WashU Engineering Essay Guide

Introduction

Hi everyone! My name is Crystal Gamino and I am a rising junior at Washington University in St. Louis, otherwise known as WashU, majoring in Computer Science with a minor in Spanish. I am from the south side of Chicago, IL and had an unweighted GPA of 3.88 and weighted GPA of 5.17 along with a 90th percentile score on the SAT my junior year of high school. My scores from junior year, abundance of extracurricular activities and volunteering were especially important because I applied to the Early Decision I application. 

Introduction to WashU 

Washington University in St. Louis is a prestigious private research university that also provides a liberal arts education. WashU was founded in 1853 and has several campuses throughout the St Louis and Clayton area. These campuses include Danforth Campus located in Clayton, Missouri where the majority of the undergraduate and graduate students study, the West Campus also located in Clayton, the Medical Campus in the Central West End in St. Louis, and lastly the North Campus in the West End of St. Louis. Some notable facts about the university are that over 80% of the students pursue a second major or have a minor, students come from all of the 50 states, there are many international students, over 30% of the students study abroad, and while WashU is a NCAA Division III school, more than 75% of the students play in intramural sports. WashU has many significant attributes like hosting the 1904 World’s Fair and Olympics but their endless opportunities in academics and research really take the win. An added bonus is, of course, their flexibility in switching majors, so although I am a current CS major, I was once in the Biomedical Engineering program. 

Typical Student Profile

According to the Class of 2026 profile, there were 33,214 applicants where 3,764 were admitted and 1,858 enrolled, which has an 11% overall admit rate. Of those that were admitted, 27% were from Early Decision and 8% were from regular decision. The middle 50% of SAT scores were between 1500 - 1570 and for ACT were 33 - 35. Of those that applied, 60% applied with test scores and 40% applied without test scores. Of those enrolled, 58% enrolled with test scores and 42% enrolled without test scores.
 

The breakdown by ethnicity is: 

• 25% Asian 
• 12% Black or African American 
• 12% Hispanic 
• 1% Native American/ Native Hawaiian/ Other Pacific Islander 
• 1% Race/ Ethnicity unknown 
• 38% White 
• 25% Total Underrepresented Students of Color 
• 51% Total Students of Color 

Application Process:
WashU offers several applications for potential first year students: 

• Common App
• Coalition App (open August 1)
• Questbridge Application

After deciding on an application, it is important to be mindful that WashU offers different deadlines depending on how you want to apply. These include: 

• Early Decision I (due Nov. 1) 
• Early Decision II (due Jan. 4) 
• Regular Decision (due Jan. 4) 

Students who apply Early Decision must remember that their decision is binding meaning they will have to attend the school and withdraw any other applications you may have submitted. 

After receiving the application, you will be sent information to login to WashU Pathway where you will have a link to your financial aid account and a checklist for each piece of your application. What your application checklist will consist of: 

• School Report and Official Transcript 
• Teacher Evaluation 
• Counselor Recommendation 
• Optional – Self-reported or official SAT or ACT scores. 
• TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo English Test for students whose first
  language is not English 
• Portfolio for students applying to College of Art and strongly
  encouraged for students applying to college of Architecture 

Supplemental Essay Prompts

There is only one supplemental essay, so it is critical that your essay sticks out and establishes why you are a good fit for WashU and why WashU is a good fit for you. 

The questions for every year differ, however, they are ALWAYS a version of WHY WashU? Most recently the prompt was: Please tell us what you are interested in studying at WashU and why. (200 words) 

However, for my year the question was:Tell us about something that really sparks your intellectual interest and curiosity and compels you to explore more in the program/area of study that you indicated. It could be an idea, book, project, cultural activity, work of art, start-up, music, movie, research, innovation, question, or other pursuit.* (max: 300 words) 

My Essay:

I grew up watching Grey’s Anatomy where I would see the surgeons rushing people to the OR, surgeries on elevators, and profound love stories between the characters. However, nothing resonated with me more than when Arizona (a character on the show) started using a prosthetic leg that was designed specifically for her or when the surgeons decided to create a heart and a liver using a 3D printer. This is when my curiosity about technological advancements in medicine emerged. 

I began to research more ways that technology has been a key contributor to solving medical mysteries. One of the things that sparked my interest was the new project in breast cancer screening. The National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) has developed a breast CT scanner (bCT) which allows radiologists to view the breast in three dimensions to find smaller tumors behind the breast tissue. After the NIBIB used the bCT on more than 600 women, the results suggested that it is better than the mammography because it can find tumors easier. This new bCT interested me because it makes me wonder what other machines can be built that would help doctors and give patients a better chance when they are fighting their disease. 

By enrolling in the Biomedical Engineering program at Washington University in St. Louis, I aspire to understand how engineering can be used to explore and comprehend medical mysteries. I especially want to learn how to develop new machines that would pave the way into changing the way doctors improve the lives of their patients. One specific device I would like to improve is the pacemaker because I know it would facilitate the process of patients when they go through security in airports or any metal detector.
     

Why It Worked: 

My essay worked because I started off by telling a story about where my interest in medical advancements began and what sparked my interest in this field. By saying that my interest sparked when I was watching Grey’s Anatomy, it demonstrates a sincere story while conveying that I am the type of person who can be inspired anywhere. Then, I move on to write about some of the research I have found interesting. Not only do I write about the results and findings of the research, but also connect it back to myself and why I find it interesting. Lastly, the most important part is when I connect it all back to WashU and what I will learn pursuing the Biomedical Engineering path. This is the most important part because I am showing that I understand what I can accomplish by being in the program of study I have indicated and I can pinpoint how this major will prepare me for my future goals. 

While the supplemental question is a bit different now, it is still a WHY essay. For these, WashU wants to learn about your academic interests and passions and how the academic programs and opportunities available will help you accomplish your goals. To have a strong essay, it will be necessary to research the resources available at WashU and connect them to your interests. In my essay, I talked about research from the NIBIB, but if you find interesting research from professors on the WashU website write about it. 

Good luck!

Written by Crystal Gamino, PathIvy Washington University Ambassador