Washington University in St. Louis supplemental essays

The prompts, one by one

1. Academic interest essayup to 250 words · Why this major

   “Please tell us what you are interested in studying at college and why. Undecided about your academic interest(s)? Don't worry—tell us what excites you about the academic division you selected.”

   What it's really asking

   The moment this subject stopped being a class and became a question you couldn't drop. Washington University in St. Louis wants evidence you've chosen on purpose, not by default.

   Where drafts go wrong

   Turning it into a résumé: grades, awards and "I have always been passionate about." A list of achievements is not a reason to study something. Grand missions ("to cure cancer") read as borrowed.

   The shape of a strong answer

   One specific experience, one specific confusion or question it left you with, and what you did about it on your own. Then one or two things in Washington University in St. Louis's version of the major that match that question. Small and real beats big and vague.

2. Beyond Boundaries Program essayup to 250 words · Open prompt

   “What is the big societal issue you would like to tackle? Who would you need on your team? How would the Beyond Boundaries Program support you to work with collaborative teams to address this issue?”

   What it's really asking

   Whatever matters to you that the rest of the application hasn't shown. Washington University in St. Louis is giving you the floor; the question is what you choose to put on it.

   Where drafts go wrong

   Using the space to summarise achievements, apologise for a weakness, or restate the personal statement. Choosing a topic because it sounds like what colleges want.

   The shape of a strong answer

   One subject the reader couldn't guess from your file, told through a specific scene. Keep it in your own voice; if it sounds like a brochure, cut it. End on something still unresolved.

3. Business + Computer Science joint program essayup to 250 words · Intellectual curiosity

   “Tell us how you would use this combined degree to explore the intersection of these two disciplines?”

   What it's really asking

   Whether you think about things when nobody is grading you. Washington University in St. Louis wants a specific idea, question or project and the way your mind moved through it.

   Where drafts go wrong

   Name-dropping a big topic (AI, climate, quantum) and describing it instead of your own thinking about it. Essays that could have been written from the Wikipedia page.

   The shape of a strong answer

   One specific question or thing you made. The wrong turns and what you tried next. What you still don't know. Curiosity reads as unfinished; that's the point.

4. Danforth Scholars essay (optional)up to 100 words · Community

   “Share a specific example of how you have demonstrated a commitment to servant leadership and improving your community.”

   What it's really asking

   Two things at once: which community actually shaped how you think, and what you will bring to Washington University in St. Louis because of it. The second half is where most drafts stop short.

   Where drafts go wrong

   Describing the community instead of your role in it, or choosing the one that sounds impressive rather than the one that changed you. "Diversity" as an abstraction, with no scene.

   The shape of a strong answer

   Pick a community you can describe with a scene, not a label. Show one moment where it taught you something or asked something of you. Spend the last third on what that means you'll do at Washington University in St. Louis: a specific contribution, not "bring my perspective." At 100 words there is room for exactly one example, explained properly.

5. Ervin Scholars essay (optional)200-250 words · Community

   “Share a specific example of how you have taken action to champion diversity in your own life or community.”

   What it's really asking

   Two things at once: which community actually shaped how you think, and what you will bring to Washington University in St. Louis because of it. The second half is where most drafts stop short.

   Where drafts go wrong

   Describing the community instead of your role in it, or choosing the one that sounds impressive rather than the one that changed you. "Diversity" as an abstraction, with no scene.

   The shape of a strong answer

   Pick a community you can describe with a scene, not a label. Show one moment where it taught you something or asked something of you. Spend the last third on what that means you'll do at Washington University in St. Louis: a specific contribution, not "bring my perspective."

6. Rodriguez Scholars essay (optional)200-250 words · Open prompt

   “Share a specific example of how you have made a commitment to fostering cultural awareness and understanding.”

   What it's really asking

   Whatever matters to you that the rest of the application hasn't shown. Washington University in St. Louis is giving you the floor; the question is what you choose to put on it.

   Where drafts go wrong

   Using the space to summarise achievements, apologise for a weakness, or restate the personal statement. Choosing a topic because it sounds like what colleges want.

   The shape of a strong answer

   One subject the reader couldn't guess from your file, told through a specific scene. Keep it in your own voice; if it sounds like a brochure, cut it. End on something still unresolved.

Every US applicant also writes the Common App personal statement: 650 words, seven prompts. Don't repeat it here; the supplements are for what the statement didn't show.

A self-check before you submit

Cover the school name and read the essay. Then cover your name and read it again. It should fail the first test (it only makes sense for Washington University in St. Louis) and pass the second (only you could have written it). If it passes the first test, it's a brochure. If it fails the second, it's a template.