Last Updated on August 25, 2026
Quick answer: WashU requires one supplemental response for fall 2027 entry: a 250-word answer to the question “Please tell us what you are interested in studying at college and why.” The optional writing supplement has been discontinued. [1] You still submit the Common Application essay, and an optional video supplement is available.
WashU updated its supplemental essay questions for the 2026-27 cycle. The prompts below reflect those changes, verified against WashU’s admissions site in August 2026.
Known as one of the top schools in the Midwest, Washington University in St. Louis is a vibrant school with a dynamic community and outstanding opportunities for students. For fall 2027 entry, WashU asks one required supplemental question, a 250-word response about what you want to study and why. To help students in their writing process, here’s InGenius Prep’s guide to the Washington University in St. Louis supplemental essays.
Prompts for the WashU in St. Louis Supplemental Essays
Short Answer (250 words): Please tell us what you are interested in studying at college and why.
Two hundred and fifty words is short enough that a general answer will not survive. WashU is not asking whether you like biology. It is asking what pulled you toward it and what you did about it.
Start with the specific thing, not the field. A lab section that ran long because the result made no sense. A grandparent’s medical bills that sent you into health policy. A dataset you scraped for a school paper and kept poking at afterward. One concrete moment does more work here than a paragraph of adjectives.
Then show the interest has direction. Name a WashU department, a course number, a research group, or a faculty member whose work connects to yours, and say what you would do there. WashU reads this response knowing you are choosing among its undergraduate schools, so make clear which one your interest points to.
Do not repeat what your activities list already says. If the reader can learn it from the grid, spend the words on something the grid cannot carry: how your thinking changed, what you got wrong, what you want to test next.
If you are undecided, say so plainly and then write about the two or three questions you keep returning to. Honest uncertainty with evidence reads better than a manufactured certainty.
WashU Deadlines and Testing for Fall 2027 Entry
WashU offers four decision plans for fall 2027 entry. Early Action and Early Decision I applications are due November 2, 2026. Early Decision II and Regular Decision applications are due January 4, 2027. [2] Early Action is new this cycle and is not binding, so it suits you if WashU is high on your list but you want to compare aid offers. WashU remains test-optional and accepts self-reported SAT or ACT scores on the Common Application.
If you are drafting for several schools at once, our supplemental essay guides for other schools cover the rest of the list.
Additional Tips for Writing the WashU in St. Louis Supplemental Essay
Do your research!: It’s a given that before you sit down to write any supplemental essay you conduct thorough research on the college. Even though there’s no explicit “Why WashU” question, to successfully write the WashU in St. Louis supplemental essay, you need to know about the academic departments and courses in order to figure out how your topic relates to the major. For further reading, you can also check out this blog by Alyssa Reiman, a Graduate Coach at InGenius Prep, who discusses what she loved about the school, its community, and campus! Reading through student reflections is a helpful way to inspire your own writing and think deeper about what you’re looking for from college and from your academic work.
Think About the WashU College of Your Choice: Before you sit down to write your WashU in St. Louis supplemental essay, you should think carefully about the specialized college you’ll apply to and tailor your essay to highlight unique program offerings at that particular school. Even though you are allowed to take classes across different schools, your essay needs to be as specific as possible to your primary field. If you’re applying to the School of Engineering, don’t rave about classes in the Design & Visual Arts college!
Get Personalized Tips with InGenius Prep
If WashU is high on your list, read past the homepage and learn what the university actually values. Admissions Officers are looking for students who embody the traits that WashU is built upon. Show what you have committed to and why it holds your attention, and do not repeat what is already on your personal statement or activities list.
If you want guidance on your supplemental essays, InGenius Prep is here to help. Our team of Former Admissions Officers from the top universities know what it takes to make a great application. We have worked with students admitted to schools including Harvard, Yale, MIT, Johns Hopkins, Cornell, and NYU. Ready to take the next step? Get a clear, honest read on which path actually fits your goals, and the specific next steps to build a strong application. Click here to book your free consultation.