Washington University in St. Louis Supplemental Essay Prompts & Writing Guide 2025-2026

WashU's admissions committee wants to see a genuine origin story for your academic interest, not just a surface-level preference. Rather than simply stating what you want to study, trace how your passion developed over time as a high school student. Did a specific class spark something, or did you pursue a project outside the classroom that deepened your understanding? The prompt's reassurance that students enter undeclared is authentic; WashU genuinely expects many students to be exploring rather than certain. However, this does not mean you should be vague. Instead, show intellectual curiosity and genuine engagement with your chosen academic division, whether that's engineering, business, arts and sciences, or another area. The key is demonstrating that you have thought seriously about why this field matters to you and how it connects to your goals.

With only 250 words, you need to be highly strategic about what you include. Begin by briefly naming your intended major or division and immediately explain the core reason it excites you. Use 1-2 concrete examples from your actual experience (a challenging problem you solved in a class, a project you undertook, an organization you joined) to show rather than tell admissions officers why you care. Avoid spending precious words on generic praise for WashU itself; this prompt is specifically not asking for a "Why WashU" answer. Instead, focus on painting a vivid picture of your intellectual journey and what drew you toward this particular field of study. If you are truly undecided, frame your interest around the academic division and explain what questions or themes excite you across that area, rather than naming a single major.

Finally, demonstrate that you understand WashU's academic structure and have done real research. One or two specific resources, courses, or programs within your division should be mentioned naturally, showing that you have actually explored the website and thought about where you fit. Admissions readers notice when students have clearly invested time in learning about the institution, and this signals genuine interest and readiness to engage meaningfully with WashU's academic community from day one.

This optional essay is your chance to showcase a dimension of yourself that doesn't shine through your transcript or personal statement, so choose the prompt that genuinely resonates with you. If you go with the community option, pick a community that has actually shaped you: whether that's your robotics team, your religious congregation, your neighborhood, a volunteer organization, or even your family. Don't make it generic. The admissions committee wants to see what specific role you played and what concrete impact you had, not just that you belonged to a group. Paint a picture early on by describing who makes up this community and why it matters to you, then explain what you did within it. This is where you show your values in action rather than just stating them.

For the second prompt about your story, think beyond surface-level identity. Yes, WashU values diversity of perspectives, but they're not looking for a checklist of your demographics. Instead, reflect on the moments, challenges, or conversations that actually changed how you see the world. Maybe you're the only person in your family to pursue a certain path, or you grew up across multiple cultures, or you experienced a setback that taught you resilience. The key is specificity; admissions officers read hundreds of essays, and phrases like "I've learned to value diversity" or "I'm a leader" don't stick with anyone. Ground your response in a real memory or experience that only you could tell, one that reveals something about how you think and who you are as a person.

At 250 words, you're working with limited space, so make every sentence count. Avoid broad philosophical statements or telling the reader what traits you have ("I am resilient," "I am creative"). Instead, show those traits through your story. If you choose the community prompt and your story demonstrates servant leadership or collaboration, that character will come through naturally. If you choose the story prompt and your experience shows you're someone who asks thoughtful questions and seeks to understand others, prove it with narrative detail. Remember too that WashU frames itself as "In St. Louis, For St. Louis," emphasizing genuine engagement with community, so whichever prompt you choose, lean into how you'll bring that ethos of being present and invested to campus life.

While this essay is technically optional, treat it as essential to your application competitiveness. WashU explicitly states that they highly recommend responding to strengthen your case, and admissions data backs this up; skipping the optional essay sends the message that you're not genuinely interested in attending. With a 12 percent acceptance rate, WashU is looking at every signal to distinguish between strong applicants, and your willingness to take this extra step demonstrates commitment. Think of it this way: many qualified applicants will submit only the required essay and skip this prompt. By responding thoughtfully to the optional prompt, you're giving admissions officers more material to connect with you personally and more evidence that you understand and value WashU's mission of knowing students "By Name & Story." The difference between a complete application and an incomplete one, in a pool this competitive, can mean the difference between acceptance and rejection.

The Danforth Scholars essay is not about your title or position; it is about demonstrating that you actively lift others up while staying grounded in humility and shared values. WashU is looking for evidence that you understand what true servant leadership means: supporting others' growth and development rather than seeking personal recognition or authority. Your essay should show this philosophy in action, not just state it as an ideal. The program specifically values leaders who build trust, foster empowerment, and contribute to their communities with integrity and kindness, so your examples need to reflect these qualities clearly.

Choose one or two concrete examples where you directly helped someone or a group develop a skill, gain confidence, or overcome a challenge. The strongest responses include sensory details and specific moments that show your leadership in real time. Instead of saying you organized tutoring, describe how a particular student's face changed when they finally grasped a difficult concept, or how a hesitant teammate began speaking up more after your encouragement. Show what the other person learned or gained from your support. For example, if you mentored a younger student, led a peer support initiative, started a community project, or helped bridge different groups together, describe the concrete impact on them. Did they develop new skills? Did they feel more included or empowered? Did they go on to help others themselves? This demonstrates that you understand the ripple effect of servant leadership.

Make sure your examples reveal character qualities the Danforths embodied: integrity, intellectual curiosity, commitment to diversity and inclusion, and a genuine care for others. Avoid examples where you directed or controlled; instead, show how you enabled others to lead, solve problems, and grow. In your closing, you might briefly reflect on what this experience taught you about leadership and how you plan to carry these values into your time at WashU. This forward-looking element ties your past actions to your future as a Danforth Scholar and shows that your commitment to service goes beyond a single project or role.

The Ervin Scholars essay is fundamentally different from typical community service prompts because it calls you to demonstrate not just volunteer hours or good intentions, but a sustained commitment to advancing social justice and equity in communities facing real systemic barriers. Washington University takes this question seriously; they are looking for evidence that you understand the connection between Dr. Ervin's legacy as a pioneering African American educator and advocate, and your own willingness to use your talents and position to challenge inequality. Your goal is to show that you have recognized a specific injustice or gap in your community, took meaningful action to address it, and understood why that work matters to people directly affected by the problem.

Instead of listing multiple volunteer experiences, choose 1-2 concrete examples that reveal your thinking and your role in creating change. For instance, rather than saying you volunteered at a food bank or mentored younger students, go deeper: Who did you serve, and what was their specific challenge? How did your presence or action make a tangible difference, not just for one person, but potentially for a larger group? Show the admissions committee that you asked yourself why the problem existed in the first place and that you did something about it. Quantify your impact when possible (e.g., the number of people you taught, the policy you influenced, the barrier you helped remove) and reflect on a lesson you learned or a shift in your perspective. WashU values candidates who grow through their service and who recognize that marginalized communities have assets and dignity, not just needs.

Finally, connect your work explicitly to Dr. Ervin's core values: equity, advocacy, and bringing diverse people together to heal division. You do not need to know every detail of his biography to do this; rather, show that you share his belief that education, advocacy, and solidarity can transform lives. The admissions team wants to see that if selected as an Ervin Scholar, you will continue honoring this legacy through your actions at WashU and beyond. Avoid generic language about changing the world; instead, prove through your specific examples that you are already a champion for positive change and that you understand why your work in marginalized communities is urgent and necessary.

The Rodriguez Scholars Program at Washington University values four core pillars: academic excellence, leadership, service to the community, and bringing diverse groups together. The committee reads this essay specifically looking for students who embody Annika Rodriguez's spirit of giving wholeheartedly to every person who enters their life. This means your essay needs to demonstrate not just what you did, but how your service changed your perspective and who you became as a result. With only 200-250 words, every sentence must work hard to show both your personal transformation and your genuine commitment to serving others, particularly in ways that celebrate cultural diversity and bridge different communities.

Start your essay with a specific, vivid story rather than a broad overview of your volunteer work. Paint a scene that reveals a moment when you truly understood why service matters to you. This could be a conversation with someone you served, a challenge you faced, or a realization that shifted how you see your community. Use sensory details and dialogue to bring readers into the experience. For example, instead of writing ("I volunteered at a community center"), show them what you witnessed, what someone said to you, or how you felt in that moment. This opening story should answer the implied question: what deep motivation drives you to serve? The Rodriguez committee wants to see that your service springs from genuine human connection and curiosity about others, not from obligation or resume-building.

Your two additional examples should demonstrate breadth and consistency in your commitment rather than just listing more activities. One example might show your ongoing involvement in a single cause (demonstrating depth and leadership), while the second could illustrate a different type of service or a way you brought together people from different backgrounds. Make sure these examples reveal something about your character: perhaps one shows resilience, another shows creativity, and another shows humility. Keep language concrete and action-oriented. For instance, rather than ("I care about cultural diversity"), show how you actively created space for people from different backgrounds to connect and feel valued. The program particularly values students who celebrate cultures different from their own, so if your service involves working with or learning from communities different than your own, make that explicit and reflective. Conclude by briefly connecting your service experiences to who you are becoming and what you hope to contribute at WashU and beyond.