First-Year International Applicants

WashU offers first-year applicants a choice of three decision plans – Early Decision I, Early Decision II, and Regular Decision.

Early Decision plans

You may apply to only one college or university under a binding Early Decision (ED) plan.

If WashU is clearly your first-choice school, we encourage you to apply under the Early Decision option. Early Decision I and Early Decision II candidates receive admission decisions and financial aid offers earlier than regular decision candidates. WashU will meet 100% of demonstrated financial need for all admitted undergraduate students, regardless of your chosen decision plan. The academic scholarship process is separate – scholarship decisions are not made until well after the Early Decision notification dates.

Your Early Decision application is a binding commitment that you will attend WashU if admitted. Early Decision candidates and their counselors and a parent or guardian must sign the Early Decision commitment statement on the application. You may apply for regular admission to any additional schools you choose. If you are admitted to WashU, you must withdraw applications filed at other colleges and universities.

Some applicants not admitted under Early Decision may be deferred to the Regular Decision application period for re-evaluation. However, some applicants may be denied admission.

Regular Decision plan

If you are interested in WashU, but are unsure whether it is your first choice, you should apply as a Regular Decision (RD) candidate.

You must select one of our undergraduate schools (Architecture, Art, Arts & Sciences, Business, Engineering) when you apply. This school serves as your home base, though you are welcome to take classes in or transfer to the other schools as your academic interests evolve. 

You will also be asked to select a primary academic interest on your application, but you don’t need to formally declare your major until your second year. 

The successful completion of a minimum of 12 years of primary and secondary studies is required for admission to any program of study leading to a bachelor’s degree at WashU.

A secondary school diploma or equivalent is required.

If you apply for admission, you will need to submit detailed information about your previous education, including:

• Original academic transcripts or certified copies
• A description of the grading system
• Examination results (IGCSE, HKCEE, predicted A-Levels, national exams, etc.)
• School-leaving certificates
• Certified English translations of all of the above

Academic records must include:

• Transcripts of all work completed at the secondary school level
• Transcripts of formal studies completed beyond secondary school (when appropriate)
• Subjects covered during each year of study (the specific month and year)
• Duration of time of each course
• Number of lectures or laboratory periods included within each course
• Grades (marks) received

All prospective WashU international students whose first language is not English are required to take either the TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo English Test.

Optional supplements

The following items are not required as part of the application process. They are simply ways for you to add another dimension to your application – something that we might not learn by reading your transcript or your personal statement. And if you don’t want to submit any supplemental materials, that’s OK. Applicants will not be penalized for opting out. They are truly optional.

• Video or writing supplement
• Schoolhouse.world certifications
• Standardized test scores

WashU is a global institution and welcomes applications from students studying in other countries. As a result, our standardized testing requirements are designed to be flexible and recognize the different educational systems around the world.

For both non-U.S. citizens and U.S. citizens applying from a high school outside of the United States, you may choose to submit the following:

• SAT; or
• ACT; or
• Predicted or actual results from national examinations, such as the Baccalauréat, Abitur, Maturita, etc.; or
• Predicted or actual results for the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma; or
• Predicted or actual A-Levels; or
• Three (3) AP Exam scores; or
  • One exam score must be in math for students applying to the following schools: STEM majors in the College of Arts & Sciences, McKelvey School of Engineering, Olin Business School
• Three (3) IB higher-level exam scores if not an IB Diploma candidate; or
  • One must be an HL Math score for students applying to the following schools: STEM majors in the College of Arts & Sciences, McKelvey School of Engineering, Olin Business School

International students whose first language is not English will still be required to demonstrate English proficiency by submitting official results from the Duolingo English Test (DET), IELTS, or TOEFL exams.

Credits can be accepted by WashU for studies completed at another college or university, or for scores achieved on AP, IB, or British A Level examinations.

However, an official statement of advanced standing cannot be given until a student has been admitted to WashU, has arrived on campus, and has consulted with an academic advisor regarding the evaluation of previous academic achievement.

The academic programs at WashU require students to have well-developed skills in written and oral communication. During the academic year, international students seeking to improve their language skills in English may enroll in courses designed especially for advanced learners. These courses will help in refining and perfecting areas such as reading and writing, speaking and pronunciation, presentation, debating skills, and knowledge of American idiomatic expressions. For further information, please visit the English Language Support page.

WashU has authorization to issue eligibility documents needed to obtain either an “F-1” or “J-1” student visa.

Although both visas allow for full-time study, the J-1 is used for reciprocal exchange programs and government scholarship programs; the F-1 is the usual student visa.

Documents for visa eligibility may be issued by WashU only after applicants have been officially admitted into a program of study and have given proof of sufficient funds to finance expenses for the duration of their proposed program of study.

International students are not allowed to enter the United States on a tourist (B-2) visa when arriving to begin university studies. It is not legal to study in a degree program on a tourist visa.

Students who are currently in the United States on an F-2 visa will be required to change to an F-1 visa.

Applicants

As an international student, you are eligible for financial aid only if you apply for funding during the admission process. You will not be eligible for financial aid after receiving your admission decision or, if admitted, during your four years at WashU.

If you indicate on your application that you do not intend to apply for need-based financial aid, you must submit our International Financial Information form in the WashU Pathway. This form helps us understand how you intend to fund your education. It is required, and your application will remain incomplete until we receive it.

If you do intend to apply for financial aid, be sure to submit your financial aid application by the deadline.

Enrolling students

In compliance with Department of Homeland Security (DHS) regulations, WashU requires all enrolling international students to submit detailed financial information statements before a Form I-20 can be processed, including:

• Statements of amounts and sources of funds available for their educational expenses in the United States.
• Affidavit of Financial Support (AOFS)
• Certified bank statements in English verifying that they have sufficient funds available to finance their first year’s tuition and living expenses and that a comparable amount of money will be available for every subsequent year of study.
• Some embassy officials verify students’ financial certification. Students should obtain two original copies (with original signatures) of both the sponsor’s letter and the bank letter. Retain a copy for obtaining a visa.

Financial aid offers may be deducted from the amount to be certified.

All incoming students must provide documentation of required immunizations and screening and should consider recommended immunizations. Enrolling students are required to submit a completed health history form through the Student Health Center.

To protect the health of our entire community, we require all full-time degree-seeking students to have health insurance. You either must purchase our Student Health Insurance Plan or prove that you have adequate coverage through another plan. If you do not demonstrate that you have adequate coverage through another plan, you will be automatically enrolled in our plan and billed accordingly. The cost of the WashU Student Health Insurance Plan, as well as instructions for obtaining a waiver through proof of adequate coverage, will be provided to enrolling students.

To apply, use either the Common Application or Coalition Application. Both applications open on August 1 and must be completed by the appropriate application deadline.

Common Application

Students who apply via the Common Application will complete both the basic application and the WashU-specific questions while logged in to their Common Application account.

Coalition Application

Students who apply via the Coalition Application will complete their profile while logged in to their Scoir account. Upon submitting their profile, students will be taken to the WashU Pathway to complete the WashU-specific questions.

Within a few days of submitting your application for admission, you will receive login instructions for the WashU Pathway.

In the WashU Pathway, you will see:

• A checklist showing the status of each piece of your application
• A link to your financial aid portal (if applicable)
• Instructions for submitting an optional 90-second video

Admission decisions will be posted in the Pathway as soon as they are released.

WashU meets 100 percent of demonstrated need for all admitted undergraduate students.

When filling out your application for admission, indicate your intent to apply for need-based financial aid. Once you submit your application, we will create an account for you with Student Financial Services, and your application begins!

Your WashU Pathway will include a current checklist of your support materials:

• 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 (required for students applying to the College of Art, strongly encouraged for students applying to the College of Architecture.) The portfolio should be submitted using SlideRoom. 

If you don’t want to submit a supplement, that’s OK. Applicants will not be penalized for opting out of submitting a supplement. It is truly optional.

This optional question allows you to add another dimension to your application – something that the admissions committee might not learn by reading your transcript or your personal statement.

WashU is a place that values a wide range of perspectives. We believe those perspectives come from a variety of experiences and identities. Respond to one of the following prompts to help us understand “Who are you?”:

• WashU supports engagement in the St. Louis community by considering the university as “In St. Louis, For St. Louis.” What is a community you are a part of and your place or impact within it?
• WashU strives to know every undergraduate student “By Name & Story.” How have your life experiences shaped your story?

Coalition Application

If you’re completing via the Coalition Application, you may submit the optional Writing Supplement through the WashU Pathway after you’ve submitted both your profile and the WashU-specific questions.

Common Application

The optional Scholarship Writing Supplement serves as our application for our Signature Scholar Programs as well as the Howard Nemerov Writing Scholars Program for applicants to Arts & Sciences.

Coalition Application

If you’re submitting via the Coalition Application, you will apply for our Signature Scholar Programs and/or Nemerov Writing Scholars Program through the WashU Pathway after you’ve submitted both your profile and the Washington University-specific questions.

Letters of recommendation

The scholarship committee(s) will review the required counselor and teacher letters of recommendation submitted with your application. You may submit an optional third letter of recommendation to invite someone who can speak to your contributions and commitment to the community.

The $75 nonrefundable application fee is required to complete your application. You may pay the application fee using a credit card when you submit your application for admission.

Fee waiver

As part of WashU’s commitment to meeting 100 percent of demonstrated financial need for all admitted undergraduate students, we are happy to waive our $75 application fee for all financial aid applicants as well as those for whom it would present a financial hardship.