What separated WashU accepted vs. rejected applicants this cycle? Not grades or scores, which were close, but writing and creative work. Washington University in St. Louis admits about 12% of applicants by its official rate, and in our sample its admits were far more likely to list journalism and writing or arts awards.
We compared 74 WashU applicants from self-reported 2026 r/collegeresults posts: 21 admitted, 32 rejected and 21 still waitlisted. (Three admits came off the waitlist.) This is part of a larger comparison of accepted vs. rejected applicants at top colleges, which explains how the data was collected.
This is one of the smaller samples we've written up. With 21 admits, one person moves an activity share by about 5 points, and only 14 admits stated a GPA and 7 sent an SAT. Treat everything below as a hint, not a finding.
WashU admitted student GPA and SAT
| Admitted | Rejected or waitlisted | |
|---|---|---|
| Median unweighted GPA | 3.975 (14 stated) | 3.945 (40 stated) |
| Median weighted GPA | 4.62 (9 stated) | 4.44 (34 stated) |
| Median SAT (scores sent) | 1550 (7 people) | 1535 (36 people) |
| Median ACT (scores sent) | 35 (11 people) | 35 (20 people) |
| Median AP/IB courses | 9.5 | 11 |
| National-level award | 62% | 72% |
The two groups were close on everything academic. 6 of the 14 admits who stated a GPA had a 4.0, versus 13 of 40 among everyone else. Non-admits actually took slightly more AP or IB courses and were more likely to list a national-level award.
Which activities WashU admits listed more often
- Journalism: 43% of admits versus 13% of everyone else, the biggest gap at WashU.
- An arts or writing award: 38% versus 11%.
- Visual arts, theater or creative writing: 29% versus 13%.
- Scouting or civic groups: 33% versus 19%.
- Debate, speech or Model UN: 43% versus 32%.
And some showed up more often among applicants who weren't admitted:
- A school award: 24% of admits versus 53%.
- AP Scholar: 24% versus 47%.
- National Merit: 10% versus 28%.
- A selective summer program: 14% versus 32%.
- Research: 29% versus 45%.
- Community service: 48% versus 64%.
The pattern is consistent: writing, reporting and creative work lined up with admission, while honors that come from grades and test scores, such as school awards, AP Scholar and National Merit, didn't set anyone apart. Rice showed a similar lean toward creative and civic activities.
By the majors applicants listed, biology and health applicants did worst (6 admitted, 19 not). The groups are small, so treat that as a hint.
The waitlist
24 applicants were waitlisted at some point (a third of the sample), and 3 were later admitted. That's one of the heaviest waitlist shares in our data, alongside Cornell and Carnegie Mellon. Our waitlist strategy guide covers what to do if you land there.
WashU offers binding Early Decision, but too few posters named it to compare the rounds.
What WashU applicants can take from this
- Grades and scores won't set you apart here. The two groups were close on both.
- Writing and creative work stood out. Journalism and arts or writing awards were far more common among admits.
- Honors based on grades and scores didn't. School awards, AP Scholar and National Merit were more common among non-admits.
- Plan for the waitlist. A third of this sample landed there.
WashU's College Intel page carries the same applicant-profile comparison, updated as new posts are logged.
Sources
- College Intel's tally of self-reported r/collegeresults posts, 2026 admissions cycle (445 posts logged as of Oct 17, 2026; 74 with a WashU decision). Recruited athletes and transfer applicants excluded. Aggregates only; no individual post is reproduced, and no figure rests on fewer than 3 people.
- College Scorecard -- U.S. Department of Education (WashU's official admission rate)