess is you don’t have a student there. A massive number are on financial aid. I go and visit and drive a group to the Aldi where they spend 30 min debating value and need. They share clothes needed for events bc they aren’t buying new. They share Ubers or pay $5 to rent a car as a group. One friend’s summer wardrobe for an office job she got is completely free from the professional closet they have there. This is not a handful like this…most that I meet are like this. In fact, I didn’t even know intl students could be on aid…but I haven’t met one who isn’t based on income level.

The fact that it’s beautiful and well maintained does NOT mean these kids are all wealthy. Some? Sure.

What you are saying applies to EVERY private school. Each one has roughly 50% full pay, 50% on finaid. Your post adds little to the discussion.

-1 the response was to the claim that all washu students are rich and privileged.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are only so many great students. Every highly selective college wants them, regardless of their family income. So there's this arms race going on in the early rounds to get them and lock them in.

My personal theory is that the SCEA schools - HYPSM - are mostly filled with students that didn't get into a school in the ED round. I'd be curious if there's any data to support it. But Duke, Penn, Vanderbilt, Rice, Brown, Cornell, Chicago, Northwestern, Johns Hopkins, and WashU are really keen to get the best students early so they don't even need to apply anywhere else.

Harvard and Princeton and Yale are for those who didn't get in elsewhere. MIT and Stanford have different things going on and unique admissions. But I think overall, a lot of the very finite number of great students get picked up in the early rounds, which begets this arms race among colleges to get them to apply early to their school.

This ignores the fact that HPYSM have early rounds. They just aren’t binding. Students at all the schools you mention have students from RD in similar percentages give or take a few points. ED is a self-selected group either extremely interested in a particular school or playing the ‘better chance at admission to a brand-name school’ game. Also tend to come from wealthier families that can afford the ED price and not consider merit options or compare financial aid.

Given ‘stats’ correlate strongly with wealth, it sounds reasonable that you see this dynamic. I am going to perhaps unfairly play back a stereotype, but from what I gather on DCUM, there is significant anxiety around getting shut out at brand name schools - particularly at privates. So it makes sense that a student from a relatively wealthier family unafraid of school cost and concerned with optimizing chances at a brand name school will look for an ED option. I think that just describes the dynamic at your private versus the types of students at HPYSM writ large.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Forbes has an article out on this that I don't believe has been linked (might be pay walled):

https://www.forbes.com/sites/lizdoestone/2026/05/27/applications-to-washington-university-in-st-louis-are-about-to-surge/

This article is hilariously bad, maybe it was written by ChatGPT? Woohoo one less essay, get ready for the floodgates! It reads like a paid promotion.

Right…it sounds like Forbes took some WashU $$$ in exchange for a boosting article.

Only Emory Mom can link a poorly written article with a negative assumption about WashU

So every negative comment about washu is from Emory mom?

It is what is said. Preposterous and stupid statements. The above one is an example. Another one was something like the students are all wealthy because a fountain on campus has the name of the donor on it. When pressed, she doubled down and said and also the students take ubers to go to brunch.

Np. Well that is not entirely true because I made the second comment on that thread in defence of WashU kids. I am not Emory mom. My point was they are very well off at washu for the most part. But it’s not the flashy private jets, trips and yacht parties like you see at UMiami for example. I lived in St Louis. They are just very comfortable. They get extremely nice dorm and dinning accommodations at WashU. And they love eating out at the really good food scene in St Louis. What seemed to me a lot. I personally knew students who regularly are out with a large group of friends. It was obvious they didn’t have any concern for money. I wasn’t disparaging them or the school. Quite the opposite. They otherwise seemed like delightful, down to earth, students.

I loved St Louis by the way. I would raise a family there. Lots to do and low col. nice Midwestern people.

My guess is you don’t have a student there. A massive number are on financial aid. I go and visit and drive a group to the Aldi where they spend 30 min debating value and need. They share clothes needed for events bc they aren’t buying new. They share Ubers or pay $5 to rent a car as a group. One friend’s summer wardrobe for an office job she got is completely free from the professional closet they have there. This is not a handful like this…most that I meet are like this. In fact, I didn’t even know intl students could be on aid…but I haven’t met one who isn’t based on income level.

The fact that it’s beautiful and well maintained does NOT mean these kids are all wealthy. Some? Sure.

What you are saying applies to EVERY private school. Each one has roughly 50% full pay, 50% on finaid. Your post adds little to the discussion.

Not "every" but yes most of the T25 privates are 50% or higher on need aid.
At least 5 of the ivies and MIT are closer to 60% on need -based aid, and rising as they have begun offering need based aid to households in the 250-300k range. Majority on aid is the theme of the very top schools and they have been talking about it since our family began tours over five years ago. WashU became need blind four years ago I believe and has gone up in need based support to be in line with the top schools it competes with. Yes, WashU competes with ivies Uchicago Rice Hopkins Northwestern and others, particularly for many who decide their strategy is to ED at one of them.
It is a fabulous school very similar to ivy/T10 as far as the peer group (pre-TO SAT ranges were higher than the lowest ivy Cornell, and most T20 schools are seeing a essentially the same SAT ranges return once they go back to test required). Now they have caught on to the need-based game. It helps endowment tax and it helps change the wealth-dominant culture that top schools had until around 2010. If EA helps their goals I say good for WashU. There is no reason for all the DCUM hate. Must be jealousy from those rejected.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Forbes has an article out on this that I don't believe has been linked (might be pay walled):

https://www.forbes.com/sites/lizdoestone/2026/05/27/applications-to-washington-university-in-st-louis-are-about-to-surge/

This article is hilariously bad, maybe it was written by ChatGPT? Woohoo one less essay, get ready for the floodgates! It reads like a paid promotion.

Right…it sounds like Forbes took some WashU $$$ in exchange for a boosting article.

Only Emory Mom can link a poorly written article with a negative assumption about WashU

So every negative comment about washu is from Emory mom?

It is what is said. Preposterous and stupid statements. The above one is an example. Another one was something like the students are all wealthy because a fountain on campus has the name of the donor on it. When pressed, she doubled down and said and also the students take ubers to go to brunch.

Np. Well that is not entirely true because I made the second comment on that thread in defence of WashU kids. I am not Emory mom. My point was they are very well off at washu for the most part. But it’s not the flashy private jets, trips and yacht parties like you see at UMiami for example. I lived in St Louis. They are just very comfortable. They get extremely nice dorm and dinning accommodations at WashU. And they love eating out at the really good food scene in St Louis. What seemed to me a lot. I personally knew students who regularly are out with a large group of friends. It was obvious they didn’t have any concern for money. I wasn’t disparaging them or the school. Quite the opposite. They otherwise seemed like delightful, down to earth, students.

I loved St Louis by the way. I would raise a family there. Lots to do and low col. nice Midwestern people.

My guess is you don’t have a student there. A massive number are on financial aid. I go and visit and drive a group to the Aldi where they spend 30 min debating value and need. They share clothes needed for events bc they aren’t buying new. They share Ubers or pay $5 to rent a car as a group. One friend’s summer wardrobe for an office job she got is completely free from the professional closet they have there. This is not a handful like this…most that I meet are like this. In fact, I didn’t even know intl students could be on aid…but I haven’t met one who isn’t based on income level.

The fact that it’s beautiful and well maintained does NOT mean these kids are all wealthy. Some? Sure.

What you are saying applies to EVERY private school. Each one has roughly 50% full pay, 50% on finaid. Your post adds little to the discussion.

Not "every" but yes most of the T25 privates are 50% or higher on need aid.
At least 5 of the ivies and MIT are closer to 60% on need -based aid, and rising as they have begun offering need based aid to households in the 250-300k range. Majority on aid is the theme of the very top schools and they have been talking about it since our family began tours over five years ago. WashU became need blind four years ago I believe and has gone up in need based support to be in line with the top schools it competes with. Yes, WashU competes with ivies Uchicago Rice Hopkins Northwestern and others, particularly for many who decide their strategy is to ED at one of them.
It is a fabulous school very similar to ivy/T10 as far as the peer group (pre-TO SAT ranges were higher than the lowest ivy Cornell, and most T20 schools are seeing a essentially the same SAT ranges return once they go back to test required). Now they have caught on to the need-based game. It helps endowment tax and it helps change the wealth-dominant culture that top schools had until around 2010. If EA helps their goals I say good for WashU. There is no reason for all the DCUM hate. Must be jealousy from those rejected.

Why did WashU's test scores drop post test optional?
Also, the only school you mentioned in WashU's peer group is Rice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Forbes has an article out on this that I don't believe has been linked (might be pay walled):

https://www.forbes.com/sites/lizdoestone/2026/05/27/applications-to-washington-university-in-st-louis-are-about-to-surge/

This article is hilariously bad, maybe it was written by ChatGPT? Woohoo one less essay, get ready for the floodgates! It reads like a paid promotion.

Right…it sounds like Forbes took some WashU $$$ in exchange for a boosting article.

Only Emory Mom can link a poorly written article with a negative assumption about WashU

So every negative comment about washu is from Emory mom?

It is what is said. Preposterous and stupid statements. The above one is an example. Another one was something like the students are all wealthy because a fountain on campus has the name of the donor on it. When pressed, she doubled down and said and also the students take ubers to go to brunch.

Np. Well that is not entirely true because I made the second comment on that thread in defence of WashU kids. I am not Emory mom. My point was they are very well off at washu for the most part. But it’s not the flashy private jets, trips and yacht parties like you see at UMiami for example. I lived in St Louis. They are just very comfortable. They get extremely nice dorm and dinning accommodations at WashU. And they love eating out at the really good food scene in St Louis. What seemed to me a lot. I personally knew students who regularly are out with a large group of friends. It was obvious they didn’t have any concern for money. I wasn’t disparaging them or the school. Quite the opposite. They otherwise seemed like delightful, down to earth, students.

I loved St Louis by the way. I would raise a family there. Lots to do and low col. nice Midwestern people.

My guess is you don’t have a student there. A massive number are on financial aid. I go and visit and drive a group to the Aldi where they spend 30 min debating value and need. They share clothes needed for events bc they aren’t buying new. They share Ubers or pay $5 to rent a car as a group. One friend’s summer wardrobe for an office job she got is completely free from the professional closet they have there. This is not a handful like this…most that I meet are like this. In fact, I didn’t even know intl students could be on aid…but I haven’t met one who isn’t based on income level.

The fact that it’s beautiful and well maintained does NOT mean these kids are all wealthy. Some? Sure.

What you are saying applies to EVERY private school. Each one has roughly 50% full pay, 50% on finaid. Your post adds little to the discussion.

Not "every" but yes most of the T25 privates are 50% or higher on need aid.
At least 5 of the ivies and MIT are closer to 60% on need -based aid, and rising as they have begun offering need based aid to households in the 250-300k range. Majority on aid is the theme of the very top schools and they have been talking about it since our family began tours over five years ago. WashU became need blind four years ago I believe and has gone up in need based support to be in line with the top schools it competes with. Yes, WashU competes with ivies Uchicago Rice Hopkins Northwestern and others, particularly for many who decide their strategy is to ED at one of them.
It is a fabulous school very similar to ivy/T10 as far as the peer group (pre-TO SAT ranges were higher than the lowest ivy Cornell, and most T20 schools are seeing a essentially the same SAT ranges return once they go back to test required). Now they have caught on to the need-based game. It helps endowment tax and it helps change the wealth-dominant culture that top schools had until around 2010. If EA helps their goals I say good for WashU. There is no reason for all the DCUM hate. Must be jealousy from those rejected.

Why did WashU's test scores drop post test optional?
Also, the only school you mentioned in WashU's peer group is Rice.

Haters gonna hate

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Forbes has an article out on this that I don't believe has been linked (might be pay walled):

https://www.forbes.com/sites/lizdoestone/2026/05/27/applications-to-washington-university-in-st-louis-are-about-to-surge/

This article is hilariously bad, maybe it was written by ChatGPT? Woohoo one less essay, get ready for the floodgates! It reads like a paid promotion.

Right…it sounds like Forbes took some WashU $$$ in exchange for a boosting article.

Only Emory Mom can link a poorly written article with a negative assumption about WashU

So every negative comment about washu is from Emory mom?

It is what is said. Preposterous and stupid statements. The above one is an example. Another one was something like the students are all wealthy because a fountain on campus has the name of the donor on it. When pressed, she doubled down and said and also the students take ubers to go to brunch.

Np. Well that is not entirely true because I made the second comment on that thread in defence of WashU kids. I am not Emory mom. My point was they are very well off at washu for the most part. But it’s not the flashy private jets, trips and yacht parties like you see at UMiami for example. I lived in St Louis. They are just very comfortable. They get extremely nice dorm and dinning accommodations at WashU. And they love eating out at the really good food scene in St Louis. What seemed to me a lot. I personally knew students who regularly are out with a large group of friends. It was obvious they didn’t have any concern for money. I wasn’t disparaging them or the school. Quite the opposite. They otherwise seemed like delightful, down to earth, students.

I loved St Louis by the way. I would raise a family there. Lots to do and low col. nice Midwestern people.

My guess is you don’t have a student there. A massive number are on financial aid. I go and visit and drive a group to the Aldi where they spend 30 min debating value and need. They share clothes needed for events bc they aren’t buying new. They share Ubers or pay $5 to rent a car as a group. One friend’s summer wardrobe for an office job she got is completely free from the professional closet they have there. This is not a handful like this…most that I meet are like this. In fact, I didn’t even know intl students could be on aid…but I haven’t met one who isn’t based on income level.

The fact that it’s beautiful and well maintained does NOT mean these kids are all wealthy. Some? Sure.

What you are saying applies to EVERY private school. Each one has roughly 50% full pay, 50% on finaid. Your post adds little to the discussion.

Not "every" but yes most of the T25 privates are 50% or higher on need aid.
At least 5 of the ivies and MIT are closer to 60% on need -based aid, and rising as they have begun offering need based aid to households in the 250-300k range. Majority on aid is the theme of the very top schools and they have been talking about it since our family began tours over five years ago. WashU became need blind four years ago I believe and has gone up in need based support to be in line with the top schools it competes with. Yes, WashU competes with ivies Uchicago Rice Hopkins Northwestern and others, particularly for many who decide their strategy is to ED at one of them.
It is a fabulous school very similar to ivy/T10 as far as the peer group (pre-TO SAT ranges were higher than the lowest ivy Cornell, and most T20 schools are seeing a essentially the same SAT ranges return once they go back to test required). Now they have caught on to the need-based game. It helps endowment tax and it helps change the wealth-dominant culture that top schools had until around 2010. If EA helps their goals I say good for WashU. There is no reason for all the DCUM hate. Must be jealousy from those rejected.

Why did WashU's test scores drop post test optional?
Also, the only school you mentioned in WashU's peer group is Rice.

Source?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Forbes has an article out on this that I don't believe has been linked (might be pay walled):

https://www.forbes.com/sites/lizdoestone/2026/05/27/applications-to-washington-university-in-st-louis-are-about-to-surge/

This article is hilariously bad, maybe it was written by ChatGPT? Woohoo one less essay, get ready for the floodgates! It reads like a paid promotion.

Right…it sounds like Forbes took some WashU $$$ in exchange for a boosting article.

Only Emory Mom can link a poorly written article with a negative assumption about WashU

So every negative comment about washu is from Emory mom?

It is what is said. Preposterous and stupid statements. The above one is an example. Another one was something like the students are all wealthy because a fountain on campus has the name of the donor on it. When pressed, she doubled down and said and also the students take ubers to go to brunch.

Np. Well that is not entirely true because I made the second comment on that thread in defence of WashU kids. I am not Emory mom. My point was they are very well off at washu for the most part. But it’s not the flashy private jets, trips and yacht parties like you see at UMiami for example. I lived in St Louis. They are just very comfortable. They get extremely nice dorm and dinning accommodations at WashU. And they love eating out at the really good food scene in St Louis. What seemed to me a lot. I personally knew students who regularly are out with a large group of friends. It was obvious they didn’t have any concern for money. I wasn’t disparaging them or the school. Quite the opposite. They otherwise seemed like delightful, down to earth, students.

I loved St Louis by the way. I would raise a family there. Lots to do and low col. nice Midwestern people.

My guess is you don’t have a student there. A massive number are on financial aid. I go and visit and drive a group to the Aldi where they spend 30 min debating value and need. They share clothes needed for events bc they aren’t buying new. They share Ubers or pay $5 to rent a car as a group. One friend’s summer wardrobe for an office job she got is completely free from the professional closet they have there. This is not a handful like this…most that I meet are like this. In fact, I didn’t even know intl students could be on aid…but I haven’t met one who isn’t based on income level.

The fact that it’s beautiful and well maintained does NOT mean these kids are all wealthy. Some? Sure.

What you are saying applies to EVERY private school. Each one has roughly 50% full pay, 50% on finaid. Your post adds little to the discussion.

Not "every" but yes most of the T25 privates are 50% or higher on need aid.
At least 5 of the ivies and MIT are closer to 60% on need -based aid, and rising as they have begun offering need based aid to households in the 250-300k range. Majority on aid is the theme of the very top schools and they have been talking about it since our family began tours over five years ago. WashU became need blind four years ago I believe and has gone up in need based support to be in line with the top schools it competes with. Yes, WashU competes with ivies Uchicago Rice Hopkins Northwestern and others, particularly for many who decide their strategy is to ED at one of them.
It is a fabulous school very similar to ivy/T10 as far as the peer group (pre-TO SAT ranges were higher than the lowest ivy Cornell, and most T20 schools are seeing a essentially the same SAT ranges return once they go back to test required). Now they have caught on to the need-based game. It helps endowment tax and it helps change the wealth-dominant culture that top schools had until around 2010. If EA helps their goals I say good for WashU. There is no reason for all the DCUM hate. Must be jealousy from those rejected.

Why did WashU's test scores drop post test optional?
Also, the only school you mentioned in WashU's peer group is Rice.

What does "post test optional" even mean? WashU is still test optional to this day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

The area around WashU is nice. We toured last summer and didn't see anything remotely sketch. Delmar Loop is okay, not as lively as UW-Madison's State Street. People who said WashU is unsafe either haven't stepped foot on campus, or have an inexplicable dislike of all things St. Louis.

Thanks. I’m thinking any sincere people posting like that got lost and ended up in areas that most WashU students and alumni never see.

We probably should see them more and think harder to help them, but they don’t have a lot to do with life at WashU.