Washington University in St. Louis is a private research university in St. Louis, Missouri. The university is home to a total of 15,400 students, 7,700 of whom are enrolled in undergraduate programs. The motto of WashU is Per Veritatem Vis, or “Strength through Truth.” This is a fitting motto for an institution where the search for truth through research isn’t just encouraged — it’s practically mandatory. WashU’s reputation for excellent research opportunities has made it a top choice for students pursuing the humanities and the sciences alike. WashU is also ranked in the top-10 schools in the country for entrepreneurs, financial resources, campus food, the administration, and their dorms. If you’re thinking of going pre-med, you’re in luck too. The pre-med program at WashU is highly respected nationally.
Other fun facts about WashU include that 65% of students are from more than 500 miles away from campus and that the school banned the sale of plastic single-use water bottles on campus in 2009.
Washington University in St. Louis is a very competitive school. The acceptance rate is 14%.
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. (300 words)
If a school wants to sniff out whether a student is genuinely interested in a topic, this is the perfect question. If you are putting on an act or feigning interest in a subject you are utterly dispassionate about, this question will pull back the curtain on the whole charade. Why? Because it’s hard to fake authenticity and this question demands that you be true to yourself.
Naturally, this means that the first step in answering this question comes way before you start the supplement. Way back when you said what you are interested in studying in college, you need to have answered honestly. That way, when you get to this question, you’re excited to answer it. If you are hoping to pursue something you are passionate about or even just curious about, this question should be an easy one for you. If you are picking a subject because you think it ‘looks good,’ this question will be (and should be) excruciating.
Once you know the program or area of study you’re hoping to pursue, you need to branch out from there. What you choose to write about here should be related to what you want to study, but not simply what you want to study. For example, if you wanted to study biology with hopes of going into animal behavioral research, you could focus this answer on your pet chicken named Rose and the realization that all animals have personalities. If you’re interested in physics, you could write about falling out of a tree at ten and staring up into the branches and contemplating gravity while waiting for the ambulance. Whatever you pick, it should be accurate, and it should be true to you. It also has to be a story. You need to write a scene because passion and curiosity and excitement come through imagery far more quickly than through static sanitized language — and you only have 300 words to work with.
While you can write about forms of media, like movies and music, it’s still essential to isolate a moment or experience engaging with that art form that is cinematic in nature. Just because the thing you pick isn’t an action doesn’t mean your answer to this question shouldn’t be action-packed.
If you’re struggling to match your passions with a place to pursue them, drop us a line. We’re experts at helping students identify, and gain admission to, their perfect-fit schools.